I got these in 28mm to replace my 25mm continental gatorskins, I immediately noticed some increased rolling resistance likely due to the tread on these tires. So far they have held up great, I'm a big fan of the reflective sidewall and the traction has been excellent. I ride a mix of dirtgravel and pavement on my commute and these have gripped well on all surfaces while wet and dry. Solid tire for the price
These donuts tasted horrible, but I found them to be excellent replacement tires for my bike. They're pretty ideal for commuting and the occasional weekend trek. They handled all that DC has thrown at them potholed streets, slick pavement, leafy bike lanes, shuttered government roads with aplomb. Great price, fast shipping.
Great on road and packed earth. This is where I do most of my riding, so I am very happy. Not so hot in the soft stuff. I have only ridden about 125 miles, so I can't address durability
I commute on my bike to and from work every day, year round. It works out to between 3,500 and 4,000 annual miles on that bike. I installed a Contact II 26 x 1.75 on my front wheel in June 2012 - and finally replaced it last week (September 2016). Four years at 3,500 () miles per year works out to - well, if I didn't keep meticulous maintenance records, I wouldn't believe it myself.
Most of my daily ride is on a reclaimed rail bed (so no glass, gravel or potholes) and the tire was worn nearly to the threads when I did replace it. To be honest I probably should have swapped it out a year earlier, but I wanted to see how far it would go and finally did only when the rubber began to separate from the threads in places. A couple of times in the latter stages of its life I suffered a couple of flats from debris that a newer tire probably would have repulsed, but I was still going several weeks or months without a problem.
I have to change out the rear tire every couple of years, but 6,000-8,000 miles is nothing to sneeze at either.
Anyhow I really like this tire - it's perfect for my uses and I'll keep buying them as long as Continental keeps making them.
Sturdy, not too heavy, and great visibility at night. This is my second set, but the first lasted more than two years of regular commuting and weekend road light gravel adventures.
Purchased the 700x37 size. As others have said, they seem not as wide as the specified. Other than that they run smooth as silk and absorb the bumps really well!! Well worth the upgrade from stock Trek FX tires which were already great.
I purchased these tires as part of a revival of my daughters vintage Trek 800 Sport. These tires really added some pep to her rides over the old knobby tires as she mainly rides it now for fitness, in the neighborhood. The reflective strip is a nice touch as we typically get out and ride near, during, and after dusk. These tires are well made and were installed along with new rim strips and tubes without a hitch. Now, my wife wants a set for her bike, but she will have to wait until spring!
I was searching for a all-around tire to replace the somewhat knobby tires that came on my Cannondale CAADX Rival cyclocross bike. I'd say that I ride about 80% on road (often poorly surfaced roads) and 20% on light singletrack, dirt trails, and gravel paths. Since my old tires were designed more for the off-road side of things, I wanted a tire that would increase road performance while still allowing for some off-road usage. I couldn't be happier with my choice in the Continental Contact II's. My average road speeds have increased by approximately 2-5 mph, and they have handled damn near everything I have thrown at them off-road as well (and thats with riding them near the top end of their PSI capacity at 80psi). If you are looking for a versitile all-arounder that also offers outstanding puncture protection and good durability, look no further. The reflective sidewall option is a great feature as well, every little bit of visibility helps out there!
Received a pair of quality tires, but was regretful that I did not order the larger 32mm. The 28mm's I got actually measured in at 24mm inflated...
Otherwise, the tires performed very surprisingly well through street, sidewalk, gravel, rocky terrain, and dirt trails. Very cushiony for its size and even bouncy at times.
Put these on my wife's commuter bike. They are working very well, good wet grip and cornering. Not enough tread depth for mud and such, but perfect for pavement. Fit was perfect on her 26 rims. Not many tire choices in this older size but this turned out to be great.
I was looking for a mixed usage tire for paved roads, graveldirt roads and some hard-packed trails. These seemed to fit the bill. Definitely ride quieter on roads. Seem to be a reasonable compromise over knobby MTB tires.
I noted that several review complained about trouble with them being out of round. I think this might be a mounting problem. I initially had trouble getting these mounted. The sidewall would catch on the bead making the tire appear quite out of round. I was able to fix this by deflating the tire, applying some soapy water along the sidewall bead and re-inflating. It took a couple of tries but I was eventually successful.
I bought a pair of 700x37's 2 years ago for a 70-mile gravel road ride on my Specialized Tricross. Liked them so much I left them on for commuting. They feel faster than the 700x32 Specialized Borough tires that came on the bike and smoother too. After about 2000 miles there is still good tread on the back tire. And no flats, too. I'll definitely buy them again.
Ordered the 700x37c size, They arrived marked as 1 38 inches wide, which is 35c, not 37c. I could immediately tell they looked narrower than my Top Contact II tires, which measure a true 37c even though the labeling reads 35c. Finally swapped out one of the Top Contact II tires for one of these. Ta Da! It is noticeably narrower than the Top Contact II which is still on the other wheel. If I could post a photo showing the difference I would. I am not even certain the thing is 35c. Seem trivial to you? It's not for those of us who do loaded touring over various surfaces, including unpaved mountain passes.
I primarily use this tire on a fixed gear commuting bike that occasionally sees some training time. I was after a tire that had good handling qualities under a variety of conditions (wet, gravel, dry) that was not a pain in the a to get off if I flatted. I was a little hesitant to get this one because of the cost. I like Continental tires (what I race on) and I was not disappointed by the performance of these tires in both metrics handling and ease of use. Worth the extra money, I will buy them again when I wear these out.
I purchased the 700x37 and use it on a commuting bike. The tire has held up in wet and dry weather, good roads and bad as well as gravel/dirt paths. Highly recommended for durability and flat protection.
We use these tires on a supermileage car that uses three 20 bicycle tires. Competed at speeds reaching 50 miles per hour without any problems or uneven wear. Excellent tire for the price.