Continental has been making
bicycle tires for over a century. The
German company was founded in
Hanover, Germany, as a soft-rubber
manufacturer for bicycles and carriages. The Race King is heralded as
the first in Conti’s lineup to use the
newest technology.
Tech features:
The Race King is
the lightest and fastest-rolling performance mountain tire Continental
makes. While the tire is meant to be
fast, it’s far from a semi-slick or
cyclocross tire. The tread is designed
with handling in mind. The King is
available in both 26 and 29er versions;
in either 2.0- or 2.2-inch widths; and
in ultra-light RaceSport, UST-compatible or tubeless-ready ProTection casings. Our test tires were of the 26- and
29-inch, 2.2-inch-width variety and
sported the four-ply, tubeless-ready
ProTection sidewall. They tipped the
scales at 1.2 pounds per tire for the
26-inch, and 1.5 pounds for the 29er
version. They retail for $65 each.
Field test results:
The Race King
is a race tire with trailbike chops. The
tread pattern is lightweight, fast-rolling and efficient. Typically, those
traits spell disastrous braking and cornering; however, the Race King strikes
a balance and offers excellent handling
manners in addition to the lightweight
and racy feel. These tires are a perfect
choice for the cross-country racer who
also likes to shred some trails after
crossing the finish line. We ran these
tires tubeless on both a 26-inch Intense Tracer trailbike and a 29-inch
Titus Racer X.
The ProTection sidewall is a perfect
weight for a tubeless-ready system;
however, it feels squirmier than a true
UST tire when set-up tubeless. We had
no issues with flat tires, except for the
ones we blame ourselves for. The mid-weight casing is a good match for a
lightweight cross-country bike, but
trail riders may find themselves looking for a higher-volume feel on the
trail.
We rode these tires like we stole’em
for the better part of a year. It was
only toward the end of our testing
period that we began to experience
issues with flats and sidewall tears.
The tread wore better than most ultra-soft race tires that we’ve tested. This is
not just a “race” tire; it’s one that you
can race, train and trail ride on without feeling like you’re giving up much.
The knob pattern works best for hardpack terrain, but also provides sufficient traction when the terra firma
gets a little loose on top. Braking and
accelerating on the tire are sufficient,
but it is certainly designed with low-rolling resistance as a priority.
This is a high-end tire that delivers tons of traction at a weight that will be
right at home on a cross-country race
bike. This tire is top-notch for the rider
or racer who is looking for the ultimate
in efficiency, but doesn’t want to feel
like he is turning his bike into a ghetto-rigged cyclocross bike. These tires get it
done, up and down the track, even
when the trail gets a little nasty.
