Skip to main content

Continental Mountain King II 2.2in tyre


We used to dread seeing cheap Continental tyres on complete bikes but we started noticing they were sticking a lot better a few months ago. These affordable versions of classic Continental treads are now available aftermarket.

The tread patterns haven't changed and the Mountain King II is still a relatively growly and slow road roller. That's particularly noticeable if you run it both ends, so we generally pair it with an X-King rear to speed things up. The well-spaced knobs dig in determinedly in typical UK loose or soft woods/sheep track conditions making them a good off-piste real trail not trail centre choice.

The new PureGrip compound sticks on wet surfaces rather than sliding wildly off anything damp like the previous cheap Contis too so you can actually trust them to end up where you want.

While they're not officially tubeless ready they blow up really easily with a slop of sealant and the lightweight carcass means a buoyantly bouncy ride and agile feel for cut and pasting around the trail. The walls are very skinny though so don't drop pressures too low or it'll crumple and fold, particularly on the huge 2.4in versions.

Slightly slow but affordable off-piste grip that’s light for its size.

Weight 734g
Width 54mm
Height 50mm

Price 49$

Popular posts from this blog

KONA SHRED

With a reputation for no-nonsense ruggedness and a background in the always progressive and punishing riding of Canada, Kona have been building hardcore hardtails for longer than almost anyone else. The Shred is the most expensive bike on test but it’s a proper trail tank.

ENVE M50 29" Wheels

Utah based company ENVE have been making drool-worthy carbon components for some years now. Despite the fact that carbon rims are becoming more and more common on mountain bikes these days, you can guarantee that ENVE wheels will be a talking point when someone is eyeing off a steed. Instantly, the big bold logos on each rim scream "fast", "light" and to some extent, "expensive" The kids call this 'bling'.

CANYON NERVE AL 8.0

  S ince their entry into the UK market a few years ago, Canyon have made a name for themselves as purveyors of well-made bikes that exhibit often extraordinary value. The secret (or catch, depending on your point of view) is that the brand don’t have dealers – they ship bikes directly to your door.

COMMENCAL EL CAMINO 3

Commencal are going from strength to strength at the moment and they’ve taken their tough trail hardtail bang up to date with 650b wheels. With its skinny rims, crankset and fork, the El Camino certainly isn’t perfect and it’s the least hardcore bike here. The handling, smoothness, speed and all-round agility of the basic bike still make it a real blast for technical trail riding though, and it’s a great base for upgrading over time.

YT Tues downhill bike

The new Tues downhill bike is here – and won a World Cup on its first outing While a number of big brands have launched 29er downhill bikes,YT Industries are sticking with proven 650b wheels – for now, at least. The latest Tues comes in five sizes (S-XXL), with the biggest sporting a reach of 495mm. Head tube and chainstay lengths now vary between sizes, to put the rider in a better position on the bike. The S-L bikes have 435mm stays, while the XL and XXL are a shade longer, at 440mm. Reach is longer than last year on some sizes, including the XL ridden to victory by Aaron Gwin at this year’s openingWorld Cup round.A reachadjust headset can be used to tailor the fit further. YT have also made subtle but significant changes to the suspension. The initial stroke is said to be more sensitive, while there’s more mid-stroke support, to sit the bottom bracket a shade higher when on track.YT have decreased end-stroke progression, by five per cent, to make tackling really big hits th...