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Continental

£9.9£99Clearance
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About this deal

A DHF has a defined channel between the center knobs and the side knobs, so as you lean into a corner, there’s an angle where you’re in between the rows of knobs, and the tire is pretty drifty. Lean past that angle and the side knobs engage with their full force, and you can go around a corner really fast. The Specialized Ground Control Grid T7 bridges the gap between cross-country and trail riding; call it down-country if you like. This lightweight model tips the scales at just 867 grams in a 29" x 2.35" size, contributing to the zippy feel. Like most cross-country tires, they are notably fast rolling, but unlike a typical XC tire, they offer better cornering and braking traction than expected. The tread consists of plenty of moderate-height lugs in the center and intermediate zone, with a fairly substantial row of shoulder knobs. We found it provides excellent cornering traction across the spectrum of lean angles in all but the loosest of conditions. The tread design also contributes to controlled and predictable braking performance that outshines other models in its category. The T7 rubber compound offers a nice blend of grip and longevity, and the Grid casing feels relatively robust and durable while remaining lightweight. In terms of performance, the biggest advance introduced with the latest generation of Continental tires has been that they're finally sorting out their tubeless tech. After years of fighting and failing to get them to inflate and stay up, met with a mix of denial and tortuous setup procedure instructions, their latest tires are right up there with the best in terms of easy setup and consistent sealing. Unfortunately, this isn't the most aggressive tire available. If you often find yourself riding in loose or wet conditions, consider another model in the fleet. While the medium-height tread is efficient and capable for most situations, there are better options for braking traction when the terrain gets super loose. Still, the Aggressor is the most versatile rear tire. The Minion DHR II was originally designed for use as a rear tire, and paired with a Minion DHF up front, we think it's the ultimate combo in loose conditions for aggressive trail riders. Other rear tire options will roll noticeably faster than the DHR II, but that's a trade-off you'll need to consider for a tire with the cornering grip and braking traction it provides.

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. The Trail King delivers decent pedal traction. We found this to be a fast-rolling tire on the front and the rear. Often, the fast-rolling tires tend to have less pedal traction since there is presumably a less aggressive center tread on the tire. The Trail King once again delivered better-than-expected performance.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.

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. Continental recently updated the Mountain King and we have tested and reviewed the new version. The version reviewed here is no longer available. 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. The lightest carcass in the Continental line-up wraps a 60tpi nylon weave so it’s triple under the tread and double on the sidewalls. According to Continental, that makes it 30 percent more puncture resistant than previous Supersonic tires, but it’s around 75g lighter than ProTection versions of the same tires. Race Sport Bernstein is a brown wall version for fashionable types. The rubber liner still isn’t tubeless compatible on either though. Interestingly all my failures were with the 27.5″ x 2.4″ TK. I’ve run many sets of 26″ x 2.4″ TKs with no failures. Additionally my 120lbs less aggressive riding GF has never had a TK fail in either size.Continental have chosen to mold the ideal rim width for their tires onto the sidewalls - no more guessing whether the tire is actually designed for a 45mm or 22mm wide rim. As long as you're within the suggested rim widths, the tire should work without an issue. 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.

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. 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. The Continental Trail King II Performance tyres are suitable for all mountain, enduro and freeride. If your mountain bike has a suspension travel of 140 mm or more, these tyres are suitable. The Continental Trail King II Performance MTB tyres offer a lot of grip and stability on muddy surfaces. When the surface is wet, these tyres also come into their own. The Continental Trail King II Performance tyres have an open tread with high side buttons so you have sufficient grip when cornering. This means that they can handle curvy roads without losing grip. The tyres are also tubeless ready and can possibly be driven with liquid latex to prevent punctures.

Conclusion

Likewise, the Michelin Wild Enduro Front is a top performer in the corners. One look at the Wild Enduro Front, and you can see why. This tire has super tall and aggressive shoulder lugs that bite into nearly any trail surface. Wet, loose, loam, this tire rips into the soil. You can lean as hard as you want into this tire, and the casing is supportive. Similarly, we found the new Michelin Wild AM2 to rip through the bends. This tire relies on its aggressive tread pattern to do most of the work, with well-supported shoulder lugs and a supportive yet supple Gravity Shield casing. They’re also relatively tall tires, which again, adds to the visual impression that these are big tires. I had to endure more than one person asking me if they were “those new 27.5+ things.” The Trail Kings are large enough that they actually start to make my Pike look like it’s a bit low on clearance. 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

We struggled to get the trail casing of the Kryptotal Fr and its counterpart (the Kryptotal Re) to seat; as a result, we might not recommend it to those who have more of a convenience-reigns, Laissez-faire approach to bike maintenance. It's possible your local shop might even curse getting these inflated. Other than what might be chalked up to a singular incident of difficult installation, we have little to complain about with this burly front tread. The higher end versions are made in Germany, while the lower end ones are made in an unspecified location that I’m guessing is in Asia. Mounting- went on fine but could not get the bead to set without having to employ the compressor. On the wheels, these look fantastic. The Trail King sits at the knobby end of Continental’s tire spectrum, with only a few DH treads being more aggressive.

As soon as I got into straight away flats i noticed how tired my legs felt and my heart was pounding! The Maxxis Minion DHR II is an aggressive rear tire with terrific cornering grip and excellent braking traction. Aggressive riders who frequent loose, chunky, and rowdy terrain are the best candidates for this beefy and durable tire. It sacrifices some rolling speed in exchange for boatloads of braking traction and cornering prowess. This tire has a large and stout row of side knobs, like those found on the Minion DHF, to dive into corners and hold a line on off-camber sections. Braking bite is superb, thanks to the wide paddle-shaped knobs of the center tread. Many bike brands spec the DHR II as a front and rear tire on complete builds. The Trail King tires were simple and easy to set up tubeless without any trouble on a rim with an internal measurement of 27mm. (I used a floor pump at home, no air compressor required.) This fits within the ideal width of a 25-30mm rim that's printed on the tire. Measuring the actual tire width, I was right at the stated 2.4" dimensions. For pressure, I ran between 18 and 20 psi in the front and then 20 -23 psi in the rear, depending on conditions and what trails I would be riding.

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