Continental Kryptotal Fr & Rr tyres review

On test we have the Continental Kryptotal with front and rear specific tread in super soft compound, downhill casing in 29 x 2.4in.

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By rhyswainwright

Get the full story here:

https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/continental-kryptotal-fr-rr-tyres-review/

Such a shame Conti don’t offer the soft compounds in lighter casings.

1300g is a huge weight penalty for a front tyre where a lot of people don’t need the casing but want the compound.

Maxxis have figured this out, and Schwalbe are starting to

Yep, that. I cannot imagine riding round with a 1300g tyre on my bike, awful.

I want the tough downhill casings but harder compounds, especially for the rear.

Nice tyres but I’m more interested in a long term review of the HB.916

However, once the overnight rain had fallen the stages turned to thick mud – the Kryptotal’s kryptonite.

The tall relatively close packed tread blocks filled with mud and became much less inspiring to race over wet roots and rocks. The mud between the tread blocks acting as an unwanted lubricant on every feature. The tread was reluctant to shed the mud until moving pretty quickly.

I’ve watched that the Pinkbike racing team sometimes run the rears on the front because they clear mud better. Did you find they did, and how well does the rear clear compared to the obvious competitor DHR2?

I know they’re DH tyres but what’s the rolling resistance like, do they kill speed or roll pretty well?

How draggy are they to pedal back up the hill?

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<div class=”bbp-reply-content” style=”box-sizing: border-box; –tw-translate-x: 0; –tw-translate-y: 0; –tw-rotate: 0; –tw-skew-x: 0; –tw-skew-y: 0; –tw-scale-x: 1; –tw-scale-y: 1; –tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; –tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; –tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; –tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); –tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; –tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; –tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; –tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; clear: both;”>
<p style=”box-sizing: border-box; –tw-translate-x: 0; –tw-translate-y: 0; –tw-rotate: 0; –tw-skew-x: 0; –tw-skew-y: 0; –tw-scale-x: 1; –tw-scale-y: 1; –tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; –tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; –tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; –tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); –tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; –tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; –tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; –tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.5rem;”>Such a shame Conti don’t offer the soft compounds in lighter casings.</p>
<p style=”box-sizing: border-box; –tw-translate-x: 0; –tw-translate-y: 0; –tw-rotate: 0; –tw-skew-x: 0; –tw-skew-y: 0; –tw-scale-x: 1; –tw-scale-y: 1; –tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; –tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; –tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; –tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); –tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; –tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; –tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; –tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.5rem;”>1300g is a huge weight penalty for a front tyre where a lot of people don’t need the casing but want the compound.</p>
<p style=”box-sizing: border-box; –tw-translate-x: 0; –tw-translate-y: 0; –tw-rotate: 0; –tw-skew-x: 0; –tw-skew-y: 0; –tw-scale-x: 1; –tw-scale-y: 1; –tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; –tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; –tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; –tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); –tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; –tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; –tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; –tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.5rem;”>Maxxis have figured this out, and Schwalbe are starting to</p>

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Different combos of compound and casing are in the pipeline I’ve heard, including rumours of trail casing with super-soft compound apparently. No idea of the timeline though

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Edit: Great to see forum posts still can’t handle quotes in posts created from an Android phone 🙄

I’ve been using a Kryptotal rear, 29×2.4, enduro casing for last 4 months in the alps. It’s probably my favorite rear tyre at the moment. Not only does it work, but it has lasted well too. It looks a bit like a Maxxis Aggressor, but it’s much better than that. It does hold some mud sometimes, but hasn’t become fully blocked. Although I must say that I don’t often ride very wet trails. It’s looking bit beaten up now, and I have another to go on as a replacement. Although I am keen to try a Tacky Chan too.

I have it paired to a MM 29×2.6 on the front. I might be curious to try a Kryptotal front, but want to try a MM ultra soft first, if I can find one in stock.

Edit: Great to see forum posts still can’t handle quotes in posts created from an Android phone 🙄

Can’t say as I’ve ever noticed the problem.

In practice

even quotes within quotes are fine for me

Using chrome, android 13, pixel 5 (but never been an issue on any other droid build our phone either.)

FWIW I have krypto front and rear (super soft dh on the front) with hope fortus 30 rims and they were incredibly easy to fit, so I would assume the only reason why you had difficulty fitting them was because of your inserts.

honourablegeorge
Full Member

Such a shame Conti don’t offer the soft compounds in lighter casings.

TBH the Soft compound that comes on the enduro carcass is still a very grippy compound, it’s not far off Maxxis maxxgrip ime. Feels harder to the touch but generates pretty comparable grip. Conti always seem to have the edge on compounds tbh.

Or, put it another way, I run the maxxgrip dhr2 in exo on the front of one bike, and I was never really totally happy with maxxterra. But I have the soft argotal on another bike and I’ve never really felt like “wish this was softer” even though you’d expect it to be the maxxterra equivalent. What I want is the enduro carcass with the harder rubber for the rear though.

Might be becoming a fanboy but the Argotal in enduro/soft is pretty incredible, maybe doesn’t quite have the sheer voodoo of a shorty maxxgrip when it’s really bad… But as a spikey allrounder it’s like a magic mary only better at absolutely everything all of the time.

I’m currently running an argotal front and kryptotal r rear combo, both in the enduro soft compound. They work really well as an all-round “enduro” combo but I’ve got a kryptotal f coming to replace the argotal for my Alps trip as in the dry hardpack I’m finding it a bit vague which is down to the tread I think. In the damp and muddy conditions at the start of the year it was better than the 2.6 MM I had on but that was a year round front option and the argotal 2.6 is not quite.

Only if you’re paying RRP which you’d be daft to. They’re only similar prices to everything else in the real world.

Mmm, the shortages have meant they’re not so easy to find cheaply. Or rather the ones that nobody wants are cheap, and the ones that everyone wants are either expensive or unobtainable

Came across the Kryptotal FR Enduro rear on sale yesterday in 29

https://www.bike-discount.de/en/continental-kryptotal-re-enduro-29×2-4-soft-faltreifen-1

Also there in white logo as a front, maybe an OEM tyre?

https://www.bike-discount.de/en/continental-kryptotal-fr-enduro-29×2-4-soft-folding-tire

Bikeinn are doing them for sensible prices.

@Honourablegeorge, e20 shipping for Bikediscount and £175 minimum order (plus duties tax and fees on import)

@rhyswainwright any chance you could comment please?

I’ve watched that the Pinkbike racing team sometimes run the rears on the front because they clear mud better. Did you find they did, and how well does the rear clear compared to the obvious competitor DHR2?

inserts and downhill casings!