I know Black Chilli is their equivalent of Maxxis Super Tacky or Schwalbe Vertstar but what is the next one down?

I’m more than happy running Maxxis 60a or Schwalbe Trailstar compounds as front tyres but don’t know if going lower than Black Chilli with Continental would be akin to running a plastic tyre on the front?

Would like a nice big fat 2.4 Trail King up front at the moment but put off by the near £50 price for a Black Chilli one!
Just swallow hard and buy it or can I go for a lower spec version like their ‘Pure Grip’ compound?

Try the German websites got BC’s on one for about £20. Cheaper Conti’s not that great.

I wouldn’t go Conti again though. Have deformed carcasses, torn sidewalls, splits in the tread. Shame as their tread patterns and rubber are brilliant.

Not that simple I’m afraid. The Black Chili formula varies depending on what tyre it is, but you can generally say it’s grippier. There are two new ones below it now, can’t remember the names. The middle one might be a bit more like Maxxis 60a (Maxxpro). The cheapest hardest Contis have always been dire, and I doubt that’s changed much with a new name for the rubber.

I’ve never noticed the difference so stopped buying black chilli. Depends on what you are ridng, maybe, as the compound will be important on some surfaces like rock and stones but less so in thick gloopy mud where the design will be more important.

I guess I’m not really answering the OP’s question but I’d never touch Continental again. I gave the Mountain King “Protection” variant a try on the rear wheel and the grip was excellent in all weathers. However, the structure of it was awful. I initially used it tubeless, but kept losing air, despite refitting a few times, plus it rolled off the rim once on a fairly innocuous corner. I then used it with tubes and had snakebite after snakebite (5 holes in one instance?). Finally, on a multi-day ride in the middle of Scotland, I was riding round in circles on flat Tarmac waiting for my pal to fix a puncture (ironically) and there was a huge bang – I thought someone had shot at us – and 12″ of sidewall had separated from the bead. Probably wakened by the multiple snakebites, but something I’d never experienced before.
I’d been riding with a Mavic Crossmax on the front with no issues at all and now have a Crossmax on the back and the issues have disappeared.

There are at least four different black chili compounds on MTB tyres – XC, trail, enduro and DH in ascending order of stickiness. There might be even more! “Black chili” is an additive which improves flexibility and toughness, thus giving a compound better wear life, more grip and lower rolling resistance. I’ve used Barons, Trail Kings / Rubber Queens, Mountain King 2 and X-King and they’re all different. The Baron compound is fantastic – grips like a super tacky but rolls and wears like maxxpro.

Pure Grip are a cheaper range of compounds. And then there are the plastic ones which are awful.

Btw, iridemybike, that’s definitely a warranty issue – Continental will replace the tyre free of charge if you haven’t already binned it.

I know next to nothing about the various compounds but can echo what has been said re: Barons. Amazing lifespan, super grip. They just work, front and back. Seemingly in all conditions. My tyre of choice. The front still shows hardly any wear at all, two years on. This includes two fortnights in Morzine and a winter here in Wales.

Does anyone remember the MK1 Mountain King, what a shitter of a tyre tread, even the protection bc ones were bastads to roll.

only used mountain king mk2 and baron both in BC varients. mounted on mavic cross trails they seal up fine but the protection side wall and the way the tyres are packaged ment I had to put a tube in to unbend the bead. no issue after that, have stayed sealed not rolled either. mountain kink mk2 a good rear tyre in most conditions other than mud.

As above – next one down from BC is PureGrip. All MTB PureGrip folders are tubeless ready too now.

New Baron looks great!

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/continental-mondraker-american-classic-eurobike-2015.html

Does anyone remember the MK1 Mountain King, what a shitter of a tyre tread

Yup bought two because they were cheap and they couldn’t possibly be that bad

First mild corner and both wheels drifted. Second mild corner and both wheels drifted. Front sideways on roots back spins up on rocks

Gave them to rocket jrs mate who skidded them to death