A new Marathon with revolutionary puncture resistance!
The technicians in the Bohle laboratory had to redevelop test procedures in order to puncture the tube inside the Marathon Plus. None of the usual tire destroyers like glass, flints or shards would penetrate the tread and only by extreme application of force could the technicians break through the protection, which in everyday life would be extremely improbable.
To back up this trial numerous test riders are still waiting for the first flat on their daily travels.

Smartguard.
This new advance in puncture protection is due to the five millimeter thick Smart Guard puncture protection belt made from special india rubber that, in conjunction with the tread and carcass, brings the total to almost a centimeter of material between the tube and road.
“So strong nothing penetrates”, assures Bohle technician Markus Hachmeyer. For example a thumbtack will remain lodged in the rubber and cannot penetrate.
Smart Guard also protects against the biggest puncture problems experienced by everyday cyclists. Objects that embed in the tread and that insidiously work their way through even the most sophisticated puncture protection belt, promoted by the constant rotation of the tire on the road”. Against ‘time bombs’ such as shards, flints and glass, only a thick rubber belt like Smart Guard will work.

Flexible protection.
A patent for Smart Guard has been applied for.... Actually it is not unusual and it is quite simple to make a thick puncture protection layer. “Other manufacturers can do that”, said Hachmeyer. “What is revolutionary in our puncture protection process is its enormous flexibility”. The special india rubber is so flexible that tire rolling resistance with Smart Guard remains unchanged. Because the more flexible the rubber mixture is, the lower rolling resistance becomes.
Other puncture protection inserts currently available in the market increase rolling resistance, but the Marathon Plus with Smart Guard runs as easily as a tire without a protection belt.
Pointed or sharp objects stand little chance of penetrating the tire”. Because of its unique characteristics Bohle decided to apply for a patent. “Smart Guard is more than just a thick rubber belt”, summarized Markus Hachmeyer. “It was not just conceived in the sense of ‘the bigger, the better’, but actually represents the latest technical advances in rubber compounding and puncture protection. The approximate 200 gram extra weight compared with the ‘classic’ Marathon is hardly noticeable in everyday use”.

Apart from the special puncture protection the tire offers numerous other advantages: low rolling resistance high mileage modern, easy-rolling tread standard 3M-Reflective line diamond textured shoulders for good cornering tread compound, less inclined to harbor foreign bodies (pieces of broken glass, flints and shards)