Punctures are every cyclist’s nightmare, always striking at the worst possible moment. Luckily, the most puncture proof tyres make flats a worry of the past.
The website Bicycle Rolling Resistance conducts extensive lab tests on bike tyres. While their primary focus is on rolling resistance, they also test tyre treads and sidewalls for puncture resistance. Thanks to their research, we have access to data on 15 current touring tyre models to analyse.
First, we’ll explore which tyres offer the best puncture protection, and later we’ll see how they stack up when it comes to rolling resistance.
Let’s dive in!
Note: This article was originally published in Apr 2017 but has been updated in Apr 2026.
Testing The Most Puncture Proof Tyres
Bicycle Rolling Resistance (BRR) uses a metric called the puncture score to quantify how puncture-resistant a touring tyre really is.
To determine this score, a 1 mm-thick needle is pressed into the centre of the tyre’s tread (and sidewall) while weight is gradually applied until a puncture occurs. The required force is recorded as the puncture force, with each tyre tested five times to ensure consistent results.
That force score is then multiplied by the tyre’s thickness. This method offers a more realistic measure of real-world puncture resistance, as thicker tyres generally reduce flats by increasing the distance debris must travel before reaching the casing.
To rank these touring tyres, I’ve assigned “CyclingAbout points” to each puncture score. The points decrease in line with the puncture scores, and we’ll use them later to determine the best overall touring tyres.
Puncture Score Tread
| BRR Puncture Score | CyclingAbout Points | |
|---|---|---|
| Schwalbe Marathon E-Plus | 163 | 10 |
| Vittoria Randonneur | 150 | 10 |
| Schwalbe Marathon Plus | 129 | 8 |
| Continental Pure Contact | 126 | 8 |
| Continental Top Contact Winter II | 119 | 8 |
| Schwalbe Energizer Plus | 117 | 8 |
| Schwalbe Marathon Almotion Tubeless | 83 (+30) | 6 (+2) |
| Schwalbe Marathon Mondial DD | 108 | 7 |
| Schwalbe Green Marathon | 105 | 7 |
| Schwalbe Marathon Racer | 97 | 7 |
| Continental Contact Urban | 95 | 7 |
| Continental Top Contact II | 95 | 7 |
| Continental Urban Taraxagum | 84 | 6 |
| Panaracer Pasela ProTite | 76 | 6 |
| Schwalbe Marathon Efficiency | 69 | 5 |
For tyre tread puncture test, the Schwalbe Marathon E-Plus leads the pack thanks to its exceptionally high puncture score. To get this score, this tyre combines a strong puncture-proof material with a very thick tread.
The Vittoria Randonneur uses a ridiculously puncture-proof tyre fabric, the toughest of any on this list. The tyre itself is a little thinner, so the puncture score doesn’t quite match the Marathon E-Plus, but it still gets the full 10 CyclingAbout points nonetheless.
Next up was the Schwalbe Marathon Plus, which uses a similar puncture protection layer to the E-Plus, but with slightly less reinforcement. These are a super popular touring bike tyre for a reason.
Other strong performers with a puncture score over 100 include the Continental Pure Contact, Continental Top Contact Winter II, Schwalbe Energizer Plus, Schwalbe Marathon Mondial and Schwalbe Green Marathon.
Also in this lineup is the Schwalbe Marathon Almotion TLE. Technically, it scored lower on the puncture test, but because it’s a tubeless tyre that can be used with sealant (which can quickly seal small punctures), I added two CyclingAbout points to its total. This adjustment better reflects how rarely you’re likely to experience flats with this tyre.
Puncture Score Sidewall
| BRR Puncture Score Sidewall | CyclingAbout Points | |
|---|---|---|
| Schwalbe Marathon E-Plus | 26 | 10 |
| Schwalbe Marathon Plus | 21 | 7 |
| Schwalbe Green Marathon | 21 | 7 |
| Schwalbe Marathon Mondial DD | 20 | 7 |
| Continental Top Contact Winter II | 19 | 6 |
| Continental Top Contact II | 19 | 6 |
| Schwalbe Marathon Almotion Tubeless | 17 (+2) | 5 (+1) |
| Schwalbe Marathon Efficiency | 18 | 6 |
| Continental Pure Contact | 18 | 6 |
| Schwalbe Energizer Plus | 18 | 6 |
| Vittoria Randonneur | 14 | 4 |
| Schwalbe Marathon Racer | 13 | 3 |
| Continental Contact Urban | 11 | 2 |
| Continental Urban Taraxagum | 10 | 2 |
| Panaracer Pasela ProTite | 7 | 0 |
In the sidewall puncture test, the Schwalbe Marathon E-Plus stands in a league of its own once again. Its durable sidewalls and thick casing earn it a BRR puncture score of 26, securing the full 10 CyclingAbout points once again.
Close behind, but still offering excellent sidewall puncture resistance, are the Schwalbe Marathon Plus, Green Marathon, and Marathon Mondial DD, all scoring 21. With any of these tyres, sidewall punctures should be a relatively rare occurrence.
The Marathon Almotion Tubeless sits slightly behind this group, but again, it receives one additional CyclingAbout point as it’s a tubeless tyre. With tubeless sealant installed, it’s likely to remain more puncture-resistant in real-world use than a tube-type tyre with similar sidewall protection.
Rolling Resistance Test
Rolling resistance describes how much of your pedalling effort is absorbed by the tyres as you ride. In these tests, lighter tyres with less heavy-duty puncture protection typically perform the best.
As I explain in my article on tyre rolling resistance, tyres with high rolling resistance can actually slow you down even more than adding an extra 30 kg (66 lbs) of luggage to your touring bike!
By assigning CyclingAbout points to both puncture resistance and rolling resistance, we can build a clearer picture of which tyres perform best overall. To do this, I averaged the CyclingAbout points from the two puncture resistance tests and combined them with the rolling resistance CyclingAbout points. The total scores are shown in the table below.
The resulting ranking highlights which touring tyres strike the best balance between puncture protection and speed. Ultimately, choosing between them comes down to how you prioritise puncture resistance versus efficiency.
Finally, to put rolling resistance into perspective, most riders cruise at around 100 to 200 watts, meaning rolling resistance alone can consume 20 to 60% of your pedalling power. Minimising it clearly pays off.
| Rolling Resistance (One Tyre) | Rolling Resistance CyclingAbout Points | Total CyclingAbout Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schwalbe Marathon Almotion TLE | 19.7 W | 10 | 17 (1st) |
| Schwalbe Energizer Plus | 21.5 W | 9 | 16 (=2nd) |
| Continental Pure Contact | 21.9 W | 9 | 16 (=2nd) |
| Schwalbe Marathon E-Plus | 27.4 W | 6 | 16 (=2nd) |
| Schwalbe Marathon Efficiency | 18.5 W | 10 | 15.5 (5th) |
| Schwalbe Green Marathon | 22.4 W | 8 | 15 (6th) |
| Schwalbe Marathon Plus | 25.5 W | 7 | 14.5 (=7th) |
| Continental Contact Urban | 18.4 W | 10 | 14.5 (=7th) |
| Continental Top Contact II | 24.2 W | 7 | 13.5 (9th) |
| Schwalbe Marathon Mondial DD | 26.7 W | 6 | 13 (10th) |
| Continental Top Contact Winter II | 28.5 W | 5 | 12 (=11th) |
| Schwalbe Marathon Racer | 24.6 W | 7 | 12 (=11th) |
| Panaracer Pasela ProTite | 20.6 W | 9 | 12 (=11th) |
| Continental Urban Taraxagum | 24.2 W | 7 | 11 (14th) |
| Vittoria Randonneur | 32.4 W | 3 | 10 (15th) |
When considering both puncture resistance and rolling resistance, the overall winner is the Schwalbe Marathon Almotion TLE. It offers exceptionally low rolling resistance for a touring tyre, along with strong puncture protection when used tubeless with sealant.
Close behind is the Schwalbe Marathon E-Plus, which combines an extremely high puncture score with a mid-range rolling resistance rating, securing second place overall. These are the tyres to choose if minimising punctures is your top priority.
The Schwalbe Energizer Plus and Continental Pure Contact also performed very well, pairing high puncture scores with impressively fast rolling resistance.
Other strong contenders include the Marathon Efficiency and Green Marathon. While they offer excellent performance, they do sacrifice a bit of puncture protection for improved speed.
The Most Puncture Proof Tyres Overall
Schwalbe Marathon E-Plus
If you never want to worry about punctures again, my top pick is the Schwalbe Marathon E-Plus ($60 on Amazon).
In lab testing, these tyres required the highest puncture force in both the tread and sidewall tests. Fit a tyre like this, and your bike will be as close to puncture-proof as it gets.
The trade-off is weight; they’re among the heavier tyres in this group. But the good news is that the extra rolling resistance is minimal, adding only 7 to 8 watts per tyre compared to the fastest models, which is a small price to pay for peace of mind.
If you need off-road traction, you can get a version with knobs, the Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB, which uses the same puncture protection layers.
You can find the Schwalbe Marathon E-Plus on Amazon in different widths:
700C x 37 mm HERE, 40 mm HERE, and 50 mm HERE
Schwalbe Marathon Plus
For as long as I can remember, Schwalbe Marathon Plus ($54 on Amazon) tyres have been the go-to choice for long-distance touring. I rode them religiously throughout the 2000s through countless countries, and I can count on one hand the number of punctures I ever experienced!
The lab data support my experience. These tyres ranked third in the tread puncture test and second in the sidewall test – only outperformed by the newer Marathon E-Plus.
The Marathon Plus rolls slightly faster than the E-Plus, comes in an impressively wide range of sizes, is about 10% cheaper, and is a touch lighter.
The only caveat is fitting the narrower 25 to 32 mm models onto your rims – they can be tricky to mount. I’ve never had any issues with the wider versions, though, which slide on without too much fuss.
You can find the Schwalbe Marathon Plus on Amazon in different widths:
700C x 25 mm HERE, 28 mm HERE, 32 mm HERE, 35 mm HERE, and 38 mm HERE
26″ x 1.75″ HERE, and 2.00″ HERE
Schwalbe Marathon Almotion TLE
If your bike has tubeless rims and you want to reduce rolling resistance without giving up too much puncture protection, the Schwalbe Marathon Almotion TLE ($74 on Amazon) is the obvious choice.
Each tyre is about 300 grams lighter than the Marathon E-Plus, and they roll noticeably faster.
I’ve ridden around 25,000 km around South America on these tyres with virtually no punctures. They’re also highly durable – you can expect roughly 15,000 km per set.
What’s especially impressive is how fast and responsive the Almotions feel, even under a fully loaded touring bike – they’re not like your typical touring tyres!
You can find the Schwalbe Marathon Almotion TLE on Amazon in different widths:
700C x 40 mm HERE, 50 mm HERE, and 55 mm HERE
Schwalbe Energizer Plus
If you’re running inner tubes, the Schwalbe Energizer Plus ($45 on Amazon) is the clear choice for combining strong puncture resistance with fast rolling performance.
Its newly developed Addix E-Compound features a smooth centre tread and reinforced diamond-patterned side sections that deliver good grip, even at higher speeds.
According to the lab data, the Energizer Plus offers low rolling resistance and puncture protection up there with some of the best. It’s also $15 to $30 cheaper than most of the other options here, making it an excellent choice for riders looking to save some money without sacrificing performance.
You can find the Schwalbe Energizer Plus on Amazon in different widths:
700C x 37 mm HERE, 47 mm HERE, 50 mm HERE, and 55mm HERE
26 x 1.85″ HERE
27.5 x 2.00″ HERE
A very useful comparision! I just changed my tyres recently to Shcwalbe Marathon Plus, from Schwalbe Marathon, thinking, it will be better. After reading your artilce, I would have been better off with the (lower cost) Schwalbe Marathon, or invest in the Almotion. Do you think it’s worth changing tyres now? Or after how much time would it worth to upgrade the tyres, so I have some use of them? I guess tyres cannot be sold second hand…
I wouldn’t suggest changing to the Schwalbe Marathon from the Marathon Plus because there is only 8.4w extra resistance. But if speed is important to you, it could be worth switching to the Almotion because it starts to become more significant at 16.8w difference.
What a line up of articles for this month. I for one appreciate and recognize the time involved so Thank You.
My Marathon Supremes seemed to fair well so no need making any changes in this area.
Did you consider testing the Big Bens, or Apples, and Big Ben Pluses. I am shocked at how fast these heavy tires roll. The fact that their speed is attributed to their shock absorption abilities might not be reflected with your rolling resistance test or would it?
Thanks!
As always a fascinating look at a range of products.
I wonder what the results would be if you’d factored in a third parameter, namely mixed surface tread. I don’t tour; I ride a combination of pavement and dirt routes and am, admittedly, a bit of a(n elder) wimp in that I’m not very fast or agile—I do not like skidding. So my 29er’s Mondials give some confidence-inspiring bite on gravelly/dirt trails. My low end bike w/stuff weighs about as much as a high end touring bike tricked out.
I didn’t conduct this testing. The work was done by BicycleRollingResistance.com. Let me draw some conclusions about how the Big Ben/Apple tyres may test based on other tyres:
Big Ben Plus – At 50mm wide and with Greenguard protection, it is very similar to the 47mm Marathon which rolls at 22.6w @ 60psi. The 37mm and 40mm Marathons are marginally quicker, so perhaps we can expect the Big Ben Plus to roll between 24-25w.
Big Ben and Big Apple – We can look to the Marathon Racer which uses the same Raceguard protection. In 35mm width it rolls at 22.6w @ 75psi. With the extra width and lower pressure, I’d suggest they would both come in between 25-26w.
BicycleRollingResistance.com test tyres with knobs too! And they’re faster than you’d probably think. The only issue is that most of the tyres tested are quite a soft compound for off-road use, meaning they’ll not last too long on the road. Head here for some numbers to compare: http://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/mtb-reviews
Thanks for the answer! I’ll consider the almotion, then.
Actually I meant factoring in soft surface riding to this test. Anything to cause my choice, Mondials, to rise in the findings 😉
I’m also curious about the Big Apple – I run 26 x 2.35 and they feel good but slow. If $ isn’t an issue, should I switch to Almotion? I also love how easy it is to take on/off (the BA). I recall with an old pair of Marathons that they were living hell to remove – are Almotions easier?
The Almotion is a folding bead tyre, so I can get them on without tyre levers. 🙂
I’m almost 3000km into using the Schwalbe Almotions and haven’t had any flat tyres. Very happy with how they’re going so far. I’ve taken them on some of the roughest dirt roads in Australia too…
Is it still possible to update the test? We are using “cheap” Land Cruiser Plus 26×2,0 tires on a tandem. In my opinion they are puncture resist (officially they are Level 5 on a Schwalbe’s 6 grade scale) and I have just replaced them – after 10000+ km (two years, on tarmac (at 35C), mud, gravel, ice and snow (at -10C).
Did they look “normal” after such a usage? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/12a96cf3b5ac9dd1b30a3976fd542da7072777086c396de2a3351d0e566f6c8c.jpg
hi a very interesting article thankyou.my gravel bike came with schwalbe g ones tubeless 35 mm,whats your opinion of these please as im leaving on a tour in asia soon with some long rides on gravel and rocky roads also a fair bit on tarmac do you think the g one suitable?im looking to take a spare set of tyres just in case.cheers for any advice
There’s two versions of the G-One Tubeless 35mm tyre. Both have exceptional puncture protection and great rolling speeds. The main downside is that they wear out a bit quicker than a touring specific tyre like the Marathon Almotion.