Continental Town & Country: Continental's Town & Country is a durable workhorse on and off the road, built for stability, traction and value. Police bike squadrons throughout the world use the Town & Country because of its puncture resistance...
Submitted by
Stuart
a Cross Country Rider
from Croydon, Victoria, Australia
Date Reviewed: November 14, 2010
Strengths: This tyre is quiet, has low rolling resistance, good volume and is well priced. It is ideal for hardpack, dry singletrack and asphalt. It has good grip on wet asphalt and concrete.
Weaknesses: Havent found any yet.
Bottom Line:
These tyres are great for what they are designed for, asphalt, hardpack and a bit of dry single track. When I go offroad I am running Conti Gravity 2.3, but for everyday use I think you would have to go a long way to beat these for perfomance and value. They are also a true 54mm (2.1") width as stated unlike some other manufacturers claims about their tyre widths!
Bike Setup: Gary Fisher Wahoo Disc with Bontrager Switchblade carbon forks, bb7 brakes and a 2x8 gear train.
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Submitted by
Drue
a Weekend Warrior
from Phila, PA
Date Reviewed: September 5, 2010
Strengths: Very Poor
Weaknesses: poor ride
Bottom Line:
Recommended by owner of shop as a good road tire that can with-stand road glass,etc. Took bike out for a long ride, and the next thing you know, pop, a flat tire from a piece of glass. Also, not built for a comfortable street ride at all. I would NOT recommend these to tires to a friend.
Submitted by
Dave DiBona
a Weekend Warrior
from Orlando, Florida , US
Date Reviewed: April 6, 2010
Strengths: This is a tire that is perfect for Downtown, Urban and tough and rough places you might have to veer into or choose to go off the beaten path for a bit. It is quiet and lets the bike and cyclist ride with a silent ease.
Weaknesses: I know of know weakness other than if you were a rider who likes the off road deep into the forest riding you might do better with a pure mountain bike tire
Bottom Line:
if you are seeking a tire that is 1. durable 2. quiet 3. on and off road capable 4. that rolls very easy with great traction 5. just feels good on the road
Similar Products Used: different other types but not for the last 10 years as when i purchase a bike i always allow with in the cost a new set of these tires. Rhe police bikes in Orlando all use these tire , that is all i needed to know.
Bike Setup: 26" for urban riding Gary Fisher Gitche Gumee have owned Cannondale and Fugi and put these tires on all of them.
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Submitted by
HaveBlue
a Cross Country Rider
from Centennial, CO
Date Reviewed: September 8, 2009
Strengths: Low rolling resistance
Longevity
Smooth
Shock absorbing
Weaknesses: Prone to flats
Bottom Line:
I've used Continental's Town & Country on both my bikes. They are a great tire for commuting on pavement only. However, because they are a very flexible tire, they are prone to flats. If you decide to get these tires, I would strongly recommend a thicker thorn resistant tire AND tire liners.
Bike Setup: Trek 8500 hardtail and Sepcialized FSR XC
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Submitted by
BeaterBoy
a Cross Country Rider
from San francisco, CA, usa
Date Reviewed: February 21, 2009
Strengths: Fairly flat resistant, rolls along fairly easily, absorbs shocks pretty well, can handle bad pavement, some lack of pavement pretty well
Weaknesses: Fairly flat prone, heavy, noisy
Bottom Line:
i feel i gave these guys a thorough try...not very happy...feel at the price i paid...-well- i'd've felt better if i hadn't paid quite that much...i don't know why this happened or whether it was the tires fault or not but when it was only on the front i took a sharp turn and the bike went out from under me...since then a few flats on the rear one and i thought due to all of that rubber i thought i could indulge myself in a bit of skidding which like to do as i ride w/a bit of 'attitude' but 'no' -appaently not ok as after only a couple of months of use i've got 'cords' showing thru' the rubber(did i mention i'm 'disabled' and on a very low income??)
Thinking of trying Michelins city tire w/that cool reflective strip..:-)
Have had a MUCH better experience w/the 'hand made in Germany' Conti Gatorskins(?) i use on the road bike tho'they are a more expensive model...btw: i don't know what a cross country rider is...i only ride in the city or outlying regions but always on pavement.(weekend warrior doesn't really describe me either as i ride most days as it's my only(pretty much)transportation...
Similar Products Used: Specialized Hemisphere, some skinnier slicker ones like Gaux Street Runner...-not 1/2 as cozy...
Bike Setup: several year old Kona Hahanna which has seen better days w/a topeak rack/racktrunk which i swap back and forth from my roadie-bike, Shimano spd pedals w/cages for street shoes, upgrade front wheel, Cateye computer and Nite rider l.e.d.Faz(?) light which helps to be seen while the Cygolite halogen 16 watt on my 'hail-mary-well-met' also swaps to what bike i' riding...w/the drivers here in The City one needs a lot of firepower to try to warn some of these mindless/homicidal jerks off...
Weaknesses: Indian Outsourcing has affected quality, tough to get on rim
Bottom Line:
The gumwall is gone, and the tire is gard as hell to get on the rim. The old T/C could be changed almost by hand, now it takes at least two tire levers to mount. So roadside flat repair is a super beatch. Since the tires and semi-slick this is a real issue. Steer clear of these pieces of crap. I would have gladly put up with a price increase to keep the quality up. Too bad.
Submitted by
Nick
a Cross Country Rider
from San Antonio, TX
Date Reviewed: October 3, 2007
Strengths: Fast rolling, round-shock absorbing profile, practical inverted tread design great for street occasional trail
Weaknesses: Since Conti switched production of this tire to India quality has dropped DRAMTICALLY!
Bottom Line:
This tire used to be my go-to tire for city bikes when it was "Hand Made in Germany". The quality was exceptional all the way through, and i'd still have a great set if i hadn't sold them to a buddy a while back. I bought some new ones expecting that quality, but noticed to my chagin "Made in India"!!! Sure enough quality has taken a hit. Lower quality, softer rubber compund. Inconsistency in product as well. One was a NIGHTMARE to get on the rim, while the other i got on with my bare hands no sweat, both on THE SAME RIM!! Conti *ucked up big time on one of their (formerly) best products.
Strengths: Got them cheap. Rolls smooth and fast. Easy to mount, great thing when you get flats...
Weaknesses: Not very durable
Bottom Line:
I've had these for about a year now and I still love flying down the lake front bike path on the weekends with these tires. I usually ride them on 60psi but I got tired of feeling every little bump I come across. So I dropped them to 30psi for a bit more cushion at the cost of a little speed.
My main complaint is the tire's puncture resistance, or lack thereof. I've had 4 flats due to broken glass going right through the center of the tire, the smallest shard being about 3/16 of an inch. The good thing is now I'm faster at fixing flats... great...
Similar Products Used: Stock knobbies on a Rockhopper
Bike Setup: '99 Rockhopper
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Submitted by
Morgan
a Cross Country Rider
from Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Date Reviewed: March 19, 2007
Strengths: Low rolling resistance, highly puncture resistant, good shock absorption at lower pressures
Weaknesses: A bit heavy
Bottom Line:
Great commute or touring tire. I've had these tires for years, and I commute 5 days per week, 15 miles per day. I cross gravel, glass, potholes, manholes, railroad tracks, and so on. I've only had three flats in five years of use, and two of them were due to broken spokes (due to the torque of the electric bike kit). So really, one flat that can be blamed on the tire, for 1000's of miles of abusive riding, has me very impressed. Also, with the electric kit on there, the bike is HEAVY, 50+ lbs. Yet I still hop curbs with it, and I've never had a dinged rim or flat. The tires withstand abuse. I've also used the tires quite a bit on some of the local gravel recreational trails, and they are the perfect tire for that kind of use. They are fat enough so that they don't sink in the soft spots, but smooth enough that I can keep more speed than with knobbies. As bomber as they are, these tires are also fast. Even without the electric kit on the bike, I pass roadies reasonably often. About the only bad thing I can say is that with the steel bead, they are a bit heavy. But if you're commuting or touring with an MTB, then weight is usually not the point....
Similar Products Used: Various MTB slicks whose names I cannot remember
Bike Setup: Commuter set up based on a Gary Fisher Tassajara with Currie Electric bike kit, with rigid front fork (previously, a Fat Chance Yo Eddy, but that's being restored for non-commute duty).
Strengths: lightweight and low rolling resistance.
Weaknesses: no puncture resistance. No traction on anything other than asphalt.
Bottom Line:
I used the Grand Canyon which is one of the best commuter tires ever made. I put about 14000 miles/10 years on a set and finally ditched them only because I was starting to get some dry rot cracks in the rubber. I replaced with the Town & Countrys and have been very disappointed. I only got 1 flat in 10 years with the Grand Canyons and that was from a roofing nail I failed to see on the road. I've had about 25 or so flats in 2 years with the T&C's.
By comparison I actually put more miles on my road bikes and typically only have about 2 flats/year on those.
I've alwasy been a fan of Conti tires and use them on my road bikes, but they really dropped the ball on this POS.
Bike Setup: Kona Cinder Cone, no shocks, fenders and rack, light system. It has seen more road miles than dirt miles. It is my primary commuter bike.
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Submitted by
revcounter
a Cross Country Rider
from foster city, ca
Date Reviewed: January 2, 2007
Strengths: Superb, stiff design. Unrivalled comfort matched with great high speed stability on pavement. Pretty good in sand/mud if you stay seated. Low rolling resistance.
Weaknesses: Out of their pavement element they cannot keep up with dedicated dirt tires. Decontented Indian-built model is not the same. Can't trust it.
Bottom Line:
My neighborhood is basically a paved-over ski resort where it never snows. I weigh 220. The tan sidewalled German version of this tire pumped up to 53 pounds was everything I needed.
The new, black version developed a tear at the bead so that the tube gave out yesterday as I was cranking on the 48 in top gear on a long steep descent back to sea level.
The new version of this tire is inferior to its forebearer by every criteria. I have been using the model since the Grand Canyon went out of production. So I know what to look for.
Strengths: Pump them up to 70psi and roll like a road bike on pavement. Perfect if you ride 90% pavement like I do on my commuter bike. Long life. Easy to install.
Weaknesses: A couple pinch flats, but then they probably weren't meant to ride up stairs... Be careful off the pavement.
Bottom Line:
I have a 10 mile commute to work that is mostly pavement, but I've found a few fun jaunts into the woods in the park along the way. I wanted a tire that would roll nice on the pavement, but not kill me on some tame off road or going up and down stairs. These really roll nice on the pavement and therefore deserve a high rating for their intended use. Off the pavement, they're generally fine on dry stuff and hard packed gravel, but you'll be slipping and sliding on anything wet and don't even think about getting up a hill if you still have them at max psi from your road riding. I've learned some new skills the hard way with these.
I just put some knobbies back on this bike to mess around on some trails this fall. I put over 1200 miles on these tires over the summer and they hardly look worn at all. They'll go back on in the spring when I'm back to 80 miles a week commuting to work.
Bike Setup: Giant ATX 830 converted to commuter bike with these tires, stiffy fork, mud guards, lights, etc..
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Submitted by
Ricky
a Weekend Warrior
from Easley, SC
Date Reviewed: October 11, 2006
Strengths: Grip, very quiet, and they look cool. I don't have to wear out my good mud tires for weekday cycling.
Weaknesses: If I have to say something, weight?
Bottom Line:
Great STREET tire. I wouldn't use these tires other than what they were made for - the street. I bought these at a good price and perform very well. I take turns with the pedals almost scraping and it grips. Very responsive and much easier than the gummy mud tires I have. I thought they were very easy to mount. I didn't use any tools other than my hands. Taking this tire off-road will make you want to go to church more often. It's very loose in gravel and soft sand. It feels like you're pedaling with bald tires.
Bike Setup: Diamondback hardtail. RST front fork 120mm, Shimano XT brakes and no fear of speed
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Submitted by
Len Carter
a Weekend Warrior
from Omaha Nebraska, USA
Date Reviewed: September 8, 2006
Strengths: low rolling resistant, fast, easy to mount on rim
Weaknesses: thin sidewalls. Minimal puncture protection. I got a flat the first time I used them; There is thicker tread down the center of the tire, but in between that is thinner tread. I actually had a rose thorn go right into the thinner tread and it was flatsville.
Bottom Line:
These are very fast rolling tires and wide enough to handle city riding. If you are counting on fairly decent puncture protection, I would not get this tire-you will get flats..
moved from SLC to ohio. just bought a set of town and countries, since i won't need knobbies for anything within 60 miles of where i live.
they get good reviews. what psi do y Read More »
Just got this put together yesterday... Was riding a Large Kona Cowan (which I still really like) but I wanted to try a frame with shorter stays and seattube that would handle urba Read More »
I ride almost all on paved city streets in NYC. Sometimes there are the potholes.
I have narrowed down my choice to the Conti town and country, but I can't determine if I should Read More »
