The Explorer Pro features the new Endless Edge tread block design, defining a new tyre generation for cross country and allround use. The tread pattern features reduced-profile five-cornered blocks in variable orientation, extending low onto the sidewall area for outstanding cornering control. The ExplorerPro boasts an extremely low weight and fine casing for smooth traction on roots and stones. Also available as ExplorerPro Dual and ExplorerProTection. size: 2.1
Submitted by
BDS
a Weekend Warrior
from Frederick, MD Date Reviewed: November 7, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Frederick Watershed
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At:
Competitive Cyclist
Strengths:
In the beginning it had great traction.
Weaknesses:
The nobs wore down very fast. I don't ride nearly as much as I like so my tires last usually 2-3 years. These wore down within 9 months and started to have nobs break off. They then started to crack down the middle.
Bike Setup:
Trek EX8
Bottom Line:
I really wanted to like these tires and got a great deal on them, but they didn't live up to my expectations.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Malamute
a Cross Country Rider
from belgium Date Reviewed: August 1, 2009
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At:
xaveer
Strengths:
Only used it up front
Cornering is amazing, great braking power
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
Mountain kings, nobbie nics, and some older types
Bike Setup:
hardtail with average to descent XC setup
fox f90 fork
Bottom Line:
I only used this tire up front and less then a month only, tho im going to install these again as they pleased me very well.
When cornering it didnt even think aboud comming loose, also when braking the tire doesnt hesitate for a second, the rolling ability is i cant really say alot aboud as i only used it in very muddy terain and only less then a month aswell.
the tire is an excelent choise for Xc riders who want a tire u can trust up front wich will not loose traction in any condition, tho for the ppl who are into agressive all mountain and freeride etc they are build to light imo
5chillies on value
and another 5 for overall
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
schlim
a Cross Country Rider
from Hayden, ID Date Reviewed: October 12, 2008
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
Competitive Cyclist
Strengths:
**Review for PROtection DuraSkin version**
Endless Edge side lugs are spectacular. 540g for a kevlar reinforced tire. Mounted dead straight in the rim with no wobbles. Ultra-fast through gravel and loose junk. Nice climbing traction from the rear. Great feeling of stability at higher speeds.
Weaknesses:
Pretty hard carcass, so comfort is somewhat lacking. Rolling resistance and vibration on the road, but I'd rather have off-road bite. As usual with Conti tires, closer to a 2.0 than a 2.1.
06 Titus Racer X, DT Swiss 240s 4.2d, X.9, RS Reba Team
Bottom Line:
I grabbed these on a whim from Competitive Cyclist when I saw that they were closing out the 07 version of the Explorer Protection tires with the DuraSkin kevlar weave sidewalls.
The casing seemed pretty hard once mounted on the bike, which made me concerned about wheel deflection off of the terrain. I didn't have to worry, though. These tires bite every bit as well as my Conti Vertical Pro 2.3s.
They aren't quite as soft and comfy, but they transmit the feel of the trail extraordinarily well.
Cornering grip is the most critical thing I look for in a tire, and these things have it in gobs. I cranked the bike over as hard as I could on some swoopy berms in gravel and assorted loose stuff. They didn't break loose. Occasionally I could feel the back tire skip a couple of inches before digging right back in. The same trail was ridiculously faster with the Explorers over the Panaracer Fire 2.1s. The bead is true and the tire mounted up straight on both tires the first time. The bead is tight enough that I think this could be run tubeless successfully if desired.
The Explorers are an older model tire that will probably be dropped eventually for the newer Mountain King-type Conti tires, but I'm pleased to have found them. Hopefully the newer tire designs will work as well for me.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sebastien
a Cross Country Rider
from Metz, France Date Reviewed: May 19, 2007
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$30.00
Strengths:
Great cornering ability, can go tubeless, moderate weight, durable
Weaknesses:
Less comfortable than other tires, rolling resistance
Similar Products Used:
Many from Maxxis, Michelin and Hutchinson
Bike Setup:
Viper Fugitif (Softail)
Bottom Line:
This review is for the Explorer Pro.
I've used this tire in many different conditions.
To make it short, this is simply the best front tire I've ever tried. It gives me confidence to ride aggressively in nearly any condition. Cornering is so secure with this tire !
As a bonus, this tires mounts easily tubeless (using "no-flats" conversion kit).
Sadly, as a rear tire, it is not that exceptionnal : although traction is great, I find there's too much rolling resistance when it's dry, and does not shed enough mud when it's very muddy.
Other point that can be a bit annoying, confort is so-so on this version, esp. compared to the Maxxis Crossmark.
However, if I had to use a single rear tire all over the year, this would be this one without a doubt.
Rating : 5 chilis front, 3 rear.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
turtel
a Weekend Warrior
from penguin tasmania orstralia Date Reviewed: April 26, 2007
Favorite Trail:
mount montgomery
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
lite but allrite
Weaknesses:
wear quickly ish
Similar Products Used:
michelin ritchey specialised kenda et al--ive got a migrain just thinking about it
Bike Setup:
stumpy pro etc
Bottom Line:
grippy in all conditions except rocky and bullwinkle conditions here in taz country. work very well in dry conditions eg SA. handle mud pretty good but struggle a little in rock/gravel. all up the dogs bollocks as long as there isn't too many baby heads. LITE BUT ORLRITE.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ryan
a Cross Country Rider
from Indianapolis, IN Date Reviewed: April 23, 2007
Favorite Trail:
BCSP
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
BGI
Strengths:
durability, fair performance in tech sections, relatively fast.
Curtlo Adv. Mountaineer, White Bros fork, X.9 stuff, King classic hubs, Mavic 517 rims, Race Face turbine cranks.....
Bottom Line:
I ran these tires for about a full year hoping I'd find some medium ground with them. I experimented quite a bit with different PSI's, but I could never find a setting where these tires would give a consistent performance.
Overall, they perform OK in rocky and rooty sections and they aren't too bad while climbing. In all fairness, I never had a moment where they lost traction on a climb. However, all confidence is lost once you hit the twists and turns of the trail as these tires really want to squirm away from you once you start to lean the bike over.
I'd look elsewhere for an all-around XC tire. Try the Crossmark. I've been very happy with them since switching over.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Deryck Todd
a Racer
from East Lonodon, Eastern Cape, South Africa Date Reviewed: March 10, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Longhill
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$125.00
Purchased At:
Cycle HQ
Strengths:
Great traction in all conditions. Corners really good aswell
Weaknesses:
Wear kinda fast if you ride abit on tar
Similar Products Used:
Maxxis Flyweight, Hutchinson
Bike Setup:
Carbon Sliverback Michigan. Full XT, Manitou Black fork
Bottom Line:
Great tyres for all offroad terrain. Light weight and durable.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Blitz
a Cross Country Rider
from WB, MI USA Date Reviewed: November 14, 2006
Favorite Trail:
PLRA, Highland, Maybury, Lakeshore
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Strengths:
Great traction in all conditions. Extremely durable.
Weaknesses:
None worth time to mention
Similar Products Used:
Bont. Jones A/C
Bike Setup:
Stumpy Comp, upgrades - Chris King with DT Swiss fr, XT with 717 rear, King head, Thompson stem and post. Avid ultim rim brakes, XT crank, Bontrager racer X carbon bars. Stock - XTR rear, LX front, FX 80.
Bottom Line:
Had same tires on previous bike. Replaced stock tires with new Cont's when tread on OAM tires needed replacements. As you can see from above set up, I always upgrade when OAM needs to be replaced.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Blitz
a Cross Country Rider
from WB, MI USA Date Reviewed: November 14, 2006
Favorite Trail:
PLRA, Highland, Maybury, Lakeshore
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Strengths:
Great traction in all conditions. Extremely durable.
Weaknesses:
None worth time to mention
Similar Products Used:
Bont. Jones A/C
Bike Setup:
Stumpy Comp, upgrades - Chris King with DT Swiss fr, XT with 717 rear, King head, Thompson stem and post. Avid ultim rim brakes, XT crank, Bontrager racer X carbon bars. Stock - XTR rear, LX front, FX 80.
Bottom Line:
Had same tires on previous bike. Replaced stock tires with new Cont's when tread on OAM tires needed replacements. As you can see from above set up, I always upgrade when OAM needs to be replaced.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Joe
a
from Jacksonville Fl Date Reviewed: September 30, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Tsali
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Price Paid:
$17.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
wow
Weaknesses:
none so far
Similar Products Used:
Maxxis Hi-Roller, Hutch. Spider, IRC Mythos, Bonti Jones
Bike Setup:
98 DBR v-link
Bottom Line:
This really feels like tire nirvanna to me. Light, aggressive, quick. Everyone is sooooo enamored with the VerticalPro model, you can pick them up for a steal almost anywhere.
Is not as lethargic as the Spider felt, as quick as the maxxis but much more ability to handle corners.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Daniel O' Brien
a Cross Country Rider
from England Date Reviewed: August 6, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Chatel bike park, France
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Wiggle
Strengths:
Low weight. Rolling resistance.
Weaknesses:
Shredded centre nobs after four rides. No grip on loose descents.
Similar Products Used:
Panaracer Fire XC Pro 2.1
Bike Setup:
Cannondale Jekyll 600
Bottom Line:
The centre nobs on these tyres are shredded after just four rides. They lock up on ANY loose/rocky desecents and this shreds the lugs. Don't buy these if you want to do any form of mildly aggressive downhill riding. I have contacted Continental to complain.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nizar Kailani
a Cross Country Rider
from Arcadia, CA Date Reviewed: June 30, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Claremont / Marshal
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$21.00
Purchased At:
e-bay
Strengths:
Amazing traction, low resistance, It feels like it has no knobs yet it's glued to the trail on turns, amazing I do not think I will ever buy anything else
Weaknesses:
short life, high price
Similar Products Used:
Panaracer Fire XC Pro, Maxxis Hansventure, WTB
Bike Setup:
Marin Eastpeak w/ XTR
Bottom Line:
If you can get a deal on a pair then they are the bes tire you can buy
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Al Osorio
a Cross Country Rider
from Zurich, Switzerland Date Reviewed: June 6, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Engadin
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$28.00
Purchased At:
ONline through German retailer
Strengths:
Great value if you grab them with a discount. Perfect tourer for all conditions unless its a "Mud Fest". Low rolling resistance and very good weight. (Kevlar)Great all-a-rounder.
Weaknesses:
A little expensive if you don't get a % off the standard price. Start to flat out easier towards end of treadlife but so do most. The knobs are a little shallow for the real muddy stuff and you should not ride with high pressure because you lose a lot of traction the back tire especially. (but who is riding hard pressure these days)
Similar Products Used:
Little Albert Schwalbe-Better for mud, but then you add noticeable rolling resistance with the Alberts. It's a "climate" choice between the Explorer and Albert.
Bike Setup:
XT/Marzochi/hardtail/XTR V-brakes
Bottom Line:
Just wanted to say something good about these tires that are a must buy when on sale for tourers looking for quick tires that can hold up to a beating, and not have knobs that stick out like tumors.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mads Meldgaard
a Cross Country Rider
from Aarhus Date Reviewed: May 30, 2006
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
Internet shop
Strengths:
Superb cornering in all conditions, 460 grams (Supersonic), predictable handling
Weaknesses:
Rolling resistance not equal to the best racing tires out there, which however comes for great traction in technical and/or wet conditions
Similar Products Used:
Scwalbe Racing Ralph, Conti twister, Ritchey Speedmax, Ritchey Mud Max and several others
Bike Setup:
XC-Fully
Bottom Line:
My tire philosophy is that to ride fast you most know your front tire in all conditions. Better to use the same tire in all conditions and thereby getting a very good feling for the "washout-limit". The Explorer is an excellent front tire for all conditions. I only change to another front tire (Racing Ralph) for Marathon in dry weather.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jo Dirt
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada Date Reviewed: January 22, 2006
Favorite Trail:
most anything dirty
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
nice light weight decent all round grip on harder surfaces fast rolling 2.1 allows a little extra cushion
Weaknesses:
washes out big time going downhill fast not so good in loamy or soft soils prone to pinch flats
Similar Products Used:
so, so many
Bike Setup:
05 s-works epic w/f100rlt, built to race
Bottom Line:
These tires are a reasonable trade-off between absolute traction and ligh weight. Compared to my perennial fave, the panaracer fire xc pro, these simply do not offer the same grip as the panaracers. The conti's lose their cornering grip in any loose conditions and wash out badly. On the other hand, if you ride 90% of the time on hardpack or slickrock, these grip extremely well on such harder surfaces. Also, the explorers do shed mud reasonably well, with their simple, shallow and tapered tread block pattern -far better than the fire xc's do.
Overall, a good tire for those looking for a little extra floatation or riders who typically find themselves on harder surfaces. A fair tread for racers looking for more grip than the average semi-slick offers as well. These tires occupy an odd niche: not in the superlight category like the maxxis flyweight or twister supersonic, and not in the all-mountian thrasher category, like the panaracers, making them a bit of an orphan.
Sadly, they do disappoint in their ability to resist (or rather not resist) pinch flats as well. The casing is quite thin (keeping the weight down)and thus does very little to keep the rim from coming into hard contact with the tube. The required higher pressures one must run to keep pinch flats at bay compromises the tire's ability to conform to the soil as well, futher reducing their overall grip and cushioning. The fire xc is great in this respect, resisting pinch flats to an almost absurd degree, mushing themselves into any terrain to find traction -but the fire xc's weigh almost 70g more per tire.
For their cobination of surprisingly light weight (515g), fast rolling, good mud clearing and fair grip, I'll give them a 4/5 all round.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Don
a Cross Country Rider
from TN Date Reviewed: December 27, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Any fast flowing single track
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
Came with bike
Strengths:
Came with bike, corners well, lasts
Weaknesses:
Not great on baby heads or wet rocks/roots, sinks in sand
Similar Products Used:
Cheng Shin, Specialized Enduro, Continental Vertical Pro
Bike Setup:
03 Cannondale F800 SL Time Attack pedals, Vertical Pros (stock), 99 Jamis Explorer (Thompson post and stem, Fizik saddle, Time Attack pedals)Fox fork XT crank and BB, Pan Racers, etc, etc, 03 Specialized Hard Rock Pro (stock mostly) Time Attack pedals
Bottom Line:
These tires came on the F800 SL. The guy at the bike shop said the tires and rims were ok for light hard pack and tried to get me to upgrade. Since I’m so cheap I figured I give them a try and replace later. Well, two years later and some serious miles clocked on these, I’m not totally displeased. What’s that mean? I log mostly XC and single track with some rock garden rides and have used these switching out with the Continental VPs occasionally when I need a more aggressive tire. I do a lot of steep climbs and take berms at high speed and these have never failed. I would not recommend these for freeride/downhill or doing sick drops, these will get you into trouble (I had a few pinch flats at low pressure) or muddy/slimy rock gardens and root infested areas. These are a great all-around tire and for that I would recommend them whole-heartedly. 4 Chilis each.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Adam
a Racer
from Toronto Date Reviewed: November 13, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Don Valley
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Purchased At:
60
Strengths:
This is a follow up review after 3 years of riding this tire and is for the Protection version, which means there is a bit of extra sidewall protection which does work, corner grip is really good, if it loses traction its progressive (not a surprise), rolls really fast considering how knobby this tire is, handles most riding conditions really well, is light (525 grams) has lasted a long time, most of the wear is down the middle.
Weaknesses:
Price but in this case you do get what you pay for.
Similar Products Used:
Pythons, Fire XC 1.8, Maxxis Larsen TT 1.8, Tioga Red Phoenix 1.8, Bontrager Revolt Super X TR, Conti Vertical Tubeless, Michelin Sprint S...
Bike Setup:
Fuel 98, Conti Explorers front and back, XT, Look 4x4 pedals, Chris King Hubs and Headset.
Bottom Line:
This is an all condition tire and a really good racing tire. It can be considered a light tire if you run it with ultralight tubes, my bike weighs just under 25 lbs with this set up and could be lighter if I used lighter tires. You cannot go wrong with this tire, as long as you keep it inflated to around 40psi you shouldn't get any pinch flats. I have had maybe 2 pinch flats a year with this tire possibly due to a slow leak.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ZipMTB
a Cross Country Rider
from Minnesota Date Reviewed: September 22, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
This is for the SuperSonic version. These tires are very light (460gr on my scale). Hold a turn like no other tire I've tried, cut though sand.
Weaknesses:
Very thin sidewalls, but then I expected this to get the weight down. Installing Stan's was simple but continues to leak throught eh sidewalls
Similar Products Used:
Spec. Roll-X S-Works, Panaracer Fire XC, WTB Notos
Bike Setup:
Superlight, Hope Mono Mini, 517's with stans and lot's of other fun parts
Bottom Line:
These tires are truely the best tires I have ever had on my bike. There may be better tire than these out there, but I love these. Did the Chequamegon 40 mile last week which has some hard pack, lots of sand, rocky downhills and uphills, grass, mud, asphalt. Yep, a little of everything. These tires hendled everything wonderfully.
They do seem to take a little to ramp up to speed, but once there thay go like stink.
On hadrpack and grass/dry ground these tire stick and won't let go. I was able to pass many riders by cutting to the inside of the turn because they held so well and would not let go.
On sand, the 2.1 casing does not really float but they gave me more confidence than I ever have. They cut through the sand and do not wander.
Mud slows them down a bit more than other tires but they do not clog up too much and are better than the ROll-x.
In the midwest I really can't think of a better tire.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kyle
a Racer
from Ho-Ho-Kus NJ USA Date Reviewed: August 29, 2005
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$41.00
Purchased At:
Piermont Bike Shop
Strengths:
Very light for a 2" full knobby, decently thick casing, great wearing, phenomenal front tire!
Weaknesses:
center knobs are too weak/small to be a decent rear tire, under load they colapse and give up too easily. Conti's are typically quite pricey$$$
Similar Products Used:
where do i begin?
Bike Setup:
Marin XC HT sub 21lb. racer that's perpetually on a diet
Bottom Line:
I saw this tire on the rack at a local shop and thought that it would be a good front tire. Well, three years later i still havent found a better front performer than the Explorer Pro. This tire never gives up and has NEVER washed out on me. It's light and can take a beating through sharp rock gardens here in North Jersey! If i was a believer in F&R combo tires i would say this tire is missing some climbing prowess, but i dont so....
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Jackson
a Cross Country Rider
from Cedar park, texas,usa Date Reviewed: July 27, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Muleshoe
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At:
Bicycle Sports shop
Strengths:
Fast rolling ,good traction ,responsive to input from rider.
Weaknesses:
Tend to catch flats easily , hard to find a compromsing air preasure to dial in.48-56
Similar Products Used:
specialized dirt control,Specialed team contrl.roll x pro, hutchinson mosquito air light& python and others I can't remember.
Bike Setup:
Jamis Dakar comp , Marzocchi eta pro ,fox float,Thomsom stem , risers , mavic 517 rear , Bontragar corvair front eastpon s.post ,xt rear d. lx ,fr de, 8 spd rear
Bottom Line:
These tire work good with damp codition ( the dirt is good $ tacky,in dry conditions these tires get slightly slick they like to drift at a fast pace or get sketchy in fast turns.These tires do climb well and flat easily and do run small. It's a good tire for slower riders or predictable trails I'm mixed about these tires . These tire can suprise you ,when they're on they're on and they can work
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Luc
a
from Quebec City, Canada Date Reviewed: June 20, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At:
eBay
Strengths:
Fast rolling, predictable, mid-soft compound
Weaknesses:
Size (would appreciate 2.00 or 1.95). Seems to get packed easily at very low speed in deep mud conditions... but cleans rapidly.
Santa Cruz Blur XT-Disk, Rocky Mountain Oxygen Race XT
Bottom Line:
Great tire. I've recently tested the tire (front + rear) in muddy marathon competition, with high pressure (55 lbs) trying to get the lowest rolling resistence from it while still capitalizing on the mid-soft compound and curved shape carcass of tire. Bottom-line : it rocks ! Compound gave me very good grip in very technical parts of the race, while high pressure and shape of the tire gave me good speed in less technical parts. As rear tire : impressive. As front tire : very good, but I would try with maybe 45 lbs pressure for better cornering.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
rocker1
a Cross Country Rider
from ventura, ca Date Reviewed: June 15, 2005
Favorite Trail:
all of the above
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
came w/bike
Strengths:
fast, light, relatively long wearing.
Weaknesses:
wash out city
Similar Products Used:
panaracer xc, kenda nevegal&cortez, mythos
Bike Setup:
scalpel
Bottom Line:
not confidence inspiring. washes out with almost no warning and little chance of recovery. it's fast and was an ok rear tire but i switched the rear to a panaracer xc and can clear technical climbs that were very difficult with this tire. can't believe how much they want for them new. $40-50? there's much better tires out there.
1 flamer for value, 2 flamers overall cause they aren't the worst tires available.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Durango92
a Cross Country Rider
from Middletown CT Date Reviewed: June 6, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Trail of Tears on Cape Cod
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Good traction for a fast-rolling tire. Long wearing.
Weaknesses:
Too many flats, washes out when used on the front.
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher Sugar
Bottom Line:
I've been running these tires for about 4 years (they will last that long), and they are well worn out. Time to think about replacing them and I've decided to try a different tire for these reasons.
1. A lot of thorn and pinch flats since day one.
2. When used on the front the front end tends to wash out. I used to think it was my bikes geometry but other people have complained about it with this tire as well.
It's a pretty good tire for the rear wheel, but get the flat resistant variety, or go with Stan's No-Tube or a slime tube unless you enjoy changing flats.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tom
a Racer
from usa Date Reviewed: May 16, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Wissahickon
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
This is a follow up. See my other review below.
Weaknesses:
They suck
Bottom Line:
All I have to say is three flats on one ride. Very frustrating when you're trying to train for an upcoming race. These things are going in the trash. If you're more that 160' do not buy.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tom
a Racer
from Philly Date Reviewed: May 3, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Wissahickon
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Fast roller, light, good cornering.
Weaknesses:
Weak sidewalls means pinch flats for aggressive and/or heavy riders.
Similar Products Used:
Too many to list but I'm partial to Maxxis and Specialized
Bike Setup:
I intended to race these on my xc bike. Full suspension, rider weight 185, rear 35psi front 30psi, ride style fast and aggressive.
Bottom Line:
I am a stong believer in running tire pressure as low as possible due to the vast improvement in ride quality and traction. Unfortunately, I could not run the rear at 35psi without pinch flatting. I feel that 40psi bounces around to much (this is a personal preference, but I recommend it)and that is why I like to choose tires with strong sidewalls. It's a shame because they perform really well. A similar tire that I recommend would be the Maxxis Hard Drive 2.1 Same performance but with stronger sidewalls and no pinch flat mid race.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
A J
a Cross Country Rider
from Princeton, NJ USA Date Reviewed: April 6, 2005
Favorite Trail:
any
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
JensonUSA
Strengths:
Fast roller, good grip and light
Weaknesses:
Little scary in the mud and when the ground is soft.
Similar Products Used:
Tioga blue dragon, Bontrager ACX, Nokian NBX, Maxxis hig roller, Maxxis mobster.
Bike Setup:
Trek Fuel
Bottom Line:
This is my favorite tire, it rolls fast and has enough grip to keep me on the trail.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Calgary Date Reviewed: March 24, 2005
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Stock
Strengths:
Light, good traction on rear. fast rolling, generally durable
Weaknesses:
Front end wash outs on loose gravel.
Similar Products Used:
Mitsubishi Superheat on front
Bike Setup:
C'dale F600
Bottom Line:
A very good tire but if you like to really fly on the downhills the front tends to wash out. I switched to a more agressive design up front.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Lowenbrau
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto Date Reviewed: March 20, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Cox Hill-Jumping Pound Ridge
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Strengths:
Relatively lightweight,fast rolling,predictable
Weaknesses:
none really for it's intended purpose
Similar Products Used:
IRC Mythos,Kenda Kharma,Panaracer Fire and Trailblaster,etc
Bike Setup:
SC Blur,XTR drivetrain,Hayes discs
Bottom Line:
These have always been my favorite XC tire. I have never had any problem with durability and do a lot of riding in rocky situations and have only had one sidewall failure with a skinwall that was on it's last legs anyway. The setup I use now is with the Explorer Pro on the rear and the Conti Gravity Pro on the front. The Explorer hooks up predictably in almost every situation but it is the Gravity on the front that I find superb(unfortunately no place to review it). The Gravity is a great rolling tire for a 2.3 but it is absolutely solid through any rock garden or sketchy section. The tread pattern just rolls through everything. An absolutely great all mountain front tire.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Downingtown pa Date Reviewed: January 5, 2005
Favorite Trail:
blue marsh
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
Downingtown bike shop
Strengths:
Almost prefect for east coast type riding. Super fast on black top,light, no flats in 1 year,wearing well. Great XC tire in all conditions.
Weaknesses:
Not the best in mud.High price
Similar Products Used:
too many to list treid them all!
Bike Setup:
full suspension
Bottom Line:
I tried all most every tire design over the last 20 years. The explorer is very close to the best tire I have every owned. I bought them on sale 35 a piece after one day of riding went back for an extra pair they rock!I had to write this after the reading some of the other reviews with crashes. DON'T BELIVE THEM THESE TIRES ARE GREAT!!! I have never washed out the front end! The rear can slide out a little on roots and soft mud but than hooks up quickly. They are narrow for there size but this only make them faster. I loved some of the old richey's and specialized that are no longer made for now these are the best made.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Todd
a Weekend Warrior
from Dallas, TX, USA Date Reviewed: October 8, 2004
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Lightweight, look good
Weaknesses:
Lightweight, sidewalls too thin
Bike Setup:
SC Blur with Fox RLC front fork, avid disc brakes
Bottom Line:
These tires are only good for riding on packed dirt, period. If you ride over a rock, root, thorn etc. expect to change a tire. I was in denial that the tire could actually cause so many flats, 5 in my last 4 rides, but they do. I ride at 60 psi and it doesn't matter. They may be good for fire roads and intermediate single track but good luck with any thing else.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Cory Hirsch
a Racer
from Saskatoon, SK Date Reviewed: September 20, 2004
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$50.00
Strengths:
Great traction in dry and tacky conditions, very light, easy to mount
Weaknesses:
Doesn't always shed mud well, expensive, wear faster than most tires.
Bike Setup:
Devinci Moon racer with xtr
Bottom Line:
I have raced on these tires (the supersonic version which weighs 440g) for 2 years and they have been great. Typically you will have to replace them once a year which I think is acceptable for such a light race tire. Alot of riding on rocky, rooty terrain in canadian rockies and never had a pinch flat or puncture.
Recently switched to stan's. Mounting was pretty easy (just follow the directions carefully). I ripped a tire off the rim once when running low air pressures (32 lbs). Maybe it is just old and the bead was streched.
For those of you who say this tire is not for freeriding, not kidding. It is an xc race tire. Would you take your ferrari of roading??
They are a little bit on the expensive side but you pay alot more to drop 100 g off your wheel set. I have heard that the cheaper explorers aren't made in germany. Stick with the German tires and it will be money well spent.
5 chilis for xc racing.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ray
a Cross Country Rider
from State College, PA, USA Date Reviewed: August 9, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Gattos Cycles
Strengths:
lightweight low rolling resistance good traction
Weaknesses:
too low volume for my locale subject to pinch flat at lower than 50 PSI wore out in under 600 miles
Similar Products Used:
WTB Wierwolves Conti Navigator Ritchey Z Max
Bike Setup:
Voodoo Bizango, Manitou Skareb Super, 70 KG me
Bottom Line:
These tires are great for most XC stuff, but not up to the task of the rock gardens around here. Not really a fair criticism since anything under big 2.2’s are not up to them. These tires wore out quicker than most of my tires; however, my mileage has really gone up these year. When new with sharp knobs they excelled at almost everything. Now nearly worn out they are sketchy but that is expected.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Albert Osorio
a Cross Country Rider
from Zurich, Switzerland Date Reviewed: August 5, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Engadin, Switzerland
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Came with bike
Strengths:
Good all-rounder. Got a lot of Miles out of it compared to other brands with only one flat late in the tire life.
Weaknesses:
Could be just a bit better in lose gravel cornering, and in a "perfect world" it would weigh in under 500 grams. A little pricey, but seem to be cheaper in Europe than what some people are paying in the states.
Similar Products Used:
Michelin Comp/Ritchey Z-max/Ritchey Zed
Bike Setup:
Mostly XT German bike with Duke XC variable travel. hardtail.
Bottom Line:
Last long. Feels solid and works in all conditions. Seems like the small knobs make for lower rolling resistance compared to Ritchey Zeds and Z-max, but I can't prove that on paper. Compared to Michelins they last a lot longer 'cause Michelins are sweat but easy to kill, espcially the sidewalls.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
j goedd
a Racer
from bismarck Date Reviewed: July 23, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
i loved this tire last year and decided to get the same for this year. however, when they arrived at the shop i got the ones without the red sidewall. i believe this is key because the ones i have suck.
Weaknesses:
there was so much give while cornering. you could feel the tire peeling off the rim. complete flex under load so i jacked up the tire psu. to 55# then to 60#. then they work well. i have full suspension so i adjusted the air psu in the ft. and rear shocks to make up for the increased tire psu. but why should you have to do this??
Similar Products Used:
exact same tire with the red sidewall.
Bike Setup:
trek fuel 100
Bottom Line:
if you are going to get these tire, which i recommend, be sure to get the ones with the RED sidewall!! otherwise you will be unhappy.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
adam
a Racer
from port macquarie Date Reviewed: July 19, 2004
xc, XT everything merida hardtail frame fr,gt rucus HT with a lot of travel
Bottom Line:
great tyre for a weekend warrior or a pro racer in cross country.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bubu bandit
a Weekend Warrior
from Poland Date Reviewed: July 19, 2004
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Good grip, quite light, quiet on hard surfaces, good in mud - I had used Speedmax before they had been like a submarine when it came to crossing a mud..., they look good
Weaknesses:
None discovered
Similar Products Used:
All XC tires are more than similar
Bike Setup:
Hardtail old and heavy.
Bottom Line:
I like them. All weekends I go to the real mountains and do long long trail which lead mostly downwards. I am not a downhill man but I need good grip and Explorers are great when it comes to it. And when I ride near my home mostly on roads they do not make me angry with terrible noise.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Scott Roberts
a Cross Country Rider
from Newark, DE Date Reviewed: June 29, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Middle Run
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$75.00
Strengths:
Good in dry conditions when you can run lower tire pressure. Not too bad in mud. Slim and lightweight.
Weaknesses:
A tad pricey. Not the best in mud. Tire pressure is key for varying conditions. Depending on how dry or wet it is you will need to adjust the tire pressure.
Similar Products Used:
Bontrager Jones AC, Specialized Roll X Pro and Hutchinson Python.
Not really worth $50 a piece but if you can get them for a discount they are decent in dry conditions. Adjusting the tire pressure is a must for these tires and I reccomend using them with Stan's no tubes.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Keith
a Weekend Warrior
from New Jersey Date Reviewed: June 28, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Diablo freeride park
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
tires came on my bike
Strengths:
lightweight, good for the casual XC or trail rider. very low rolling resistance
Weaknesses:
Punctures easy, pinch flats easy if not inflated to max psi. bad traction when inflated to max psi. Poor cornering. Not good for downhill trails.
Similar Products Used:
IRC Mythos -loved them for XC
Bike Setup:
Cannondale Jekyll 800, Lefty max, Fox Float RL w/ remote lockout, Hayes hfx9 6" disc brakes, Deore Lx shifters, Maxxis Minion 2.35 inch tires, Haro magnesium block pedals.
Bottom Line:
Let me start with saying I'd classify myself as a light freerider who does some downhilling. These tires are not made for that. They're made for XC riding, and Cannondale should have them on their low end Scalpel, not their Jekyl bikes. The tires slide all over the place at high speeds and when they're under a lot of stress, I.E. hard turns at high speeds. I've also had three flats in 3 months. 2 pinch flats and 1 thorn (all three while using 60 psi -yes you read that right 60 psi riding downhill trails, not a good idea but its the best way to prevent a pinch flat) The tires are lightweight and its easy to see that Continental sacrificed durability and traction for weight. The low rolling resistance and lightweight may be perfect for people on sub 25 pound XC bikes and not riding aggresive like I do, or for the casual trail rider. I would recomend against riding downhill trails with them it rips them apart, I broke off at least two knobs on my first ride down. For not being tacky's they wore quickly on rocky downhill trails. Overal I'm going to give them 2 chili's (fair) because they could be a decent but overpriced tire for someone looking for low rolling resistance and lightweight, don't expect any fast turns with them though. If I was just rating them for me and my style of riding I WOULD GIVE THEM 1 CHILI once again THESE ARE NOT FOR AGGRESIVE RIDERS
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Iain Rathie
a Weekend Warrior
from Brisbane, Australia Date Reviewed: June 21, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Poo shooter
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
reasonably light, good lifespan (for me), good performance
Weaknesses:
front tends to wash out a bit (more likely to be operater eror)
Similar Products Used:
Ritchey Elevader, Specialised Roll X, WTB Mutano's (all used extensively)
Bike Setup:
Jekyll 800
Bottom Line:
Have ridden a lot of tyres over the years - keep comming back to these.
Dont believe those 'these things busted my ribs' type stories (usually riding a new bike, only one months experience etc etc - how can you blame the tyres!?!)
Nothings perfect, including any tyre. It depends on to many things - pressure, terrain, bike, RIDER, etc etc. These work for me - maybe not for you. If you can find a pair cheap - try em.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Slick
a Cross Country Rider
from La Grande, Or. USA Date Reviewed: June 5, 2004
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$32.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
easily mounts on tubless wheelset, seems to be good rubber compound.
Diamondback SL Super 03 Dual control XTR, SID, Crossmax SL Disc XTR Hydraulic brakes, Eggbeaters, Easton carbon bar.
Bottom Line:
I have used these tires on hardpack roads, soft wet saturated (snow melt) earth, hard and soft single track, gravel double track roads and blacktop. I have the non UST mounted on Crossmax SL Disc with our homemade version of "stans" latex, (about 60 grams). they have performed well in all conditions, but air pressure is very important. On the trail any thing over 35lbs is too much, they do seem to wash out on some off camber corners, but ride good on the blacktop getting to the hills and riding the doubletrack in the hills, I have dropped pressure to 29 to 30lbs and they hook up real well on the single track, especially on the climbs. I would recommend these, but play with the air pressure for different conditions, CAUSE it does make a difference. Not worth the retail price but if you can get em cheap you won't be sorry.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Logan
a Racer
from Concord, Ca Date Reviewed: May 23, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Tahoe Technical type
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
stock on bike
Strengths:
other than looks, NOTHING!
Weaknesses:
DANGEROUS!!! do not buy or ride these tires. even if they're free, don't even give them to someone. No cornering stability, no grip on canted trail. Dangerous tire!
Stock Cannondale Jekyll 800 (except for the Conti. Xplorers stripped off!
Bottom Line:
THESE TIRES ARE DANGEROUS. I can't believe I have such strong, negative conviction/comment(s) about a tire, but this one broke my helmet, rib, and scraped up the entire right side of my body. Not a rider or brake error. After being able to walk again, I tried some trails I'm used to, and the Explorer ushers NO riding confidence at all! Float in corners, and sudden skipping out on canted singletrack leaves no confidence, no fun, and lots of trail rash. Put WTB EpicWolf on front, and re-rode the same trails --- YES! Confidence, Fun, Ability! Amazing! Going to take the Xplorer off the back and put on either the 1.95 EpicWolf, or a 2.0 Pana. XC Pro . . .both tires have proven themselves to me as good rear tires.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
logan
a Racer
from concord, ca Date Reviewed: May 15, 2004
Favorite Trail:
anything technical, with steep technical
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
came on bike
Strengths:
looks like it would be good; seems good on most terrain
inaugoral ride on my new Jekyll 800 -- first time to do a real trail ride, and some tough, technical singletrack with 5" of travel, and disk brakes. don't know if it was the braking system (unknown sensitivity coming from V-brakes), or the Conti. Exlorer, but my confidence is shot, my entire right side is scraped, lacerated and broken (rib), helmet is toast (breakage in three spots around right occipital area. Hard-pack, canted trail does not seem to agree with the tire. Also this tire floats on gravel and sand much light the Hutchinson Mosquito. I Really want to strip my WTB EpicWolf's off my other wheelset and get back out and enjoy (once I can move again). Shame, I've wanted to try these tires for almost two years, and the first ride not only toasted a $125 helmet, a rib and two extremities, but has also stripped all confidence in the tire's performance. fairly decent in most conditions, just be careful, and don't be too shocked is suddenly, your front end slides and you get thrown.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
George
a Racer
from Lincolnshire, IL Date Reviewed: March 26, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Sunburst, Kewaskum, WI.
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
Cambria
Strengths:
Very grippy and not heavy
Weaknesses:
Rather narrow
Similar Products Used:
WTB misc. , Specialized Control/Master , Python Lite
Bike Setup:
Sugar 2
Bottom Line:
One of the best tires I've ever used! I have the Explorer w/ Protection and and have never had a flat in all types of conditions. the only possible improvement would be getting the weight under 500 grams - but the excellent performance outweights the weight factor. I'm intered in trying the Twister as a dry condition specific alternative. You can't got wrong with the explorer thoug, it's worth the money.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Joel
a Weekend Warrior
from Frankfurt, Germany Date Reviewed: February 27, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Anything which is 1 step to suicide :-)
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
baisikl
Strengths:
Very light weight, looks cool - as long as there is air in it... Excellent grip on dry ground
Weaknesses:
Extremely weak carcasse design - flats on front and rear wheel after one XC-ride !!! Very soft rubber compound - didn´t even last 700 miles ! Completely sucks under muddy conditions - almost no traction sidewards. With all these disadvantages in mind it´s also pretty expensive - up to 40 bucks for one of these crappy wheel preservatives is definitely too much !
Similar Products Used:
Ritchey
Bike Setup:
Cannondale Jekyl 500 with complete XT group, Magura Louise FR disk brakes
Bottom Line:
Forget about this crap !
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rick
a Cross Country Rider
from North Idaho Date Reviewed: February 16, 2004
First of all, I thought weights and measures were somewhat standardized in the world today. This is the narrowest 2.1 I have ever seen (not always a bad thing, but I would like to know before spending the $$). This tire was used on the front, and I want a wider tire on the front than this. It has excellent rolling resistance and no flats (pro-tection version). Braking was good, and straight ahead confidence was good, as well. It has much, much more tread left than my Escape on the rear. My main complaint is that in the black dirt and occasional rocks of North Idaho, I had troubles keeping the front end under me. It just seemed to want to wash out. I didn't actually take any BAD diggers with it, but the confidence was certainly not there. I will be trying it on the back next, with a Weirwolf (truly 2.1) on the front. Maybe that will work better. Then again, someday, maybe a tire size will be based on a measurement that is standard . . .
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Vinny
a Cross Country Rider
from CA Date Reviewed: January 11, 2004
Favorite Trail:
San Juan Trail
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$35.00
Strengths:
Review is on a Explorer Supersonic vs the Explorer Pro, which is a heavier version. * Light Weight * Good Tread Design & Enjoyed the ride while it lasted. * Easy to mount with Tubeless CrossMax SL Disc with Stan's
Weaknesses:
My situation most likely is not the norm: * Front tire use and I paid the price. Tire dismounted on the rim on a non technical fast left hand downhill turn. Needless to say I went flying over the bars and 2 broken ribs later I'm writing this review bummed I can't ride for over a month. * When I first mounted the tire new Stan's immediately found & sealed (4) small pin holes in the new tire. The very next morning front tire was completely flat and I had to find (2-3) remaining pin holes that Stan's missed & spot glue them.
Similar Products Used:
Pythons, X-Roll, etc, etc. Not sure if this is a good tire in general and I'm not willing to use it ever again to find out. After the crash the tire could be remounted and held air pressure since it wasn't a puncture or flat - but rather it rolled right off the rim.
Bottom Line:
Probably safe running with Explorer Pro in the front and maybe even a Supersonic - but do so at your own risk. I wouldn't run this in the rear since the tread doesn't make for a fast roller in the rear.
Value Rating: Gave this a 1 chili on value rating based on leaks associated a $35 dollar tire using Stan's! Never had this issue with Python's airlights which are about the same weight and cost. Overall Rating: Gave this a 1 chili based on the broken ribs. Believe you have to fully trust a front tire and I've got zero trust in Continental at this point.
Good luck.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
12Bore
a Cross Country Rider
from Kent, UK Date Reviewed: December 20, 2003
Favorite Trail:
The Big 8
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At:
Evans
Strengths:
Fast rolling, light weight, rounded tyre with bags of grip on dry hard pack and loose loam trails. Sheds mud well and gives a surprising amount of traction considering the small knobbles.
Weaknesses:
Puncture prone if run at low pressure, hates flints and liable to pinch flats. Can wash out on muddy corners but you have to push your luck!
Similar Products Used:
Tioga XC, Tioga DH, Panaracer Trailblaster.
Bike Setup:
Stock Cannondale F800SL with Race Face risers.
Bottom Line:
Put a bit more air in them than normal and you have an excellent summer and pretty good winter tyre for general trail use. Not enough air in them for more extreme rocky trails - then again they are XC not DH.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
kent
a Cross Country Rider
from Yuen Long, Hong Kong Date Reviewed: December 2, 2003
Favorite Trail:
agressive XC
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$11.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
2.1 wired version light weight, fast rolling and dirty cheap. The grip is excellent on road, loose soil, rocks, roots & mud. best all-around tire for x-country and daily use.
Weaknesses:
This tire has been use 1,200km on 9 months weakness verdict: 1. wear out fast 2. The knobs has cracked after a few agressive riding but didn't fall off. 3. This tire has directional, when i try to put it on front, it skid on high speed corners, but it work best when putting on rear tire.
I weight 140lbs and the tire run with 38lbs on trail.
All around best XC or Freeride tire. Work best to put on rear. If you want to lose control on your bike, put it on the front. Grip on mud trial will improve if i lowered the tire pressure from 42lbs to 38lbs.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Terry
a Cross Country Rider
from Cedar Hills, UT Date Reviewed: October 17, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Porcupine Rim!!!
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Bike Peddler
Strengths:
Light weight
Weaknesses:
Low Volume, very narrow causes it to pinch flat at lower pressures, and ride harsh at high pressures.
Traction is not great either.
Similar Products Used:
Kenda Kharma (lighter & higher volume good traction too), Hutchinson Alligator (heavier, but higher volume and much better traction) and MythosXC (heavier smoother and better traction).
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Blur
Bottom Line:
I am a heavy rider, and my experience with these tires was POOR. Lighter riders clearly have a more positive take. If you are under 180 lbs these are probably a decent tire. If you are a clydesdale, DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Carcassone
a Cross Country Rider
from Littleton Date Reviewed: October 8, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Who can choose?
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Performance
Strengths:
Relative light weight. Sturdy on rock, hard pack, and sand.
Weaknesses:
2.1 tire looks thin, the 2.1 resembles a 1.8; however, this hasn't hampered it's performance
Bike Setup:
Trek 8000
Bottom Line:
First of all, i had the OEM tires (bontrager acx) on my Trek. The ACX's would slip on any turn at even lower speeds. After a couple of tire induced crashed i changed to Conti's Explorer ProTection. The tire is relatively light weight and digs, digs, digs, into corners. Prior to the change I had to slow to a crawl to navigate corners especially those with small amounts of loose sand or stone. The explorer front tire in fact has boosted my confidence and now i'm looking to replace that acx rear tire.
The price of the tire may seem steep for many; however, the value is realized once you feel the surety of it's grip and handling at high speeds and those tire corners.
Now, I just need to find a good rear tire to replace the other acx that came on the bike.
My 4 flammin' chilis for value is just a result of the price NOT the performance.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Michael
a Racer
from Amarillo, TX, USA Date Reviewed: September 26, 2003
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Bicycles Inc.
Strengths:
Great traction through turns and low rolling resistance. Preforms great in sand and on hard pack. Sheds mud very well. Buy a pair now!!!!
Moots Marzocchi Marathon, Full XTR, Hugi 240 hubs.
Bottom Line:
The best all around tire of all time. Every one should try them at lest once!!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Joel
a Cross Country Rider
from Tulsa, OK Date Reviewed: August 25, 2003
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Super grip in most conditions, especially the rocky stuff. Light weight, rolls really well and holds up well.
Similar Products Used:
Hutchinson Mosquito, numerous semi-slicks
Bike Setup:
CDale Jekyll with Manitou Black, XTR Disc/Avid disc
Bottom Line:
These tires rock. I wasn't down with paying $40 for a tire, but I don't regret it now. I've ridden the hell out of this tire this summer and it still has good tread left. I love the side lugs on these tires, they just crawl right up the rocks.
Even on hard pack fast trails these tires roll really well, almost as well as a semi-slick.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kevin
a Racer
from Chicago Date Reviewed: August 13, 2003
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
online
Strengths:
Follow up review. Still an outstanding tire for front or rear use for mixed trail conditions. The protection version at 500 or so grams resists rocks and sidewall blow outs when the terrain and speed get exciting. Yet still has awesome rolling resistance and grip in any single track condition other than mud (it's a magnet for it). Set up with stans and have never had air burping. Be aware that the profile is closer to a 1.9 instead of 2.1 (I like that). The quality of construction exceeds other tires, typical quality expected from a German company.
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
most of the typical offerings from IRC, Panaracer, Michelin and GEAX blades for mud. I'd like to try some Schwalbe's to see how they compare.
Bike Setup:
xtr disc hubs with 3.1 ust rims and stan's
Bottom Line:
I use these tires for any trail condition and race other than mud and deep sand. Rocks and roots, loam, soft soil, gravel and knobs that don't slip on hardpack. I would use the Twister on hardpack but wouldn't be worried if I had to run these. I love them and will never use anything else. They stick in corners, downhills and have low rolling resistance and don't feel bogged on climbs. Just leave them at home for the mud. I find the protection and pro versions to be equally reliable if the 10 grams makes a difference to you.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
G Naz
a Cross Country Rider
from Milwaukee Date Reviewed: July 8, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Banzai on the East Side
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Wheel & Sprocket
Strengths:
Light, good all around tire, Conti quality.
Weaknesses:
Not so good on some oif the trails I ride the most.
Similar Products Used:
Bontrager Revolt Super-X (great hardpack tire) Bontrager Revolt SS, Bontrager Jones (sense a patter here?)
Bike Setup:
'98 Trek 8000 with lots of special goodness added.
Bottom Line:
Everyone at my shop said these tires were outstanding, so I bought a pair. There pretty good. Hold well on hardpack, loose stuff, pretty decent in mud, dusty sand, loam... but one of the trail I frequent has damp, tack hardpack covered by damp fallen leaves, and here the Explorers sucked. For whatever reason, they would not hold a line. Any time the bike was put into even a mild corner, the front would feel like it was going to slip, and the back was washing oout all over the place. For the record, I do use these tires a lot on other conditions, where they work well. But on that particular trail, the Revolt Super-X's kick ass.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ludwig
a Weekend Warrior
from London, UK Date Reviewed: June 22, 2003
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At:
Brighton
Strengths:
Light, Grippy
Weaknesses:
Dual Compound tire in black in yellow colour-coordinates with my bruises
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Ground Controls, Hutchinson Scorpion
Bike Setup:
Cannondale F800
Bottom Line:
Purchased tires for £25/pair and have been very pleased with them so far.
The tires have a rounded profile and deceptive looking small low profile knobbles.
Have used them on wet slick rock, sand and mud.
They consistently grip very well and slide progressively giving you plenty of warning.
Due to relatively small air volume, have suffered pinch punctures even when running reasonably high tire pressures on downhill sections (I believe that this is also probably down to the lightweight side walls).
However, as this is not a downhill specific tire - musn't grumble - a recommended purchase for XC, single track and light downhilling.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Adam B
a
from Toronto Date Reviewed: June 21, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Don Valley off camber trails
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
60
Strengths:
traction, low rolling resistance
Weaknesses:
price - this tire cost $80 Canadian, but it might be worth it
Similar Products Used:
IRC Mythos (crap), Panaracer Trailblaster (crap), Panaracer Fire XC 1.8 (really good), Michelin Sprint (good semi-slick), Bontrager Revolt SS Front (good semi-slick).
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher Big Sur with lots of upgrades, Conti Explorer on the front, Fire XC 1.8 on the back.
Bottom Line:
This is a really good front tire, I've been in 2 races, lots of trail rides and lots of commuting with this tire and no complaints with it yet. It corners really well, sheds mud quite well considering how close some of the knobs are, and it rolls quite fast for a full knobby tire. I used to ride with the Bontrager Revolt SS on the front but it didn't give me a lot of confidence in the corners although it is a super fast tire. I also had the Fire XC 1.8 on the front but I wanted something that would absorb the bumps better, and I'm finding the Explorer handles the corners better. I've never had problems with pinch flats with any of my tires, I think because I always keep them inflated to 40 psi and I weigh around 170 lbs. This tire is proving so good so far - I probably won't use anything else for a long time.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
johnny walker
a
from USA Date Reviewed: June 19, 2003
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Bottom Line:
ELEVEN BUCKS?!?!?!?!?!
I'm moving to Hong Kong!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
kent
a Cross Country Rider
from Hong Kong Date Reviewed: June 17, 2003
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$11.00
Purchased At:
Yuen Long, Hong Kong
Strengths:
The explorer i am using isn't a "pro" version, so it has a wired inside.
light weight, fast rolling and dirty cheap. The grip is excellent on road, loose soil, rocks and roots. Seems the best all-around tire for x-country and daily use.
Weaknesses:
It seems to wear out quite fast. this tire doesn't grip very well on mud.
Similar Products Used:
hutchinson python airlight
Bike Setup:
hardtail bike. mainly XT setup, mavic F519, DT swiss-onyx disc hub, avid mech. disc brake. Hutchinson Python Air-light(fold) as front tire and Continatal Explorer(wire) as rear
Bottom Line:
i've ride this rear tire for 4 months.
It was recommend by my LBS, it is cheap. i find this tire preforms very well, no matter is urban or at the mountain. I was thinking to buy the panaracer fire-xc pro, but unfortanately i can't find any of them at my LBS, so i give explorer a go and the result is excellent. I put explorer on the rear tire and it grips really really well.
As this price so dirty cheap i will definitely give it a 5 chilli and overall rating i will give it a 4 since it's wearing out fast and grip on mud can be done better.
final verdict: i wasting time on other xc tires? use explorer !
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mtnbikeco
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, Date Reviewed: June 12, 2003
Favorite Trail:
All
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
Hooks up in all the conditions that the colorado mountains have dished out this year. Rain,Snow, Mud & hard pack.
Weaknesses:
Price which has always been this manufactires downside. But you do get what you pay for IRC last year $14 lasted half a season. Before a Lug broke off after rideing hard rocks.
Titus Switchblade,Shimano 2003 drive train Fr & Rear, Avid brakes Mech, thomsom seatpost stem, Chris king wheels ISO Sram Rocket shifters
Bottom Line:
The mountains of Co have been wet this year and I needed a tire that would last and stand up to the test. I'm very hard on my Eq. The Explorer Pro on the rear and the vertical Pro 2.3 on the front have provening to be the best combo that i could find. At 35 min to 42 max on tire pressure and depending on the conditions these tires rock. At 42 in loose sand you will feel the back end slip. Drop the pressure to 38 and NO Worries Man. Small sharp rock these tires like the pressure at 40(protect those rims). Mud conditions they clean out very well. That also depends on the type of mud to Utah and co both have very different styles of mud (from red clay to loomy loose wet sloopy mudslide up the back mud). Value alittle pricey so only 4 chilis
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nath Tee Norman
a
from Portland, OR Date Reviewed: June 4, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Heartbreak Ridge (WNC)
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
local shop
Strengths:
fairly grippy in dry conditions
Weaknesses:
way too skinny for a 2.1
Bike Setup:
steel hardtail
Bottom Line:
This is the skinniest 2.1 tire I have ever seen. If you're going to buy one of these, get the 2.3. Used it as a rear tir on one ride in dry conditions and it did pretty well except that I got a pinch flat with the tire was pumped up pretty high. I wouldn't really recommend it. It ain't much for the price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jay
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver Date Reviewed: May 27, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Ape Canyon
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$17.00
Purchased At:
Gateway Cycling
Strengths:
Light, good stick on hardpack, and fast rolling. Fairly sticky in the loose also.
Weaknesses:
Pinch flats, skinny size, weak back tire, and wear is fairly fast.
Similar Products Used:
IRC Mythos is the closest to this tire.
Bike Setup:
Tracer with all the goodies.
Bottom Line:
This tire will pinch flat in the rocks unless you pump the crude out of it (above 43 lbs at least). Nonetheless, this an excellent light tires that sticks well in many conditions. I bet it sucks in mud (have not tried) due to tight tread patters (probably gunk up). Most tires do. This is an excellent tires for light duty action where you need a light tire (515 grams) that rolls fast yet gives more traction then a semi slick. It does not like drops or real rocky terrain due to light construction. I'm giving it 5 stars for its intended purpose: racing or light duty cross country riding.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
skartissue xxx
a Weekend Warrior
from Mills River, NC Date Reviewed: May 21, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Murderhorn
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Carolina Fatz
Strengths:
Plenty of knobs. Light weight. Low profile and round shape filled me with cornering and braking confidence until...
Weaknesses:
Not worth a damn in the mud. Recent super-monsoon here in the south has revealed that this tire is scary bad over wet roots and rocks and such.
Similar Products Used:
..........
Bike Setup:
Orange Sub5 w/ 5th E, Fox Float 100, RaceFace, Thomson, Easton, Hope...
Bottom Line:
This tire is great for those of you who live in arid climates. 9 out of 10 Iraqi trail-riders prefer Explorer Pro. If you like the wet and mud (or have to live with it) then perhaps look elsewhere. I'm gonna try the Vertical Pro 2.3
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Croker
a Cross Country Rider
from West Sussex UK Date Reviewed: May 16, 2003
Favorite Trail:
South Downs Way
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
2.1 used on the front gives 100% reliable steering on and off road. Light and happy at 38psi, yet still quick due to the rounded profile.
Weaknesses:
Cost?
Similar Products Used:
Mythos XC, Kenda(?), Fire XC Pro
Bike Setup:
Trek 830 with Manitou Spyder 'R' fork
Bottom Line:
The front tyre of choice for me from now on.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pat B.
a Cross Country Rider
from Whitecourt Date Reviewed: April 26, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Whitehorse Creek
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$15.00
Purchased At:
Revolution Cycle
Strengths:
Traction, Rolling resistance, Tracking ability, Light, Price.
Buy these tires if: You want all around traction in a tire in all conditions. A tire for front or rear. A tough tire (I have the Pro-Tection version). These tires offer better traction than all the tires mentioned above, in all conditions from hard pack, sand, gravel, mud, roots, rocks, wet or dry, you name it !!!! These tires are fast!!! German engineering cannot be wrong!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pat B.
a Cross Country Rider
from Whitecourt Date Reviewed: April 26, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Whitehorse Creek
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$15.00
Purchased At:
Revolution Cycle
Strengths:
Traction, Rolling resistance, Tracking ability, Light, Price.
Buy these tires if: You want all around traction in a tire in all conditions. A tire for front or rear. A tough tire (I have the Pro-Tection version). These tires offer better traction than all the tires mentioned above, in all conditions from hard pack, sand, gravel, mud, roots, rocks, wet or dry, you name it !!!! These tires are fast!!! German engineering cannot be wrong!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jason Smith
a Cross Country Rider
from Indianapolos Date Reviewed: April 17, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Anything at Dupont NC
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$48.00
Purchased At:
Matthews
Strengths:
Hook into corners great best front tire I have ever used. Roll really well you will be surprised. I have not had a flat yet and ran at all kinds of pressures. I weight 195 and have been as low as 36psi. They last as well. Find a great tire and quit screwing with a bunch of different set ups!
Weaknesses:
None, I just wish they made one that is bigger it would be great for Indiana winters when it snows
Similar Products Used:
Specialized, Panaracer,Michelin, Hutchinson
Bike Setup:
2002 FSR XC, specialized, just about everything stock for now
Bottom Line:
If you are a XC rider you will love this tire in corners! I have waited a year before posting to make sure all get a good review I hope it helps
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Charles
a Cross Country Rider
from VA Date Reviewed: January 10, 2003
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Bike works
Strengths:
these tires hook. Bottom line
Weaknesses:
only the rider
Similar Products Used:
michelins, irc
Bike Setup:
bianchi with 9.0/xt/xtr
Bottom Line:
Michelins suck, irc's suck, contis rule, they are the absolute best tires for every situation, leaves, dirt, mud, hardpack, pine needles, logs. everything i ride i ride with explorers and they have never let me down.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Phil
a Cross Country Rider
from Guildford, UK Date Reviewed: January 10, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Surrey Hills
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Dave Hinde
Strengths:
Rounded (rather than flat) profile means I can lean into corners with more confidence that my knobbles won't collapse on me. I use a 2.1 on the front paired with the Traction Pro 2.0 on the rear. Compared with what it replaced (Panaracer Trailblasters 2.1(f) and 1.9(r)), this combo is heaven. Total traction in mud from the rear and fantastic steerability at the front. A great upgrade at relatively low cost - even with the kevlar bead. Also, the Trailblasters seemed particularly prone to punctures even when I pumped them up to 50 psi. I run these at 40 without a single puncture (so far).
Weaknesses:
None except maybe they give me the confidence to go into stuff much faster so when I do stack, it hurts more.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Team Control, Panaracer Trailblaster
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Superlight, Mavic X618 rims on Hope XC ti hubs, Fox Float RL fork
Bottom Line:
Great tyre on the front when paired with the Conti Traction Pro on the rear. I'm not changing this combo again - as far as I'm concerned it's the holy grail.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Micky
a Cross Country Rider
from Albuquerque, NM Date Reviewed: December 23, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Cedro Peak
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Performance
Strengths:
Rolls fast for a knobby. Good grip. Smooth cornering transitions. Climbs very well.
Weaknesses:
Lower grip than FireXPros. Slides under braking.
Similar Products Used:
Serac, Mythos, FireXPro, Twister Pro, Comp S, Hot S.
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz SL - Float R, Float AVA, Avid mech., 317s on CK with Stan's.
Bottom Line:
Excellent tire for most conditions. I weigh 185 and use Stan's with 35psi. The Explorer Pro transitions from upright to leaned better than any tire I've tried and they roll very fast. Corner and braking traction are good but not great compared to some heavier tires. All in all one of the best XC tires on the planet!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from Dallas, TX Date Reviewed: October 23, 2002
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Speedgoat
Strengths:
front traction, relatively light weight
Weaknesses:
cost, seems to be wearing a little faster than some tires
Similar Products Used:
Python, Mosquito, Fire XC Pro
Bike Setup:
Spec FSR XC: Mavic 221 rims w/Stan's NoTubes, Mosquito in rear, Explorer up front
Bottom Line:
I liked this as a front tire better than any other I've tried. Then I put the NoTubes on with it, and now I love it! The traction is better than I could have hoped for. I'm running the tire at 34# (I'm 180#), wouldn't have dared to do that with a tube. This tire sealed up easily with the NoTubes and hasn't leaked a bit. This is a little more expensive than any of the other tires I've used, but I'd say worth it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Croker
a Cross Country Rider
from Steyning, West Sussex, UK Date Reviewed: October 12, 2002
Favorite Trail:
South Downs Way
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Strengths:
Used on the front, it has low rolling resistance - suits hardpack very well - and doesn't try and washout on fast turns (esp. good on tarmac)
Weaknesses:
Not tried it in mud yet, but the knobs aren't that big (which is one reason why it's good on hardpack). Bit small for a 2.1"
Similar Products Used:
Mythos XC, Kendo(?) OEM front, Continental Semi-Slick (use a SS on the front if wish to die young...)
Bike Setup:
Trek 830 with Manitou Spyder R fork and various other upgrades
Bottom Line:
Other than being a bit on the small side for a 2.1", this ones good. Rolls fast on hardpack or road, looks like it will shed mud OK (but I don't like thick mud anyway...)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
kevin
a Racer
from chicago Date Reviewed: October 6, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
lbs
Strengths:
weight, construction, best intermediate terrain tire i've used. Stan's installation.
Weaknesses:
price, wear, i wish there was a 1.9 with same tread depth.
Similar Products Used:
michelin comp s light, mythos, panaracer
Bike Setup:
fuel 100 full xtr
Bottom Line:
First thing I noticed when I bought these were how well constructed they are. The best all around trail tire there is, even raced 2 times this year on them with courses that had mixed trail conditions. If you encounter terrian with looeser soil, rocks, roots and a little bit of mud, this is the best tire. Rolling resistance very much close to the comps .When I run though these, I'll buy another and run the Escape in the back. Seals up quickly and easily with Stan's no tubes also. I have the pro version and no pinch flats with either tubes or "no tubes" at 35-40 psi. These tires allow you to ride aggresively through tight single track and deal with gravel and fast descents. Love these tires. Also, I will probably go with the protection version next time for Stan's set up.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Barrett Ishida
a Weekend Warrior
from Honolulu, HI Date Reviewed: September 10, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Anything that won't put me to sleep
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Good gripping ability, good traction, not too heavy, OK for road use as well
Weaknesses:
None that I can think of.
Similar Products Used:
Velociraptors, Kenda
Bike Setup:
Cannondale F500
Bottom Line:
These tires came w/ my Cannondale F500 and I didn't think much of them until I got to test them on various trails here on Oahu. As for dirt, these tires gave me the traction I needed to keep control of my bike. There's tons of roots here on the trails and these tires held up fine, not slipping out over the roots. As for rocks (death cookies, baby heads, and coarse dirt/sand mix) these tires kept me going without any hassles.
The bottom line for me is that these tires are excellent.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rick Price
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego, CA Date Reviewed: September 10, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Noble
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Light weight, good traction, rolls well
Weaknesses:
Price, easy to pinch flat
Similar Products Used:
IRC Mythos, Panaracer XC Pro, WTB Mutano
Bike Setup:
Titus Switchblade, Fox Forx
Bottom Line:
The tire is nice for mellow XC riding, but is way to light for anything more aggressive. Handling is good but to avoid pinch flats too much air (50psi) is needed on all but the smoothest trails. If you can run this tire without flating then it's a good tire for dry conditions.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Peter Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Holmen, WI, USA Date Reviewed: September 4, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Flagstaff, AZ
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$25.00
Strengths:
This is the best all around tire there is, rolls, fast, and great gripping, even in the mud. For those who want a little secret, when you get your tires (first time only, this works) take and spray pam on them, it fills in the smallest imperfections and I will guarantee mud will no longer be a problem.
Weaknesses:
None, I even had a pinch flat on the side of a kevlar beaded tire, and still rode the thing for another month until I was able to get it replaced.
Bike Setup:
1998 Cannondale vatty v-800 all xtr, cane creek rims!!
Bottom Line:
You are wasting money if you don't try this tire, if you look at ALL of the reviews they ALL agree that it is faster rolling and that it grips well. Try the trick above and it will shed mud much better than any deep lug tire will.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Frank
a Cross Country Rider
from NH Date Reviewed: September 2, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$35.00
Strengths:
Overall traction. works well in many different conditions
Weaknesses:
a bit on the smaller side due to the low profile knobs, but this is not in reality a weakness due to the increase in traction over my 2.3 specialized tires
Similar Products Used:
Specialized team control front, and team master rear
Bike Setup:
2001 Jamis Dakar, XT and TruVativ drivetrain, Sun Rhyno Lite XL rims laced to 2002 XT hubs which are awsome.
Bottom Line:
I was a little skeptical when I first purchased these tires. But once I went on my first ride I knew I made the right choice going with the conti's. I was expecting to get a beefier tire but what I got insted was a smaller faster tire with the performance of a crazy 2.5 maxxis. The only thing I cannot comment on is this tires performance in muddy conditions. But for North East riding conditions they are dead on...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
K M
a Cross Country Rider
from Chicago & SanFrancisco Date Reviewed: September 1, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Saratoga Gap
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$19.00
Purchased At:
PerformanceBike
Strengths:
Light, decent feel, wear on asphalt/concrete
Weaknesses:
traction on roots or hardpack, sidewall
Similar Products Used:
Tioga Psycho, Panaracer Dart II
Bike Setup:
'93 Cannondale Delta-V 700, hardtail
Bottom Line:
The Psycho's I had on this bike forever, and which came on the bike (thus I assumed they were crap) were far better. The ExplorerPro had much lower rolling resistance though. They are perfectly fine at high pressure for my daily Chicago commute, but when I travel to California or Oregon for some off-road they slide all over the place. I lowered the pressure quite a bit to get them to hook-up on the hardpack, and the sidewalls disintegrated. That's the end of 'em.
Alright, I got a closeout deal on them, and they aren't the Kevlar version, so I'm not complaining. I got a year commuting on them, and I wasn't expecting much.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Fermat
a Cross Country Rider
from Calgary Date Reviewed: August 31, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Endless tread works great on dry trails. Very low vibration on pavement.
Weaknesses:
Wear, wear, wear. Plus, having the lightest XC bike in the world doesn't matter when you vacuum up about 20 lbs of mud on the tire.
Bike Setup:
Cannondale Jekyll
Bottom Line:
The wear is probably due to the high tire pressure i'm running but still - 3 months of mixed trail/pavement riding and the knobs are starting to show serious wear on the center knobbies and rubber crumble on the rear edges of the outer treads. Grip is solid on the corners but if you have to fork out 50 bucks for new tires every 3 months, it ain't worth it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David
a Cross Country Rider
from montreal,Qc,Canada Date Reviewed: August 16, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Bromont
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
la porte a bicyclette
Strengths:
very good all aroud tire, shed mud pretty well,
Weaknesses:
sidewalls, to easy to damaged by rock and other things
very good tire, i can go everywhere, really in mud and sand
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jee Young
a Weekend Warrior
from DC Date Reviewed: August 1, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Oh?
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$19.00
Purchased At:
eBay, somewhat used
Strengths:
Low rolling resistance (good on asphalt). Points and goes well in loose soil, although it was a *bit* squirrely on hardpack. May just be me. Looks nice (orange stripe adds a little flair, although it's not for everyone). Side knobbies are out there like weapons.
Weaknesses:
COLLECTS MUD LIEK MAD. Expensive if you get it new I guess. NOT FOR MUD. Don't even bother trying. Orange stripe adds flair (again, not for everyone). BAD IN MUD. Mmmhmmm.
Similar Products Used:
Tioga Psycho K. Continental Navigator pro. Panaracer Fire Pro XC.
Bike Setup:
1996 Fisher Mt. Tam
Bottom Line:
If you can get it for ~$25 or so, get it. It's a great tire for high speed trails and floats in loose soil (2.1 size). I wouldn't really say it's the best for tech riding, but it's damn good elsewhere.
PS. I would not reccomend buying this tire at full price, so note that I'm giving it a 5 chili for value at $19.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
glenn vernes
a Cross Country Rider
from middletown, CT Date Reviewed: July 30, 2002
Favorite Trail:
fenceline WH res
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$45.00
Strengths:
Low weight & rolling resistance, decent traction for such a tire
Weaknesses:
Too small, flats easily
Similar Products Used:
Michelin wildgrippers, Conti comp pro
Bike Setup:
Sugar 1, Bomber, XTR
Bottom Line:
These tires are small and light enough to race, and offer pretty good traction for that type of tire. They lose traction gradually with no surprises. Not the best for wet and muddy terrain though, a bigger meatier tire would be better there. Good for racers who don't like semi slicks. I got a thorn flat the first or second ride (mine are not that flat resistant type that Conti now has, and whose name I can't think of), but I hope they don't prove flat prone. Also the sidewalls are very low, don't offer much rim protection. If you ride in very gnarly terrain go with a larger tire. I have not ridden the tire long enough to asses durability.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Bristol, CT USA Date Reviewed: July 27, 2002
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$25.00
Strengths:
Reasonable traction in dry conditions, good rolling resistance
Weaknesses:
The outer knobs are awful, VERY easy to tear one off Only good traction at the minimum or lower recommended tire pressure NOT adequate traction on wet rocks , roots. Slippery as hell, no grip
Similar Products Used:
Hutchinson Mosquito Gold, Continental Vertical Pro, Michelin Wildgripper XLS, Richey WCS Z-Max(same problem with those)
Bike Setup:
2001 GIANT NRS 1, all very high end components
Bottom Line:
This tire is 6 rides old. SIX. Already it is missing 3 of the large outer lugs, ripped off in standard technical terrain. The threads which are now visible in the carcass of the tire are very frayed, and I can see the tube causing a bulge behind the ripped off section, getting ready to BLOW. I will remove the tube later and put some vinyl pathes inside to prevent a blowout, just to get a few more rides out of them I have only had this lug riping problem on the Ritchey tire before. The Hutchinson Mosquitos I owned were truly excellent low pressure, grippy tires, far superior to these in technical terrain, including wet roots, rocks, and slopes. The problem with the Mosquito's though, it wore out inside 300 miles for a rear tire. Still good for the front. The Continental Explorer might be OK as a Front at very low pressures, but I have a Mosquito there now, and I am unwilling to try it. Maybe I got a poor example of the Conti tire, one that slipped through the QA dept.? In any event, I will not be recommending these to friends or buying any more without some kind of guarantee. For me, not a good value. And it is not a fair tire overall, because of the ripping knobs, poor wet traction.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Phillip Neill
a Cross Country Rider
from Orlando, FL Date Reviewed: July 24, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Santos(FL), Tsali
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$32.00
Purchased At:
lbs
Strengths:
traction, handling, weight
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
IRC Mythos, Richey slicks, various other brands
Bike Setup:
FS, Explorer Pro's 2.1 front and rear, 35-40lbs pressure, I weigh 200lbs
Bottom Line:
I have XC ridden these tires for 7 months (600 miles). They offer great traction and handling. The 166 tpi creates a supple tire that is smooth riding and follows the terrain well. They are showing very little wear and no flats. My riding consists of sandy loam hardpack, some sand and root infested singletrack. This tire works great for my conditions. I can't rate it's mud performance because my riding area (FL) has very little mud. For an all around tire, I can't imagine a better product.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mel macgregor
a
from hawaii Date Reviewed: July 22, 2002
Favorite Trail:
makakill
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
the best all around tire for the hardcore crosscountry rider.holds its line anywhere on trail.up hill,down hill doesn't matter.wet and dry,loose,hardpack condition.this is it.
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
panaracers,conti-cross country,kendas,specialize
Bike Setup:
manitou hardtail.rockshox duke race.xtr brakes and drive train.
Bottom Line:
i live in hawaii and ride all types of conditions.of all tires iv'e rode,this is the best....
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Eric
a Cross Country Rider
from Tulsa Date Reviewed: July 14, 2002
Favorite Trail:
108 at Chadwick
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
lbs
Strengths:
Good tread wear, shed mud well, hook up in a variety of conditions.
Weaknesses:
the sidewalls are easily damaged by rocks and stuff
Similar Products Used:
lots.
Bike Setup:
Titus Motolite, Manitou X-Vert, SRAM 9.0 Avid discs
Bottom Line:
Goood tires that supply lots of traction in most conditions. I had trouble with the brown sidewall version, every time I got a pinch flat I would have a small rip in the sidewall. Now they come with a black sidewall that is much tougher. Great in the rear with a Conti Vertical in front.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Lau Enrique
a Weekend Warrior
from Macau Date Reviewed: June 29, 2002
These are the first time I use Continental. What I have is not a Black/full red of colour, just a red line on the surface.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Clout
a Cross Country Rider
from Montréal Date Reviewed: June 28, 2002
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$35.00
Strengths:
Very good traction, light weight, fast.
Weaknesses:
None observed.
Similar Products Used:
MTB Velociraptor, Ritchey Z-max, Hutchinson Alligator, Continental Survival Pro
Bike Setup:
Steel RM, Z-2, XTR/RaceFace
Bottom Line:
Very good tire. Excellent grip on various surface. Rapid, provide good steering up front. A worthy buy. I had Explorer Pro front/Alligator rear, never had any problems in mud, wet leaves, hardpack. Used them with 30psi (I weight 180lbs).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Peter Klakocer
a Cross Country Rider
from Vienna / Austria Date Reviewed: May 22, 2002
Favorite Trail:
narrow pathes in friendly woods
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Fantastic grip, doesn't slip sideways
Weaknesses:
Don't now one ...
Similar Products Used:
IRC Mythos XC
Bike Setup:
SCOTT Comp-Racing, factory setup
Bottom Line:
A really good tire for mud, gravel and roots. Haven't found the "best overall" pressure for the rear tire. I already ordered it in 24" for my son. Only flat in 1.500 km was caused by a piece of glass when crossing a river bed. I love the red color :-)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
eric heyl
a Cross Country Rider
from kenner, la Date Reviewed: May 17, 2002
Favorite Trail:
all of them
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$42.00
Purchased At:
lbs
Strengths:
everything these tires hook on everything. the roll fast and grip like crazy, just like a good tire should
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
pythons, conti cc
Bike Setup:
fuel 100 rolf propels, king headset, thompson stem and seatpost, and a marathon s up front
Bottom Line:
buy them you wont be dissapointed
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jon
a Cross Country Rider
from UK Date Reviewed: May 14, 2002
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Came with bike
Strengths:
Lightweight and sheds mud well, or at least still finds some purchase when clogged
Weaknesses:
I've only ever used this as a front tyre, so don't know what it would be like on the rear, but suspect that it would be behave like an Escape, but with poorer wet weather traction
This tyre performs better than it's rear partner, the Escape. It is lightweight for it's size and performs well on the damp trails of southern England. As a front tyre it seems to be wearing pretty well.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Upstate New York Date Reviewed: April 30, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
plaines.com
Strengths:
Great all around tire in hard pack and loose stuff. If you ride in the mud do yourself a huge favor and look elsewhere.
Weaknesses:
Horrible in mud!!! These things collect mud like it was going out of style.
Similar Products Used:
Many
Bike Setup:
Cannondale f1000 w/lefty.
Bottom Line:
Bottome line is as mentioned above. Great tire for XC racing where muddy conditions don't apply. Mud shedding on the Explorer Pro's is horrible! I ride alot of techincical single track and once things turned muddy I was done. They were great at first but if the mud persists beyond just a little section then look out. No traction and my front end kept washing out. Never had this problem until the Explorers.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tom Brady
a Cross Country Rider
from Boston, MA Date Reviewed: April 29, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
I usually run Pythons but had a race in extreme muddy conditioins and had to find something quick. these were the best things for mud th bike shop had
Weaknesses:
none so far worked great
Similar Products Used:
Panaracer Fire XC
Bike Setup:
GIANT NRS 2
Bottom Line:
I see alot of complaints about these tires and mud shedding. i can not say enough about these tires. i was really impressed. i raced through the most mud i had ever come across and flooding on the trails. These tires never stopped gripping and the mud shedding was fine.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
david
a Cross Country Rider
from corvallis, oregon, usa Date Reviewed: April 27, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Good traction in hard and medium pack dirt. fairly lightweight.
Weaknesses:
mud shedding is less than steller. rolling resistance. a little soft for my taste.
These tires came stock with my bike. i am moderately satisfied. mud shedding is horrible. if there is any mud this tire will find it, keep it, and won't hook up for anything. I have not used them a lot, but they are just an okay tire. I think I'll try some new michelins, I have had good experiences with them in the past
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kip Williams
a Cross Country Rider
from Bristol, UK Date Reviewed: April 26, 2002
Favorite Trail:
local singletrack
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
came with bike
Strengths:
Light, Fast, great in the dry
Weaknesses:
Pinch Flats, can wash out with no warning in the wet.
Similar Products Used:
tioga factory DH, irc's, others in the dim and distant past
Bike Setup:
Trek 9.8 Elite disc, thompson post, titec carbon bar ends, shimano pedals
Bottom Line:
These tyres are great in the dry but scare the crap out of me in the wet. It's raining today so i just mail ordered some panaracer trailblasters. Not saying that they are bad tyres, just don't suit wet rides - living in the UK I need them to be able to cope with the damp.
Also worth noting that I had a lot of flats from thorns penetrating the tyre - at least 5 times as many as with tioga dh's (i know the tyres don't really compare but it's true)
tyre also seems very narrow for a 2.1" ?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
stamd
a Racer
from golden, colorado Date Reviewed: April 19, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
Universal cycles
Strengths:
traction, rolling resistance, weight, supple ride
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
Ritchey Speedmax & Zed, Tioga Factory, Michelin Comp lite
Very predictable front tire with a supple ride and light weight
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David
a Cross Country Rider
from Tulsa, OK Date Reviewed: April 4, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Lo Chi
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$70.00
Purchased At:
T-Town
Strengths:
Low weight - well assembled - good looking.
Weaknesses:
Ineffective in loose, rocky, rooted, or otherwise slippery conditions - especially under braking!
Similar Products Used:
Panaracer Fire XC Pro 2.1
Bike Setup:
K2 Brass Monkey / GT XCR 4.0
Bottom Line:
I bought this tire setup for a two week trip to Hawaii. Initially, I thought the tire was fast.. which it is.. on flat ground. I had the worst riding experience on these tires when doing anything but flatland riding. When riding these things downhill, little inconsitencies in the trail, roots, rocks, or ruts would cause this tire to move around, resulting in a washout condition. If I was doing anything other than pointing straight down, I might as well have been praying with my eyes closed it seemed. Now, you must understand, this review isn't a rip on the tire really, it's more of a warning to riders who seem to be in a similar class of riding. This tire does go fast, shed mud, and looks cool, but I love downhill, fast switchbacks, and the like.. and maybe the other people who reviewed this tire and LIKED it do to, but I would bet they don't ride as crazy like I like to, and therefore don't tempt the edge of fate on these tires like I have. If I were going to race this cross country, where downhills may not be critical to getting an edge on other riders, this tire would be fabulous. If you are like me, more a freerider, hit big nastys, and want complete control and willing to sacrifice a little in weight (and I mean just a little) then go elsewhere. After I returned from my trip to Hawaii where I rode a downhill race course, incredible volcanoe rides, and came scarred by this tire letting loose on me, I ran back to my Panaracers. I'm much happier flying off into the unknown on them than these Explorer Pros .. and I won't worry about what is coming around the next corner so much. So, in conclusion of this somewhat confusing dissertation (I'm lacking sleep.. please understand!) I would say that you'd be in luck racing these things XC .. but if your adventures take you further.. be aware.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Patrick
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego, CA, USA Date Reviewed: March 4, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Noble Canyon
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
BikeUSA (sob, sob, I miss you already)
Strengths:
Lightweight, great traction and carving in dry/damp hardpack, great for climbing in same conditions
Weaknesses:
pinch flats
Similar Products Used:
many
Bike Setup:
Cannondale Jekyll with lefty "fork"
Bottom Line:
I loved this tire until I rode the ridge at Sycamore Canyon (Goodan Ranch)... it's rocky and hilly there, went down the first hill at high speed, had two flat tires! Each tube was pinched something fierce. Patched them, and got another pinch flat on the next downhill. Had to borrow another tube and ride like a granny for the rest of the day.
Anyone know of a tire this light, this grippy, but more resistant to pinch flats? I like to ride rocks.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
SCOOTER WATERMAN
a Cross Country Rider
from SALT LAKE Date Reviewed: January 17, 2002
Favorite Trail:
ANY IN UTAH
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
VARIOUS
Strengths:
FAST ROLLING. EXCELLENT ALL AROUND CONTROL.
Weaknesses:
PRICE. WEAR. WET TRACTION.
Similar Products Used:
TIOGA,SPECIALIZED, ECT.
Bike Setup:
I-DRIVE XCR 1000 LAST SEASON AND A HALF, SCHWINN MOAB BEFORE THAT, AND NOW AN INTENSE TRACER.
Bottom Line:
I HAVE RUN THESE TIRES ON AND OFF FOR JUST OVER TWO YEARS. PRICE KEPT TEMPTING ME TO TRY OTHERS, BUT IN DISGUST I HAVE PULLED ALMOST NEW TIRES OFF AND PUTTING THE CONTINENTELS BACK ON. (MY NEPHEW AND BROTHER-IN-LAW HAVEN'T HAD TO BUY TIRES IN AGES THANKS TO ME AND MY TIRE VOLATILITY). NO MORE THOUGH, THESE TIRES ARE AWESOME FOR CONDITIONS HERE IN UTAH. THEY WORKED AWESOME ON MY GT AND I'M CURRENTLY HAVING AN INTENSE TRACER BUILT AND I HAVE A NEW SET READY TO THROW ON!! DO THEY WEAR QUICKLY? PERHAPS. ARE THEY SPENDY? YES! ARE THEY WORTH IT? BUT A SET AND YOU'LL SEE. DOWNHILLERS AND WET ROOT AND ROCK RIDERS NEED NOT APPLY.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from Bristol CT USA Date Reviewed: December 9, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Burlington and Morris
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
Speedgoat.com
Strengths:
It hasn't punctured, or shredded knobs, and still had plenty of life.
Weaknesses:
None have cropped up
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Team (Out of) Control (Original equipment) wore out quick
Bike Setup:
Sigh......It's a bike
Bottom Line:
very nice tire, I might try something different when it's time for new one.. Mayb not...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Doug
a Cross Country Rider
from Rochester, NY Date Reviewed: December 1, 2001
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
Different Places
Strengths:
Weight, Cornering ability, grip on wet surfaces, mud shedding, rolling resistance
Weaknesses:
Wears quickly, price?
Similar Products Used:
Specialized, Ritchey
Bike Setup:
Intense Tracer
Bottom Line:
This is the best tire to cover all conditions. It is especially good on wet roots and rocks as advertised due to the endles edge design. It rolls fast on hardpack and the knobs are just small enough not to squirm under hard cornering. The knobs are tall enough for acceptable traction in the slop. The tred also sheds mud very well. The tire is narrow enough for good mud performance but also wide enough for aggressive riding on anything else. All of this performance comes at a price, they wear quickly (3-6) months) and cost a bundle. They can cut somewhat easily on sharp rocks. I use the pro-tection version to safe guard against this. All in all, I will gladly pay $105 every year for these tires becuase they are so versatile. they are the perfect XC racing tire.
$ 51.95
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