
- Continental has added a range of new tyres, to its mountain bike product line.
- Riders can choose from three rubber compounds, depending on requirements relating to grip and durability.
- These new tyres have very original names, typical for the German tyre industry, when it comes to mountain bike product.
Like many automotive tyre suppliers, Continental has a cycling product portfolio.
But among the company’s mountain bike tyre offering, there has a been a lack of dedicated enduro and gravity racing rubber.
The feedback loop for new product development can be excellent when you have access to downhill mountain biking’s most successful racing dynasty as team riders.
With Continental being tyre sponsors to the Athertons, it was only a question of time before they would influence a new tyre line.
Technical rock gardens, big jumps and harsh landings are all features of the Dyfi bike park in Wales. And during various stages of the pandemic lockdown, the Athertons were riding manty laps, testing Continental’s prototype tyres.
If you like your mountain bike tyres with names that sound like science fiction villains, these new Continental mountain bike tyres will appeal. Xynotal. Kryptotal. Argotal. Hydrotal.
There's Kryptotal for each end
The naming convention might be strange, but there’s nothing odd about Continental’s tyre engineering.
Riders can choose from a selection of robust casings and three rubber compounds: endurance, soft and super soft.
For riders who believe in running front- and rear-specific tyres, the Kryptotal has a derivative for each purpose.
Even better grip
Seeking the best possible terrain and cornering grip? That will be the Argotal. It features even taller tread blocks than the Kryptotal (front), and they are all siped.
The Argotal tread pattern has dual horizontal tread blocks in every third row to improve braking performance, with alternating centre tread blocks being double-siped.
Speed and control on dry singletrack
A tyre of specific interest to South African riders is the Xynotal. Continental designed it to work best on dry trails.
With most South African trail networks featuring loose-over-hardpack trails, the Xynotal’s centre tread pattern should work a treat.
It has an alternate arrangement of two- and three-row tread blocks, should provide great rolling speed and braking stability.
The one for wet and wild conditions
The most extreme tyre in Continental’s new product range is its Hyrototal. It is a dedicated wet weather mountain bike tyre that rolls very slowly, but has huge tread blocks to find grip below a muddy surface.
Helping the Hydrotal to shed mud while rolling downhill, it has a tread pattern with large spaces between the grip blocks. That might make it roll very slowly on level ground, but you’ll appreciate the braking and turning grip on a steep, slick downhill trail.
Continental’s latest tyres are available in 29 x 2.4” and 29 x 2.6” sizes, weighing between 1040- and 1290g.