Continental Mountain King 2.4″: Out of The Box
March 6th, 2008 by Guitar Ted
Twenty Nine Inches has recieved a pair of Continental Mountain King 2.4″ 29″er foldable tires for test/review. These are one of two widths available, the other being a 2.2″ width.
Continental lists these tires in their spec sheet in the traditional manner- 28 X 2.4- but someone in the marketing department must have heard the complaints of the North American market because the side wall of the Mountain King is emblazoned with “29 Inch” in big bold lettering. The box the tires come in is also labeled “29 X 2.4″. Maybe not a big deal, but I noticed all the same.
Other specifications on the Mountain King are as follows: Three fabric ply construction for a total TPI count of 180. (Continental, and Schwalbe for that matter, add the thread per inch count, or “TPI”, of each ply and total it to get 180) Claimed weight is 860 grams for the 2.4 incher. Continental recommends an air pressure of 50 psi and a maximum air pressure of 65psi. The Mountain King is said to be “excellent” for use as a rear tire, for road, gravel, and mud. It is said to be “outstanding” on hard pack and as a front tire. Continental says the Mountain King is a “light weight” and “large volume” tire for all around use.
Okay, so what is the real deal here? Well, out of the box, our two sample tires weighed 760 grams each, a full 100 grams less than claimed. So, that was a nice surprise. The side walls felt fairly beefy, not unlike a few other tires we have been getting here lately. The knob pattern is made up of various geometric shapes and is a rather open looking tread pattern. It looks like it may clear mud fairly well, and we’ll be getting into that season here shortly, so we’ll find out soon enough.
The next step will be to mount them up and take some measurements. I will be taking these to El Paso, Texas soon to ride them in some rocky desert conditions. Continental says these are good for “gravel”, so we’ll test them on some bigger rocks and then bring them back to Iowa for some real gravel riding.
Look for updates on these and all of our other tire reviews in process soon.
What is RSS?
Get our articles in your inbox:
I cannot remember ever using 50psi for any offroad tire, other than to seat it onto the rim. A tire of that size (narrowish 2.4) would end up in the high 20’s on my bike.
Or am I supposed to ride a full suspension bike with this tire, so tire pressure doesn’t matter?
Did a 9 hour in Wales on them 2 days ago. [Wales + Winter = mud]
They rail fast tarmac and grass turns better than Nevagals [less edgy] and seem a little quicker on hard ground
Though the air volume looks the same they are a rounder profile and a little narrower.
The front doesn’t skate like the Nevagal and the back hooks up better, just about as well as a Trailraker [top UK designed mud tyre] which means the tyre itself isn’t quite as good but is compensated by it’s greater circumference.
It’s not really a true mud tyre, the blocks are a touch too close for that, but it looks to be good enough to keep on year round.
Made in Germany, bought from the States!
I have tried every 29er tire I can find. While this tire is more like a 2.3 than a 2.4, it is the best all arounder I have ridden here in NJ. I prefer the Python for the dry summer months but this is a better all around tire. It rolls fast and is very predictable in the coners. The rubber is gummy and it feels like it should tear off the casing but it does not. I find it equally well suited for both F & R use. As for now this is my favorite 29er tire. Now if they would just make it in tubeless ready.
Cloxxki: You already know the answer.
But for those wondering, many 29″er tires are marked with such odd pressure ratings. Geax Saguaro tires, for instance, are marked with a minimum pressure rating of 37psi. I don’t think Captain Bob or I ever ran them at that high a pressure. Several tires are marked with a lower limit on pressure in the upper 30’s psi.
Mountain bikers, being such rebels, probably never pay any attention to pressure ratings. I’ve a feeling it has more to do with concerns from the legal departments of companies than it does the engineering side in most cases.
They’re probably alarmed at the possibility of claims arising from snakebites [would be funny if it wasn't possibly true]
The side wall thickness sounds like a real benefit here in Arizona where everything is out to tear tires down. At 2.4 though I would think I was getting ready for some down hill runs and not a XC ride.
I just put on the 2.2 ’s. They are actually 2 inches wide-outside knob to outside knob. They look great. Can’t wait to get out-if only the weather would cooperate. Minus #’s are no fun for me to ride in.
I have a set of the 2.4’s. At the widest part, knob to knob, they measure 60mm. This mounted to a 27.5 mm rim.
Great tire.
Oops, forgot to include tire pressure: 2 Bar or 29psi.
Interesting comparing these to Nevegals. I have a set of 2.35 Negevals on my Yeti 575 and I am not impressed. The transition from sticking to sliding in corners is horrible at anything above about 22psi (with a 145# rider and Stans) in high desert hardpack. I saw these Continentals at NAHBS and they looked pretty impressive. Nice to hear some positive responses. I think I’ll try some.
Guitar Ted,
I can’t wait for the review, I have wondered for a while how the very different tread of Conti tires handles in the desert.
I’m running these tubeless and I had a couple of rides in the wet and mud. Best tire I’ve tried for that, but I haven’t tried them all. 2.4 front, 2.2 rear.
these tires are fast and clear mud well, they track great and they are not the best against pinch flats. BUT they really do preform well. I used them for a 12 hour race and some other smaller riding. both MTB sizes and I enjoyed them heaps. in 26 inch they come in 4 types and 2 widths.
Also , just some advice. Do not ride this tire on the road. they burn out VERY fast. so keep em on the soft stuff and they will keep you happy.
(Sydney Australia).