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Home | Product Reviews | Tire | Continental Twister Pro | ||||
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Submitted by
Lewis
a Cross Country Rider
from Ashford, Kent, UK
Date Reviewed: 2/3/2007 12:46:52 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Strengths: | Good for speed when new |
| Weaknesses: | Punctures! Wear, Durability, Strengh |
| Bike Setup: | 2006 Carrera Fury 18'' Hardtail |
| Bottom Line: | I Have to say i've used these for 7 Months and am very surprised at the wear... both the front and back tyres are completely bald. I use my bike for commuting mainly to school and to the other side of town and a few 40-60+ Mile rides, usually rack up about 80 miles a week. Have done 2100 Miles on these tyres and they seriously need replacing, i do very little off road on them, i just stick to the pathways, cycle lanes and roads. Punctures are endless! ( as i seem to find with most continental tyres!) Before i fitted slime tape on the front and paneracer kevlar tape on the rear i could be gettin upwards of 3-2 puntures a week! A large piece of glass i ran over managed to slash the front tyre and a thorn did the same on the rear one. Only Positive's i can say is they have good grip during the summer months when the road and tyres are warm and when new you can get moderae speed on out of them (nto great...they are still knobblies). I'm going to be changing to either Specialized Hemisphere's or Michelin TransWorld City's. In the mean time i'm going to get as much life as i can out of these dead things. |
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Submitted by
Evgeniy
a Weekend Warrior
from Moscow, Russia
Date Reviewed: 4/18/2006 4:58:39 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Bitzevskiy park |
| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Purchased At: | Sokol'niki |
| Strengths: | Speedy, noisless and great control on any surfaces and ground conditions - dry, rain or forest mud or wet sand. You can run like hell with it, especially after some OEM tires. |
| Weaknesses: | Do not much puncture resistance. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Something heavy from Cheng Shin Tire (OEM). |
| Bike Setup: | Kona Lana'i 2002, totally upgraded. |
| Bottom Line: | This is first choice for people who want some lightweight fancy speedy tires in concret jungle/forest or fields situation. I don't know how it works on rocky surfaces. I try to use Panaracer Flat Away ribbon with that Twisters to prevent flats. |
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Submitted by
Nate Byrom
a Racer
from California
Date Reviewed: 3/30/2006 7:38:22 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $36 |
| Strengths: | Great traction in all conditions. I race in allot of sand and mud and never lose traction. They also work great in hard packed dirt and. |
| Weaknesses: | Since they are nylon you shouldnt use them just trail riding. I use them only for racing then taked them off when done. |
| Bike Setup: | giant anthem 1 |
| Bottom Line: | the best tires in the world! |
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Submitted by
Corstian Devos
a Cross Country Rider
from Philadelphia
Date Reviewed: 3/13/2006 6:53:20 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Any trail is a good trail |
| Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years |
| Price Paid: | $40 |
| Purchased At: | Re-My Sports, Streetsville, ON, Canada |
| Strengths: | Low rolling resistance. Good cornering, even in wet and loose conditions in varied terrain. Wears well in normal conditions. As a steering tire I have not met its performance match. Then again, once I found it I stopped looking!! |
| Weaknesses: | For lightness all tires give up thickness. Thorns and the occasional metal bit will sometimes cause a puncture. However, if those are your normal riding conditions you aren't going to mount this tire. As a big guy (6' 3" 230-240 Lbs) I have never mounted this as a drive tire because the lack of tread depth would have me spinning out on too many climbs. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Many. Too tired to list. |
| Bike Setup: | Giant AC-1 frame. Old original Judy front fork off my old Warp DS-1 (I broke 4 but the fork has survived) with heavy duty springs. (I weigh 230-240 lbs) XT all around the drive train. Sachs 40 chain. Original aluminum Avid Rollamajig. Hayes mechanical MX-2 disc brakes with Avid 5.0 Speed Dial levers. 6" front rotor (warranty is my friend) and 8" rear rotor. Avid Flak Jacket cable system. Oury DH grips which work nice for my big hands. Fizik (Giro) Atlas seat. SH 858 pedals (they work for me). Blackspire Big Ring Protector. Twister Pro on the front and WTB Tyranno Raptor paddled for traction on the back. Bike built for punishment not beauty!!! |
| Bottom Line: | I have run this tire for 5 years and hundreds of miles now as my main front tire. In all conditions it has performed remarkably well. From clay in the rain (Kelso Conservation Area, Milton, ON, Canada) to sand (Santa Mesa, CA, USA) to rock (Winter Park, CO, USA) to combinations (Pennypack Park, Philadelphia, PA) this tire has kept me rolling light and turning sharp. I chose it for low rolling resistance and the "endless tread" design and I have not been disappointed. I have never run this as a back tire and cannot comment on its traction or performance as a drive tire. However, as a steering tire in all conditions it works for me and I am buying a new one!!!! |
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Submitted by
mcnuff
a Weekend Warrior
from Beijing, China
Date Reviewed: 2/3/2006 9:42:42 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Purchased At: | Bike Brothers |
| Strengths: | Light weight |
| Weaknesses: | Price, cornering grip on wet at loose terrain, puncture protection |
| Similar Products Tried: | Many... |
| Bike Setup: | Trek 6500 |
| Bottom Line: | I joined two fun races with these tyres. - A fun race at the 2008 Beijing Olympics track at Laoshan/Beijing. Short & narrow track which actually looks more like a cyclocross track (certainly not a mountain bike track!). Finished the race (one of the exceptions as more than half the pack had flats..) but 30 secs after finishing both tyres were completely flat! I counted in total 32 puncture holes (both wheels). For a 12 KM fun race that is not a very good report for these tyres (nor for the upcoming olympic track!). Perhaps tubeless will be the way to go...as I do not see the Chinese Olympic officials cleaning all the thorns from the track). Besides the flats, the tyres were running pretty well and fast rolling on this hard soil. - A marathon race of 100km on loose terrain on which these tyres simply showed to be a disaster in terms of traction and cornering grip. The rubber knobs also peeled off far too fast. |
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Submitted by
Matt
a Racer
from Midwest
Date Reviewed: 5/14/2005 2:28:29 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Claustraphobic Singletrack |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $20 |
| Purchased At: | ebay |
| Strengths: | Super light! Low rolling resistanse. |
| Weaknesses: | The grip on these tires sucks. I find them only usable on hardpack and slightly sticky. These tires fail on any loose soil or sand. SAND is terrible!!!!!!! |
| Similar Products Tried: | Continental Atlanta and Double Fighter, Hutchinson Mosquito, Michelin Wildgripper, Ritchey Mudmax (damn good), WTB Primal Raptor (AWESOME!!!) |
| Bike Setup: | Neptune al frame, XT/Sun pro wheels, Manitou SX-e fork, Dura-Ace single speed drivetrain, Thompson, Kore. SRAM 7.0 drivetrain (when using gears) and XTR crankset. |
| Bottom Line: | I don't like them. I don't ride them. I don't recommend them. These are blazing fast but fail with any loose dirt or mud. I wish my WTB and Ritchey tire matchup was as light as these. *sigh* |
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Submitted by
Martijn
a Cross Country Rider
from H.I.Ambacht
Date Reviewed: 1/4/2005 11:26:03 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Portes Du Soleil |
| Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years |
| Price Paid: | $30 |
| Purchased At: | www.starbike.com |
| Strengths: | Light, grippy, low rolling restistance |
| Weaknesses: | Not the most puncture proof, not to durable when used on the road |
| Similar Products Tried: | Conti Explorer Supersonic, Ritchey Z-max HDK, Specialized Groundcontrol/master, Schwalbe Black Shark SX (the best ever) |
| Bike Setup: | Cube Airwing Blackline and Storck Adrenalin Race full suspentions; both full of XTR, Chris King, Syntace. Thomson, Race Face and Tune. (and lots of other super stuff) |
| Bottom Line: | I use the SuperSonic version and I love it to death! Looking at my riding style (hard and rough) and the millage a do on the road I still can't complain about how long they last me. When you want durable tires for allround use look somewhere else. I use them front and rear from late spring till late summer and replace the front with a Explorer SuperSonic when autumn comes or things get realy muddy and wet. Even in mud they give me enough tration at the rear and you can drift the rearwheel when you want to. They shine on hardpack and are good enough for experianced riders on wet roots and rocks. They are not the best tires on sharp rocks because of the thin cassing but when you ride smooth it's not a very big problem. For me they are one f the best lightweight tires on the market today! |
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Submitted by
Peter
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto, Canada
Date Reviewed: 8/6/2004 9:09:36 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $40 |
| Purchased At: | eBay |
| Strengths: | Rolls nicely, grips well. |
| Weaknesses: | Manageable in sand and wet conditions probably not the best. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Specialized Rockster Sport (OEM stock tire) |
| Bike Setup: | Fully modified Specialized Rockhopper |
| Bottom Line: | Great tires. I've been riding them now for a year and they've handled everything from hardpack to loose dirt and gravel to the rock fields of Slatyfork. No complaints about flats (I'm fairly light-weight though), even after riding over tons of rocks on a hardtail. I ride 40-45 PSI on the trails. I would definitely buy these tires again - after I try what else is out there, since these are only my second pair. |
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Submitted by
Paweł
a Cross Country Rider
from Lodz, Poland
Date Reviewed: 4/23/2004 12:27:09 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | XC trails in Europe's biggest forest complex within citi limits - Łagiewniki |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $11 |
| Purchased At: | my mechanic's at Kilińskiego 5 |
| Strengths: | Really low rolling resistance. Amazingly good grip for a super-inflated semislick, even on steep uphills and during really low cornering. |
| Weaknesses: | A bit too heavy (Twisters Pro with wire). "Tricky" behavior on sand or in mud. |
| Similar Products Tried: | IRC Mythos XC 1.95 |
| Bike Setup: | Author Vision frame with LX/XT components and a six-year-old Mozo Pro :-) |
| Bottom Line: | The cheapest version of the Twister may not be quite as useful and appealing to XC racers as the supersonics but it will be a great choice for someone who doesn't want to spend all his savings and have a great tire for everyday, long-distance use - one that won't drain his energy even when he's spending his sixth hour on the saddle. And besides... they look good and they handle well... taking into consideration that they are semislicks. I made a good and conscious choice. P.S. THey don't wear as fast as some people may tell you. ...but the weight... Ah, maybe I'll have the supersonics next time :-D |
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Submitted by
Mark Lohnes
a Cross Country Rider
from Alaska
Date Reviewed: 3/7/2004 2:43:28 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Price Paid: | $35 |
| Purchased At: | mail order |
| Strengths: | light weight, grippy, low rolling resistance, narrow width |
| Weaknesses: | higher than normal wear |
| Similar Products Tried: | All Conti models and several Ritchey Z-Max versions |
| Bike Setup: | Trek Fuel, full XTR... |
| Bottom Line: | The Twister Pro Supersonic model is what I have been using year-round as my commuting and trail tire and I have been very, very happy with the performance. Even in the winter, just lowering the pressure a hair yields a significant increase in traction, with out too much rolling resistance. In fact, this tires responds well to tire pressure adjustments...no doubt due to the thin cases. I really like the narrow width, as most tires are getting wider and my style appeals to the narrow versions. In the summertime, this tire seems capable of handling everything I encounter...except the very slick and slimy rocks and roots, in which case it slides...a lot. They are SWEET on single track and fire-roads. In sand they are so, so, but this is not a sandy condition tire either, so my expectations are not high in this area. I have not had problems with excessive s flats, nor do I have any complaints about the sidewall wearing out. I suspect that mismatched tires to terrain and riding style may be affecting other riders who have this issue with this tire. I have not tried the Protection version...but I expect no difference other than more weight. Over all this is a great tire who can use them as they are intended...for me they have been great. No complaints. |
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Submitted by
Seth
a Cross Country Rider
from West Haven, Ct, US
Date Reviewed: 10/24/2003 4:07:59 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | anything fast and tight |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $30 |
| Purchased At: | Lbs |
| Strengths: | Fast tire w/ low roll resist. Grips better than it would appear to at first glance. The yellow/orange strip is almost a perfect match with my supercal's fork. |
| Weaknesses: | HORRIBLE wear rate. After about a month, the yellow strip which runs down the center of the tire has been worn through in some places(possibly partly b/c of my dumb-arss friends doing skids), but bad nonetheless. Very suseptible to puncture flats, esp. thorns. |
| Similar Products Tried: | WTB race raptor, veloceraptor |
| Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher Supercaliber |
| Bottom Line: | I really like the tire, and the low roll resist is a plus. Problems with the wear and punctures have been a nuisence, and b/c of the non-fold bead, tire is very difficult to change. Excellent tire, nonetheless. Would purchase again, but consider using different tires if riding any road. Get'em cheap on ebay; for this availability I will increase my retail price rating of 4 chilis to 5 if bought for cheap. Wear is a problem; only 4 overall. |
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Submitted by
Stump
a Racer
from Watertown, MA
Date Reviewed: 9/4/2003 6:52:14 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $37 |
| Purchased At: | notubes.com |
| Strengths: | Light, fast rolling, great grip considering the low profile knobs, looks fast/cool...... |
| Weaknesses: | none.....although it will wear fast if you use as a regular tire........but why would you, it's a RACE tire. |
| Similar Products Tried: | wtb, specialized, klimax lite, verts, survivals, etc, etc, etc.....I've used a ton of tires over the years |
| Bike Setup: | truth....tires are mounted to 317s using Stan's notube system. |
| Bottom Line: | This tire rocks! KEEP IN MIND IT'S MEANT FOR RACING! I used this tire for several XC racers and this years 24/Holiday Farm......for all intent and purposes it worked very well. It's most at home on hardpack and tacky dirt. It will drop down into the mud before it digs it's way out (isn't that what a good mud tire should do?). The only time I felt it lacking was in a race that was held on a drizzly, humid day (roots/rocks were real "sweaty")....I had a lot of spin outs on this day, but still managed to stay upright. Combine this tire with an explorer up front and you'll have a great race tire combo. Always, always, always buy Conti tires in the "protection" version.....they just work better: more durable, especially with the notubes. I agree with other reviewers this tire will wear quickly, but what RACE tire doesn't (keep it off the pavement...knobbies belong on dirt). Use it for it's intended use and you'll be racing on it for a few years. This tire is all about speed and racing.......if you use it as a regular tire, enjoy it but DON'T complain if it wears quickly. I don't think it's just me, maybe it is.......does it seem to y'all out there that way too many reviewers knock a product b/c it doesn't do something it wasn't intended to do in the first place? Either way, assume tire......it's fast, grippy and wears very well for it's intended use, RACING! |
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Submitted by
Darren
a Cross Country Rider
from Southampton, UK
Date Reviewed: 9/4/2003 6:13:19 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Plym Valley, Dartmoor |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Purchased At: | Wiggle |
| Strengths: | Very light weight, unfeasibly good grip, low rolling resistance. Corners well on loose gravel despite appearances. |
| Weaknesses: | Appalling wear rate, very susceptible to thorn induced slow punctures (even with a thick inner tube). Not the best tyre for deep gravel/shingle/mud, but it works better under these conditions than it has a right to considereing the sparse, low knobs. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Continental Vertical Pro/Survival; Panaracer Trailblaster/Fire Mud; Bontrager Jones |
| Bike Setup: | Marin Attack Trail full sus, test tyre on rear wheel only. |
| Bottom Line: | The Supersonic flavour is tested here. The ultra-soft rubber compound and thin walls make for a super-fast grippy tyre that hugs every detail of the terrain, but also means that it's trashed after 2 months of weekend XC riding (about 30 hours of off-road use). Very prone to thorn punctures, and the canvas starts showing through long before the knobs start to wear down. A great tyre if you can use it for a couple of races before binning it, but not for recreational use. 5 Chillis for as-new performance, 1 chilli for value and durability. |
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Submitted by
kevin
a Racer
from Chicago
Date Reviewed: 8/13/2003 7:45:02 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $38 |
| Purchased At: | online |
| Strengths: | Nice 1.8 profile, mud shedding (for those 10 ft mud sections anyway), low rolling resistance when used on the rear and explorer upfront, the protection version weighs 450grams and still resists sidewall cuts and works with Stan's. Climbs in all but the loosest gravel and soil. Grips roots and rocks and cornering and brake traction excellent. Hauls ass in dry hardpack with better grip then a semi-slick. |
| Weaknesses: | Get ready to replace it if you ride alot becuase of the soft compound. Real steep climbs that require out of saddle attacks with really loose soil will spin out and you will end up dismounting and running your bike up the climb. |
| Similar Products Tried: | everything but find Contis in general to be the best tires for performance and reliability for mixed trail conditions. |
| Bike Setup: | xtr disc hubs with 3.1 ust rims and stan's latex. |
| Bottom Line: | Its a great tire but I don't think it's that much better than and escape or explorer in the rear for rolling resistance and speed, even for racing. I would use it for courses and trails that are dry and hardpack with no loose gravel, otherwise I'll keep the explorer. It'll hook up with rocks and roots in dry. I used it in Utah and during fast downhill sections and the bike never really got away from me but the escape would have been better. The trade off for a small nobbed skinny tire that grips is wear. If you are running latex buy the protection version for reliability! It does what it's supposed to. |
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Submitted by
Christoph Zimmer
a Cross Country Rider
from Duesseldorf, Germany
Date Reviewed: 6/13/2003 2:59:41 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Willingen |
| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $40 |
| Purchased At: | online |
| Strengths: | weight - the Supersonic version is about 350g !!! pressure - no problems at 4 bar unubelievable acceleration |
| Weaknesses: | - flats all the time (caused by pieces of glass or thorns) - no trackting on wet tracks - after 3 months the tire is gone |
| Similar Products Tried: | Conti Explorer |
| Bike Setup: | Cannondale CAAD4 - Ultra Fatty - Maciv CrossMax - Magura Discs |
| Bottom Line: | The serious problem of this fine racing tire is the series of flats on a track. this is the reason why i changed to UST tubeless. with a lightweight wheelset the acceleration of this tire is incredible. you will eat yourfriends your dust. but after 3 months of serious riding the fun is over and the tire is gone. the rubber is so soft (probably the only way to get any tracktion with this dimension) that every braking is wasted money. all in all a fine product if you have a need for speed... very expensive! |
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Submitted by
Sam
a Racer
from Madison
Date Reviewed: 5/6/2003 4:16:44 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $39 |
| Purchased At: | on-line |
| Strengths: | Review is for the Twister Supersonics - I figured I needed all the help I could get for my poor climbing. These weighed in at under 350g per - super light! |
| Weaknesses: | Loose conditions - sand, soft gravel. Not fot sharp rocks, etc. Light weight = thinner... |
| Similar Products Tried: | Pythons, Tioga red phoenix, grippers, panracers..... |
| Bike Setup: | 03 Fuel, F80 RLT shock, Race X-Lite rims |
| Bottom Line: | Nice. I'm running on tubeless rims with Stan's no tube - awesome set up for most riding here in the midwest. Super light and so far, very fast (BTW - the Bontrager Race X-lite wheels absolutely blows doors on the Mavics - lighter and NOOO flex compared to the '02 Crossmax. ??? on the '03 SL's) These tires hook-up extremely well in hard pack and semi-hardpack (after a rain...). Just raced on these on a NORBA course - Alpine Valley, WI - they handled everything nicely. Super predictable on fast single track, giddy-up on the hills - just remember to sit on steep, loose hills...predictable on the off-camber roots too - you know they'll slip if you don't hit the angle just right! Definitely keeping these for the season; with the exception of muddy clay, these babies rock! |
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Submitted by
Dan GlowBoy
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland, OR
Date Reviewed: 4/29/2003 6:30:09 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | anywhere in the desert |
| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $20 |
| Purchased At: | Bike Gallery |
| Strengths: | Rolls fast. Very grippy for such a light tread. Grips well in a variety of conditions where you might run a semislick, including wet or dry pavement, moderate gravel and rocks, hardpack dirt and even moderate mud. |
| Weaknesses: | Like all Contis, much smaller than claimed. |
| Similar Products Tried: | WTB All Terrainasaurus, Conti Town & Country, Kenda Kross Supreme, Ritchey Mount Cross |
| Bike Setup: | '01 Bianchi Volpe 'cross bike |
| Bottom Line: | OK, this review is for the 700x32 'cross version of the tire, but this tire isn't listed on RoadBikeReview ... and in any case, it's applicable because the tread pattern and design are the same as the 26" versions. Also, this review is for the wire bead non-pro version. Anyway, this is one of the best semislicks out there. It works decently in everything. I ran it as a rear tire in an extremely muddy cross race last summer and it grabbed the mud very well. I also commuted on it all winter (here, that means rain) and it always gripped well on the slickest pavement. I've also taken it offroad a bit, and it did decently on hardpack on gravel - as well as you could expect from a semislick. The center knobs are very short so it rolls fast on hard stuff, and they get wider towards the edge so you still have some grip in the loose stuff. Good design, works great. I'm thinking of getting the 700x37 for a little more cush. I'd get the 26" if I rode my mountain bike in hard fast conditions, but that's what the 'crosser is for. If you want a fast rolling semislick for hard conditions that still has some off-road grip, this is a good choice. The wire bead version adds a bit of weight but saves a ton of cash, and otherwise the performance is the same. 5 overall, 5 for value (wire bead). At $40, the Kevlar-beaded Pro version would only get a 3 for value. |
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Submitted by
Grand Pooh Bear
a Weekend Warrior
from Rhode Island
Date Reviewed: 3/31/2003 4:56:43 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Arcadia |
| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Purchased At: | Narragansett Bikes |
| Strengths: | Low rolling resistance. Good grip for such low profile knobs. |
| Weaknesses: | Somewhat rapid wear. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Conti Pro 1 and 2's, Conti Cross Country (1.95's) Michelin Wildgripper, Ritchey Omega and Megabite |
| Bike Setup: | STP frame with a motley collection of 90's exotic parts. |
| Bottom Line: | The tires work quite well. I was originally skeptical of semi-slick tires for trail riding. A few rides put most of my fears to rest. I have noticed more slippage than I would like in situations requiring much traction. However, I get more than I ever would have imagined and they corner nicely as far as I'm concerned. Being a total weight weenie, they have provided a good compromise. Nice and light with good traction. I must say, though, that I would switch back to Comp Pro 1 and 2's in a heartbeat if Conti ever decided to produce them again. Hands down, those old Comps have been best MTB tire I have ever used, despite their lead-like weight. I don't think they ever slipped on anything. Why did Conti ever discontinue such a good thing? |
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Submitted by
Don Pyle
a Racer
from Oslo, Norway
Date Reviewed: 2/21/2003 1:37:18 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Strengths: | Light weight, low rolling resistance, does not puncture like others |
| Weaknesses: | None observed |
| Similar Products Tried: | Michelin Jet S, Richey Speedmax, Hutchison Mosquito |
| Bike Setup: | Cannondale F1000SL |
| Bottom Line: | These are the best tires I have experienced, both from the performance and protection against punctures perspectives. I highly recommend them to anyone who rides half on asphalt and half on hardpack. |
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Submitted by
Martijn
a Cross Country Rider
from H.I.Ambacht
Date Reviewed: 2/18/2003 11:35:20 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $30 |
| Purchased At: | www.bike2build.nl |
| Strengths: | Insane grip even when wet, fast and light |
| Weaknesses: | Not verry puncture-proof, but using it with Conti Latex tubes it's not much of a problem now. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Conti Explorer Supersonic and Conti Grand-Prix MTB slick's |
| Bike Setup: | Cube Airwing Blackline, all XTR shifting, HS33 brakes, King/CX-Ray spokes/X618 ceramic rims, Thomson seat and post, Sid Shox and Conti Twister/Explorer Supersinic tires with Latex tubes. |
| Bottom Line: | Great tire, insane grip and even when wet huge grip! Even great in mud, and great mud clearence. Super light (365gr for a Twister Supersonic) and easy to put on your rims. Not verry puncture proof but OK for off the road use, on the road they tend to wear rather quick. The have verry low rolling resitance you you go verry fast verry easy. |
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Submitted by
deorext
a Weekend Warrior
from Tucson, AZ
Date Reviewed: 10/7/2002 11:30:06 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Starr Pass, AZ trail (Bellota Ranch) |
| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $12 |
| Purchased At: | ebay |
| Strengths: | Very fast on pavement (with air pressure at 60 psi), knobs do not seem to be wearing at all. Hooks up great on the dry surfaces here in AZ, even some loose climbs (seated). Great on the descents with the Team Control, never broke loose and gives a very forgiving ride on my hardtail. Very light. |
| Weaknesses: | I don't think I would use this on the front, unless there was not much sand. For pure road use, I would prefer a higher pressure (like the 80 psi on my Specialized tires), however I understand the theories out there in tire design and casing designs. I will stick with the Team Control for front use. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Panaracer Mach SS, Specialzed Dirt Baldy, Corratec (remember those?) Slicks, WTB Racing Raptor set |
| Bike Setup: | Trek 970, Girvin Crosslink Elite fork, WTB SST-X2 saddle, LX/XT parts, LX cantis, Salsa brake booster, Continental Twister kevlar bead rear tire (not Twister Pro), Specialized Team Control Team Edition front tire, Continental tubes with Innovations kevlar sealant |
| Bottom Line: | I own the standard kevlar bead Twister, not the Twister Pro. It may be that Conti uses a harder compound on the standard tire than the pro's, since I have yet to see wear on my tire. The compound is so hard that I have been scraped by the tire and drawn blood. Anyway, this tire has been the best I've ever owned for all terrain use. Rolls fast, grips well in turns and in most dry conditions. I have pondered using the tire in front for smoother corses and running a Specialized Dirt Baldy in the back, but never seen the need to. Perhaps it does not peform well in wet conditions, but it has not rained enough here lately in Southern AZ to test that out. I ride in some pretty nasty areas for getting flats (arroyos, along rairoad grades, narrow rocky trails, etc.) and aside from getting a rather large thorn in my tire once, I have never had a problem with flats (thanks in a large part to the Innovations Sealant). Reccomendation: try it as a rear tire in dry conditions. The Conti Twister will not dissapoint! |
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Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Swamp Monster
a Cross Country Rider
from Perth / Western Australia.
Date Reviewed: 9/22/2002 12:37:00 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Eastern Hills |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $45 |
| Purchased At: | Bikeforce |
| Strengths: | Very light,Minimal rolling resistance,Good traction for a tire with such a low knob height.Generous casing volume for a 1.9 |
| Weaknesses: | Expensive in this country.Much better as a rear tire than the front,Wears out a little quicker than it should. |