[Closed] Rather impressed with Conti Rubber Queens Black Chilli flavour

what are the conditions like where you mostly ride?

In West Yorkshire so a bit of everything has been dusty dry but now just a bit of dampness to the trails. Roll very well for the size too.

Great summer tyre yeah, taking my 2.4s to the Alps I think.

Great winter tyre too, for a big summer tyre. chalky and rooty here and the RQ 2.2 BC has stayed on my bike all winter and is still on there now. BC definately copes with slippy stuff better than normal tyres.

I use 2.2's all year round. Quite looking forward to wearing them out as at the moment I have non-BC as they weren't available in a 2.2-UST-BC version when I bought them.

2.2 ust black chilli due to come in to madison on the 30th, first batch of ust black chillis!

For anyone who has also ridden high rollers...how do they compare?

Seems very grippy good climbing traction way better than the black chilli Mountain Kings I had at one point.

But as said seem to be able to fire into stuff without the feeling they are going to let go. Possible famous last words !

I use the 2.2 USTs all year, brilliant tyre.

2.2 UST's here too, great tyre, far better than the HR i had before

UST's are a bit puncturey for my liking. Wish they were 50grams heavier with stronger sidewalls

Can anyone tell me if all the "Handmade in Germany" tyres are Black Chili compound tyres? Thanks!

Just a thought..

Rekon these tyres would be spot on for a week trail riding in the alps? 2.2 UST flavour?

andy146 yes the handmade in Germany are the black chilli.

Thanks!

Rekon these tyres would be spot on for a week trail riding in the alps? 2.2 UST flavour?

Used them for exactly that, worked brilliantly. Used them for DHing as well, and they were also good (got one puncture).

hugh_b - Member

For anyone who has also ridden high rollers...how do they compare?

Depends what comparison you want to make... 2.2 RQ is bigger than a 2.35 Highroller, 2.4 is bigger than a 2.5 highroller but 2.2 vs 2.35 is probably sensible. RQ is lighter, but I think probably less tough- thin sidewalls, though I never ripped one. RQ faster than a supertacky, slower than a maxxpro. The RQ is tall as well so has a lot of volume. RQ's expensive but in the time I had them never showed any wear at all, a ST highroller would be pretty well rounded with the same use.

More grip in a straight line than a supertacky, but leaned over the HR wins by miles. I gave up on the RQs because of their flaky edge grip, not that they weren't grippy but they were very inconsistent, and when they slide they're gone. The RQ seems to be a pretty dry weather tyre, they look like they should shovel mud but they're not that good at it, and less grip on wet roots and rocks than I'd expected.

I went back to Nevegals from RQs and don't regret it but they're not bad at all.

Rekon these tyres would be spot on for a week trail riding in the alps? 2.2 UST flavour?

Yes great tyre if you get the Black Chilli compound one, but I put a hole in the carcass of my 2.4 UST riding down Cadair Idris and use tubes with them now.

I've gone off of tubeless a bit due to holing UST tyres and think I will be putting DH tubes in my 2.4s.

Northwind - what coumpound RQs did you have?

Jameso - I took mine off for winter after they went treacherous at the first sign of mud while riding Aston Hill. Interesting you've ridden yours all winter. Perhaps it was just Aston's unique claggy-slippyness.

no problems with edge grip here, i can't believe how quick they roll for such a large tyre. (2.2 BC non ust version)

Chakaping - Member

Northwind - what coumpound RQs did you have?

Black chili. A 2.4 on the front and a 2.2 on the back.

I have a 2.4/2.2 in black chili and have been really impressed. The rear can feel a bit squirmy when running low pressures and cornering fast but overall they have been excellent - they seem to wear really slowly too for a soft compound tyre.

I've run UST RQs for over a year now. 2.4 black chillis and recently a 2.2 non BC on the back.

I like them a lot, not experienced any problems when leant over.

No punctures or burping and I have had pinch flat problems with a lot of other big UST tyres.

To be honest I've not noticed any lack of grip with the rear non BC.

I've used them summer and winter in the Peak, and never wanted more grip.

BC 2.4s roll very quickly.

Wear is very good.

I did put a set of 2.5 UST Maxxis on for the Alps last year which I think are a bit tougher.

Doing the Mega this year and very tempted to run 2.4 RQ USTs for rolling speed, though sensible thing would be to play it safe with Maxxis for pinchflat resistance. I'll probably run a RQ up front and Minion front on the back.

Rode a rear Crossmark on a demo bike last week after a bit of rain: now that was interesting!

Used to use the 2.4s but now use the BC 2.2s with DH tubes in them for everything - trail riding, uplift days, whatever. Very impressed with the tires, last ages, roll well, no problems with flatting.

anto164 - I'm taking these to the Alps for a couple of weeks of DH and trail riding, they will be fine. Also packing a set of swampys in case it gets really sharty.

cha****ng - aston hill in the winter is spikes, or slide!
so little really does grip in any way on wet roots here that i just found the black chillis were a lot less prone to slipping and i stuck with them, could forget about the roots to a greater extent. but you know how it is, you change tyres and all of a sudden notice that you've adapted a bit to a certain tyre. i do think the RQ 2.2 is a great all round big tyre for those that don't want a DH tyre, it just suprised me by how much better it was in the winter than i expected.

Has anyone managed to get the bc rubber queens for a decent price? The rrp is astoundingly expensive!

Best I could find was next day tyres still expensive mind !

i really like the look of them (2.2 RQ's) but theyre stupidly expensive in black chilli; what are the non-BC one's like and how do they compare to things like ardent and rampage?

You only want the black chilli variety, look at life-cycles they are around £37 with free delivery which is worth it as they are excellent tyres. Worth paying a little more for good rubber as it is the only part of your bike in contact with the ground.

I really rate the RQ's I have been using them on my Zesty for past year in both BC and UST flavours.

I can't wait to get some for my 29er nice big volume for riding rigid 😀

For anyone who has also ridden high rollers...how do they compare?

I put them on to replace my HR Super Tackys and they lasted about 2 rides before I got fed up with the rubbish cornering grip when leant over.

I think I'll stick to my High Rollers. Even in their 60A guise, they have a nice, predictable slide. I wouldn't use the 60A in winter though, at least not on the front.

I'd be interested to see what the HR IIs are like.

I've had 2.4RQs blow off the my flow rims - they're just too big. The tyres themseves messed up too, the sidewalls deformed badly.

ok but would the BC's wear alot quicker than non-BC's? what about a BC on front and normal on the back?

i've been trying to reach a comparison between the RQ, ardent and rampage for a while and not got an answer. can anyone tell me how they compare for grip in corner's and traction? i would say they are all quite equally matched on rolling, right?

I've recently moved from RQ 2.2 BC to a schwalbe fat albert front and Nobby nic on the rear in snakeskin flavour.

They're my new favourite tyres and compared to the RQ are more predictable and less squirrelly. This is all relative mind, the RQ isn't really a squirrelly tyre, its just the schwalbes are less so. I'd be happy to run RQ's again - the only reason I changed was sidewall fragility.

"they lasted about 2 rides before I got fed up with the rubbish cornering grip when leant over."

I think that HRs, and to an extent ADvs, have a particular feel when cornering that you either like or you dont. I like.

I've currently got a WTB prowler on the back of my FS, and it's "interesting" in slippery corners. Fortunately, the WTB Stout on the front seems quite solid. "If you aint slidin', you aint ridin'" 😀

so being that the ardent's are more like the HR's would they be a better option than the RQ as they will give more grip? i've heard that the ardent's are rubbish in the wet.

"they lasted about 2 rides before I got fed up with the rubbish cornering grip when leant over."

I think that HRs, and to an extent ADvs, have a particular feel when cornering that you either like or you dont. I like.

I've currently got a WTB prowler on the back of my FS, and it's "interesting" in slippery corners. Fortunately, the WTB Stout on the front seems quite solid. "If you aint slidin', you aint ridin'"

To be honest, over the years I have become use to the slide I can get out of HRs and Minions and have developed my style accordingly. Whereas I found that the RQs gripped to a certain point and then just completely gave-way without any warning.

I've always thought that Conti AM tyres do not have big enough side lugs for decent, hard cornering IMO.

ok so it's starting to look like RQ's are a waste of time as they are expensive and don't corner that well. what about the Rampage or ardent as better rolling alternatives to the high rollers? which one would give more all round grip?

I wouldn't write RQs off completely as they may work for you.

Rampages are great on anything that doesn't involve moisture.

ok so in the wet RQ's are better than rampage. what about in the dry? and i'm right that the RQ's will have better rolling resistance than the rampage?

just found that today on merlin there's an extra 10% off tyres on top of VIP discount which means i have to choose between these 3:

2.35 high roller 60a wire bead: £21.83
2.35 rampage ([url= http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Basket/Product+Detail/Panaracer+Rampage_997.htm ]think it's SC?[/url]): £23.45
2.2 rubber queen black chilli folding: £33.98

what would you go for as an all-round, all-year tire that gives the best balence between rolling and grip?

I've got a one-ride old Rampage 2.35 SC you can have for much less than that, email in profile if interested.

Personally I'd go for a HR 60A on the rear and a HR Super Tacky on the front, but I have never tried the Rampage SC, which are supposed to be a stickier compound than the standard ones, and I have heard good things.

I also find the RQs too flimsy.

I should also say that I've never been one to use appropriate tyres for the conditions

Inappopriate tyres can be fun 8)

ok, just another thing to consider. which compound will wear the best out of the 60a/ST maxxis combo, black chilli or SC from panaracer?

i know the high roller ultimately has the best grip but out of the RQ and rampage SC which will have more cornering grip?