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Continental
Race King Supersonic
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Submitted by
DCW-RacerX
a Cross Country Rider
from Decatur, GA
Date Reviewed: November 11, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | The next new one | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$51.00 | | Purchased At: | Speedgoat | | Strengths: | Light Weight, build quality(no wobbles & handmade in Germany) | | Weaknesses: | Not enough edge to handle high speed loose gravel turns | | Similar Products Used: | Bontrager XR Team issue, Panaracer XC Pro, Nevegals, Furious Fred | | Bike Setup: | Titus Racer X w/Mavic Crossrides(cheap and heavy,I know) | | Bottom Line: | I've only used these tires for two weeks and they are great. I just got back from the Swank 65 in Pisgah Forest where the conditions were dry\hardpack, wet, muddy, rooted, rocky, leaf coverd, etc. and these tires rolled through the race with ease, comfort and control. I ran them front and back at ~30 psi and never flatted or spun out.
The only 'issue' I had was at speeds of 30+mph on the fire roads in Pisgah they were a little squirrely. I think with the more rounded profile and running at 30-32 psi they did not bite as well in the gravel. However, it was pretty easy to anticipate and control the traction in those few instances(95% of the fireroads were long uphills).
The weight and profile made climbs, acceleration, and singletrack cornering easier, and the volume made rolling over rocks and roots much more forgiving then my previous tires.
While I ran these front and back, I'm going to try a different tire up front with a little more edge to see if it gives an even better all around setup(maybe a Rocket Ron,Racing Ralph, or Mountain King).
I plan to use these tires for racing and time training on local trails. I don't want to waste them on general trail riding and training. I'm sold on the lighter weight tires(<500gm) when you want extra performance, they really do make a difference.
I'm giving a 4 only because I don't know what a 5 wouuld be yet. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jack Vietas
a Cross Country Rider
from Daliao, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan
Date Reviewed: July 27, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Cing Shui Yan | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$28.00 | | Purchased At: | Chain reaction Cycle | | Strengths: | Low rolling resistance. Better than expected perfomance in wet and mud. Reasonably priced, light, folds easily. The higher durometer tread on the the centerline of the tire seems to hold up very well. | | Weaknesses: | Not as puncture resistant as other Continetal tires I've used, nor as durable. The sidewalls have some scratches which seem to be turning into splits, and this is only after six months of use.
Not German made, does not have the typical brown woven nylon casing that I've seen on other Continental tires I've owned. Individual knobs are quite small and seem fragile. I'm expecting some of the treads on the edge to break off soon. | | Similar Products Used: | Kenda Blue Groove 2.0 | | Bike Setup: | Giant Anthem dual suspension XC | | Bottom Line: | This is probably a great tire if used for what it is advertised to do; XC racing on smooth trails in dry conditions. It's probably a good choice for low-impact mixed pavement/dirt/bike path rides. The tread is low-profile enough for extended pavement riding or touring, and the harder center tread resists wear quite well, even here in Taiwan where it gets pretty hot. However, this tire is not durable enough for use on rocky trails, and it does not resist punctures very well.
| Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Yetidog2
a Cross Country Rider
from SE MI
Date Reviewed: July 15, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | PLRA | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | online | | Strengths: | Lightweight, volume, traction. 2.2 is true to size. | | Weaknesses: | None. | | Similar Products Used: | Kenda SB8 | | Bike Setup: | Yeti 575. I'm 180 lbs., running rear tire pressure at 30 pounds. | | Bottom Line: | Awesome tire. Running Race King on rear wheel only. Loved my SB8, but the extra volume lets me lower the tire pressure. I'm noticeably faster with better climbing traction.
| Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
sowensransom
a Cross Country Rider
from Davis, CA
Date Reviewed: June 12, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Tahoe singletrack | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | Universal Cycles | | Strengths: | Light, good grip, predictable, robust thusfar | | Weaknesses: | Super flexy sidewall, hard to seat for tubeless. | | Similar Products Used: | Nevegals, Small block 8s | | Bike Setup: | Single speed race bike | | Bottom Line: | For a long while I've been a Nevegal f/r for winter, Nevegal/SB8 f/r for summer type of guy. The Nevegal has always been a good tire for me, but a bit heavy. The Small Block 8 was great on hardpack, but sub-par for out of seat steep climbing. I feel the Speed King is a much better climbing rear than the SB8, with a much lower rolling resistance and weight than the Nevegal. I've been happy with the predictability of the tire in cornering.
I run them tubeless on Mavic 819s, and I have noticed that I have to run a few extra PSI in them to make up for their thin sidewall, or suffer some rolling on downhills. Nevegals I would run 28, these I run close to 38. (150 lbs). They were harder to seat tubelessly than other tires, and I ran a bit more sealant in them. Since the first ride, they have been good, with almost no air leakage, or flats of any type.
I've used them in a few races so far, and about 150 miles of training, and am happy with the wear, front is great, rear is showing some signs, rounded knobs and the like.
Overall, I am very pleased with the tires. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
biglines
a Racer
from Fisher Branch, Manitoba, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 4, 2009 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Strengths: | Fast rolling, high volume allows for less pressure to be run before pinch flatting, great grip on the corners and climbing | | Weaknesses: | None yet | | Similar Products Used: | Nothing this lightweight before | | Bike Setup: | '08 Trek Fuel EX7 | | Bottom Line: | The best upgrade i have made to my bike to date. I am using Conti supersonic tubes with these tires and am running 30 psi F/R. The tires really soak up the terrain and have me a faster rider for sure. Get the 2.2 supersonic version because of the black chilli compound and it is superior to the 2.0. Make sure the tire will fit your bike as some xc bikes have little clearance. These tires are not coming off the bike for the forseeable future! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
cabbgage
a Racer
from spain
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | anywhere | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | chainreaction | | Strengths: | great rolling resistence, climbing downhill, dry stuff | | Weaknesses: | side walls stick out a bit, which may cause problems with rocks, but none yet | | Similar Products Used: | furious fred, supersonic twister | | Bike Setup: | ktm carbon hardtail | | Bottom Line: | great tyres! I read a report saying fat tyres, and low pressure are better, i now think this is true, i have done two races with the huge 2.2's and they are excellent in all departments except fast downhils where they rolled a bit, i will try more pressure next time. Currently runing them tubeless 22-24psi. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
baha_boater
a Weekend Warrior
from Knoxville, TN
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Haw Ridge | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | web | | Strengths: | 2.2 Air Volume, Low Weight, Rolling Resistance, Traction, easy mounting | | Weaknesses: | None yet but too early to tell to be real honest | | Similar Products Used: | Mountain Kings UST, Nevegals, Maxxis Ignitor, Panaracer Fire XC..... | | Bike Setup: | Ellsworth Epiphany, Maverick SC32 Inverted Fork, Fox RP23, DT Swiss 4.2 rims, DT Swiss Butted Spokes, DT Swiss 340 Rear Hub, Maverick Front Hub, Formula Oro Puro Brakes, Sram XO, XTR Crank/BB/Pedals, Thompson post w/WTB seat | | Bottom Line: | I've taken several rides on the Supersonic version here in east TN in January and it has been a pretty wet winter. I replaced a set of UST Mountain King 2.4's with the Race Kings. The first thing I noted was the weight reduction by going from Mavic CrossMax XL's with the Mountain Kings to the DT Swiss 4.2's with the Race Kings w/110 gram tubes. I lost nearly .5lbs per wheel.
From a traction perspective on the front I noticed no difference between the two tires. On the rear in semi wet clay covered with leaves I did notice some additional slip when climbing but nothing that was not managable. One thing I did notice is how well the Race Kings roll. They spin up easily and seem to make small roots and rocks on the trail simply disappear. I was able to run 30lbs in the rear and 26lbs in the front (I weigh 225 in gear) with good results. Another positive benefit was traction over damp rocks/roots and wooden bridges, I noticed a marked improvement in traction over the Mountain Kings. Mud shedding was fair > good certainly not as good as the Mountain Kings but they did not pack up and become useless.
As far as reliability and wear I have not had enough expereince to speak to that yet. I also cannot speak to how they perform in bone dry conditions although I would suspect they will perform great. Only 4 Chilis for value due to the price but I may go to 5 over time... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tubedriver
a Cross Country Rider
from MD
Date Reviewed: October 16, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Patapsco Avalon, Schaeffer etc. | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$58.00 | | Purchased At: | somewherebikes.com | | Strengths: | Lightweight. Large Volume with an exceptionally cushy feel for a 2.2 (make sure this will fit on your frame). Very good overall grip and unbeatable in corners. Best overall tire I have used. Works well on typical East coast trails (hills, rocks, roots) | | Weaknesses: | Hi cost $$$. Not sure yet how durable they will be? | | Similar Products Used: | Vertical Pro 2.3, Explorer Pro 2.1, Speed king 2.3 (terribly tire). | | Bike Setup: | Titus Ti Hard tail 1x9, Reba fork, XT/XTR, Mavic Crossmax ST wheel | | Bottom Line: |
The Race King rolls as fast as any tire I have tried. The large volume provides a ton of cushion, I bounced off rocks and roots that I missed seeing and the tires saved me. Straight line grip was very good and I was able to clear some hills that had more experienced riders with uber expensive gear walking.
I think the single best characteristic of the Race King is how they handle turns. They lean over and the traction/feel during this transition remains absolutely linear. Awesome!
I had some grip issues with traction through uphill rock gardens directly following a stream crossing as the wet tire would slip and slide a little but certainly no worse then any other tires I have used (mainly Explorer Pro and Vertical Pros).
I have the SuperSonic version and they held up fine although I am a light rider (140lbs) and tend to not break stuff much. I run lightweight tubes and set pressure to 31 psi. I would probably go lower ~29-30 at some less technical trails.
The Race King 2.2 is easily the best overall tire I have ever used.
P.S. The Speed King 2.3 I just removed (after 3-4 rides) is easily the worst tire I have ever used. Complete POS.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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