Great cornering ability

The sidewalls are cracking already! They actually look like they've been sitting in a warehouse for forever or something since they're all dried out and cracked.

After all the great things I've heard about these tires, I'm very disappointed in them. My Maxxis Larsen TTs hooked up better on the roots (ran them at 35 psi) but didn't corner as well.

The Contis were almost impossible to mount, in comparison to the Larsens. Even the bike shop had a hard time with them.

I'm in the process of getting these tires warranteed so hopefully, my second run will turn out better.

I'm very impressed with their cornering ability but found that if I ran the psi low enough (25-28psi) to get a good grip on roots, the tires would roll underneath. That's a really bizarre feeling.

Rolling resistance isn't as fast as the Larsens but I didn't expect that since they are bigger but its still reasonable. I did expect to have more traction on the roots around here,though, but didn't find that.

For now, I'll give them a 2 and if things turn out better with the newer set, I'll update the review.

Similar Products Used:

Maxxis Larsen TTs UST (very supple tires), Michelin XL S UST

Reasonable size. Good grip in most conditions. Softer rubber than the standard tyres? Holds air well.

Expensive.

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.

Similar Products Used:

IRC, WTB, Kenda tyres.

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.

naming conventions trip me up.

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

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.

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.

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.


-- font9a

Similar Products Used:

Michelin Wildgripper (+pros); IRC, Maxxis; CompIIIs, Snakbellies; Slicks.

Hooks up in sand and DG for climbs and descents, (better than Explorer UST). 2.3" tire corners as well as Explorer UST (2.1)although slower, and heavier. Good for rough trail riding with rock and loose sand. Feels a little sluggish on firm, but heh its a 2.3! Grips well in mud but clogs with some clay mud types. Reversable tread pattern like Conti's Vertical Protection version. Has the great conti footprint and tubeless feel especially with extra air volume. Softer durometer provides good hook up traction on rocks and loose. Conti needs to bring out an Escape UST to compliment the Explorer UST for front. I think this will be the fast rolling, traction UST combo I'm looking for. (Michelin has new Front S UST to compliment XL S rear. Front S to be on market soon. This combo may me my next expirement after I wear out these Verticals). Bike Mine, Conti are you listening? Mounting is relatively easy. Front rear arrows are small, take a deliberate effort to read. Also on the tire you'll read made in France, not in Taiwan, rumored the Conti UST's come from the Hutchinson factory.

some mud clogging,

Good traction and cornering for top trail bike performance. Performed better than Protection version of this tire with more trail contact - feedback, better cornering security and softer ride. Buy these if you want outstanding tracking and cornering performance especially on decents, reasonable rolling speed and reasuring handling for all mtn performance.

Similar Products Used:

Hutchinson Pythons, Scorpions. Kenda Kharismas all UST.
Several top non UST tires with Stan's Notubes kit

grip, grip, and more grip. Fast-rolling for a taller knobby. Good puncture resistance.

Clogs up in muddy conditions.

These tires rock. Making the (expensive) jump to tubeless has worked out well for me. I'm a heavier (225 pounds) rider, and with tubed tires it was either pump up the air and endure the harsh ride, or let some air out and suffer pinch flats. Since the switch to UST's, I'm able to go as low as 35 psi, and haven't flatted once. The Vertical Pros have performed ideally in all conditions. We don't get a lot of rain here in So. Cal, so the ability to shed mud isn't a priority for me. The climbing traction, over rocks, roots, and loose shale, is amazing. They also corner like a dream. I'm able to push harder and deeper into turns than ever before. They stick well and handle predictably through off camber sections, while inspiring confidence through downhill sweepers and chutes.

Wear rate has been acceptable. I don't ride pavement hardly at all, and no knobbies have broken off over 6 months of hard trail riding. To equal out the wear rate, I recently switched front to back.

If you're looking for an all-round, high quality UST tire, look no further.

Similar Products Used:

WTB Mutano Raptor. Panaracer Fire XC Pros. IRC Mythos XC. (all non-UST)

Excellent traction!

maybe a tad heavy-

This tire rocks for both front and rear- traction is great. WHo should buy? Anyone looking for a good all around tire.

Similar Products Used:

Tubed version, Smoke, Velociraptor WTB, & others

Great traction, predictible cornering, decent weight for 2.3 tubeless, supple ride, easy to install without tools, little rolling resistance for such a meaty tire.

A tad pricey

This tire ROCKS!!! I initially set up my rig with a WTB Mutano Raptor on the front, but wasn't impressed. I found it to be a bit harsh on bumps (even at lower pressure), and the knobs weren't meaty enough for the kind of conditions I typically ride in. It had low rolling resistance, but gave up traction in return. The Conti has it all! The trails on the front range in CO tend to get kinda loose and gravelly, but this tire never lets loose unless you want it to. The Verical pro hooks up in all conditions I've tested it on and it feels supple even in harsh conditions. It also seems to shed mud very well (although we rarely see mud in CO so I have relatively little experience with mucked up tires). Before my next ride I plan to get a Vertical Pro for the rear. I expect that it will work as well on the rear as it does on the front. They're not super cheap, but I think an extra $10 or so is worth it if it's justified by superior performance.

Similar Products Used:

WTC Mutano Raptor UST. IRC Serrac UST.

I've ridden the Vert Pro once so far. I don't have tuns of experience on this tire but given the lack of reviews on it I want to give my thumbs up. I use the ExplorerPro UST in the rear.

None that I can tell on the trail- It did everything I wanted and never surprised me.

For a real good review on these tires from guys who put it to the professional test see extrememb.com, I saw it after my purchase and agreed with them. Also for the weight of this 2.3 its the among the lightest out there if you want that..I do. This is an "All Mountain" tire you can have confidence in, at 795g you're not winning any XC competitions with friends. But, you can do things your XC buddies 1.95 and 2.0's can't when the trail gets rough. I hit lots of log rolls hards, droppped off 4-5 feet, single tracked and did some birms. I really liked the control. I'm getting a VertPro for the rear and trashin' the Explorerpro. I think these will be my all-around aggressive trail tires.

Similar Products Used:

ExplorerProUST, Pythons, Raptors, Comp S.

Very good hookup in the loose stuff.
Good cornering ability.
No punctures or leakage.
Fairly lightweight for the size.

Wears a little fast but who cares. If I'm getting excellent control and traction I don't care about replacing the tires two or three times a year.
The seem to clog up pretty good in muddy conditions.

These tires have been the best I've tried for riding in Tahoe's loose conditions. These tires breeze through sand and track well through gravel. The bike doesn't fish around and I'm able to go exactly where I aim it. They hookup excellent for climbing in the same conditions and grip the rocks just as well. They corner great (if the air is kept down around 35 pounds). I've had no problems with leaks or punctures. I've seen at least one review where they claim the tires can't hold up in rocky conditions. I've put these tires through granite, volcanics, and desert hell and haven't had so much as a deep scratch put in them. I've sidewalled the tires a couple of times with such force that it knocked the bike off the trail (lousy control on my part) and they have held up fine. I did seal the tires with Stan's sealant which added some weight but have been extremely satisfied with the results. I haven't had a leak in 350 miles of riding singletrack in both the mountains and the desert (thorn nightmare). Yes, these tires do wear a little fast under rough conditions but like I said above, who cares. I'm more than willing to chew through a pair every six months if I can get the control these bad boys are offering. I highly recommend these for any riders who put their bikes through dry varying conditions, especially loose stuff. I'm not quite as sure about the mud. Only one experience in it and they gooed up pretty bad.

Similar Products Used:

Larsen TT's, Fire XCs, Hutchinson Mosquitos (weak!)