hated the ones i had on the sherpa almost weighed as much as the bike. 
I didn't hate my Marathon Plus, but that's because I didn't know any better; they are no more harsh-rdiing than the knobblies I had before, and at least they didn't puncture. i think they're good value for people who ride in cities with lots of glass on the road, and especially for people for whom a high mileage is important. But you couldn't pay me to go back to Marathons.
When I got Big Apples, I learned that you could have your apple and eat it too: superb cushy ride, superior roadholding, low resistance, excellent puncture proofing, huge longevity. Their weight might matter to a commuter, or to the roadies, but on a touring or countryside bike that rolls long stretches between stops, it's an irrelevance.
It seems to me that any of the Thorns capable of taking the 50mm Big Apples would make a very nice loaded tourer.
