[zephxiii]

Dammit... You really have to watch all these Conti sellers out there! Deceptive bastards!! I've bought 4 Race Kings in my life so far and none of them have been Black Chili. Now 2 of them weren't supposed to be as they were cheap takeoffs on ebay I wanted to test out for cheap, but the other 2 were.

The most recent one I just bought was from Price Point:

Contintental Race King 29er Tire | Continental | Brand | www.PricePoint.com

They call Black Chili under specifications, however the tire was made in India and not RaceSport or Protection. I took a gamble thinking that it was going to be either of those and made in Germany... NOPE. I suppose I need to contact Price Point about this.

The other Race King I bought was supposed to be Protection version, but it says Protection nowhere on it and it was made in Thailand interestingly. I bought it 1.5 years ago and didn't really realize it till recently after I was more familiar with the tires.

Now, Black Chili only comes from Germany and is only featured on RaceSport and Protection right? Seems correct to me anyways.

Tbh the compound used in these "other" tires is pretty decent (I have 1900 miles on current set)... however I've been super curious about running Black Chili just to see what they are like.

*sighs*... so once again Black Chili eludes me again!!

 

[Surestick Malone]

I had the same issue. Ordered what I thought were Black Chili Trail Kings. When they arrived and weren't Black Chili I went back and re-read the description of what I'd ordered. If read carefully the part of the product description that sounded like it was saying what I bought were Black Chili compound was just saying that one of the version of the Trail King came with the better rubber.

I wasn't too upset as the price I paid was on par with the same thing elsewhere but still...

 

[kevinboyer]

Art's Cyclery sells the Trail King and Mountain King with Black Chili in 26", 27.5" and 29", and made in Germany.

Continental Trail King 26 Tire

Continental Mountain King II 26 Tire

Once the link opens, click on the features tab, and it will give you all the specs, and the "handmade in Germany" spec.

I just bought a set of the 26" Trail Kings, and I purchased a 29" set of the Trail kings previously and everything was perfect. I actually called Art's when I bought the 29" TK's to make sure these were the "made in Germany" tires and that they were indeed black chili. Matt confirmed they were, and I was not disappointed.

 

[dirtrider76]

I have no issue getting Black chili Trailking's?

 

[zephxiii]

I think that's cuz there's more Black Chili versions of Trail King than non Black Chili versions whereas with Race Kings it is the other way around.

 

[smithcreek]

For me the black chilli tires are great for about 4-5 months. They don't wear like normal tires. Instead of slowly wearing down they seem to get to a point, then just disintegrate. Knobs just fall apart and tear off. Still like the MKII a lot and will buy another set.

 

[zephxiii]

Interesting on the Black Chili wear. I think I've read about this before...

Their Pure Grip compound I guess was their best compound until they came up with Black Chili. I suppose that is what the Race Kings I've been using has and has worn really well. It does seem like a pretty nice compound though. I have 1900 miles on my current set of Race Kings. The front is only dulled a little, just enough to wear away the recessed features. The rear's knobs are worn past halfway though. No tearing or ripping of the knobs... just some cuts from unintentional rolling over glass in the urban environment.

Dammit I still wanna test out Black Chili version though!!

 

[dirtrider76]

Is there a deffinit way to tell if a Conti is Blackchili? All the ones I bought new said it on the packaging but I have one I got a X-king Proterction I got 2nd hand here. Would be nice to know for sure what it is.

 

[hitechredneck]

If the tire says made in Germany on the sidewall then its Black Chili. If it is not there then it is not black chili.

 

[aerius]

All Protection and RaceSport tires are Blackchili, and I believe the UST versions are as well.

 

[mattnmtns]

All Protection and RaceSport tires are Blackchili, and I believe the UST versions are as well.

Correct, at least now. If memory servers me correctly I think some of the RaceSports used to be made at different plants and not all were BC.

If you have any questions just go to their website Continental Bicycle -Trail King

Then make sure the one you are order is the one you think it is. I agree though I wish more online retailer would list the manufacturer's part number. Make things less confusing. You can always ask before ordering.

 

[norton05]

Kevlar bead = not Black Chili, for all their MTB tires. I've never seen an exception to this. Folding bead = probably Black Chili but not guaranteed. The Continental website sort of says this, if you can decode it. They really went out of their way to make this a bit of a guessing game.

 

[zephxiii]

I finally emailed Pricewatch and they emailed me back wanting photos of the tire. They were thinking it was Black Chili.

Do the RaceSports say RaceSport on them like the Protections do?

I was primarily going to take the made in india photo, and the labels.

 

[ferguson65]

Is there a deffinit way to tell if a Conti is Blackchili? All the ones I bought new said it on the packaging but I have one I got a X-king Proterction I got 2nd hand here. Would be nice to know for sure what it is.

Eric, the absolute easiest way is to write the tires details from the sidewall down and email Conti. When I did that on mine they responded in less than 24 hours, closer to 12 I believe. I'm feeling better about mine, but still not totally sold on the TK's even in black chilli.

 

[zephxiii]

I'm finally going to acquire a Black Chili tire... The 4000s II for my road bike. It only comes in Black Chili so I can't be wronged this time!

I've seen some tests and it one of the highest performing tired when it comes to rolling resistance. I also read it was greasy to the touch...

Ha ha I know I'm making it sound kinda magical but damn, it has got me highly interested.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

 

[limba]

I've been using the 26" Race Kings with Black Chilli for 3 years. When I tore a hole in the sidewall they went on my commuter bike. I ride this bike almost everyday all year round, including absolutely miserable Canadian winters. They don't suddenly disintegrate. They seem to last forever. They roll fast on pavement as well. Great tires.

Their cross tires suck. Everything else is great.

 

[Alias530]

I'm looking for a rear tire to replace my Ardent (not enough brake bite) and was considering a Trail King but remembered the X-King (Protection/BC model) I had that constantly leaked sealant. I'll find something else... My Gatorskins are brilliant on my road bike though (non-BC).

 

[hitechredneck]

Trail king protection works great tubeless on the rear. I have had 3 ( I ride alot) and never had a sealant leaking issue. The non protection series, well that is a different story.

 

[Alias530]

How does it compare to other tires? Specifically as a rear, I have a few fronts I won't get rid of.

I've had an Ardent 2.25, Purgatory, Ground Control, and a few others.

 

[zephxiii]

Well I just ordered an X-King RaceSport 29x2.2. It better be RaceSport version like they said dammit!! lol.

I got an old performance X-King 29x2.2 to test for free. The rubber was old and hard, and the threads weren't right so the tire wobbled. That thing clawed at everything though!! I did a race with it yesterday on a trail that I pre-rode last weekend with a Race King out back. It's a little dusty and the Race King couldn't match the Racing Ralph up front and would lockup all the time on any kind of hard braking.

During the race yesterday the X-King just dug in and gripped well.

I then went out to Fort Custer where it is really loose overall with some spots that have so much sand your front wheel feels out of control. That thing just clawed into everything in braking, climbing, and cornering! It was awesome!

I just hope RaceSport isn't toooooo thin. Like paper thin lol. It might be lol. I shouldn't have any problem sealing it up with Orange Seal. I wouldn't rely on Stan's.

I didn't want to run a Racing Ralph in back as I know how soft that compound is and how easily it gets beat up as a rear tire. The performance Race Kings held up to 2000+ miles as a rear tire. Black Chili is supposed to be more durable (though I have a hard time imagining this) so I'm hoping it will last longer.