When Continental Hit Reset

When Continental hit reset on its XC tire lineup in 2025—retiring its legacy Kings series—the refresh was more than just cosmetic. Conti rolled out Dubnital, Trinotal, and Magnotal in a top-down overhaul, shifting the focus from flat-out speed to a progressive suite of XC and trail rubber. This rounds out the brand's reworked MTB portfolio, complementing the existing gravity range. Offered in 27.5" and 29" sizes, Magnotal sits at the meaty end of the XC line, available exclusively in Continental's Trail casing, as 2.4" or 2.6", with your choice of Grip or Soft compound. MSRP ranges from $77–$87 depending on the version.

Magnotal replaces Conti's classic Mountain King with a fully-reimagined tread pattern, updated compound options, smaller, densely-clustered knobs with taller relief-cut corner lugs that promise grippy control across a much wider range of terrain. Visually Magnotal would appear to rival a longtime favorite of mine, Maxxis' Rekon Race—a tire that shines in dry weather, but struggles in the wet. Here in the PNW, that means 3 seasons out of 4. My hunch is Magnotal's toothier profile may be better adapted for soft, drippy conditions, but how will it fare against the full force of PNW weather—and what's more, will it truly bridge the gap between downcountry and trail? Only one way to find out!

Post-Downcountry

But first let's be honest, the term downcountry does feel a bit long in the tooth. Even downcountry poster bikes (looking at you, Ripley SL) have all but pulled the label from the shelves. And for bikes, I totally get it. The lines between modern XC and trail riding are now so blurry, the term no longer makes strict categorical sense. But for tires, downcountry feels as relevant as ever. Hear me out.

The evolution of ever-rowdier, ever more progressive trail bike design has expanded the scope of trail riding so broadly that tire choice takes on ever-greater importance in fine-tuning for the specifics of terrain. This is the forum for locking in different riding modes—light, fast XC to moist loamy backcountry to blasting steep technical rock chutes—all by simply swapping out tires. This is where the term downcountry tells me something very specific about a tire, ideal use case, where it lands within a given hierarchy, its granular role, and range of expectations.

Initial Impressions

Right out of the box, Magnotal has a few noteworthy details. First and foremost—my LORD these tires smell good, like an intoxicating bouquet of wondrously dank, sticky new-rubber pheromones. Secondly, while the Magnotals do plump up (almost) true to size, the tread patch and shoulder lugs run a tad narrower than Rekon Race or Teravail Drawpoint. Also curious is the graphic iconography of Conti's new line, a sort of sidewall glyph-set presumably indicating things like casing, compound, and possibly some form of cryptic cosmic riddle. Enigmatic—but dang it sure looks cool.

Then there's the ever-cardinal metric of weight. Claimed numbers for the 27.5 x 2.4" versions vary—from roughly 745g (Grip) to around 800g (Soft) in the Soft/Grip pairing tested—but my scale tells a different story. The Soft compound landed at 724g, a staggering 76 grams under the published claim, a discrepancy so rare I weighed it three times just to be sure. The Grip model, meanwhile, registered 791g, well within normal tolerances, though notably heavier than the supposedly lighter option. It's not often real-world weight undercuts the spec sheet, let alone flips the script entirely. And I've gotta say, it feels like an unexpected win.

PNW dirt comes in a thousand flavors of nutrient-rich loam and glacial till, as such, around here Maxxis-speak tends to be lingua franca. In this parlance Conti's Soft compound is to MaxxGrip what Grip is to MaxxTerra. Counterintuitive, I know. At least the Soft part makes sense. And for those versed in the Big-S, this is basically T9 to T7. Got it? Good. All of this is to say, softer and grippier up front, fast-rolling in the rear tends to be standard operating procedure around these parts.

Climbing Upcountry

Mounted on my hardtail, the Magnotals hit the dirt with an absurd level of grip—I mean genuinely surprising tactile sensation of—I guess I would say connectedness. Digging deep into steep climbs and off-camber switchbacks, the Magnotals bite with a purchase closer to a Forekaster or Eliminator than an XC tire—without the bulk. An unexpected win right out of the gate. My Soft/Grip combo climbs with authority, rarely breaking traction during steep, punchy, out-of-saddle efforts up technical and sometimes loose terrain. Places where Rekon Race invariably slides out and bigger trail tires bog down with weight.

The same holds true across angular sidehill slopes where traction is boosted by flexy, gravity-inspired shoulder lugs—but more on those later. One thing I will note, and maybe it's an overall Conti thing, but they do feel a bit pressure-sensitive. They felt a bit hard out of the gate, so much so, I was compelled to air down a handful of times, but once I found the sweet spot, around 18 PSI, everything clicked.

Dirtbound and Down

While Magnotal's climbing dexterity is impressive, these tires don't truly come alive until you point them downhill. As I mentioned earlier, don't let the XC profile fool you: Magnotals rip like a legit trail tire, railing berms, loamers, and steeps with cornering and braking traction not unlike a minimalist Minion. Granted, they are not as adaptive or supple, but conversely—nowhere near as heavy. This is our trade-off. And these are precisely the crosshairs where the downcountry label remains relevant.

Zooming in on the tread details and shape of Magnotal's corner lugs, Conti packs a ton of descending traction into this lightweight design. Where a lot of tires employ bigger, wider, blockier knobs, which add rotational bulk, Magnotal opts for smaller, tighter center-tread clusters and a flexier recessed corner profile for a nice toothy bite. The design works remarkably well. The more I lean in, the stickier they get. The more I push into the red, the more they light up: fast and loose when you want it, with granular control on tap when you need it.

The Verdict

Magnotal makes a compelling pitch: lightweight, fast-rolling manners with a surprising reserve of trail-ready grip. The low-profile, clustered center spins up quickly and carries speed, while the toothier shoulders lock in tight through the corners. The result is a refined tire that feels light and lively under power, yet remarkably controlled when things get loose.

That balance is reinforced by impressive real-world weight—especially in the Soft compound—without sacrificing durability. Even pushed into moderate rocky tech, Conti's Trail casing is plenty tough, broadening Magnotal's scope beyond pure XC. Versatility is this tire's best asset: equally at home on wet-weather XC loops, moderate trail riding, bikepacking duty, and long-form endurance missions where reliability and traction are critical.

There are a few compromises. The slim tread patch limits grounded ride feel compared to burlier trail tires, and a mid-tier 2.2" option would be nice, but then again, that's why Kryptotal and Dubnital exist. Softer compounds and grippier tread tends to forfeit a bit of zip for a stickier ride feel—something you'll notice on pavement and hardpack sections.

Still, those tradeoffs feel deliberate. Magnotal isn't chasing flat-out speed or radial enduro heft—it's carving out intentional middle ground. For riders looking for that sweet spot between big-mile efficiency and descending control, it lands as a genuinely versatile bridge between downcountry and trail riding. Fast when you want it, grippy when you need it, and capable enough to go all day in the backcountry. For my money, Magnotal nails the elusive all-mountain tier: one step beyond racy XC but not quite enduro—less about massive sends and schralps—more about quietly refining the riding you actually do.