Continental

Product Information

On hard dirt, the Trail King was less compelling. The tires were very inclined to get caught in little ruts and dragged off line, and the balloon-ish casing felt pretty vague. We also had no issues with sidewall durability as we did with the Continental Trail King. This was a balloonish tire as well and the sidewalls sure took a beating squeezing through places but never sliced or deformed. With four plies of 60 TPI adding up to a whopping 240 TPI under the tread, we had no puncture problems plowing over thorn bushes on our test laps. Sidewalls have just one less layer of protection, using a triple layer for 180 TPI and a textured race flag design. We do feel the pudgy midsection is a little exposed to potential damage but made it through testing without a problem. Installation

The Eliminator T7 is a well-rounded and versatile tire. However, it sacrifices slightly in the braking traction department for a tradeoff in rolling speed. When conditions get really loose, this tire has a penchant for breaking into a skid, drifting through corners, and spinning out while climbing. We also found the Grid Trail casing to be somewhat squirmy under hard cornering forces and that we had to get the pressure exactly right to not burp it. This casing may not be supportive enough for super-aggressive riders. That said, this is a great rear tire option paired with something a little more aggressive in the front and an affordable one at that. I'm sure on more predominant downhill rides this works much better, or on the front may be good(I'm a bit worried about how much the front end will rise with it), but if you're pedaling with it on the rear...get ready for a workout to get any speed! Continental has been making tires for quite a while, and they’re certainly not new to the bike game. Continental is a thoroughly German company, and many of their tires (including the Trail Kings I tested) are handmade in Germany. The aggressive tread design of the Vigilante comes with a little bit of a penalty regarding rolling resistance. It is not the fastest-rolling tire, but that's a tradeoff that we expect most aggressive trail riders are willing to accept. It is moderately heavy, but that's the price you pay for the performance it offers. If you're an aggressive trail rider in the market for a tough and grippy tire, the Vigilante is a solid choice.

Conclusion

Until this latest set of 27.5 tires that seem smaller I would have told you I’ll be riding TKs as long as they are built, but I’m not as stoked about the square profile. I’m not buying new rims to make ’em work so I’ll probably try a different tire on my 27.5 bike once these wear out. Through 6+ sets of TKs I’ve never had a failure like you describe. They’ve been bulletproof through lots of BC riding and weeks in Moab/Sedona. Having said that it’s happened to my buddy twice and we ride the same trails. The only difference is I ride a bit smoother/lighter than him. As soon as I got into straight away flats i noticed how tired my legs felt and my heart was pounding! Reasonable price (for trail casing), excellent cornering traction, offered in multiple casings for different uses

I’ve noticed that are much less vague on a wider rim. I now run them only on 35mm rims. They are laser precise with more sidewall support.This went on my beloved Transition Scout---a bike that is beyond playful, fast, fun...my favorite bike ever. My very first ride on the Trail Kings turned into a horrendously wet, muddy ride—the kind where you feel guilty for being out on the trail in such conditions (and yes, I feel guilty, but it was a race and they fixed everything the next day, so it’s sort of okay). Noah Bodman on the Continental Trail King Tire.

I’m looking at the Minion DNF in 2.5″ width and Vittoria Morsa in the 2.3″ width. They both look about the same volume/size as the TK in 2.4″. At least as accurately as I can measure with my eyeball. I’ve tried other 2.3″– 2.4″ tires that were all significantly smaller volume than my TKs and I didn’t enjoy the feel of the smaller tires. Specialized recently updated their ever-popular Butcher tire with an all-new T9 rubber compound. We tested the Butcher Grid Trail T9 in both 2.3" and 2.6" widths, and while the tread pattern hasn't substantially changed, this feels like an entirely new tire. The T9 rubber used by Specialized is their grippiest material. Although not super soft, it's designed to slowly rebound, reduce deflection, and enhance grip. This results in a well-dampened ride quality that feels connected to the trail surface. The tall center tread lugs offer excellent braking traction. At the same time, the substantial row of shoulder knobs provide great grip through corners. The Specialized Grid Trail casing feels supportive and supple while surprisingly resistant to punctures or tears. It's also one of the least expensive tires and offers excellent value. Even in softer dirt, that big, supple casing just felt strange at times. On a number of occasions, I’d pause and look down thinking I had a flat, but each time I was still at full pressure. (I experimented with pressures between the high 20’s and low 30’s).The side knobs are medium height with some pretty substantial gaps between the pairs. Coupled with the rounded profile of the tire we found decent cornering traction in most conditions. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but the Trail King was really, really good in the mud. It’s not quite a mud spike, but for a tire that functions well in non-muddy conditions too, they’re one of the best I’ve ridden. They clear mud about average for a spaced out, knobby tire, but more importantly, they provide consistent grip that, as far as sliding around in the mud goes, is confidence inspiring. The stats look good for the Mountain King; 820 grams, four layers of puncture resistance Protection, more grip. longer lifespan, less drag. We tested this tire in the 2.4-inch width. Continental recommends this tire in this size as an all-mountain tire best fitted to a 130-160mm bike. Our bikes were at the upper limits of this designation, with the Trail King and Baron recommended for freeride/enduro use.