Coming off the launch of the new GP5000 TL tubeless high-performance road tire, Continental is dropping two new tires just before Eurobike. The new Terra line fills an empty spot in the band’s line up in the ever-growing gravel segment. The Terra Speed and Terra Trail aim to cover your riding, no matter how fast or gnar filled it may be.
Previously, if you were a Continental fan, and wanted a product for gravel, you’d either look to the King cyclocross line, or if you were running 650b’s, maybe to Cross, Race, or Speed King mountain bike tires. Mountain tires are a bit overkill and potentially too wide for many bikes, and cross tires are okay, but are a little skinny, as gravel tires usually come in at about 40mm. The Terra line solves these issues, giving you an option for fast, dry days, and another for muddy and gnarly courses.
The Terra line brings some familiar technologies from the German brand. The tread uses their BlackChili compound, which is a special blend of polymers and natural rubbers to create a tread material that reduces rolling resistance, increases grip, and makes for a longer wearing tire. Depending on the product line, the compound is tweaked to meet the needs of the rider. Continental also added the ProTection technology to add, well, protection, to the tire. They use four plys under the tread, and three on the sidewalls to provide bead to bead protection against cuts and punctures while keeping the tire supple.
The newest technology that we saw rolled out on the GP5000 TL is also included, Continental’s Tubeless Ready design. The rim bead design provides a solid seal and stable platform for the tire to work with the rim. The brand claims their new tubeless tires for the road are easy to install and reliable in use, but we are waiting for our test set of GP5000 TL’s to see for ourselves.
Terra Speed
The Terra Speed is your go fast tire for dry conditions on less challenging surfaces. It uses a mix of round, diamond, and hexagonal shaped treads that are more densely packed down the center to reduce rolling resistance. Slightly taller treads on the side that are more widely spaced provide grip in the corners and on loose surfaces.
The Speed is available in 650b x 35mm and 40mm, and 700c x 35mm and 40mm. Claimed weights range from 390g to 420g, which is pretty competitive.
Terra Trail
The Terra Trail is for the demanding days on the bike. The more pronounced tread pattern adds traction the further off-road you get. The center tread blocks are larger than those on the speed, but still have a good concentration down the center for road riding. As you start to get further down the shoulder of the tire, the blocks get taller and more aggressive.
The Trail is offered in just two sizes, 650b x 40mm and 700c x 40mm. Claimed weights are 440g and 460g respectively, which again, is pretty competitive for a tire in this category.
From a purely aesthetic perspective, we are excited to see that both tires will be available in black and tan sidewalls. Something about a classic, tan sidewall just looks great on a bike, and combining it with tubeless-ready already makes these a winner in my book.
Both tires are available now through your local Continental dealer. We don’t have US pricing at the time of publication, but European pricing is set at €57.90.
https://www.continental-tires.com/bicycle/tires
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