I'm replacing a set of Teravail Washburn Tubeless tires with these. The Washburns are more than double the price of these Conti SpeedRides.
I put these on a set of Carbon Astral Wanderlust hooked rims with 23mm internal rim width. The tires are a bit narrower than advertised at about 40mm instead of 42mm. That doesn't matter much to me, but I know it does for some.
The main reason why I changed out the tires is because the Teravail Washburns were so difficult to take on and off the tubeless ready rims. It required 3 tire levers to take off and a KoolStop Tire Bead Jack to install.
I don't know about you, but I don't know anyone who carries a tire bead jack out on a ride in case of a puncture.
I replaced the Teravails with these and I can mount the tires on and off with 1 tire lever, and in a pinch, I could do it without any tools.
The caveat is that you need to run these with tubes since they're not tubeless ready, but since I'm allergic to latex, this isn't a problem.
The Ride:
They're a bit buzzier than a slick center tread tire like the washburns. But these are pretty light considering the price and since they're not tubeless ready(Tubeless tires need a bit more material in general to make sure they can hold air).
I'm running it at 45psi front, 50psi in the rear. I weigh 160lbs, my bike weighs around 23lbs.
That gives me a plush ride without feeling like I'm riding through molasses. I know not to put too low of a pressure since I can still pinch my tubes.
Overall, these are a great choice for people who don't want/need tubeless tires and want a cheap set of tires.
I've done about 200 miles on these and have been very impressed at the price. I'm more used to tires around the $60-80 range.
After about 100 miles of gravel and single track this is what I think: They are a nice tire with a supple feel that provide enough traction for most of what I have encountered. Most riding has been on gravel roads here in CO. So, dry and fairly smooth with some rougher sections. I have also made some descents on some favorite (not too technical) single track trails and they have held up surprisingly well. No flats yet (knock on wood) and good cornering hold. On the road they are decent enough with OK rolling resistance and only a little noise form the treed. The 42 width allows me to run between 40 and 50 psi without puncture issues while giving a smooth enough ride.
I use these mostly as an around town tire, but have used them for mixed gravel and pavement touring, and trail riding as well. I've been super pleased with these. They've got good grip on hardpack, roll fast, and are reasonably priced. I'm not sure what people are doing to get so many flats with these though. I've got more than 1500 miles on my first set, weigh 235 pounds, pull a trailer, and ride with bags on and off-road. I had one flat from a shard of glass.
i ride on paved bike paths and hard packed dirt gravel. this tire is excellent. its fast, handles well, and has good grip, as long as the running surface is firm. when the dirt gets soft, this tire washes out and gets a bit squirrelly. so, its necessary to keep the speed low. also when the dirt road gets cobbley, the ride is a bit sharp, because it is a relatively low volume tire with higher min inflation pressure. but i love its speed and low rolling resistance
I like this tire. I have looked at other tires that cost twice as much and none of them are of the same quality and characteristics. The weight of my bicycle was lessened by about a pound. The only problem, is small pebbles and bits of glass sticking between the raised treads, but can be removed easily. The online service is very good and I saved 5 or 10 dollars with a gold account and price reduction from other purchases.
Thanks,
Richard Callander
I picked up these Conti Speed Rides on a special at Bike Tire Direct for a smokin deal. It was purely a price driven purchase (at the time), but after mounting these tires up (with some new Conti tubes) I was surprised at how well they perform! Really easy roll, great traction, and dare I say Stylish. I needed to replace the tires on my Cannondale Quick 4 hybrid and wanted to "repurpose" it into a gravel-esk ride. Mission Accomplished! The bike still has road manners, not a big friction drag and yet is light and nimble on the dirt paths. Will it replace my mountain bike, no, will it replace my road bike, no. But these tires keep it fun when you're out with dare I say, regular people??
I picked up a set of these on sale and I'm glad I did. I'm writing this review after 800 miles (4 weeks in February) -- at which point they were ready to be rotated front to rear. This is as good as a $xx tire gets. The file tread pattern is fast, quiet and generally pretty grippy. They do, however, behave like bicycle tires on mud and on ice. I've been riding these at 60-73psi rear and 60-65psi front with tubes and zero problems. To many people that is going to sound like too high of pressure -- but that is how I like it -- so piss off. I got one flat from a metal shard that produced a slow leak which finally required me to borrow the loaner pump at the local hardware store before commuting home from work. They have performed flawlessly on terrain where proper mountain tires are the norm. I've fended off a couple of roadies hell bent on attack. And they've given me enough confidence to ride in new unexplored places. If you can't find he value in a tire like this, then a $xxx tire isn't going to help you.
I have over 800 miles on this tire (29x42). About four hundred of which included a variety of gravel roads, low maintenance state forest roads, atv double track, and mild single track. Good traction in most situations except deep mud and they are stable, predictable, and handle well. I have used this tire in three seasons now, including some snow and rain. I commute daily on this tire around town. Overall the tire has performed flawlessly. Not one flat. Tread and side wall is still in great shape. I anticipate at least another 800 miles on them if not more. They are mounted on wtb kom i25 rims and Mount easily and look great.
I purchased these Continentals for my Specialiazed CrossTrail and they are awesome!
They roll smoothly on flat pavement with very little resistance and they perform very well on sand, gravel and even larger stone, like cobblestone!
They stop on a dime, epsecially when I was flying on a rail trail and thought I could beat a Ford 250 at a crossroad!
My wife screamed because she thought I couldn't beat the truck and I slammed on my disc brakes at around 15 mph. My Continentals stopped me and my bike on a dime! My wife was relieved, indeed.
If your looking for an all road conditions travel tire, than I recommend the Continental Speed Rides! They wont disappoint you.
Great upgrade from 32mm stock tires to the Speed Ride at 42mm on a basic 700c flat bar commuter bike. This expanded the capabilities and comfort to ride more challenging dirt single track and gravel trails. For the cost of tires, I feel as though I have a new bike - like a poor man's gravel bike! The Speed Ride tires are good on pavement too. The width and greater volume helps to smooth out the bumps.
I've taken these off my commutererrand bike, which I sometimes take for short rides on paths too, because I've had three punctures in about 200 miles. They roll real nice on pavement and give good traction on gravel, light dirt paths, but too puncture resistant for what I want out of them. I'm put back on a worn pair of Conti Top Contact 32mm tires, and will likely get new Top Contacts in a wider size next time. Too bad Conti doesn't make the City Ride with another layer of protection, even if it cost $30 per tire.
The perfect tire if you need practice changing flats. Also started to get threads coming loose around where the bead sits against the wheel. I got four flats on a four day tour which I chalked up to the tires simply not being suitable for loaded touring on mixed surfaces. Then I got two more flats after I got home under completely normal circumstances (no load on bike, no gravel, etc). I threw the tires straight into the trash and went back to Schwalbe Marathons. The Continental Speed Rides were light, seemed to roll fast and had great traction, but were simply too fragile to go anywhere at all without flatting. I have no idea who would want a 42mm treaded tire this thin and fragile.
For the price point, this is a decent tire, but the first time I rode it I got a flat from a sharp piece of flint. This was in December in Wisconsin, so there was sand and debris and a bit of icesnow on the road, but still I didn't expect a flat the first time out. Patched the tube and have take about 4 short rides without flats, and overall, I like the way these roll. I previously had Conti Top Contacts on this commuter bike (an older hybridpath bike), but wanted to try something a bit wider but still light folding tire. Next time, I'll stick with the Top Contacts and pay more, because in many years of riding Top Contacts folding, I've only gotten one flat.
I tried these tires on my Surly Karate Monkey 29er. I have been using this bike as a general purpose road and
gravel trail bike. Until trying the Speed Rides I was never satisfied with the other urban , commuter or cyclocross tires
which I was using (including some fairly high priced). I tried the beaded cheaper version of the tires. I was very happy about how quickly these accelerated and climbed hills. I have about 500 miles on them so far and have not seen any unusual wear on the tread.
Bought these to replace original tires on my Giant Roam. This is my all around bike and is a beast. Dropped about 2lbs just by using these and they are great. I have ridden with my gravel buddies, done around town trips and commuted to work. No flats, fast, no complaints with about 500 miles of riding. If you need a do it all tire that is inexpensive, this is it.
Put these on a Trek 920 for a 200 mile Midwest tour. Worked great for gravel roads, shoulders, etc. but still felt fast on the paced paths. Not too heavy. Seems pretty durable, did well in the rain. I'm happy with them.
They measure at 38-39mm so they fit on my 2012 Stevens Prestige Alloy frame and fork. There's a good solid 18-316 clearance to the chainstays so some mud won't be a problem. Super sticky Kanza mud might present a problem but I'm not going to do 'that' to my body anyway. Good high-volume fast-spinning gravel tire. Less precious than my Grifo XS tubulars which I would use if the course was hard-pack clay with no sand or loose point gravel. Pretty happy.
I used the Speed Tire for commuting to and from work. I work 5 miles from home, but take a gravel path from door to door making it a 18 mile trip each way. The Speed tire is perfect for the gravel to pavement environment between home and work.
I have a 23 mile, each way, bike commute that is 50% clear pavement, 25% bad pavement, and 25% on single trackcinder bike path. The commute is quite busy, so I don't get to choose my line half the time, the line is chosen for me.
I am faster on my cyclocross bike fitted with this tire than I am on my light road bike. When the line of cars is deep and slow, I drop into the gravel, dirt on the side and keep going. They roll over everything. I run them at max pressure (85psi) so I give up some of the bump absorption, but I don't care if the line is through a pothole, over broken pavement, clear road... it just doesn't matter. Over 500 miles so far and no flats and no sign of wear.
I'm impressed enough with the tire, that they are going onto a Salsa Mountain tandem as our race tire for the Deerfield Dirt Road Randonnee in August.
