I'm nearing completion of my virtual-cyber-space-trans-continental bike build*, so after dreaming of swirlng clouds of Racing Ralphs last night and waking to find that they are WAAAAY expensive and don't last too long, I am sorely tempted to save a few more virtual pennies and get some of those pimpy-looking Conti Mountain Kings (currently going cheap) to use as an 'all-round' tyre.

Are they REALLY as bad as people make out? I mean Continental make good tyres, right?

I'm thinking of getting a pair of 2.2 Mountain King kevlars to use for allround, all year round, recreational XC riding on a Giant Anthem. I'm about 75kg and dislike rocks and steep things.
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* A build back home in the UK that started 9 months ago, made up of various assorted packages yet to be assembled, some that I have yet to even see.

I've got the 2.4s,I like them,no major issues,need a little care in the mud,I find I need the pressures higher thanI usually use at 40psi.
Ian

for the type of riding your doing, I guess anything will be fine, its only when you start to push it that tyres become more critical. I still wouldn't recommend them though, must be a better cheap alternative.

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/mountain-king-tyresmm

Although I quite like the Black Chilli 2.4 Supersonics.

Had a pair of protection 2.2 black chilis on for the most of the last year, quite liked them until I had a 'let-go' on steep damp rocks (as covered in JT's linked thread above). Will still use them but be very careful on anything both hard + damp!

Great tyre at higher pressure. I use them everywhere kitty litter and some impressive mud last week and they worked a treat. THere is a psi below which they turn a bit squirmy but then name me a tyre that doesn't.

I can't get on with them. Or any Conti tyre really.
I have a 3 rides old pair going spare, for postage costs.

I run mine at around 45psi. They do let go a bit earlier than some, but at least they are predictable, progressive and easy to catch. Nothing worse than a tyre that goes grip…grip…. grip…. nothing.

Conti tyres are just generally awful for grip imo – and the sidewalls seem to usually be paper thin.

I use these and Speed Kings 100% of the time and for my riding (mostly Thetford plus races like 24/12 and Enduro 6) they have been very good. In the last 3 years I've had 2 punctures, that's in training rides (3-4 hours a week) and races (maybe a total of 60 hours) which I think is pretty good. Clearly it depends on the conditions but Thetford is famous for flint mining and there's some sharp bits around, it's not all mud!

Bernard, I'll give them a go if your willing to post em and the OP doesn't want them, got to be better than these Panaracers!

YGM

I currently have the 2.4 basic models on my bike.

After two weekends at different trail centres and a couple of weeks on my local stuff i realised this :-

They are great my peaty and stony local trails, they worked really well at Gisburn in the wet but at Whinlatter in the pissing rain they scared me on some of the bare slate sections. Then again, not much grips on smooth, wet slate cos it's like oiled glass.*

*My complete unfamiliarity with riding on slate may have had something to do with it…

There is a big difference between the Black Chilli and non-Black Chilli contis. The non black chilli are too "hard" and hence slippy. I'd pay the extra and only go for the black chilli ones. I've used a black chilli Mountain King on the back of my Fuel Ex this year and been very happy with it.

I've got the more expensive ones with the 'Black Chili' stuff and found them excellent in dry dusty conditions and could lean over more and generally corner harder.

Unfortunatley recent weather has dictated that the Trailrakers have gone back on

2.2 Racekings.

OMFG they are the best tyre in the unimerverse.

AWFUL in the mud, but who wants to ride in mud anyway.
if you do come across a muddy bit with them, it just adds to the fun anyway

any other surface, fast as hell and grip like velcro.
cant get enough of them!

I had a pair on a demo 5 at Glentress. I thought they were dangerous to be frank. I'm sure they'd be fine for a pootle but I've never had a front wash out on chicken wire before, and forget about wet roots or rock.

I had the 2.4 Tubeless (Black Chilli) on my "proper" bike for 12 months. Loved the. Rad 25 at the front and 27 at the back. I weigh 14 stone and ride pretty hard. Took some big hit and pinges a good few rocks, never had any problems with side walls etc. Very good in most condition, but not s good on wet rocks or trail centers when they are a bit greasey, there okay but you have to take it down a notch or 2. Swapped them for rubber queens, now there is a grippy tyre. Still run a MK on the front of my HT with a race king on the back.

I don't think the tubeless ones use the black chilli compound.

@ Bernard.. thanks for the offer – I'll take 'em (unless Wozzas got 'em already, that is 😉 )

YGM

From the sound of things, I may need to be writing a will shortly though. 😛

I run the 2.4's at around 45 PSI no problems, a bit sketchy on wet roots and hard wet stone but then what isn't?

Progressive slide they slip then grip, on the very plus side damn light for a 2.4 and roll very fast too, clear mud brilliantly. I have two more as spares I love them.

Happily worn out a pair of MK 2.2 UST over this summer, fronts still going and will only be swapped when it get too sloppy round here. Maybe I'm not skilled as that the ppl who don't rate them, but they seem fine to me, good mix of speed and grip.

I run the 2.4's at around 45 PSI no problems, a bit sketchy on wet roots and hard wet stone but then what isn't?

Good tyres run at a sensible pressure? Your bike sounds like a deathtrap to me. Each to their own though eh. 🙂

The recommended pressure for the MK is 50 PSI.

I'll go with the manufacturers recs rather than internet "experts". 😉

It's also worth setting up suspension for the tyres I think I run mine a bit softer with faster rebound and the tyres track well and don't ping off stuff.

OK in the dry. As soon as they wear down a bit and it gets damp underfoot – fugeddaboudit!

yes

I can only echo what others have said. Plenty of air in them they are great, run them soft and they squirm. I like mine.

one word answer? No.

they aren't an ideal all-rounder in some ways, they work on some ground better than others. they're good on fine gravel / loam / mixed ground but not as good on hardpack, greasy rocks or clay. bit like Verticals were.

the 2.4's are comfy but too fragile for the confidence a 2.4 can give, but to be fair it's only 600g or so.

I've ridden the 2.2 black chilli supersonics at a fair rate down the cwmcarn DH track in the wet and loved them, way more capable than i expected.

"Conti tyres are just generally awful for grip imo"#

agreed

I use Conti Mountain King Protection 2.4 (Black Chilli Compound) and have no real issues with them, I seem to prefer them at lower pressures as they seem more grippy, fly around CYB even when its wet… erm very wet.

i think they are not very good.
running advantages, or i was.

Agree with what others have said re. black chili good, normal compound bad.

If you're looking at cheap ones, probably normal compound – and I wouldn't bother if I were you.

2.2 Racekings.

OMFG they are the best tyre in the universe.

You are quite correct Olly. Supersonic @ front, Protection @ rear. Summer only.

Otherwise for winter its Trailrakers every time.

Nobby Nics for trail centres and intermediate use (make sure the rear is the snakeskin version)

Sorted.

btw, I've been using a 2.4 Protection MK with most of the centre tread worn away from rear wheel braking on the front recently and it's been great.

Fast rolling, grippy in corners and comfy thanks to high volume.

i use them ust at 27lbs pressure, i weigh 13st they are the standard 2.4 i have used tyhem for racing, trail riding on steep rocky downhills and mud rain etc wet rocks never had a puncture yet and i am not a skilful rider i just aim and hang on, they do slide but if you use the same trye all time you learn have far it can be pushed to your advantage, i prefer toughness over a slightly better grip, iride a turner flux dwlink, the round profile of the tryes means i get grip on the sides of ruts etc

I had the 2.2 Supersonics, which are Black Chili. They didn't last long before I sold them, just couldn't get on with them- gripped like a semi-slick, but rolled like a knobbly. Light, though. They're certainly not awful, but they're expensive and not particularily good, but their wet weather manners just put me off instantly.

The cheap ones ARE rotten though.

To echo most other peoples sentiments. They are a good tyre in the dry. I shot down Snowdon back in feb and they didn't miss a beat. In the peaks in the wet the following week they were just dangerous. Or exciting, depending on your relationship with friction.

I thoroughly enjoyed riding 2.2 Supersonic pre-production tyres at Afan in the dry – very very quick. Unfortunately I then split one on a flint locally, which was a shame as the tyres still had a lot of life left in them.

I know the 2.4s had a tendancy to roll over a little at low pressures when cornering.