Tire chat (nerds only)

As awesome as the durability is on the contis - between the casing 'wearing out' before the tread, and frankly just wanting to tinker with something on my bike - would loveee if conti released an ultra soft compound to the public

I wish that was the case here, I wouldn't say that it's a huge difference but its noticeable to me, but you really have to compare new vs new though, I did a lot of tire testing at the beginning of last season with 3 sets of freshly run-in tires, 3-4 runs on each to compare them on the same track on the same day. I measured the durometer of all the rubber and added it to my running spreadsheet that I posted on this thread almost a year ago. The conti super soft is 7-8% harder than maxx grip, un-ridden out of the box, Schwalbe SS is right between the conti compound and the MG rubber. The proto conti rubber that the WCDH and EDR guys/gals have access to is supposed to be a decent amount softer than the production SS.

...phoenix?? other than monsoon season I can't imagine why you'd trade the life of conti's existing super soft and the small grip advantages on rocks and sand, over soft. I wear out a conti super soft front at least 2x faster than soft. (maybe 3x?) never used one on the rear.

I prefer the krypto-r on the back vs the krypto-f for the riding I do.  If you're doing super steeps, then the dhr2 paddle style tread provides more straight line braking, which is helpful for laguna and the santa ana mountains in socal.  The krypto-f in back, is better for bike park or faster easier gradient terrain and soil with a lot of organics mixed in.  IMO, the krypto-F does roll faster in back, so for anything but straight line braking loose over hard or scree situations, it may be the better choice.  

Regarding rubber conti ss vs maxxis 3cg... I find that the 3cg is superior for grip and that shows up on rock slabs or roots.  However, the knob support on the conti's can make them grip better in certain blown out or loose over hard situations.  The knobs on the conti's do a better job of cutting through garbage to the trail bed when that scenario applies vs maxxis which are so soft that they seem to squirm/deform before getting there.  For ultimate grip however, 3CG takes the cake for me.  I too would love to get my hands on a conti ultra soft as I do not need the conti's to last as long as they do and I find the casing breaks down before the tread is shot.  Fwiw, I do not run an insert in my maxxis DH tires, but I do run an insert that provides mild sidewall support in my conti tires (tannus or vittoria).  On the maxxis tires it makes them too firm, on the conti's the insert makes them a bit too firm for the first 6 rides or so, but then once it breaks in it's better.  For this I prefer the tannus insert because it does more vertical deflection support then cambered/sidewall support.  

My experience with the Conti rubbers is similar to @notanengineer ... even the Super Soft lasts longer than the useful life of the tire itself.  At a certain point, the casing starts losing structure, and the knobs start cracking at the base well before they physically wear down.  As his durometer testing showed, they layer a harder rubber over a softer core, which is the opposite of most other brands.  In our abrasive dirt, the knob "shells" kind of get polished down and very slippery too, before they become physically worn down.

IMO, their whole rubber lineup should be effectively shifted down a whole tier.  Current Endurance should be discarded or only used for XC.  Current Soft should become Endurance.  Super Soft should be Soft.  And the pro-only rubber should be the new Super Soft (needed for cold, wet, slimy conditions).

The endurance rubber is honestly barely usable because of the trail casing.  I tried running a kypto-r trail/endurance on the back of a light weight trail bike and I honestly really liked the rolling speed/weight/grip trade off in a non-pinned enduro riding context.  That being said, you could blast finger sized holes in that casing just by looking at it.  I killed both tires before the tread was even really broken in.  

You're right @AndehM because it's not as if the soft rubber compound rolls much, if any slower then the endurance rubber.  The delta in rolling speed had more to do with the casing softness and weight and not endurance vs soft in their compound hierarchy.  

I haven't had those experiences with Conti casings. when they first launched the gravity line I rode a set of trail endurance for almost a year - and yes, the tread deserves the 'endurance' name as it wasn't even half worn when I removed them in favor of a set of conti enduro soft. Honestly, endurance is really only junk in damp/wet. in dry it works acceptably most of the time, but it feel slippery on dry limestone. the xc 'grip' compound is a lot better though.

but on that trail casing, I had zero cuts or pinches and only one puncture and absolutely anything would've punctured; it was a 2" long locust tree thorn right in the center of the front tire. I knew I had fresh sealant (orange seal endurance) and I pulled it, rotated to the bottom, aired the tire back up, and rode that sucker another 500 miles before I took it off.

I have never had a puncture or cut with the enduro casing, and I've ridden the super soft until it starts to slip (probably about half knob height) and the shoulders undercut but didn't crack or rip off. I have ridden the DH casing on a friend's bike (I've got about 50 miles on that bike) but saw no need for it once they released the enduro SS 18-24 months ago.

for daily driving I use a trail soft Magnotal on the rear. the hotpatches are about to wear off but it isn't leaking, cutting or puncturing. it is noticeably more bouncy and less controlled / absorptive on chunk than anything in the enduro casing. I use either a xynotal or krypt re for gravity parks on the rear. kryptotal fr for all.

conversely, I had many issues over the years with maxxis exo and hated the weight of DD, then when I used exo+ a few times, I moved to another brand due to the 3CT poor life and high cost. I used 3CG a few times, but it's dry so I didn't think the drag was worth it. all of these super/ultra soft/t9 tires roll slow as hell and I don't have an emtb so I care.

have you ridden softer compounds in phoenix?

 

I pedal 3cg/ultra soft tires on 6-8 hours rides because it's worth it.  Tire rolling speed is not the reason that I am capable of finishing or making it through a big ride.  I'm either fit enough or in the right head space/physical readiness state or not.  3-5% of rolling resistance doesn't make or break my fitness, but more than makes up for it on the descents.  

I've ridden there literally twice. Mom has lived there since the 80s but I typically don't ride on visits. maybe this winter some real rides, I've talked about it with my BIL.

I've got plenty of dry SW rocky experience in NM and CO though, varying degrees of similarity. So much of tires is preference. You have yours and that's great, I was just surprised.

I've been loving the Albert rear but on my new Santa Cruz Hightower, the intermediate knobs rub the lower linkage. This happens in the stand or when the shock is fully extended. At sag it is better but still not ideal. Apparently the Albert sits very tall which is why this happens. Others have experienced the same on their Megatower v2. It's not wheel dish issue either. Since I'm SOL, what rear tire should I get to pair with the Magic Mary Radial?

Romy 2.5 will give you more room for sure 
Tachy not sure, I installed a few now by it seems more aggressive than the 2.4 older one

Just installed the new tires on e*thirteen LG1 DH wheels. A few observations on the casing/fit:

The CushCore install was a bit of a mixed bag. Starting out, getting the bead to stay put was a little trickier than usual—the tire constantly wants to pop back out and escape, so it requires a slightly different technique to keep it seated early on.

However, the final stretch was actually easier. Getting that last stubborn section over the rim lip was surprisingly smooth. The casing definitely feels more compliant and flexible than a Michelin (though honestly, anything feels flexible compared to a Michelin DH casing).

They are quite tall. On my RXF38m.2, clearance at the arch is pretty limited, especially when running a mudguard. The RRP Proguard didn't have enough clearance to run it safely, so I have found the Mudhugger is the best for clearance on that fork. On my '26 Marzocchi Z1 there is ample clearance though.

you're going to need a lot more clearance if you ever find any mud on your trails, not just clearing the link by 1mm. I had a Bronson v2 with poor rear tire height clearance but it rubbed on the chainstay bridge. result was the same: better never find mud, or you're walking. I'd use a much shorter tire.

The Albert performed SO poorly in the mud for me you'll slide off the trails LONG before you rub the paint off your links. 😄

Just mounted conti’s Kryptotal fr Enduro soft 2.4 an Xynotal Trail Endurance on rear of my Santa Cruz Nomad V5 looking to get out this weekend to scuff them in . Anyone have this up ?

I ran that on a claymore for a short time.

Not enough traction front or rear. Would maybe use as an arizona setup where you're not cornering very hard.

I won't run anything but ss compound up front now. And s rear.

I havent ridden the trail casing but I’ve ridden the same tires in gravity casing on a last gen nomad. It was fun in the phoenix area but the I agree the xynotal cornering knobs are almost none existent. 

I havent ridden in the northeast, but if there’s high grip rock and your corners are more darty direction changes then the xylontal is great. I still run one on a trail bike, but I prefer tacky chans or something like a dh22 for my bike that sees any sort of bike park or higher speed turns. 

Xynotal Trail Endurance is utter crap.

First quick ride with the tires. Compared to Michelins, the casing feels incredibly well-damped—it really mutes the trail buzz. Interestingly, on a track I know like the back of my hand, I found myself having to brake way more than usual. Hard to say yet if it’s just the psychological effect of a smoother ride giving me more confidence, or if they genuinely roll faster, but it's likely a mix of both. Definite speed paradox happening. 

Quite seldom any change has had such a big impact on riding. I should add that I've never actually run Maxxis on this bike, so my baseline is a bit skewed, but the contrast to the Michelin ride feel is massive.

Anyone have any experience or reviews on the Schwalbe Shredda rear for bike park use as a front tire? I happen to have a couple and was thinking of selling them but realized they could be a good bike park front tire.

I've tried the gen1 radial Shredda rear as a front tyre at the bikepark. You need to pump them up a tad more and even then it's not ideal for very rocky trails. It does work on the natural and rolling flow trails (though it's not the fastest rolling obviously due to 1. the ultrasoft compound and 2. the super tall non ramped knobs). 
I'd recommend a gen2 radial Eddy Current for the bikepark if you really want to run a radial for bikepark use. Personally, I think normal tyres are better for bikepark use. Radials shine in natural terrain where grip rather support is most needed. 

Had a pretty big ride on the new 2.4 Trail Romy radial, just because it’s quite a bit shorter than the Albert I went up 1 psi, I’m impressed by the grip, after the first ride it measures 60mm knob to knob, gained 2mm from when freshly mounted.

It rolls considerably faster than the Albert, I can make it drift/slide without forcing it with the brakes unlike the Albert, still great traction on tech/slippery climbs and great braking traction on the way down too, really nice tyre 

What are you running up front?

I find the albert a bit meh, doesn't have the side support that the tacky chan has. Braking is ok though

Any experience with it in the wet yet? I’m looking for a true all rounder that errs on the side of faster but isn’t going to be too sketchy over wet roots or when it’s a bit slimey without being a full mudder. 

Just one trail was wet, no puddles but drying out, had some off camber and polished tiny roots on the steeps both up and down and I feel it handled great, especially on the punchy climbs, very impressed with the traction there, all that at 30psi, 80kg rider 

Does anyone who runs TC Radial as front has experience in wet? I do not ride much in wet but when I do I love my HR3 and wonder if they are as good as HR3 in wet even tho TC is probably not made for those conditions.

Cheers.

TC radial front, Romy rear on my trail bike. Really really liking the combo. Good rolling speed relative to the dual diagonal TCs I had on there previously, doesn’t feel like it gives up much cornering grip at all (guessing it’s the radial grip making up for the tread pattern change on the rear,) and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t mute the buzz nicely and suction cup up techy climbs. I’m sold on the combo for anything less than full on DH, that said it’s been quite ideal conditions in the PNW lately so I don’t have any options on the wet/slimy root reality that will eventually return. 

ALBERT 2.5 GRAVITY ULTRA SOFT first ride

Reading all the comments here about the Alberts and having just recovered from a BMX crash a month ago, I hopped on my bike almost scared that I would go down on faster berms because of the Albert's vagueness and too-soft casing that many were mentionning in the forums. I was previously riding a DH casing Continental Kryptotal Fr Ultra soft in the front and Kryptotal R Enduro Soft in the rear with a Tubolight HD insert (old version, like Vittoria's new airliners). The Alberts I have on my Meta are the 2.5 Gravity UltraSoft front and rear, inflated to 24.5psi front and 26.5psi rear (+2psi from what I was running on the old Conti combo, same rims and insert). I have tried +3psi and I think that +2 is on the money for now.

Riding the same trail as last year when confidence was at the highest (a fast berm-filled trail with some tabletops, wood bridges and rocks), I kept pushing and trusting them more and more, finishing today's ride (2nd ride this year) thinking that those are the best tires I've ever run. YMMV, but my 2nd favorite tires were E13's TRS AT Mopo, which have a channel between the center and side knobs, and the Maxxis DHRII, which also have a similar channel. The Kryptotal Fr/Rr combo was pretty good too, but I found the DH casings a bit too stiff and wooden feeling for my likings. I have never liked the Magic Mary's side knobs arrangement, but enjoyed the time spent on Specialized Butchers a few years ago. I usually replace my tires every year to try different casings and compounds, but I had been riding the same Continental combo for the last two years, so I knew them pretty well.

I will admit that so far, it's hard to find when the Alberts would let go, but I haven't ridden much and that was the only thing I was thinking the whole ride. I have not found the limit yet, which is something I'm honestly happy to have not experienced yet. The ground was wet and mostly hard-packed, but even on some gravely corners I felt confident and never slid. My next rides' goal is to find the lean angle limit before drifting.

I didn't expect anything special from the radial casing, but it really mutes the trail chatter like it says on the tin. Reading the comments on forums, I was also expecting a lot of rolling resistance, but they felt easier to pedal than the Kryptotals, even if I had an enduro casing soft compound in the rear (Kryptotal R @ 1160g vs 1430g for the Albert Gravity 2.5). I am riding with a friend on an ebike and hadn't ridden my MTB since the end of October last year, so I wasn't in the best possible shape either. I had too much air in my new fork and still, everything felt more comfortable than with the previous Contis back when I had my RXF38m.2 dialed.

I still think that the Mopo compound from E13 was a bit grippier than Schwalbe's Ultra Soft, but the Alberts feel like they roll a bit faster too, even at much heavier weight (1100g for the Enduro casing Conti I was running back then, which isn't insignificant). All in all, the Alberts Gravity are, so far, my new favorite tire. I wouldn't mind a bit more open channel to have more feel of the "let go point", but I am not yet fully used to the tires yet and so far, I haven't felt any weirdness. Currently recovering a few sore muscles and bones, I don't mind feeling more locked in honestly. The Kryptotal F felt pretty similar in corners (the tread pattern, width and shape is really close), but I'd say that the casing was less forgiving in the high-frequency chatter and felt like they had less hold in the corners because of the stiffer, less flexible top of the casing. Looking back, crudely talking, it feels like the Contis' sidewalls are made with general quality rubber with uncontrolled rebound, while the Albert radials feel like they have a much higher quaity rubber, made specifically for the intended application, vs some MX type sidewall rubber on the Contis. That is just to try to express it differently, but that's the impression that I got.

Mind you I'm not racing DH on these tires and I don't think that it was their target use, but for general "enduro" riding, tech trails and everything that your average bro is doing, they are great. I think that the channel on the Tacky Chan would be too big for the speeds and trails I am riding (not much high-speed berms), but if I could design my ideal tread pattern, it would probably be a mix of the TC and the Albert, mostly leaning towards the Albert. I had one warped casing (that quickly got refunded when I showed a video of it), and one other Albert that doesn't want to seal (same exact rims, tape, sealant as my others), but that should be a matter of riding on it a bit.

I have a pair of 2.6s on my other bike that I have yet to try, but with a bit more space between the knobs, which are slighly bigger, and only slightly wider (2.5" really, and only +2-3mm height difference), I think that they will be even better than the 2.5 and will probably adress the only small improvements I'd do on the 2.5. This is all very speculative with the low miles I've put on them, but I will update my ride reports later on this season. Cheers!