My full review of the Continental Enduro tires after running them for a few months. Does anyone else have experience with these tires? patreon.com/briancahal
You definitely need to try the downhill casing in super soft. I’ve been running mine for about a year and a half now and I’ve been amazed with the performance. I was running an Assegai in max grip front and then a DHR ll rear in max terra, and in my opinion the continental are quite a bit grippier, faster rolling, and last way longer. It sounds like they have the downhill casing lineup really dialed, but everything else seems to be a bit, eh, like you were explaining in the video.
Ive had the same experience. been running the Conti on my dh and look forward to trying on my trail bike next. will likely go straight to the dh/ss for the front. I wish there was a dh/soft rear
I felt different. Had the dh casing ones on for the summer. I felt the assegai had better grip on front but my biggest issue was the contis would grip really well unless they didn't. I felt like the front was easier to wash on accident. I went back to maxxis. I like the way the assegai feels on front better and I like how the dhr2 feels more predictable to me. The contis did roll faster I think.
I have the complete opposite experience with the conti´s in the enduro casing & soft compound like you. For me best tires so far and much better than Maxxis in DD.
Im running the supersoft in the front and the soft in the rear (both DH casing) and have been really enjoying them. Coming from an Assegai EXO+ Maxxgrip/DHR II DD Maxterra I find they offer pretty similar grip, roll quicker and last way longer.
Maxxis DD 27.5 DHR2 weighs 1170g, 29 is even more of course I've ridden Trail Endurance casing ones and they are awful really... zero grip on side knobs unless it gets very soft and it can dig in. Switched to DHF/DHR2 maxxterra and never looked back - night and day difference
I have had very bad luck with the CONTINENTAL enduro casing, every ride I was getting a pinch flat doing easy blue trails, i never had any issues with the EXO+, I had to swap that tire cuz I had to put like 6 plugs in little over a month, now im testing the specialized butcher/eliminator combo in grid trail casing.
Agree, the enduro casing should have 4 ply carcass instead of 3 under the tread and also they should bump it up to 3 ply on the sidewall. Its the exact same as the trail casing but with a apex insert for pinch protection. Im running the enduro front and rear. Once these are done. I'm going back to Schwalbe. They are releasing the enduro casing in supersoft soon. I might eventually try them again but with dh casing front tire in the rear in super soft and enduro supersoft in the front. I feel like the rear specific tire is too drifty for how I like to ride.
Locally (I'm in your area) I found the conti combo that works is Kryptotal RE rear and argotal front. I want supersoft front and soft rear. It's the most similar to assegai/dhrII. It wears better, doesn't brake as well in rear, doesn't wobble. I've tried DH and enduro casings. The DH casing is super super supple and the supersoft is quite a bit more grippy. I couldn't really get along well with the kryptotal front. It rolls super fast but it washes irrespective of compound on our local soil.
DH Sup Soft front and DH soft rear......absolute money and super popular.... It the enduro casing is pretty good but soft for the front isnt great, conti has the enduro super soft coming soon.
the DH casing Kryptotal Fr weighs just about the same as a DD Assegai so it makes for a pretty good comparison. It's unfortunate that they don't make the super soft in any of the other casings as the soft is definitely not as grippy as id like for a front tire.
It’s interesting how we all get so familiar with maxxis even minor changes to sidewall stiffness can be off putting. I recently put some Michelin wild enduros on my enduro bike. The tyre carcass is so stiff I have to run low tyre pressure for comfort and grip. The compound is also noticeably stiffer.
The new Michelin lineup is way different in the carcass. DH tires are now flexible bead vs steel old one´s,very different tire construction than before and those changes works way better. I have been on DH22 front and DH16 rear all summer and I think the DH22 is one of the best front tires on the market. The new carcass is way softer,the rubber is very soft,rounder profile and more volume made it a very comfortable tire to ride compared to the wire bead version (old model). The enduro tire is a carbon copy,a little lighter and a touch harder but pretty good. They made the perfect changes to the DH22 IMO,but wear way quicker than before. I like it more than the Assegai for the front tire,it rolls faster and the cornering grip is really easy to understand and trust.
I think you've hit the nail on the head here. I agree with you 100%. Just put my Maxxis EXO+ Assegai / DD DHR2 back on and the improvement was immediate and noticeable.
Without fail, every single person I've talked to who also loves continentals is on the DH casing, everyone who doesn't only tried enduro or trail. Kind of a shame, you are better off putting up with the 2x wear of maxxis if you want something lighter. Something I'm curious about, however, is whether the enduro casing is just poorly designed or if it has something to do with the China vs Germany factory. Anyone have any anecdotal experience with the same casing out of both factories? Before putting dh tires on everything I was blowing up made in China enduro casings much easier than exo+ tires
The first batch that got rave reviews were all Germany. The second batch was China. You will notice there is no longer perfect mould alignment in the center lug closed sipe and the hot patch on the side is a slightly different colour. Both of these issues come from the Germany batches as well now but to a much smaller degree. I have a set of Kryptotal Enduro soft and I put them on my Trail 429 Enduro build which is the best home I have for them, fast rolling 120mm travel bike I ride primarily with my young kids. I have Assegai 2.5 MaxxGrip/DHR 2 MaxTerra EXO+ on my mid travel bike (Hightower) and my bigger all mountain 160/157mm travel bike has Highroller 3 MaxGrip/DHR DD on it. Need more time to compare but the only Conti I’d buy again is the DH to try, I won’t buy poorly aligned ones from China. I went to buy some DH casing examples to try the Super Soft but they all had poor alignment from the mould so I skipped em.
@@justinfournier1285 The DH tires are great, I feel no need to try anything else anymore, but that's only because I don't have any bikes where I care about weight Just checked and both of my fronts are misaligned by maybe .5mm. Still better quality overall than maxxis, though I can't say the same for the enduro casings I've had that came out of China
@@godstrashman With Maxxis, every store around me carries dozens of tires so I can always find a freshy with perfect alignment. However the same isn’t true of Conti. Only a couple stores carry them and only a handful at a time. I’m very curious to know what casing changes were made to the DH HR3, and if that carried down to other casings. I’ll keep an eye open for a Kryptotal F DH Super soft to try. But I’m not buying poorly aligned ones. That’s just my OCD. Hoping the Argotal is the comparable tire to the HR3.
Trail casing is definately very light/average. Ran downhill the longest time and it was brilliant, had an enduro argotal and it was definately squirmy, waiting for the enduro ss release to try them out as a krptotal set again. Definately a fast and good wearing tyre
Slashed two Kryptotals on my local trails - never slashed a tyre so bad. Always ridden Maxxis tyres and only slashed one in 16 years of riding. They are grippy and roll well but the durability is horrible.
i use (fr) Argotal Enduro Soft and a bit disappointed with cornering. it's really hard to fully control this tire. don't know how DH Supersoft works, but enduro casing is not my best choice. but.. Conti last longer then (Maxxis) and cant be damage with ease. Argotal DH Soft (re) still works great and think i will change it in a half of 2025👏 for krytptotal DH SS or new radial schalbe.
I ride these on rocks and pebbles. I rode them on grass with no issue. I have a lot of confidence built up thanks to their grip. No issues on mud whatsoever. I ride them at 2.0 psi with the same fork you used in the competition. Maybe you got used to Maxxis which for me are a no go.
Agree with everything word for word I had exact same experience with those casings and compounds. Definitely try the DH super softs though. I did 100k vert 200 miles in 6 days in the alps and they were incredible in every way- sidewall, grip, rolling, and literally the slowest wearing tires I’ve ever seen even with their super soft compound. They were not the easiest to pedal but everything around 1300-1500g feels the same to me pedaling.
I LOVE the Krpytotals, but only in the super soft DH casing F/R (DH casing even on my Enduro rig). Previously was religious DHR2 and Assegai (DD, MG), which are still awesome but I like the Kryptotals even more. The Supersoft is a little less sticky than Maxxis Maxgrip, but not far off, but the casing support feels better on the conti's.
Their naming scheme makes absolutely no sense. The “dh” casing is constructed almost identically to schwable “super gravity” casing. And the enduro is pretty similar to schwable “trail” casing. The schwable tacky chan’s in super soft/ super gravity is my favorite right now. Intuitive and sharp feeling and gets better the harder you push. Casing strikes a good balance of durability and weight. My only complaint is the rear wears relatively fast, similarly ramped center knobs like the dissector seem to suffer from this same problem, but even worn they feel great f/r If you have a chance give those a try!
Thanks for the breakdown! I was considering swapping to these from my stereotypical assegai/dhrII. I feel I'm going to be looking up a lot more videos comparing casing/compound between the two brands.
Been running maxxis for years and kryptotals for 2 years. Specifically and only krypto enduro soft. Krypto front was horrible for dry/loose SoCal trails. Removed it after 2 rides due to excessive front washouts and replaced with Assegai EXO+. Krypto rear is overall fantastic no issues for few thousand miles and excellent overall grip and braking. Video doesn’t mention TPI at all. Continental doesn’t clearly advertise TPI/casing details but it’s basically more layers than just 1 or 2 for maxxis (I believe Krypto 3 or 6 for enduro or DH) but much thinner like 330 or 660 vs 60 or 120 maxxis. One of my rear kryptos survived a broken rim no issues. When you install the tire, casing feels closer to thickness of DD than EXO+. The Krypto enduro soft compound seems closer to dual compound I’ve had in my aggressors. It’s quite hard and lasts long.
All of your observations are valid and from my view, accurate. I’ve recently swapped from an EXO+ set of DF/DH 29” and find the Enduro casing to be more precise than 11:48 MXS. Probably the harder compound is doing this, or maybe the slight reduction in size of the front. My next set will be the DH soft front and Medium ( if ever made) rear. Excellent, credible review. 👍
Thx for the comparison. I was wondering about the Conti Enduro Casings how they compare to my current Maxxis DD setup. I don't understand why they don't offer SuperSoft for the Enduro Casing. I can really trust the Assegai MaxxGrip on my front and definitely don't want to downgrade regarding in grip.
I removed the kryptotal line from my bikes because of the square profile. But I do like the argotal dh ss. You want them to label the 1100g Trail tire an "xc" casing? lol.
Thanks for the honest review. Where I live it's mostly dry and very rocky with has sharp edges. I know a few people who had sidewall slashes on their Enduro Soft Kryptotal Rears. A mate of mine has already had two slashes, in both cases he had to use a tube to continue and then binned the tyre. He also used the Enduro Soft Kryptotal Front for a short period but found it unpredictable compared to Magic Mary Supertrail Ultrasoft and Michelin Wild Enduro front. The positive aspects of the Kryptotals are rolling speed, good braking and amazing wear rate (for a mid compound). I have an Enduro Soft Xynotal on the rear paired with a Maxxgrip Exo+ Assegai on the front on my 140mm bike and I'd say it has been great for what I want from it. In contrast to your findings I like the Conti Soft compound more than Maxxterra in the wet. I found it was surprisingly good at climbing wet slabs, despite the heavily ramped knobs (which were my initial concern with the design). Braking grip is great for a "fast" tyre and the difference in rolling speed was immediately felt when freewheeling/pumping flow trails. I like long, pedally rides, often ride to the trails and rarely shuttle, so a tyre that does not suck my soul when pedalling while still performing on the DH is important. I'd say so far it's one of the best I've tried for this purpose and I'll probably buy it again.
I have tried all type of contis. Best tires set up is DH SS in the Front. Enduro soft Rear and DH S or DH SS. currently i have DH SS Front. Enduro soft Rear. they are heavy but they roll good and traction is good with those setup. Do SS in Front. I might try Enduro SS Front for regular trail use when it comes out. Enduro SS Front, Enduro S Rear.
I'm much faster on the conti and I can lean into turns and burns more than the maxxis. So many factors bike, riding skill. Get a tire that works for you even if it's from Temu as long as they work for you and you feel confident.
Do you think the Kryptotal-fr would work as a rear tire for more pedal-oriented bike that is also ridden in technical terrain? I'm hoping for trail casing with soft compound, sounds like ideal combo for a trail bike.
You have to a run tire inserts with endurance casing! I made the mistake of buying them Couldn’t ride them too much tire roll! Put Cush Core front and back fixed the problem but would not recommend or buy again!!
I'm on The Kryptotal tires myself after transitioning from maxxis and these Kryptotal tires are so stiff that after many hours on them i would say my sweet spot on PSI is at 26 rear on the DH and 22 front on the enduro.
same here, enduro casing rear lasted an Enduro Training day and the first two race stages. Ripped the casing fairly early into stage 3. Currently giving them a second try in the DH casing since the tyres felt amazing.
Friend of mine got the same front time for cheap he had the same issues even tried to put a cushcore in there to see if it helped it didn’t, would be interested to see what you think of the dh casing
I have the kryptotals in DH supersoft and they have amazing grip but absolutely zero rolling resistance and they are super heavy. Amazing on any downhill though…
Dude I have the krypotals front and rear. The rear is a dh casing soft. Love it. Front is a krypotal trail soft. It is so unpredictable conering on loose or dry socal dirt. I ordered the Argotal dh casing soft for the front. Hopefully that's the magic combo.
Good comparison. We talked about this briefly but I was on the trail casing Kryptotal FR with endurance compound up front and it was unrideable. The rubber compound was ridiculously stiff and did not grip at all. Like three steps below maxxterra. The maxxgrip assegai is just unbeatable for traction.
i have a conti der baron projekt on the front of my enduro rig, maxxis in the back and have been really loving it. low tpi with a tad smaller knobs is awesome. rides really fast and doesn’t get as gummed up in loam like my maxxis tires. so far it’s been solid!
I gave them a solid try just because online they seemed to be loved but I have pretty similar experience as you. I put around 500 miles on them to give myself a fair assessment and been back on maxxis after that. I think people are just hoping these are better than maxxis because it seems it’s “cool” to hate maxxis.
I've been riding Trail casing for just about a year. I think the main difference between these and Maxxis Exo+ is that the casing is just way more supple, hence the faster rolling (despite tall af nobs) and your burping/rolling. I'd say rear grips better than DHR and front grips worse than Assegai Maxx Grip. The tread holds up insanely well compared to Maxxis, like you said, but eventually my rear sidewall just pierced on nothing. My main beef is that I feel like I have better rear grip than front grip on my Trail Kryptos. But I'd like to try enduro casing next, to see if front grip is improved.
Usually agree with your reviews but my experience is polar opposite to yours and have been running Kryptotals since they released. I find the Kryp fr is my favorite front tire to date. I run enduro softs for aggressive trail riding and dh ss on my enduro bike. Also think the stiffer side knobs with grippier rubber on the surface is a plus. Doesn’t squirm like a maxxis tire.
Excellent video. I was between the Enduro and DH casing. I'll go with the DH now. Also unsure between soft and super soft. Was planning on super soft front, soft rear, but will go super soft on both. Want to try something besides Maxxis, and Conti seemed to be the next best reviewed tires.
In the rear I think the soft compound on the dh casing tire would perform well if you want faster rolling and longer wear. Sounds like you can't go wrong with super soft front and rear though.
I found that the soft compound made in Germany is way softer than the Chinese, so run a German xynotal enduro soft rear and MG assegai front Exo+ which is a great light combo. Will try the DH Krypto ss fr next
How do you even find out if it's made in China or Germany? I think that's a bit discouraging because the buyer is gonna be too busy trying to find a Chinese or German made tire instead of riding.
@@Doggepp yeah that's also what I'm thinking. Hopefully the prospective buyer can get some luck with his LBS having the "German made" ones in stock. If it's in any way true.
@@mangoshake either way, it is rumored that the super soft compound for both trail and enduro casing is supposedly coming any day now. So that should solve most peoples problems. Im thinking about grabbing a set then
I have enduro Kryptotals and do really like them but installing them was awful. MaxxTerra maxxis tires are so much easier to install. I think I'm going back to Assegai/DHR when the Contis wear out (which seems like it will be a while!)
Im running the Contis with the Enduro casing but the Re version front and rear. (i know at least 3 other people on that setup - running the rear tire in the front - and nobody that actually runs the front tire). so far ive been pretty happy with how they performed. (compared to specialized tires a ran before) Im running 1.3/1.5 bar with a total rider weight of about 75kg. for bikeparks i increase both wheels by 0.1 bar.
they are overrated. I was considering running them but heard nothing good about them. I would broaden my horizons if i were you if you think they are good tires
@@deanemberley2333 it really comes down to your use case. for me they fit perfectly. lightweight and their sidewalls hold up because im fairly light. the harder compound was actually a reason for me to buy them as they wont wear too fast and i wont have to buy multiple tires each season. ~90% of my riding is pedal access, so an easier rolling tire is exactly what i need. id say the my own review would be quite similar to that of brian with the only two differences being that i have no experience with the front version and that i dont run into the issues with the sidewalls not being strong enough, because again; im probably 15 kg lighter than brian and i dont ride as aggressively.
@@HannyDart i think the only one you are convincing is yourself. They certainly are’t that light if you want a fast rolling tire. a lot of what you are saying doesn’t make sense to be honest. anyway, if you like them then fine but they are’t good tires for their intended purpose like he explains in the video. Better options on the market but hey you do you 😆
I use the Conti Fr/Re combination for a while on my druidv2. Enduro casing in the front for the softer rubber and right now the trail casing in the back with a vittoria enduro insert. The back rolls soo good with the hard rubber but has a lot of issues on loose ground, where I had to go down to 20psi to get enough grip to not wash out, which is too low for the chunky parts with me weighing 215lbs. For chunky stuff trail hard compound works ok with enough psi in it and can be drifted pretty well. The enduro front Kryptotal seems ok with me. Still like the magic mary/ big betty combination on my dreadnought a lot more.. For pedally days on my druid, the contis are ok.. I do not like maxxis very much but they rock for the combinations of casing and compound they sell. Getting a really light casing with the maxxgrip compound is something every manufacturer should consider. For me personally, Schwalbe strikes all my checkpoints. SuperTrail Casing up front with ultrasoft rubber and SuperTrail or Gravity Casing up back with soft rubber. Never had a puncture, rolls acceptably well and has tons of grip with MM/BB combo. In the end my riding lvl is not anywhere near yours, so your 2 cents of them is nice to hear.
Do you prefer the feel of schwalbe then? For me the maxxis feel is unbeatable, other tyres feel more dead and “boring”. Also aesthetically maxxis patterns are more pleasing haha. Also a selling point valid or not
@@DandyHippo i do like the schwalbe feeling, used the assegai with dissector,Aggressor and dhr2 rear. It was ok, but rolling resistance felt too high. My all time favorite Front tire still is the kenda hellkat in aec Enduro casing. I love that thing. Too bad it seals soooo bad mounting it tubeless
What's your opinion on the Maven brakes that came on the Stumpjumper 15? I currently have Magura Mt5s on my Enduro bike and after a recent park day am thinking about upgrading
So far really good. Running the bronze ones, they have maintained decent feel and tons of power. Expected the lever feel to deteriorate like code Rs but haven't yet. I'll do a video once I have a bit more time on them
I mean they're not the cheapest, but not nearly as bad as brands like maxxis. Really the only conti tires that cost over $100 are the DH casing tires. However, you can get trail casing for around $65 and enduro for like $85. Not too bad. If you want cheap tires that are decent, buy specialized.
@@CalebLove-ci8bvin europe maxxis are on a good discount always and contis only ones that are only 10 % discounted making them easily the most expensive especially in the dh/ss versions
Conti makes tires in Germany, India, and China. I've had the made in Germany, and they are noticeably better than the made in China tires. I've noticed that when they first came out, everything was made in Germany. Now, it's all coming out of China. We are being bamboozled by this tire company with the old bait and switch. I'm done with Continental forever😮🫡
You definitely need to try the downhill casing in super soft. I’ve been running mine for about a year and a half now and I’ve been amazed with the performance. I was running an Assegai in max grip front and then a DHR ll rear in max terra, and in my opinion the continental are quite a bit grippier, faster rolling, and last way longer. It sounds like they have the downhill casing lineup really dialed, but everything else seems to be a bit, eh, like you were explaining in the video.
Ive had the same experience. been running the Conti on my dh and look forward to trying on my trail bike next. will likely go straight to the dh/ss for the front. I wish there was a dh/soft rear
@@capitolraceworksThey do have Soft DH rear. That’s what I run.
yes
Looking to get new tires on my e-MTB. What combo conti’s do you run?
I felt different. Had the dh casing ones on for the summer. I felt the assegai had better grip on front but my biggest issue was the contis would grip really well unless they didn't. I felt like the front was easier to wash on accident. I went back to maxxis. I like the way the assegai feels on front better and I like how the dhr2 feels more predictable to me. The contis did roll faster I think.
this is why the Argotal Supersoft in Dh casing is the best conti front tire
I have the complete opposite experience with the conti´s in the enduro casing & soft compound like you. For me best tires so far and much better than Maxxis in DD.
Time to try a schwalbe radial? Ive been enjoying the albert ultra soft.
Does it make a difference and what tires were you using before?
Im running the supersoft in the front and the soft in the rear (both DH casing) and have been really enjoying them. Coming from an Assegai EXO+ Maxxgrip/DHR II DD Maxterra I find they offer pretty similar grip, roll quicker and last way longer.
Maxxis DD 27.5 DHR2 weighs 1170g, 29 is even more of course
I've ridden Trail Endurance casing ones and they are awful really... zero grip on side knobs unless it gets very soft and it can dig in.
Switched to DHF/DHR2 maxxterra and never looked back - night and day difference
I have had very bad luck with the CONTINENTAL enduro casing, every ride I was getting a pinch flat doing easy blue trails, i never had any issues with the EXO+, I had to swap that tire cuz I had to put like 6 plugs in little over a month, now im testing the specialized butcher/eliminator combo in grid trail casing.
Agree, the enduro casing should have 4 ply carcass instead of 3 under the tread and also they should bump it up to 3 ply on the sidewall. Its the exact same as the trail casing but with a apex insert for pinch protection. Im running the enduro front and rear. Once these are done. I'm going back to Schwalbe.
They are releasing the enduro casing in supersoft soon. I might eventually try them again but with dh casing front tire in the rear in super soft and enduro supersoft in the front. I feel like the rear specific tire is too drifty for how I like to ride.
I had the same feeling with them until I tried the DH Super Soft in the front. Hopefully the Enduro SS comes out soon and hits a nice middle ground.
Locally (I'm in your area) I found the conti combo that works is Kryptotal RE rear and argotal front. I want supersoft front and soft rear. It's the most similar to assegai/dhrII. It wears better, doesn't brake as well in rear, doesn't wobble. I've tried DH and enduro casings. The DH casing is super super supple and the supersoft is quite a bit more grippy.
I couldn't really get along well with the kryptotal front. It rolls super fast but it washes irrespective of compound on our local soil.
Argotal/high roller 3 very very similar tread pattern
I don’t race but I run krypt’s in the DH super soft while riding super steep loose stuff in Park City. I love em.
Thanks for your honest review.
I've been on the Trail casing Argotal/kryptotal @270lbs on a Kenevo SL riding nothing but chunk. 0 issues so far. But man they hook!
The ones I tried felt desd compared to maxxis, tbh not sure what casing bur probably endurance or enduro. Dh is where its at I presume
DH Sup Soft front and DH soft rear......absolute money and super popular.... It the enduro casing is pretty good but soft for the front isnt great, conti has the enduro super soft coming soon.
I did sipe the side knobs on a krf (used as rear). Improved cornering by a good bit. still Xn is the tire of the lineup for me
the DH casing Kryptotal Fr weighs just about the same as a DD Assegai so it makes for a pretty good comparison. It's unfortunate that they don't make the super soft in any of the other casings as the soft is definitely not as grippy as id like for a front tire.
It’s interesting how we all get so familiar with maxxis even minor changes to sidewall stiffness can be off putting. I recently put some Michelin wild enduros on my enduro bike. The tyre carcass is so stiff I have to run low tyre pressure for comfort and grip. The compound is also noticeably stiffer.
@@MasterChronometer it is, dislike it a lot. The feel is a very important characteristic in a tyre
The new Michelin lineup is way different in the carcass. DH tires are now flexible bead vs steel old one´s,very different tire construction than before and those changes works way better. I have been on DH22 front and DH16 rear all summer and I think the DH22 is one of the best front tires on the market. The new carcass is way softer,the rubber is very soft,rounder profile and more volume made it a very comfortable tire to ride compared to the wire bead version (old model). The enduro tire is a carbon copy,a little lighter and a touch harder but pretty good.
They made the perfect changes to the DH22 IMO,but wear way quicker than before. I like it more than the Assegai for the front tire,it rolls faster and the cornering grip is really easy to understand and trust.
@@josemorenoporras7506 whats a 16? I know 34 and 22 but damn
I think you've hit the nail on the head here. I agree with you 100%. Just put my Maxxis EXO+ Assegai / DD DHR2 back on and the improvement was immediate and noticeable.
I'm curious about Michelin WILD ENDURO vs WILD ENDURO Race VS WILD ENDURO MH Race
Without fail, every single person I've talked to who also loves continentals is on the DH casing, everyone who doesn't only tried enduro or trail. Kind of a shame, you are better off putting up with the 2x wear of maxxis if you want something lighter.
Something I'm curious about, however, is whether the enduro casing is just poorly designed or if it has something to do with the China vs Germany factory. Anyone have any anecdotal experience with the same casing out of both factories? Before putting dh tires on everything I was blowing up made in China enduro casings much easier than exo+ tires
The first batch that got rave reviews were all Germany. The second batch was China. You will notice there is no longer perfect mould alignment in the center lug closed sipe and the hot patch on the side is a slightly different colour. Both of these issues come from the Germany batches as well now but to a much smaller degree.
I have a set of Kryptotal Enduro soft and I put them on my Trail 429 Enduro build which is the best home I have for them, fast rolling 120mm travel bike I ride primarily with my young kids.
I have Assegai 2.5 MaxxGrip/DHR 2 MaxTerra EXO+ on my mid travel bike (Hightower) and my bigger all mountain 160/157mm travel bike has Highroller 3 MaxGrip/DHR DD on it. Need more time to compare but the only Conti I’d buy again is the DH to try, I won’t buy poorly aligned ones from China. I went to buy some DH casing examples to try the Super Soft but they all had poor alignment from the mould so I skipped em.
@@justinfournier1285 The DH tires are great, I feel no need to try anything else anymore, but that's only because I don't have any bikes where I care about weight
Just checked and both of my fronts are misaligned by maybe .5mm. Still better quality overall than maxxis, though I can't say the same for the enduro casings I've had that came out of China
@@godstrashman With Maxxis, every store around me carries dozens of tires so I can always find a freshy with perfect alignment.
However the same isn’t true of Conti. Only a couple stores carry them and only a handful at a time.
I’m very curious to know what casing changes were made to the DH HR3, and if that carried down to other casings.
I’ll keep an eye open for a Kryptotal F DH Super soft to try. But I’m not buying poorly aligned ones. That’s just my OCD.
Hoping the Argotal is the comparable tire to the HR3.
Trail casing is definately very light/average. Ran downhill the longest time and it was brilliant, had an enduro argotal and it was definately squirmy, waiting for the enduro ss release to try them out as a krptotal set again. Definately a fast and good wearing tyre
Slashed two Kryptotals on my local trails - never slashed a tyre so bad. Always ridden Maxxis tyres and only slashed one in 16 years of riding. They are grippy and roll well but the durability is horrible.
i use (fr) Argotal Enduro Soft and a bit disappointed with cornering. it's really hard to fully control this tire. don't know how DH Supersoft works, but enduro casing is not my best choice. but.. Conti last longer then (Maxxis) and cant be damage with ease. Argotal DH Soft (re) still works great and think i will change it in a half of 2025👏 for krytptotal DH SS or new radial schalbe.
I ride these on rocks and pebbles. I rode them on grass with no issue. I have a lot of confidence built up thanks to their grip. No issues on mud whatsoever. I ride them at 2.0 psi with the same fork you used in the competition. Maybe you got used to Maxxis which for me are a no go.
Agree with everything word for word I had exact same experience with those casings and compounds. Definitely try the DH super softs though. I did 100k vert 200 miles in 6 days in the alps and they were incredible in every way- sidewall, grip, rolling, and literally the slowest wearing tires I’ve ever seen even with their super soft compound. They were not the easiest to pedal but everything around 1300-1500g feels the same to me pedaling.
I LOVE the Krpytotals, but only in the super soft DH casing F/R (DH casing even on my Enduro rig). Previously was religious DHR2 and Assegai (DD, MG), which are still awesome but I like the Kryptotals even more. The Supersoft is a little less sticky than Maxxis Maxgrip, but not far off, but the casing support feels better on the conti's.
Using combo assegai kryptotal re soft(dh casing) and it is the best combo …. Last whole season
I agree completely. I went back to maxxis. The conti in dh casing felt similar to what you describe.
Interesting insight! I watched a video from Jeff Kendal Weed where he had a quite similar experience. Hoping they alter their lineup accordingly.
Their naming scheme makes absolutely no sense. The “dh” casing is constructed almost identically to schwable “super gravity” casing. And the enduro is pretty similar to schwable “trail” casing.
The schwable tacky chan’s in super soft/ super gravity is my favorite right now.
Intuitive and sharp feeling and gets better the harder you push.
Casing strikes a good balance of durability and weight.
My only complaint is the rear wears relatively fast, similarly ramped center knobs like the dissector seem to suffer from this same problem, but even worn they feel great f/r
If you have a chance give those a try!
schwable
Thanks for the breakdown! I was considering swapping to these from my stereotypical assegai/dhrII. I feel I'm going to be looking up a lot more videos comparing casing/compound between the two brands.
Been running maxxis for years and kryptotals for 2 years. Specifically and only krypto enduro soft. Krypto front was horrible for dry/loose SoCal trails. Removed it after 2 rides due to excessive front washouts and replaced with Assegai EXO+. Krypto rear is overall fantastic no issues for few thousand miles and excellent overall grip and braking. Video doesn’t mention TPI at all. Continental doesn’t clearly advertise TPI/casing details but it’s basically more layers than just 1 or 2 for maxxis (I believe Krypto 3 or 6 for enduro or DH) but much thinner like 330 or 660 vs 60 or 120 maxxis. One of my rear kryptos survived a broken rim no issues. When you install the tire, casing feels closer to thickness of DD than EXO+. The Krypto enduro soft compound seems closer to dual compound I’ve had in my aggressors. It’s quite hard and lasts long.
All of your observations are valid and from my view, accurate.
I’ve recently swapped from an EXO+ set of DF/DH 29” and find the Enduro casing to be more precise than 11:48 MXS. Probably the harder compound is doing this, or maybe the slight reduction in size of the front.
My next set will be the DH soft front and Medium ( if ever made) rear.
Excellent, credible review.
👍
Thx for the comparison. I was wondering about the Conti Enduro Casings how they compare to my current Maxxis DD setup. I don't understand why they don't offer SuperSoft for the Enduro Casing. I can really trust the Assegai MaxxGrip on my front and definitely don't want to downgrade regarding in grip.
You gotta have super soft on front. Also I think the Xynotal is designed more for loose over hard pack dry riding.
I removed the kryptotal line from my bikes because of the square profile. But I do like the argotal dh ss. You want them to label the 1100g Trail tire an "xc" casing? lol.
Thanks for the honest review. Where I live it's mostly dry and very rocky with has sharp edges. I know a few people who had sidewall slashes on their Enduro Soft Kryptotal Rears. A mate of mine has already had two slashes, in both cases he had to use a tube to continue and then binned the tyre. He also used the Enduro Soft Kryptotal Front for a short period but found it unpredictable compared to Magic Mary Supertrail Ultrasoft and Michelin Wild Enduro front. The positive aspects of the Kryptotals are rolling speed, good braking and amazing wear rate (for a mid compound). I have an Enduro Soft Xynotal on the rear paired with a Maxxgrip Exo+ Assegai on the front on my 140mm bike and I'd say it has been great for what I want from it. In contrast to your findings I like the Conti Soft compound more than Maxxterra in the wet. I found it was surprisingly good at climbing wet slabs, despite the heavily ramped knobs (which were my initial concern with the design). Braking grip is great for a "fast" tyre and the difference in rolling speed was immediately felt when freewheeling/pumping flow trails. I like long, pedally rides, often ride to the trails and rarely shuttle, so a tyre that does not suck my soul when pedalling while still performing on the DH is important. I'd say so far it's one of the best I've tried for this purpose and I'll probably buy it again.
I have tried all type of contis. Best tires set up is DH SS in the Front. Enduro soft Rear and DH S or DH SS. currently i have DH SS Front. Enduro soft Rear. they are heavy but they roll good and traction is good with those setup. Do SS in Front. I might try Enduro SS Front for regular trail use when it comes out. Enduro SS Front, Enduro S Rear.
I'm much faster on the conti and I can lean into turns and burns more than the maxxis. So many factors bike, riding skill. Get a tire that works for you even if it's from Temu as long as they work for you and you feel confident.
Do you think the Kryptotal-fr would work as a rear tire for more pedal-oriented bike that is also ridden in technical terrain?
I'm hoping for trail casing with soft compound, sounds like ideal combo for a trail bike.
You have to a run tire inserts with endurance casing! I made the mistake of buying them Couldn’t ride them too much tire roll! Put Cush Core front and back fixed the problem but would not recommend or buy again!!
I've heard they are coming out with a supersoft enduro.
I'm on The Kryptotal tires myself after transitioning from maxxis and these Kryptotal tires are so stiff that after many hours on them i would say my sweet spot on PSI is at 26 rear on the DH and 22 front on the enduro.
Id say the same. Always tell people the dh supersoft is sweet, the enduro soft is like maxterra exo to exo+. You at least said exo+ to dd.
. great review. I will avoid it. I just stick to dh casings softest compound
I ripped an enduro casing rear krypto on a mellow trail ... Tyre was awesome until that point... But now I'm on DH casing just in case...
same here, enduro casing rear lasted an Enduro Training day and the first two race stages. Ripped the casing fairly early into stage 3. Currently giving them a second try in the DH casing since the tyres felt amazing.
Same happened to me, was so good until it wasnt 😢😂
Friend of mine got the same front time for cheap he had the same issues even tried to put a cushcore in there to see if it helped it didn’t, would be interested to see what you think of the dh casing
I do like these tires however I don't like yellow lettering therefore I'm out, it would be nice if they gave you a choice
I'm using the Trail version on a Growler and haven't had an issue. I can only imagine the enduro or dh versions would be better.
What’s the next tire setup you’re going to try??
Good on the rear, went back to Magic Mary for the front.
I have the kryptotals in DH supersoft and they have amazing grip but absolutely zero rolling resistance and they are super heavy. Amazing on any downhill though…
"Zero rolling resistance" means they are fast. I feel you were trying to say the opposite?
It's hurt on your right leg.
How would the front work for front XC tire?
Dude I have the krypotals front and rear. The rear is a dh casing soft. Love it. Front is a krypotal trail soft. It is so unpredictable conering on loose or dry socal dirt. I ordered the Argotal dh casing soft for the front. Hopefully that's the magic combo.
you want the supersoft one....
Unpopular opinion perhaps but, my go tos atm are the Specialzed Cannibal and Hillbilly
Both look good... Want to test those next especially the Cannibal.
Did you use inserts?
No inserts
Argotal DH super soft 🔥
How do the Conti’s on the Stumpjumper compare to the stock specialized tires?
Better than the stock specialized
Good comparison. We talked about this briefly but I was on the trail casing Kryptotal FR with endurance compound up front and it was unrideable. The rubber compound was ridiculously stiff and did not grip at all. Like three steps below maxxterra. The maxxgrip assegai is just unbeatable for traction.
Low stack height?
I totally love these candid raw edit vids just telling your opinions based on your high level experience. Keep er coming!
Small hit on a root basically destroyed my front kryptotal. No more Continental for me.
i have a conti der baron projekt on the front of my enduro rig, maxxis in the back and have been really loving it. low tpi with a tad smaller knobs is awesome. rides really fast and doesn’t get as gummed up in loam like my maxxis tires. so far it’s been solid!
@brian - the DH casing is more similar to the maxxis DD, still dont prefer it over a standard DHF DHR combo, but its still pretty good.
I gave them a solid try just because online they seemed to be loved but I have pretty similar experience as you. I put around 500 miles on them to give myself a fair assessment and been back on maxxis after that. I think people are just hoping these are better than maxxis because it seems it’s “cool” to hate maxxis.
I've been riding Trail casing for just about a year. I think the main difference between these and Maxxis Exo+ is that the casing is just way more supple, hence the faster rolling (despite tall af nobs) and your burping/rolling. I'd say rear grips better than DHR and front grips worse than Assegai Maxx Grip. The tread holds up insanely well compared to Maxxis, like you said, but eventually my rear sidewall just pierced on nothing. My main beef is that I feel like I have better rear grip than front grip on my Trail Kryptos. But I'd like to try enduro casing next, to see if front grip is improved.
Usually agree with your reviews but my experience is polar opposite to yours and have been running Kryptotals since they released.
I find the Kryp fr is my favorite front tire to date. I run enduro softs for aggressive trail riding and dh ss on my enduro bike.
Also think the stiffer side knobs with grippier rubber on the surface is a plus. Doesn’t squirm like a maxxis tire.
Run the Krypto fr and re with enduro casing and soft compound…im really happy with it.
Thanks!
Can you talf abt handlebar flex
I did this video with vital a couple years ago th-cam.com/video/7YZo0jboZYI/w-d-xo.html
Excellent video. I was between the Enduro and DH casing. I'll go with the DH now. Also unsure between soft and super soft. Was planning on super soft front, soft rear, but will go super soft on both. Want to try something besides Maxxis, and Conti seemed to be the next best reviewed tires.
In the rear I think the soft compound on the dh casing tire would perform well if you want faster rolling and longer wear. Sounds like you can't go wrong with super soft front and rear though.
Good honest review, not like paid blah blah.....
Dont understand the hype on these tires they feel awful.
I found that the soft compound made in Germany is way softer than the Chinese, so run a German xynotal enduro soft rear and MG assegai front Exo+ which is a great light combo. Will try the DH Krypto ss fr next
How do you even find out if it's made in China or Germany? I think that's a bit discouraging because the buyer is gonna be too busy trying to find a Chinese or German made tire instead of riding.
Xynotal made in germany and kryptotal in china? Or? Explain if you know pls this was interesting if facts lmao
@@mangoshakeI believe it says on the tire itself. So not easy if you are buying online
@@Doggepp yeah that's also what I'm thinking. Hopefully the prospective buyer can get some luck with his LBS having the "German made" ones in stock. If it's in any way true.
@@mangoshake either way, it is rumored that the super soft compound for both trail and enduro casing is supposedly coming any day now. So that should solve most peoples problems. Im thinking about grabbing a set then
I have enduro Kryptotals and do really like them but installing them was awful. MaxxTerra maxxis tires are so much easier to install. I think I'm going back to Assegai/DHR when the Contis wear out (which seems like it will be a while!)
How does maxxterra or maxxgrip make a diff to installation.. the casing does (exo, exo plus, dd, dh)
Im running the Contis with the Enduro casing but the Re version front and rear. (i know at least 3 other people on that setup - running the rear tire in the front - and nobody that actually runs the front tire). so far ive been pretty happy with how they performed. (compared to specialized tires a ran before)
Im running 1.3/1.5 bar with a total rider weight of about 75kg. for bikeparks i increase both wheels by 0.1 bar.
they are overrated. I was considering running them but heard nothing good about them. I would broaden my horizons if i were you if you think they are good tires
@@deanemberley2333 it really comes down to your use case.
for me they fit perfectly. lightweight and their sidewalls hold up because im fairly light.
the harder compound was actually a reason for me to buy them as they wont wear too fast and i wont have to buy multiple tires each season.
~90% of my riding is pedal access, so an easier rolling tire is exactly what i need.
id say the my own review would be quite similar to that of brian with the only two differences being that i have no experience with the front version and that i dont run into the issues with the sidewalls not being strong enough, because again; im probably 15 kg lighter than brian and i dont ride as aggressively.
@@HannyDart i think the only one you are convincing is yourself. They certainly are’t that light if you want a fast rolling tire. a lot of what you are saying doesn’t make sense to be honest. anyway, if you like them then fine but they are’t good tires for their intended purpose like he explains in the video. Better options on the market but hey you do you 😆
@@deanemberley2333 did you watch the video? theres a niche for that tire.
need more Giant reign e content
Isn't there an super soft knob option?
Only in the downhill casing
@@briancahal darn i thought I saw an enduro in the super soft.
@@mellissanash7517you did. Coming to stores soon
I use the Conti Fr/Re combination for a while on my druidv2. Enduro casing in the front for the softer rubber and right now the trail casing in the back with a vittoria enduro insert. The back rolls soo good with the hard rubber but has a lot of issues on loose ground, where I had to go down to 20psi to get enough grip to not wash out, which is too low for the chunky parts with me weighing 215lbs. For chunky stuff trail hard compound works ok with enough psi in it and can be drifted pretty well. The enduro front Kryptotal seems ok with me. Still like the magic mary/ big betty combination on my dreadnought a lot more.. For pedally days on my druid, the contis are ok.. I do not like maxxis very much but they rock for the combinations of casing and compound they sell. Getting a really light casing with the maxxgrip compound is something every manufacturer should consider. For me personally, Schwalbe strikes all my checkpoints. SuperTrail Casing up front with ultrasoft rubber and SuperTrail or Gravity Casing up back with soft rubber. Never had a puncture, rolls acceptably well and has tons of grip with MM/BB combo.
In the end my riding lvl is not anywhere near yours, so your 2 cents of them is nice to hear.
Do you prefer the feel of schwalbe then? For me the maxxis feel is unbeatable, other tyres feel more dead and “boring”. Also aesthetically maxxis patterns are more pleasing haha. Also a selling point valid or not
@@DandyHippo i do like the schwalbe feeling, used the assegai with dissector,Aggressor and dhr2 rear. It was ok, but rolling resistance felt too high. My all time favorite Front tire still is the kenda hellkat in aec Enduro casing. I love that thing. Too bad it seals soooo bad mounting it tubeless
What's your opinion on the Maven brakes that came on the Stumpjumper 15? I currently have Magura Mt5s on my Enduro bike and after a recent park day am thinking about upgrading
So far really good. Running the bronze ones, they have maintained decent feel and tons of power. Expected the lever feel to deteriorate like code Rs but haven't yet. I'll do a video once I have a bit more time on them
@@briancahal Thanks for the reply. I'm looking forward to your video on them.
Awesome insight, question have you ever tried the specialized cannibal. I have heard a lot of good things about the tires.
I haven't but I've heard really good things as well. Keen to give them a try
@@briancahal think I may give them a go when specialized has a sale
Maybe you can try to ride your bike with shin guard.😏
They are so expensive
I mean they're not the cheapest, but not nearly as bad as brands like maxxis. Really the only conti tires that cost over $100 are the DH casing tires. However, you can get trail casing for around $65 and enduro for like $85. Not too bad.
If you want cheap tires that are decent, buy specialized.
@@CalebLove-ci8bvin europe maxxis are on a good discount always and contis only ones that are only 10 % discounted making them easily the most expensive especially in the dh/ss versions
@@DandyHippo Good to know! In the states, the general trend is maxxis = $$$.
price seems to really differ between regions. Got my initial enduro casing kryptos for 38€ (FR) and 45€ (RE) so not too bad overall
Conti makes tires in Germany, India, and China. I've had the made in Germany, and they are noticeably better than the made in China tires. I've noticed that when they first came out, everything was made in Germany. Now, it's all coming out of China.
We are being bamboozled by this tire company with the old bait and switch. I'm done with Continental forever😮🫡