Virtually the same tire as the speed cross by conti but in a 35c vs the 42c and $XX more! But if your bike can't clear the 42, this is a great ride for gravelpave combo.
I use these for summer gravel riding. They've been great. I've easily ridden 800 miles on my first pair. just fat enough for some cushion and great rolling. Not sure why folks are suggesting easy flats or soft sidewalls. they've been as good as any non-puncture resist tire i've used and they've handled the high-mileage rough roads of eastern oregon without problems.
This is a very fast tire, however after running them for a few months on paved paths and dirt roads, about 200 miles, I have had several flats. Thin and light are a plus, but I would only use this tire on race day.
Tire is really supple. Rolls like a road tire on pavement. I have found the sidewalls to be pretty fragile though-they cut very easily-I've DNF'd three gravel races because of catastrophic sidewall cuts. When it holds air, it's awesome though.
I've used these in two Gran Fondos with a mix of paved roads and gravel and they handle great. They are really easy to mount and seem to be holding up well after around 500 miles.
I used the Conti CX Speed tire in the inaugural 2013 Jowler Creek Winery Gravelicious Gravel Grinder, and in the months leading up to the event while we trained on Gravel World's gravel roads in and around Lincoln, NE. The tires ride like a dream at 50 psi, and I never suffered a flat or a hiccup. I plan on putting the 700x32 on my gf's Bianchi Zurigo for gravel and trails too.
I have never had such a bad set of tires. 4 flats in 2 months. Totally unacceptable. I have run Conti Grand Prix 4 Season and NEVER flatted on me. I am going to request an exchange.
Good tire here by continental. I've never understood why most gravel tires are so chunky when it's not needed.
These roll fast on the road. and hit the gravel with speed.
Width is adequate for most endeavors.
Weight is light and Haven't had to question their durability yet.
Overall I recommend for gravel road riding. Perhaps not in the back country but the average gravel road these will excel
Very good for hard packed singlerrack and road. Very fast
I have these on my cyclocross bike that is used for gravel and light trail riding. I also have the SpeedRide 42C on my commuter bike, and it actually performs better in almost all conditions - my commute is over two-rutters and light single track so the terrain is similar. The cross tires are a bit lighter and sharper (and harsher) handling, so for those with racing aspirations maybe a bit more appropriate. Otherwise they are quite similar, and a very good design for quick paced, mixed terrain use.
I am loyal to this tire because it works for me. Good wear. Good size. Nice on graveldirt, lime and pavement.
Was using Sammy Slicks on my titanium cross bike for trails & gravel but had numerous flats and a sidewall failure. No problem with Continental Cyclocross Speed Clinchers in about 1,000 miles. I haven't ridden a cyclocross race since 1968 when I decided cross wasn't for me (and sorry just stupid). Now 65 I ride my cross bike about 75% of the time even on pavement. Still ride my carbon road bike the other 25%.
I bought these tires for a cyclocross bike, but I don't race cyclocross. I bought the bike to use as a winter bike and for the occasional foray onto gravel roads. The bike came with 35mm Schwalbe Sammy Slick file tread tires and they suited my style of riding, but they did wear quickly. When it came time to replace the OEM tires, I decided to stick with a file tread design in a 35mm width (I'm a big guy at 6'5 and 215lbs, so I need the extra width versus a standard 33mm cyclocross tire). I've had good luck with Conti tires, so my decision to purchase these tires was made pretty easily.
Out of the box, these tires are good looking. The file tread is deep, but the knobs are not very aggressive. They mount easily and inflate to a nice round cross section. On the road they ride quietly and comfortably. They're not as plush as, say, Conti GP 4000's, but that's down to the carcass. These tires are built up on fairly course fabric. Good for durability, bad for ride quality. But they're meant to be used off road and, when used off road, they're fine. I've got some miles on them on grass, dirt and gravel and they've been fine. No lack of traction despite the small shoulder knobs and no flats. If they last longer than the Sammy Slicks, I'll be happy.
So ... In summary ... These seem to be good gravel tires. There are better road tires and there are better cyclocross tires but, if you spend a fair amount of time on dry grass, gravel and or dirt, these tires will be fine for you.
The Conti Cyclocross Speed is the best tire I have found for a mix of dirt and paved roads, as exemplified by D2R2. Good grip on the dirt, traction when leaning into a curve on both dirt and pavement, while coasting with good road tires. Handles muddy and slick conditions better than smooth tires. At 170 lbs, I do have to run the rear tire at 60 psi to avoid pinch flats. Would LOVE to have it in a 40 mm width!
I thought this tire would be great for rides that hit packed dirt, gravel, and pavement. It is a very good tire and I thought it rolled well and performed well in all surfaces, but there doesn't seem to be any puncture resistance. It had multiple flats by my second ride and I finally moved on to a different tire. I wasn't riding a different route than I normally ride, so it wasn't just from not knowing the terrain. I think if it had better puncture resistance I would get it again.
I was hesitant at first to go from a fat tire to a cross tire on the terrain I ride but have been happy with it. Due to its smaller outside diameter it actually feels a bit more maneuverable in tight turns. I'm sold on the smaller tire on the mountain bike unless you are doing downhill.
I bought these tires to replace a set of Ravens that never held air well when running tubeless on Stans Wheels. These are on my X-Fire and right now it will start doing more duty as a trail bike.The tires ride very supple and very fast. the first day out i caught some light rain and they are a little loose once the ground gets a muddy. and it doesn't take much mud to pack these up! no complaints to that, it is obvious these aren't mud tires. i will probably mount these to some road wheels and use them when i use the bike on the street or horse trails. as a general trail tire i find them comfortable but a bit spooky in the traction limited areas!
I use a cross bike as my winter bike, mostly on road. I pulled off the road tires to do a gravel road ride. I was surprised how well these rolled both on road and on gravel.
A real fast tire. We have some gravel road races up here in Michigan that are a combination of gravel pavement. So far, they are a real fast rolling tire. Looking forward to using them at the races this year.
I use this for mid-week training both on and off-road and on the trainer. It works surprisingly well with my Kurt Kinetics trainer and rolls quite fast on the road.
