contis race king tyres

swod1
swod1 Posts: 1,639
edited October 2014 in MTB buying advice
What's the verdict on these ?

I'm after some slicker tyres for my hard tail mountain bike for riding to work and back in the winter, in summer I ride part of trans pennie trail and wonder how they are on tarmac as the tread is short and looks fast rolling pattern.

I have already tried schwalbe city jets but I've found these to be too hard and a harsh ride on tarmac or maybe I'm too used to the give and flex of a mtb tyre even at 35-40psi.

I currently have racing ralphs on and need to change the rear as its very worn and cut up from glass and other stuff on the roads and fancy a change to a different tyre.

As race kings are very good on hard pack and roll well does this carry over to smooth hard surfaces like tarmac etc?

Any other alternatives that I should look at?

cheers

Comments

  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Small Block 8s? Thunder Burt?

    You ideally want something cheap and hard if you're commuting, lots of the softer race tyres will just get shredded commuting.
  • swod1
    swod1 Posts: 1,639
    njee20 wrote:
    Small Block 8s? Thunder Burt?

    You ideally want something cheap and hard if you're commuting, lots of the softer race tyres will just get shredded commuting.

    yeah that's what I thought as the racing ralph on the rear is the evo pacestar compound so has worn rather quickly and has a few cuts in it.

    The city jets I tried the ride was just too harsh and I hated riding the bike on those tyres, I know they were cheap though.

    The race kings I thought about because you can get folding standard versions that I guess would last pretty well.

    Now I'm not going to be riding as much off road on the way home through winter, I can take the nobby nic tyre off the front too.
  • paulmon
    paulmon Posts: 315
    What about something like the Conti Sport Contact. I rode these on my HT for ages, crap off road but really fast rolling on tarmac.

    P
  • swod1
    swod1 Posts: 1,639
    PaulMon wrote:
    What about something like the Conti Sport Contact. I rode these on my HT for ages, crap off road but really fast rolling on tarmac.P

    Yeah I will take a look at those too, its just for the winter commuting into work as its more road based and the tyres on my bike currently aren't so draggy just not really suitable for road riding.

    I already get looks off the roadies for not being lyrca clad and riding a road bike with those funny shaped handlebars :mrgreen:
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    If you think the CJ's are harsh, the. Almost any narrow road tyre will be, I'd go with small block 8, or maybe as a left field choice Schwalbe Big Apple.....
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • swod1
    swod1 Posts: 1,639
    The Rookie wrote:
    If you think the CJ's are harsh, the. Almost any narrow road tyre will be, I'd go with small block 8, or maybe as a left field choice Schwalbe Big Apple.....

    Yeah or maybe the city jets are a harsh ride because they are cheap and you get what you pay for?

    looking at them race kings they are pretty heavy anyway for the non black chilli folding version 650g not that weight matters that much.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    I have ridden a range of different 26x1.5 slicks on my commuter and can't say that at 60psi the CJs were noticeably harsher than any other, that includes Sport Contacts, Slickasaurus, RiBMo, and Nimbus, the Nimbus feel worst to ride (can't quite put my finger in why, but they were definitely not as nice as the others) but the CJ's were the draggiest by a small margin.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.