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Conti Crossking protection 2.3 (review - comparisons)

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marcalcosta

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Hi guys,

I was trying to find some Crossking reviews and it is very hard to find any, most of them are on the previous versions (X-King). Looking for reviews I found this older discussion:


Anyway, just wanted to start this discussion to first bring my opinion on this tire and also to see what other opinion people have on it (especially in regards to which tires they compare to).

I have this tire (CK 2.3 protection) mounted in the front in a TREK TOP FUEL 8.This CK+Barzo is a fast one and I consider it agressive for XC riding, and they are also good for not packing up with mud (trails here in south Brazil are never really dry in some places - there is rain in all seasons, little less on winter). Never had any problems with punctures in any of them also (trails are a mixture of loose rocks, dirt, wet roots, some mud -some descents are rocky).

On the previous discussion that I shared above I saw that this tire was compared to a Barzo. I would say that the 2.2 version is very similar, but the 2.3 has bigger knobs (see attachment - CK and Barzo side by side) and this is the reason Continental consider this to be a trail/AM tire (2.2 is a XC on their chart). Anyway, I would say that this tire would be comparable to a Rekon (never had a rekon, but seeing the knobs arrangement and size, seem to be similar) maybe also with the Syerra.

I'm curious as to where this tires fits into and to which tires they are comparable to. I'm thinking about putting a more aggressive tire on the front, to have more stability on corners (especially slightly wet switch backs - had some crashes in these, not only due to the tire, also due to technical issues), so maybe this CK will go to the back in this case.
 

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#2 ·
I have Cross King 2.2 Protection on my Nitrous. I have not tried the 2.3 version... But I have a lot of time and have burned through more than a couple CK 2.2. As I am a bit of a tire addict, I have bought and raced lots of tires in this size/class. I really think the CK is tougher and rolls notably faster than the other tires in this catagory. The only tire I have not tried is the Wolfpack brand.

DT
 
Discussion starter · #4 ·
Suns_PSD said:
I run the 2.3 Protection on the back of my light duty trail bike and think it's fantastic. It's fast, reliable, light, wears well...

Terrain is dry loose hardpack with rocks everywhere.
Click to expand...
What tire you run upfront? At first I was considering to put a Trailking on front up ahead, but the reviews on this tire is very polarizing. Now i have a huge list of possible tires choices, not an easy choice as there are several options available.
 
#5 · (Edited)
I like to have really good front wheel traction and as such have settled on the XR4 TI as the best front trail tire in combination with the rear 2.3 CrossKing. The XR4 is interesting as it's the first tire I've tried that gets better with a bit of use. On my first ride on one I was like, 'it's okay, average speed, average traction' but I kept riding it and it just got better and better on both accounts, I even pulled an old one off the shelf and slapped it on, and it was still really good when tires that sit in a TX garage all summer are often horrible.

If you prioritize RR in your front tire the Onza Ibex is REALLY fast and has very good traction when new. Not as much traction as the XR4 (but close when fresh), but XC race tire fast. The Ibex did start to fall off though. I'd say a well-worn Ibex has about as much traction as a brand new GC T7, while still rolling faster. If I had an unlimited budget I'd probably just put a new Ibex on every 4-6 rides and be very happy.
 
Discussion starter · #6 ·
Suns_PSD said:
I like to have really good front wheel traction and as such have settled on the XR4 TI as the best front trail tire in combination with the rear 2.3 CrossKing. The XR4 is interesting as it's the first tire I've tried that gets better with a bit of use. On my first ride on one I was like, 'it's okay, average speed, average traction' but I kept riding it and it just got better and better on both accounts, I even pulled an old one off the shelf and slapped it on, and it was still really good when tires that sit in a TX garage all summer are often horrible.

If you prioritize RR in your front tire the Onza Ibex is REALLY fast and has very good traction when new. Not as much traction as the XR4 (but close when fresh), but XC race tire fast. The Ibex did start to fall off though. I'd say a well-worn Ibex has about as much traction as a brand new GC T7, while still rolling faster. If I had an unlimited budget I'd probably just put a new Ibex on every 4-6 rides and be very happy.
Click to expand...
yeah the XR4 is one of the tires that I have in my list here, it is also the lightest (followed by the Nobby Nic 29 x 2.4 Superground and Eliminator 29 x 2.3 T7). After scraping the Trailking option, I actually started to consider the new Forekaster, but If I go for a tire weighing ~950 grams I think I would go for the Mazza trail casing 2.4 or Hellkat ATC 2.4 already.

I already have started another discussion asking for front tires suggestion, so I wasn't going to ask for that again in this one. Anyway, since you mentioned that the CK is on the rear of your bike i got curious to see which tire you were using upfront. Thanks a lot for sharing the info and your suggestions.
 
#8 ·
Im pretty unhappy with these tires. They did not go on straight, front or rear. Using ample soapy water, etc. The rear so bad I warrantied it, except they sent me a 2.2 instead of the 2.3 i specified and sent in. That did not go on straight either. My giant 120mm wide fat tires are straighter. I was trying to get a bit bigger volume racing tire, but it backfired. Do not recommend continental.
 
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#12 ·
Rekon is a dry weather tire and I think can not be compared with a CK.

To me the CK is in the same league as the Forekaster v1 (so not Rekon), Rocket Ron and the Barzo.

I moved recently over to a Barzo TNT front and I am impressed (after I also have ridden the Forekaster v1 and Rocket Ron). It is a fast and true do it all tire. I have checked the CK as well, but the reviews on the Barzo were generally more positive compared with the CK (CK - seems you love them or hate them).
 
Discussion starter · #13 ·
Yeah, until now almost all of negative comments on this tire are due to wobling problems, so this seem to be related with quality issues in a certain batch (I thought this was happening only for Shield Wall System type only). Anyway, local dealers here say that the incorrect sealant may cause these problems (ammonia), but I don't know. In other aspects (overall ride qualities) I have not found negative comments on them yet, and this is impressive.

In resume, I'm lucky to never have any issues on them, this is the third CK that I buy (previously I had two 2.2 and at last 2.3). The Protection vrs is really grippy, never had a puncure on them.

In regards to the Barzo, they are very similar in its knobs arrangement. The Barzo seem to clean mud better a little better, as the knobs are more spaced between each other. This comparison is valid when considering the CK 2.2. The CK 2.3 is very different in terms of knobs size. Actually this is not mentioned/explained on Continental website or catalog, they should address that more specifically. The 2.2 and 2.3 version are in separated categories.
 

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#14 ·
On bicyclerollingresistance.com you can compare the CK 2.2 and 2.3 versions indeed and the side knobs for the 2.3 are huge with 5mm. Yes, it is weird that they don't call that out on the Conti website or classify the 2.3 in the trail category too. Though personally I like huge side knobs for aggressive XC too.
 
#15 ·
Yeah, incorrect sealant for sure caused my wobble/warped tire when I mounted it w/o sealant and it was warped.
 
#16 ·
Hrodulf said:
On bicyclerollingresistance.com you can compare the CK 2.2 and 2.3 versions indeed and the side knobs for the 2.3 are huge with 5mm. Yes, it is weird that they don't call that out on the Conti website or classify the 2.3 in the trail category too. Though personally I like huge side knobs for aggressive XC too.
Click to expand...
The casing and knob height measurements are one of the great things about the brr site.
 
Discussion starter · #17 ·
Hrodulf said:
On bicyclerollingresistance.com you can compare the CK 2.2 and 2.3 versions indeed and the side knobs for the 2.3 are huge with 5mm. Yes, it is weird that they don't call that out on the Conti website or classify the 2.3 in the trail category too. Though personally I like huge side knobs for aggressive XC too.
Click to expand...
Interesting this website, yeah the side knobs are pretty big in the CK 2.3 (much bigger than the Barzo or CK 2.2, this is visible looking at the tires already). Puncture resistance also very high.
In resume, when i move the CK to the back my ideal for front tires are:
  • light trail or "downcountry": XR4, Nobby Nic super ground soft, new Forekaster (would like to in person first, not sure if it woul be such un improvement yet), Eliminator T7 (reviews suggest it as a rear only, but looking at the thread I think it would be good on the front also)
  • more agressive options: Mazza trail casing, XR5, Hellkat, Butcher Grid t9 (2.3)
 
#19 · (Edited)
I recently tried out what is purported to be a veryy fast tire, the Pirelli Scorpion XC RC on the back of my Trance Advanced 29. It is indeed fast. On the timed test section I rode, the CrossKing on the back was faster but it was only one test run, so I take that with a grain of salt. The section was pretty buff singletrack XC terrain.

I am using Orange Seal as a sealant. No problems of wobbling or loss of air pressure. No sweating of sealant. Solid tire with good traction for these conditions. Predictable on the back as you know when it's near its limit.

On the front, I threw on a 29x2.3 Mountain King which is the same weight (I think it has the same carcass - 760 grams or so as I recall and very close to advertised 2.3" at 18 psi) with more aggressive tread. Again, I was going to get a second Pirelli for the front for speed, but these are so good I haven't bothered. Plus getting Scorpions is like getting plutonium across the border.

Up until now, for fast XC riding, I had been using the MK on the back with the Trail King Apex Black Chili 29x2.4 up front (It is essentially a DHRII "lite" in ride characteristics, but much faster rolling).

I swap out to Assegai/Dissector for Moab but have used the TK front/MK rear there as well and it's just fine. Light riding there would be fine on the CK/MK combo as long as you "ride light". The small side knobs on the CK would be a hindrance on the very square ledge climbs down there, though. Having knobs that extend beyond the carcass would help protect the carcass and engage better. The side knobs on the MK do extend, and the CK knobs do a little, but not much.

FWIW I haven't found a solid correlation between the rolling resistance data on a drum and rolling resistance as reflected in climb times on the trail. Part of that may be the high pressures they use. If I were to go that high, I'd be ricocheting off of every technical feature on the trail. To a point, at least, my climb times improve as pressure goes down - at least to a point.

Anyway, a very good XC type of tire for the back, I haven't used it enough up front to judge. The Mountain King up front is also pretty great though. If I'm riding the rougher terrain up here (or coming down from Burro on TWE!!) with my 34-year-old son, I have to swap out to the Ass/Dis combo or I'm walking some of the downhill sections. But that's pretty obvious. They are great at what they're great at!
 
Discussion starter · #20 ·
MSU Alum said:
I recently tried out what is purported to be a veryy fast tire, the Pirelli Scorpion XC RC on the back of my Trance Advanced 29. It is indeed fast. On the timed test section I rode, the CrossKing on the back was faster but it was only one test run, so I take that with a grain of salt. The section was pretty buff singletrack XC terrain.

I am using Orange Seal as a sealant. No problems of wobbling or loss of air pressure. No sweating of sealant. Solid tire with good traction for these conditions. Predictable on the back as you know when it's near its limit.

On the front, I threw on a 29x2.3 Mountain King which is the same weight (I think it has the same carcass - 760 grams or so as I recall and very close to advertised 2.3" at 18 psi) with more aggressive tread. Again, I was going to get a second Pirelli for the front for speed, but these are so good I haven't bothered. Plus getting Scorpions is like getting plutonium across the border.

Up until now, for fast XC riding, I had been using the MK on the back with the Trail King Apex Black Chili 29x2.4 up front (It is essentially a DHRII "lite" in ride characteristics, but much faster rolling).

I swap out to Assegai/Dissector for Moab but have used the TK front/MK rear there as well and it's just fine. Light riding there would be fine on the CK/MK combo as long as you "ride light". The small side knobs on the CK would be a hindrance on the very square ledge climbs down there, though. Having knobs that extend beyond the carcass would help protect the carcass and engage better. The side knobs on the MK do extend, and the CK knobs do a little, but not much.

FWIW I haven't found a solid correlation between the rolling resistance data on a drum and rolling resistance as reflected in climb times on the trail. Part of that may be the high pressures they use. If I were to go that high, I'd be ricocheting off of every technical feature on the trail. To a point, at least, my climb times improve as pressure goes down - at least to a point.

Anyway, a very good XC type of tire for the back, I haven't used it enough up front to judge. The Mountain King up front is also pretty great though. If I'm riding the rougher terrain up here (or coming down from Burro on TWE!!) with my 34-year-old son, I have to swap out to the Ass/Dis combo or I'm walking some of the downhill sections. But that's pretty obvious. They are great at what they're great at!
Click to expand...
Interesting to hear this good review on both the MK and TK. My first option actually was one of these two tires on the front, to keep in Conti brand. When researching for tires I end up everytime checking Outdoor Gear Lab website to verify their scores, and both MK and TK scored lower than tires such as Ground Control, Forekaster, SE4, etc. Opposite to that, Pinkbike made a very good review on them, but the comments section in this case showed how much this tires are polarized (some people say they are the best....other people say that they are completely garbage). Actually, I really liked the Kryptotal Fr 2.4, but i heard that the trail casing on them are really stiff and do not have much grip, so going for the Enduro or DH casing already goes up too much on the weight scale for me (i am by no means a weight weenie, but I see no reason for that 100+ or 200+, as even a Magic Mary Super ground Soft woul not weight soo much) .
 
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