Larger volume for excellent resistance to pinch flats while ensuring sure-footed traction
Lightweight package for quick acceleration that doesnt wear you down
Endless Edge tread design with five sided lugs oriented for predictable and consistent handling in all conditions under cornering, braking or climbing
Available in three 2.3 versions including: Kevlar® beaded folding, ProTection with DuraSkin sidewall reinforcement, and tubeless certified for the Mavic UST system
Patterned after the Pro tire, the Vertical is an economic version for the recreational rider
VERTICAL: 3 carcass plies, 84 tpi
VERTICAL PRO, VERTICAL PRO TECTION, VERTICAL PRO UST: 3 carcass plies, 170 tpi
Submitted by
ronoranina
a Cross Country Rider
from nj, usa
Date Reviewed: January 20, 2009
Strengths: doesn't loose air very quickly, inspires confidence and piece of mind in almost all conditions, is fast rolling. these tires will break loose at a certain point but what tire won't, does so predictably. is reasonably light for a tubeless tire.
Weaknesses: the 2.3 is not really a 2.3. it's a 2.1, but whatever. they're are expensive.
Bottom Line:
this is a solid tire. i don't worry about it, just go out and ride it confidently. i think this tire compares favorably with the kenda nevengal. it's as grippy as the nevengal but rolls much much better, and is lighter in the tubeless version. overall i'm very happy with it. i use it as a front tire, with a vapor on the rear. these are the best tires i've owned.
Bike Setup: Banshee Pyre frame - size large
Magura Thor fork w/ sixty less axle
Formula K 18 disc brakes (F 180 mm, R 160 mm) w/ Oro bianco one finger levers
Cane Creek 110 headset
Race Face Next 31.8 mm handlebars
Thompson X4 100 mm stem
Sram X9 shifters
Thomson Masterpiece seatpost
Selle Italia SLR saddle
Manitou Swinger X3 shock
Mavic 819 rims front & rear
Hadley racing hubs (front 20 mm, rear quick release)
Shimano XT front derailleur
Sram XO rear medium cage deraillleur
Shimano XTR M970 crankset
Time ATAC XS carbon pedals
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
MultiRider
a Cross Country Rider
from Castle Rock, CO
Date Reviewed: January 10, 2009
Strengths: Protects rim from the trail
Weaknesses: Traction
Bottom Line:
No traction on any surface except perhaps asphalt. They don't grip on soft, medium, hard, or rocks. They don't grip regardless of pressure. They pretend to grip until they let go and it is all-at-once, no warning. Horrible on the rear, even worse on the front. Came on the bike when I bought it and I didn't realize how bad they were until I replaced them.
Submitted by
Dave B
a Weekend Warrior
from Leicester
Date Reviewed: October 6, 2008
Strengths: 1. Easy to put on, it took only about 20 minutes for the set and that was without soapy ware and so on.
2. They are very grippy no matter what the surface / weather conditions.
3. Feedback is also very good and predictable.
4. Hold there air very well (only check preasure every 4 or 5 rides and they loose very little)
Weaknesses: None so far
Bottom Line:
I bought these on spec as my old tyres had about run there course and were past there sell by date!!!!! These were being sold on Ebay at a cheap price so I thiught 'why not' and took the plunge.
After reading the review's about them in wet and muddy conditions I was dreading going out in the rain however they were put to the test this weekend when I did the 50km Viking Challenge (it had rained all night prior to the event and also thrughout it)
These tyres did not let me down once and held my intended line on all but the sloppy of surfaces.
They also shed mud very well.
Bike Setup: Intense 6.6 set up for All Mountain / Light Freeride
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Graham Mitchell
a Weekend Warrior
from Perth, Australia
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2008
Strengths: Great grip in dry, loose local conditions. Pretty good in the wet too.
Weaknesses: Tall side knobs liable to damage.
Bottom Line:
This is an update on my review of a year ago. I have been running a Vert UST on the front since the Nev wore out.
I have lost nothing in doing this and highly rate this as an allrounder in Aussie conditions.
I've since discovered that the USTs are made in France as opposed to Asia and this may explain the softer feeling rubber.
I've yet to have a problem with sidewalls despite sharp rocks...
Submitted by
Michael
a Weekend Warrior
from Torrance, CA
Date Reviewed: March 4, 2008
Strengths: Good traction, doesn't burp much, easy to install
Weaknesses: Weak sidewalls
Bottom Line:
I ripped both the front and rear in about a month after riding in some rocky areas. Sidewalls are paper thin. Tried repairing it, but only lasted 1 ride. Never buying theses or other Conti UST tires again.
The perfect tire for harsh desert conditions. Have had no problem with tire despite riding 3-4 times a week on some of the harshest trails in existence (from a tire's point of view).
Similar Products Used: Conti Vapor, Maxxis Ignitor and Larsen, Bontrager Revolt and ACX
Bike Setup: Specialized Epic Marathon, Crossmax SL, Fox Talas
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Trey
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2007
Strengths: These tires are great for dusty trails. With the Verticals inflated to just under 30 PSI, I can charge through corners that used to have me worried about washing out. These tires are perfect for the trails around here. They're pretty grippy on slick rock too. I've found these tires to be predictable and I liked the 2.3 size better than the 2.1's I've been running for years.
Other reviewers have mentioned wear as a weakness. I haven't found that to be the case. I got 400 miles out of my rear tire before it started to skid out. I just replaced the rear and the front is still looking like it could hold up for another 400 miles. I consider that to be pretty good. MUCH better than say the Conti Explorers.
Weaknesses: As others have mentioned, they're horrible in the wet and muddy conditions. For me, wet & muddy is the exception rather than the rule, but if I lived somewhere less arrid, I would look for different tires.
The price is pretty steep.
Bottom Line:
These are my favorite tires of all time. Do they wear out? Yeah, like all tires they've got a limited life span. They're great dry conditions tires. Predictable and grippy.
I'll knock Conti down a few Value flamin' chilis because $50 for a tire hurts the checking account but they perform great for the type of trails I ride.
Submitted by
Graham Mitchell
a Weekend Warrior
from Perth, Australia
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2007
Strengths: Reasonable size. Good grip in most conditions. Softer rubber than the standard tyres? Holds air well.
Weaknesses: Expensive.
Bottom Line:
So far so good in both the dry and the wet. Great grip on the rear when run between 30 and 35 psi. Rubber feels softer than the regular variety. I have had trouble with tall side knobs ripping off on regular Verticals so I'm keeping a close eye on this UST. Side walls seem fine and tyre holds air really well. I am considering a Mountain King 2.4 UST for the front and would appreciate any feedback on this new tyre.
Bike Setup: 575 with Mavic 819 UST rims. Conti on rear only. Nevegal 2.35 Stickee on the front.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
font ninea
a Cross Country Rider
from austin
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2007
Strengths: This is a clarification of my last review. I am using a 2.3 Vertical UST up front which seems very good. Full review pending. 3 chilis for value, 4 chilis for performance so far.
Weaknesses: naming conventions trip me up.
Bottom Line:
The Vertical is much more substantial then the 2.1 Explorer. I think they measure the width at the tread, rather than the casing, so your Conti tires are always going to be skinny compared to another brand. I like my Vertical up front. I hate my Explorer in the rear. (And I'm kind of an adventurous guy...)
Check out my review of the Explorer in this forum if you are considering one.
Similar Products Used: Continental Explorer 2.1 Rear
Bike Setup: Maverick Durance
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Font9a Ninea
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin
Date Reviewed: June 10, 2007
Strengths: I got a 2.3 Vertical up front and a 2.1 Explorer in back for my new Maverick Durance.
I'm running them dry. No slime of Stan's. I carry a tripple lever kit made in sweden to remove for on-trail maintenance. (it's amazing that very little on the google internets will tell you how to patch a tubless tire. It's very simple: use the old school tube rubber cement and patch protocol -- only on the inside of your tire, and you're good to go. The other thing to mention is using a mildy sudsy soap and water concotion on the bead ... I was able to do this and use a generic floor pump to put 65 PSI in to set the bead with no problems. You don't have to waste as canister or CO2 just to set the bead. The tires haven't burped once.
That said, Continental must measure their tires from knob to knob, rather than from the sidewall. These are skinny tires!
The 2.1 in back is especially skinny and it looks like it shold be on some XC hardtail. I'm having brand new Chris King Hub on 819 Rim built up around 2.3 Verticals as my main wheel -- I will keep this one in the garage as needed.
* That said, Michelin Wildgripper Pros have been my favorite tires since about 1999. Even when they had funky green colors. It just suited my riding.
* These Contis have worn more in 5 weeks than any other tire I have ever used. And the traction isn't all that great. Especially compared to a Michelin. Poor sidehill performance. Seemed to roll off the sidehill rather than track my steered line. Very different from any other tire combo I've used.
Weaknesses: wear too quickly. even on buff singletrack. terrible predictabilty -- you never know when you're going to get 2-wheel drift or a rear slide, or a front washout. I've never has a tire set that was this unpredictable.
terrible wet weather manners. Especially over wet limestone.
Bottom Line:
Hard to say which is worse -- the wear factor, or the fact that these are just plain unpredictable in all conditions.
I've never had a tire combo that didn't set me up for they way they would ride within the first 5 miuntes. I've ridden over 200 miles on these tires on every kind of singletrack you can imagine, and they are disappointing in every way: they don't give good feedback, they slide when the shouldn't, they stick when you expect them to drift... My only upside is that the bead sets in nice and firm with a little soapy water. They are almost impossible to remove from my Mavic 819s without 4 Dutch made levers and a lot of patientience. I do like the fact that I can use a standard tube patch kit to patch punctures and that my regular old floor pump will seat the bead. C02 at $4 a pop is a little much... but what can you do on the trail?
I cannot recommend slime or Stans, as it only adds complexity... Just treat these as innertubes integrated with a tire and you should be good to go. Put a dollar bill and some ductape and a gu wrapper in a bige sidewall rip -- add some superglue and silicon glue when you get home -- the tire will wear out before your patch does.
I've used so many tire sets over the years it's hard to keep a running list. But my faves so far have been the Michelins and the Maxxis. The Contis run NARROW BTW -- my 2.3 up front is like my Maxxis 2.1. I'd choose a little weight for some extra girth any day.
Hopefully Conti will introduce a dual compound or tripple compound tire to add longevity and predictability to an otherwise nicely designed tire -- at least the tread LOOKs nice from the ground.
Submitted by
Kenny G
a Cross Country Rider
from Hixson
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2005
Strengths: Good grip. Very durable.
Weaknesses: Not super-fast rollers.
Bottom Line:
These tires are very good full knobbies. Good traction, and they are large enough to have a supple feel over rough terrain - I ran them at about 30lbs. They are not the fastest rolling tires out there due to the full knobs, but traction is more important than rolling speed unless you are riding on hardpack or XC racing.
Bike Setup: If you are reading this, you probably only care about the tires...Duh!
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Tomas
a Weekend Warrior
from Gothenburg, Sweden
Date Reviewed: July 16, 2005
Strengths: Weight, holds air pressure a long time (for a UST tire)
Weaknesses: VERY slippery in wet conditions (dangerous!) Narrow for a 2.3 tire
Bottom Line:
These tires work reasonably well in dry conditions but add any moisture on the trail and they change quickly to something nasty and unpredictable. The rubber compound is too hard so the grip is non-existent. They will probably last for many miles on dry gravel roads but who is lucky to ride in sunshine all the time? The tires are quite light and they do keep the air for long time on mavic ust rims, better than many other tubeless tires.
Don't even think about getting these tires if you ride in rain or muddy conditions!
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Boulder,CO,USA
Date Reviewed: May 20, 2005
Strengths: Great traction in variety of conditions includding snow and rocks. Light for size. No flats with UST version.
Weaknesses: Sidewalls are thin, running very low pressure, mid 20's, in snow and ice caused sidewall wear.
Bottom Line:
Great all round tire for all mountain trail riders who want great traction without a big weight penality. Very predictable tire that works in wide variety of conditions, dry, wet, or frozen.Couldn't believe how much better the UST version gripped compared to the tubed version.
