Continental 275 Trail King Protection Apex Mountain Bike Tire Reviews
I've lost track of how many tires I tested in 2019. Fortunately, the majority of them were well made and offered notable advantages in specific situations. With such assorted puncture-protected grip available on the market, it seemed implausible that I could selection a favorite flavor — until I rode the Der Baron Projekt ProTection Apex and Der Kaiser Projekt ProTection Apex combo from Continental Tires. After ane run down my daily test tracks, I knew that these tires were something special.
Following that commencement rip, I have enjoyed riding these tires on all sorts of terrain, over rain soaked and sun drenched tree roots, and they go on to impress. I blather nigh their supple soil encompass so ofttimes that a handful of my riding mates have mounted upwards a set for themselves. I don't typically gush over bike components, every bit most of them take clear faults and fortuitous characteristics, but these warrant every word. Bank check out the rubbery details below.
Der Baron Projekt ProTection Noon under the bars
To begin, let's get this very long product proper noun out of the way. The ProTection piece of the Der Baron moniker denotes that the tire contains three continuous plies nether the tread, and iii at the sidewalls, for maximum puncture protection. The Apex improver is a applied science Continental adult with their automotive tires to stiffen the sidewalls and provide proper damping. On the trail, the Apex layer reinforces the tire's sidewall to give information technology a sturdy ride graphic symbol, reducing the squirmy wormy sensations we all dislike when pushing difficult into turns.
On the tread front end, Continental has 2 singled-out rubber compounds to provide grip: Blackness Chili and Pure Grip. The tires I tested utilize the Black Chili compound, which sacrifices some longevity compared to the Pure Grip selection, in favor of improved grip and faster rolling speed. With the to a higher place components combined, the Der baron was designed as an enduro race tire, and Continental handily hit the mark with this one.
- MSRP: $81.91 (€79.49) Bachelor at Competitive Cyclist, JensonUSA, and other online retailers.
- Actual weight: 1022g (29 x ii.4 tested)
- Sizes: 29 10 2.four, 27.five x 2.4 or 2.6, 26 10 two.4
On the trail, the Der Baron grips moisture roots and rocks better than any tire I have ridden to engagement, far exceeding my expectations for any hunk of condom to maintain traction. While slamming through slick rock gardens it somehow holds the line, while I wait for the "marble in a washing machine" upshot, which I pleasantly didn't find with this tread. The siped Black Chili compound is pure magic on the loose and rowdy tracks the Der Baron was congenital for, belongings fast to off-slant clay and biting down in softer soil and mud. The eye, transition, and shoulder lugs get along seamlessly, and their marriage culminates in some impressive trail traction. This is a truthful all-arounder tire, provided your "all around" looks something like a modern enduro race runway.
The closest comparing tread I've tested (and coincidentally my prior favorite tire) would be the Michelin Wild Enduro, though the Der Baron feels grippier even so, and somehow simultaneously more supple and supportive. The Der Baron as well didn't leak any sealant through the sidewalls when I mounted information technology up like the Wild Enduro and a few other tires have.
Rolling resistance is on par with most comparable gravity tires, and it's certainly improve than some of the competition. While I didn't acquit any scientific experiments to assess the tire's resistance rating, I can say that it's non a noticeable amount of drag compared to other treads. On climbs, it feels like pedaling a descent-focused tire, just the slight bending on the leading edge of each lug helps information technology become upward there with a reasonable amount of attempt.
Finally, the Der Baron carcass offers conviction-inspiring support where information technology counts. I similar to run my front-tire pressure on the low side for maximum grip, and this casing is one of the most supple and supportive I take experienced. It conforms to the footing similar a much lighter tire just doesn't fold and squish around below the rim like one. Weighing just over a kilo, it's one of the lighter gravity tires I have tested, and with zero flats to study it seems Continental has their "lite, fast, and strong" game sorted out.
It's hard to decide the Der Baron'southward longevity since I wasn't able to vesture much tread off it over the terminal several months. Front tires often terminal quite a while, and even the central sipes are all the same visible on this one despite loads of asphalt climbing and rock strewn trail time. If I rode in muddier conditions I would definitely mount the Der Baron as a rear tire, and though it would testify its historic period faster out back, that ridiculous level of grip is well worth swapping tires occasionally.
Der Kaiser Projekt ProTection Apex at the rutter end
Per Continental'south suggestion, I paired the Der Baron with a Der Kaiser of the same casing and tread chemical compound. Since the tread blueprint and mounting location are the just differences between these two tires, I'll cutting right into it.
A key gene in the negligible rolling resistance character of this tire philharmonic is the slanted fundamental tread on the Der Kaiser. Where the tread meets the basis, its leading-edge has a shallow ramp resembling a cartoon triangle of cheese. That edge bites only plenty to maintain traction on steep climbs, while the opposite border acts similar a reversed moto sand-paddle, shoveling through the soil to slow things down. The ramped edges across the central rows of lugs arrive a little less desirable for throwing mud around, though it'southward not a terrible mud tire past whatever means.
- MSRP: $77.49 (€68.49) Available at REI, Wiggle, and other online retailers.
- Bodily weight: 1018g (29 10 2.4 tested)
- Sizes: 29 x 2.4, 27.5 x 2.4, 26 X ii.4
The merely error I found with the Der Kaiser is that its drift point, or the point where the tire loses traction under heavy forces like late-braking, is somewhat sudden. This is something that took a little time to feel comfy with, and once I did it became a non-issue. The migrate sensation is very like to that of a Maxxis High Roller 2. To put it more descriptively, there is a point when leaning the tire over toward its shoulder lugs where it tin lose traction quite abruptly. Over again, once a rider knows where that signal is information technology tin become normalized and forgotten. The upside of tires braking loose like this is that they are super piece of cake to Scandi-flick, or to perform whatsoever other rear-wheel rudder moves with. The Der Kaiser'south drifty tendency has certainly grown on me, and once the shoulder lugs are fully engaged the tire hooks up like a pair of college kids on a Tinder engagement.
Looking toward longevity, I did manage to give this tire the ultimate test. While it has donated the usual few millimeters of eye tread to our nearby stones, the impressive chemical element is that it hasn't flatted. I managed to break a carbon rim and dent another alloy hoop with this same tire mounted, and it is withal holding air as ever. When the carbon rim cracked, the Der Kaiser casing didn't spring any leaks and the sealant that now coats its outer carcass came from the crack in the carbon. I then mounted it on an blend rim, only to dent that rim on a rocky landing, and again the tire remained puncture free. Conspicuously, I should have been running an insert in my rear tire, and I will install a new i soon, just the fortitude of the ProTection Aramid casing has left me genuinely impressed.
While we all accept unlike tastes and expectations for traction, I tin't blazon enough good things about this set of tires. If yous like riding fast and hard on trails that were built to flat tires and throw riders off their line, you volition likely dig this combination of safety circles.
⭐️ Find the Continental Der Baron at Competitive Cyclist, JensonUSA, and other online retailers.
⭐️ Detect the Continental Der Kaiser is at REI, Wiggle, and other online retailers.
Cheers to Continental for sending these stellar tires for testing and review.
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Source: https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/grippiest-mtb-tires-of-the-year-continental-der-baron-and-der-kaiser-combo-review/
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