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Schwalbe or Continental?

• Thread starter Andy in Germany
• Start date 29 Dec 2018
• Tags continental schwalbe

Andy in Germany

• 29 Dec 2018

I appreciate I may be starting an argument second only to a h*lm*t thread, but here goes... I've been happily using Schwalbe Marathon Plus and Marathon Plus Tour tyres for nearly a decade. In that time the only real punctures I had was one caused by 'user error' ie me overloading the Xtracycle way too much and mashing it up a steep gravel road, and one complete freak five years ago that I've never been able to figure out. The only thing I don't like is the tread: the Marathon plus has a semi slick tread which is great on road but bit skittish on mud or packed snow, and the Plus tour has a heavier tread that manages all surfaces fine but looks a bit gnarly. If I had this on a normal bike I suspect it would also slow me down but as it is on the 30kg + Bakfiets the extra weight is hardly noticeable. I've never used Conti tyres, but I'm wondering if the Contact plus or Contact plus Travel would work as alternatives. The plus in particular seems to have a more versatile tread. Does anyone have any experience with these versions?  

steveindenmark

Legendary member.

steveindenmark said: I use Marathon plus in the winter. They are very puncture resistant. But they are heavy and slow. In the drier months I use Continental SP 4000. After a winter of Marathon plus you feel like you are flying. Next year I will try the new Continental 5000 TL. They are tubeless. Click to expand...

I've no experience with any of these, but M+ Tour would seem to be the answer, given that tyre weight is not significant.  

Andy. The majority of ultra distance riders use Continental SP4000 tyres. I have had one puncture in 3 years. But I think Marathon Plus are great for winter.  

I had continentals on my cannondale and I loved it for a few different reasons but I always reckoned the tyres were perfect for the bike but after a blowout a long way from home I had to put on what I could get on the rear and it was a Marathon plus. Today was my first real ride on it and it felt very different and will be coming off at the merest hint of better weather.  

Yellow Saddle

Andy in Germany said: The only thing I don't like is the tread: the Marathon plus has a semi slick tread which is great on road but bit skittish on mud or packed snow, and the Plus tour has a heavier tread that manages all surfaces fine but looks a bit gnarly. If I had this on a normal bike I suspect it would also slow me down but as it is on the 30kg + Bakfiets the extra weight is hardly noticeable. I've never used Conti tyres, but I'm wondering if the Contact plus or Contact plus Travel would work as alternatives. The plus in particular seems to have a more versatile tread. Does anyone have any experience with these versions? Click to expand...

You could look at Schwalbe Land Cruisers, which come in 'plus' version too.  

guitarpete247

Just about surviving.

I like Contis, but it's as much a taste and preference thing as it is a logical choice.  

Yellow Saddle said: You are looking for different tyres for all the wrong reasons. There is no such thing as a versatile, aka multi-purpose tread. A completely smooth tyre works perfectly well in all situations where the substrate (road) is harder than the tyre and any tread detracts from the tyre's performance in every way. Once the "road" is mud or packed snow, the picture changes. For that you want a narrower tyre that compacts the mud/snow as well as tread which in total area represents <50% of the tyre's contact patch. That translates to narrow, knobbly tyres. Anything in-between is sub-optimal. A little bit of tread will not give you any performance improvement in mud and snow or, on tarred road. Conversely, an aggressive knobbly tyre will be sub-optimal on tar. It is horses-for-courses, not an issue of averages. Click to expand...

the snail said: You could look at Schwalbe Land Cruisers, which come in 'plus' version too. Click to expand...

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next

guitarpete247 said: I have Landcruisers on my old MTB. Had them for about 4 years with no deflationary incidents yet. Click to expand...

The Land Cruiser. As ever it‘s ready for any terrain. In northern Germany, the Land Cruiser is even considered an MTB tire . Nevertheless, it rolls really easily on the road. Click to expand...

• 30 Dec 2018

Ordered the Conti's, many thanks for the advice. This morning I realised that this was more my inability to make a decision than anything and I should just try something. We currently have five bikes with 26" tires, so even if I don't get on with them, we can use them as replacements on one of the less well used bikes if need be, and it gives us some experience of different treads...  

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Touring Bike Tire Test: Continental Contact Urban

Contents and Test Summary

• Introduction

Manufacturer Specifications

• Size, Weight, Thickness
• Rolling Resistance: 18.4 Watts
• Puncture Resistance: 95 Points
• Static Wet Grip: 81 Points
• Conclusion: 5.0 / 5 Highly Recommended
• Continental Contact Urban

The Contact Urban is a new touring bike tire from Continental that comes with a modern look and feel. A couple of months back, we already tested its little brother, the Grand Prix Urban ( read our review ). While the Grand Prix Urban is targeted more towards performance, the Contact Urban comes closer to traditional touring bike tires as it's heavier and comes with more puncture protection.

Together with the Continental Contact Urban test, we're introducing wet grip testing to the touring bike section. Today, you can find wet grip test results of 5 touring bike tires, and every new test in this category will also include the wet grip test from now on. We only re-tested 4 other touring bike tires as we only re-test tires newer than 3 years, and the touring bike section hasn't been all that popular. We hope the addition of the wet grip test will spark some new life into the touring bike section.

The Continental Contact Urban comes with a 3/180 TPI casing which is quite common on Continental tires. The compound is the PureGrip compound used on many other "medium-priced" tires from Continental, and it's ranked just behind their BlackChili compound. What seems new is the "SafetyPro" layer of anti-puncture material under the tread, which we haven't seen on any other Continental tire yet.

Before testing the Contact Urban, we already spotted one significant advantage over many of its competitors: it's available in a HUGE amount of different sizes. Check the table below to see all available sizes, but this tire should be on the list of everyone looking for 27.5", 26", 20", and even 16" tires.

Continental Contact Urban Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Rolling resistance test results, puncture resistance test results.

Static Grip Test Results

We're impressed by the performance of the Contact Urban, especially when considering its friendly price. It's one of the fastest rolling touring bike tires, offers excellent tread puncture resistance, and is simply the best performing tire in our wet grip test. The main weakness can be found in the sidewalls as they aren't really up to touring bike standards.

As the Contact Urban is available in so many different sizes, we want to dig a bit deeper into the wet grip test results. We've noticed over the years that bigger tires in the same series sometimes come with a softer compound than the smaller versions. The reason is that bigger tires can use softer compounds as the pressure per square mm of contact area is lower. In other words: a small tire with a very soft compound would wear too fast, and they require a harder compound to have the same durability.

We're not sure if Continental also does this with the Contact Urban, but we suggest getting at least the 40 mm version (on test here) if you're buying it because of the wet grip performance.

RATING: 5.0 / 5 TEST VERDICT: Highly Recommended

Versatile, safe and durable

The RIDE Tour offers everything a real all-round tyre needs. A tread for every intended surface, the obligatory breakdown protection belt and a high mileage compound ensure the RIDE Tour is a trusted companion on your regular rides. Available in a very wide range of sizes making it an ideal workshop tyre for bike shops to service a variety of different bicycle types.

The RIDE Tour was formerly know as the Tour Ride, and now features an upgraded 180 threads per inch casing rather than the previos 66tpi. This means that the tyre casing is more supple, which means a quicker deformation around the road surface. This gives both better rolling resistance (a faster ride for the given rider power input) and better puncture protection as the tyre is able to deform more quickly around sharp offending objects. 

Durable 3ply / 180 tpi (threads per inch) nylon casing.

• City / street tyre for a diverse range of fitments
• Available in all black, white sidewall, all white, grey and brown sidewall options in many sizes
• A thick EXTRA puncture belt under the tread
• Inexpensive & long lasting

TREAD WEAR INDICATOR

Tyres worn out?   Check our guide to find out .

TYRE TECHNICAL

What makes Conti tyres technically brilliant - read on

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6 Best Commuter Tires Tested and Compared (Including Table and Pictures)

As a serious bike commuter, you want to ride in comfort, and you’ll want to avoid punctures as much as possible. But which tire represents the best value? I spent a lot of money and time testing the most regarded commuter tires. Here is a detailed comparison of the six best commuter tires money can buy.

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The six tires I am showing you are:

• Continental Contact
• Continental Contact Plus
• Continental Ride Tour
• Schwalbe Marathon
• Schwalbe Marathon Plus
• Schwalbe Marathon GT

I have the 32mm version of each of these tires except the Schwalbe Marathon GT, where I used the 37 mm version. I believe this is the smallest you can get in the GT.

32 mm is the best tire width for commuting because it offers sufficient cushioning, so it absorbs the road buzz, and it’s not too bulky to slow you down because of its excessive weight.

All of these tires have reflective sidewalls , which make them stand out at night and are very safe to ride at night. Every commuter bike needs to have these, in my opinion.

They all have their strengths and weaknesses and try to strike the right balance yet appeal to a different type of user.

If you are looking for a robust tire that’s also budget-friendly, get the Continental Ride Tour . If you have more money to spend, get the Continental Contact Plus . These two tires are my personal favorites as they represent the best value for money.

Here’s a quick recap of the results of my extensive testing.

Here’s a detailed description of each category.

Weight is an essential aspect for many riders who want their bike to be as light as possible. Since these tires are in the commuter range and have at least some puncture protection, they will not be as light as racing tires, where each gram counts. In my view, a heavy tire is not a huge penalty on a commuter bike, which needs to be functional, comfortable, and durable . 

• Continental Contact: 510g
• Continental Contact Plus: 740g
• Continental Ride Tour: 670g
• Schwalbe Marathon: 640g
• Schwalbe Marathon Plus: 870g
• Schwalbe Marathon GT: 770g

Unsurprisingly, the Continental Contact is the lightest tire since it offers the least amount of puncture resistance. The protective belt built into the tire defines how heavy a tire will be for the most part. It’s a balance of costs and benefits.

Even when you handle the tires off the bike, you will notice how heavy the Marathon Plus is, but of course, this comes with the great benefit of very high protection.

Note that if the Marathon GT existed in a 32mm version, it would probably be a good 40g lighter.

• Continental Contact: 4
• Continental Contact Plus: 3
• Continental Ride Tour: 3
• Schwalbe Marathon: 3
• Schwalbe Marathon Plus: 2
• Schwalbe Marathon GT: 3

Speed and agility

I was curious to see if and how much the weight of these tires affected their speed. I tested this on a local hill. 

I rode the same bike with the exact same setup on the same hill three times. I measured the time it took to get both up and down and averaged them out. On the way down I didn’t pedal at all, but I let gravity take care of the speed.

What stands out to me is that the weight of the tires comes into play much less than I expected , so much so that you can’t even tell the difference based on this experiment. 

I didn’t use a power meter to measure my output on the way up, so that could explain why the up times were less consistent, but the average time down is also very curious as Continental Contact, which is the lightest tire, ran the slowest. 

Since I ran these tests on different days, other factors, such as slight differences in tire pressure , temperature, wind, and humidity, played a much more important role in determining my average speed.

Agility is another, much more important factor to consider than speed because it’s clearly noticeable as you switch between tires. I didn’t find an empirical way to measure this, so it’s based on perception. Here, the weight comes into play a great deal. 

• Continental Ride Tour: 4
• Schwalbe Marathon: 4
• Schwalbe Marathon GT: 2

All of these tires are made for commuting and touring, where nimbleness is not such a high priority as it is on racing bikes. I felt that lighter tires are more responsive and make handling the bike just a bit faster.

The Marathon Plus is very heavy and rides like a tank. It rolls through road imperfections with ease because of its weight and body mass, but when you make small sudden corrections, you can feel that it’s not as nimble as its lighter counterparts. 

The Contact Plus stands out to me as an interesting tire here because it is quite agile for its weight. I really like how it strikes the right balance of weight and agility.

As a commuter, you may spend up to an hour or even more on your bike each way, which means that you need your bike to be as comfortable as possible. This starts with the tire, especially if your bicycle – like mine – doesn’t have a suspension fork .

• Continental Contact: 3
• Continental Contact Plus: 4
• Schwalbe Marathon Plus: 4
• Schwalbe Marathon GT: 5

The harder a tire needs to be inflated the more road buzz it transmits. Since the Continental Contact has the least amount of puncture resistance, you need to make sure that you run it at a sufficiently high pressure so you avoid getting flats . This means that it’s going to offer the least amount of comfort. This has been true in my case. Don’t get me wrong; even this tire is well-comfortable compared to a skinny 23 mm rock-hard tire.

The rest of the tires are well protected against flats, so I felt comfortable running them even at lower pressures, which made them slightly more comfortable. 

The Marathon GT stands out since it has the most air volume, being 37 mm wide.

If you want to be in control of your bike, you need tires that offer sufficient grip as you corner and brake. I ran several tests on a variety of surfaces, and I was quite happy with them.

• Continental Contact: 5
• Continental Contact Plus: 5
• Schwalbe Marathon Plus: 3
• Schwalbe Marathon GT: 4

I felt in control with these tires most of the time. The Marathon Plus loses traction on wet slippery surfaces the easiest , but I didn’t feel unsafe or unable to turn or stop.

Versatility

Most people who purchase these tires are going to use them mostly on paved roads with the occasional single-track use. The tread pattern ranges from barely any (Marathon GT) to really good. The better the pattern, the more useful the tire is for off-road use.

You’re not going to win gravel races with any of these tires, but the Continental Ride tour and the Continental Contact Plus are quite capable of touring on mixed surfaces.

I was surprised to see that the Schwalbe Marathon has a better pattern and offers better off-road riding than the Marathon Plus. In my opinion, this would make more sense the other way around.

• Continental Ride Tour: 5

Durable tires need to be replaced less often and have a longer lifespan.

Not being able to ride 1000s of miles with each of them to see which one lasted longer, I did some skidding tests with each of them and observed how much the surface was worn at the end. This is an indicator of how they compare in real life.

I also spent time researching other people’s experiences and how much they were able to ride them before they needed to replace them.

I spent the most time with the Continental Ride Tour as it was my daily commuter tire for over 2 years and 4,000 miles. I had to replace my rear tire after 3500 miles, but the sidewalls started cracking just after a few weeks of use. It didn’t affect the riding experience, and it didn’t result in punctures, but it’s something to keep in mind.

E-bike ready

You can mount all of these tires on e-bikes. The Marathon GT and the Contact Plus are rated the highest, at 50 km/h (30 mph), while the rest of them can be used on normal pedelec bikes up to 25 km/h (15 mph). 

This isn’t a deal-breaker for most people, but if you’re looking for new tires for your e-bike, it is an essential detail to pay attention to.

I also own the 37 mm version of the Schwalbe Marathon Plus, rated at 50 km/h (30 mph). It seems that the larger Marathon Plus tires have a higher e-bike rating.

Puncture protection

These tires are among the best in their class regarding puncture protection, which makes them very dependable and great for commuting. 

Pay close attention to this detail if you encounter many thorns or sharp glass on your route to work. A puncture-proof tire can save you a lot of time and headaches. 

• Continental Contact: 2
• Schwalbe Marathon Plus: 5

If puncture protection is your main concern, I can recommend both the Schwalbe Marathon Plus and the Continental Contact Plus tires. They are both excellent. I ran these tires over rose thorns, and thumbtacks, and both of them held up really well.

I give a slight edge to the Contact Plus because I could ride it with ten thumb-tacks in the tire, and it didn’t lose any pressure, while the Marathon Plus had a flat when I removed one of them. 

If you look at each diaphragm, you will notice that the Contact Plus has an additional Kevlar belt under the protective rubber.

The Continental Contact only gets a 2, but it’s still a perfect tire, which didn’t cause me any problem, but it doesn’t offer that extra protective layer that all the others do. If you ride mostly on urban roads without too much debris, it is an excellent tire that won’t disappoint you.

Ease of mounting

Most of the time, we don’t think how easy it is to mount the tire as long as we don’t have to do it. But even the most protective tire may need to be taken off some time.

In my experience, none of these tires were straightforward to mount, probably because they are all wire bead tires. Folding tires stretch easier, so they are easier to put on the rim. 

I had to use tire levers for all despite watching several people on YouTube putting them on with their bare hands.

• Continental Contact Plus: 1
• Continental Ride Tour: 2

I had terrible difficulties getting one of the Contact Plus tires on the rim. The process took me more than I could admit (ahm. 60 minutes), and I punctured my inner tube five times. Thankfully, I was at home under no time pressure and with plenty of patches and spare inner tubes .

The Ride Tour and the Marathon are both difficult tires to mount, in my experience. The rest of them were neither too easy nor too hard. With practice and skill, they get easier.

Price and value

I paid the following amounts for these tires. I realize that these prices change over time, and these tires have become much more expensive recently, but they haven’t changed relative to each others’ prices.

• Continental Contact: $18.5
• Continental Contact Plus: $26.6
• Continental Ride Tour: $15
• Schwalbe Marathon: $21.85
• Schwalbe Marathon Plus: $28.65
• Schwalbe Marathon GT: $28

Let’s tally up the points first to see how much each is worth the price.

These tires are all great, but considering the overall performance and the price point, the Continental Contact and the Continental Ride Tour represent exceptional value. The fact that they are cheap doesn’t mean that they are cheapish.

Sure, if you’re looking for absolute puncture protection, they are not the best choice, but they don’t fall behind the pack. The Marathon Plus ended up with the least points, which was a big surprise to me.

Considering the overall performance and the price of these tires, they deserve the following points for value:

Continental Contact: 5 Continental Contact Plus: 4 Continental Ride Tour: 5 Schwalbe Marathon: 4 Schwalbe Marathon Plus: 3 Schwalbe Marathon GT: 3

Which one should you get?

If you’re looking for a tire for a very specific use, and any one of the above criteria is important to you, you can pick the tire that best suits your needs.

If you’re like me, who rides on mostly decent roads and wants a good commuter tire, any one of them is a good fit. Even if your budget only allows for the cheapest Continental Ride Tour, you won’t be disappointed.

My personal favorite is the Continental Contact Plus . It is a great tire overall, and it performs best in most circumstances. If money isn’t an issue, I recommend it without hesitation.

Happy pedaling!

Sam Benkoczy

Hi, I'm Sam. I own and maintain 6 e-bikes, 15 regular bikes (road bikes, folding bikes, hybrid bikes, city bikes among others). I learned about bikes from my local bike mechanic as well as from bike maintenance courses. I love being out there in the saddle, and using my bike as a practical means of transportation. You can also find me on my YouTube channel at youtube.com/bikecommuterhero Say hi to me at [email protected].

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RIDE Tour vs CONTACT Plus review

In this entry we are going to compare and review Continental RIDE Tour vs Continental CONTACT Plus tyres. Both manufactured by the same brand Continental , these tyres have been designed to be used for the same purpose so that you can really enjoy your Urban/Tour activities.

"27"

"26/27.5", "26", "24", "20", "16", "12", specifications, "28", "27.5".

Continental TrueContact Tour Reviews: Delightful Touring Tire

By Robert Herrera

Last updated: November 13, 2023

Continental has been churning out high-quality standard tires in consistent productions while gaining favorable feedback during the process. And its TrueContact Tour models, with their power bites and well-placed lateral notches, also have quite a special place among standard touring drivers.

This review addresses lingering inquiries about the tire’s quality and discusses possible indicators yielded from the tire’s real-life performance test. Scroll for details!

In this article:

Continental truecontact tour specifications & features.

Continental TrueContact Tour is developed to cater to small crossovers, minivans, coupes, or family sedans seeking quiet, smooth rides with sure-footed longitudinal traction across all conditions (light snow included) and impressive tread life. 

Highlighted features worth mentioning comprise the following:

• Its all-season compounds introduce functional temperature-activated polymers that boost fuel efficiency and tread life.
• Symmetric patterns allow seamless rotation intervals that prevent irregular wear.
• Comfort Ride Tech , incorporating underlays below the tread, isolates the casing from the footprint to reduce levels of transparent cabin vibrations.
• The +Silane additives heighten the tire’s confidence on slippery surfaces.
• Circumferential grooves pave the water flow through your contact patch, battling hydroplaning issues.
• Lateral notches and siped tread blocks offer the required biting edges in icy and snowy grips, aided by the traction grooves that trap snow underneath for better stability in wintry conditions.

Continental TrueContact Tour Review & Performance Test Result

Our COR Wheels team has used the 205/55R16 tire size version of Continental TrueContact Tour on the 2022 Toyota Prius Prime during the annual 2023 Cor Wheels Tire Test . Summer evaluations lasted ten days in June-July, while Winter assessments took place around January.

1. Dry Performance: 8.9/10

Dry traction: 9.1/10.

Continental TrueContact Tour was a true delight on snow with its excellent, immediately-bonding contact patch that felt very reassuring right from the start. At the relatively tender starter of 40 MPH , we could feel how the paved grooves from the tread threaded themselves onto the asphalts to seize constant communications, breezing the car through rugged and smooth patches alike in very few stutters – if existent at all – during straight-line drivings.

Texture changes or slightly foggier roads (not enough to be labeled as “wet roads,” by the way) could not throw TrueContact Tour off its designated track, either, gumming itself in almost unbreakable strikes as we gradually accelerated further from the 40 MPH benchmark. 

By the time we fully bolted down on highways at 85 MPH , TrueContact Tour exerted the best of its power to pull the car back to safe margins at any slightest signals of overleaning, only shaking around the flanks in low-key manners when the Toyota tackled deep, long curves.

All in all, you can trust TrueContact Tour in basically every typical daily driving situation, save for extended road handling during very sharp turns or unannounced speed changes. It is still a standard touring tire at the end of the day, after all, so aggressive, adventurous driving dynamics that throw caution into the wind is not truly its style.

Corner Stability: 8.8/10

TrueContact Tour leaves little to worry about during cornerings. The Comfort Ride Tech did quite an excellent job reducing unnecessary jostles and unwavering movements under the tread and center rib, hence our breezy, almost effortless attempts diving into wide-radius corners. Even occasional blind curves with zigzag corner entries posed fewer troubles than anticipated, maintaining reassuring, steady composure at 45 MPH that stayed unchanged through speed surges.

Still, the occasional muted feedback at the borderline was what pushed TrueContact Tour’s cornering stability behind other stars like Michelin Defender2. Judging by how our Toyota showed clear hesitancy when tittering through lower-radius crooks, you should double-check your cornering speeds and approach angles before entering.

Steering Response: 8.8/10

The steering was pretty sharp and punctual, at least in non-challenging situations or basic lane changes. Its aligning feedback needed a little bit more confidence but was overall accurate, so we rarely had to concentrate too much weaving through moderate- or high-traffic alike and stayed quite certain during highway maneuvers.

Nevertheless, in critical veerings around roadblocks or intruding vehicles, you might sometimes find the sidewalls to be too flexible to keep stable and more defining footholds on rougher road sections or at highway speeds. 

Muted reactions after extended drives (usually around 3 hours ) could also be noted during our test, so pull your car to a stop after particular intervals to give this Continental tire more recovery time.

2. Wet Performance: 8.6/10

Wet traction: 8.6/10.

Puddles of varying depths on regular streets were a surprising non-issue. Thanks to the +Silane additives , we encountered no significant difficulties in distributing more footings under the contact patch, so under favorable conditions, we almost felt like returning to well-paved asphalts in dry weather. The steering response was relatively unchanged from its previous dry-terrain test , so you could still hope for uneventful straight maneuvering and decent corner entries at 40 to 55 MPH .

We started to face more problems climbing over slightly steeper ascents or graded surfaces with thicker slush and deeper stagnant water. The grooves flexed out at their best to fight them over, but they still couldn’t resist the inevitable heavy-drag feel that pulled our car down despite accelerations.

Hydroplaning Resistance: 8.7/10

As seen from its wet traction, hydroplaning issues were very controlled , even under heavy downpours. 

While thicker, colder rainwater layers still managed to worm their way into the grooves at occasional five-mile stops , the consistent tire rolls spread them out in quick successive cuts that spared little room for burnouts or exhaustion symptoms. As such, we managed impressive reactions at corners and recovered faster than anticipated from accidental oversteering.

Still, as a standard touring tire, TrueContact Tour does not exactly have the best response to abrupt directional changes. This results in our car choking up more water than necessary and stalling for an extra 5 to 6 seconds in deep waterlogged patches. 

You can still manage these situations well with average to advanced driving skills; for beginners, though, switch to slow shuffle steering and avoid quick accelerations at all costs.

3. Winter/Snow Performance: 7.7/10

Light snow traction: 8.3/10.

On light powdered snow, we could still feel a clear tire-road contact. Stable steering inputs were enough to carry us through a 3-inch blanket . But sometimes, the tire found itself in oversteering incidents tackling sharp curves. 

In its defense, such a performance was rather unsurprising for a standard tire; in fact, the model still managed to land in our Top 2 thanks to its predictable strikes and quite impressive self-cleaning abilities once the danger zone was over. Hence, you may still use it as a winter tire in favorable conditions – though we do not encourage you to turn it into a habit.

Deep Snow Traction: 7.7/10

TrueContact Tour definitely needed more composure on deep snowy roads. Snow volumes between 5 and 7 inches were somewhat tolerable at 55 MPH , but any terrain thicker than that sent our car downright fumbling. 

When equipped with snow chains, the lateral notches and siped blocks did help us regain some of our confidence at wide-crooked corners – yet, even that performance could not live up to our previous light-snow test. Needless to say, any type of dynamic riding or spirited leans will be impossible for you here.

Ice Traction: 7.2/10

While landing on Top 2, TrueContact’s ice grip still lags behind the No.1 Michelin Defender2 by a very long margin. The all-season tire reached its peak behavior on moderate ice-snow roads (with more snow than ice), supported by snow chains on all four tires. 

Meanwhile, full-fledged ice terrains were completely out of the tire’s reach at any driving rate beyond 40 MPH , tripping over thin air and taking much longer than usual to recover from pronounced slippage. Unless you are truly left with no other choices, it is best to find another path.

4. Ride Comfort: 8.6/10

Ride quality: 8.8/10.

The tire checked all our basic criteria boxes. It grew more jostled around sharp crooks (or correction skids toward the opposite direction) but remained quite cushioned in other situations. 

Better yet, loading more cargo than usual did not hurt its smooth strikes much as expected, even when we traversed at 55 MPH .

Noise: 8.5/10

Noises were low-key in basic straight-line drivings but seemed to lose composure at U-turns, corners, or even sweeping curves . The great news is that you can tune them out just fine after half an hour, even trampling them down completely with aftermarket upgrades.

5. Treadwear and Durability: 8.6/10

Fortunately, TrueContact Tour does not have to sacrifice treadwear rates for decent riding comfort. Heat extremes during the summer test could not scratch a mark on its tread, and its handling of cold weather and low ambient temps was impressive enough for a standard tire. 

Coupled with the generous 80,000-mile warranty , worry-free travel during the first six years is totally within your reach.

6. Continental TrueContact Tour Test Result Highlights

• 2023 Subaru Forester All Season Tires Test : Ranked 4th out of 10 tires
• 2023 Honda Civic All Season Tires Test : Ranked 5th out of 10 tires
• 2023 Toyota Prius All Season Tires Test : Ranked 6th out of 10 tires

Continental TrueContact Tour Pros & Cons

Confident on dry roads

Good cornering grip

Well-behaved on wet pavements

Comfortable ride and good treadwear

80,000-mile treadwear warranty

Decent on light snow (for a standard touring tire)

Deep snow and ice performances still have room for improvements

Noise control could be better

Continental TrueContact Tour Competitors & Alternative s

Though falling behind the champion Michelin Defender2 , Continental TrueContact Tour still gains an edge over Goodyear Assurance MaxLife with its own competitive edges:

• Continental TrueContact Tour had excellent wet traction levels compared to the rest of its rivals. But as mentioned, noise control could have been less choppy. 
• Goodyear MaxLife led the race in handling and road comfort, but it should pay more attention to wet traction.
• Michelin Defender2 was an unbeatable opponent in steering and fine-tuned damping. Even its snow performances found themselves at the very top rank; an improvement in braking and accelerations during winter will be welcomed, though.

TrueContact could have performed more reliably on snow and ice terrains – but again, so do other  tires in its class. Other than that, we can conclude from this Continental TrueContact Tour tire review that this premium tire delivers brilliantly in both on-road dry and wet weather without giving away much riding comfort and durability, cementing its position as the No.2 best standard touring model in the industry.

Robert Herrera

President & Automotive Expert at COR Wheels

Robert Herrera has been with COR Wheels for 17 years and has a great passion for the automotive industry. During his time at COR Wheels, he has driven and test-driven a variety of vehicles.

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Discover our bicycle tire range

Tire Range 2023/24

Grand Prix 5000 S TR

The Grand Prix 5000 S TR - The Allrounder

Aero From Every Angle

Grand Prix 5000 S TR TdF

Tour de France - Limited Edition

Grand Prix 5000 TT TR

The fastest GP 5000 TR for the pursuit of speed.

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For the Extra Mile

Grand Prix 5000

The New Era in Cycling

Specialist for loose Terrains

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Specialist for mixed Terrain and Conditions

Kryptotal-Re

Specialist for loose and Mud-Terrain

Specialist for Hardpack and dry Conditions

Our TERRA line

Terra Trail ProTection

Choose alter road, choose Terra.

Terra Trail ShieldWall

Terra Hardpack ShieldWall

Terra Speed ProTection

Urban / tour / cargo.

Pure CONTACT

Built tough to ride smooth

eCONTACT Plus

The Ultimate in Confidence and Comfort

CONTACT Plus

All you would expect from a comfortable tire

Top CONTACT II

The proven fast trekking all-rounder

Top CONTACT Winter II Premium

Premium tire for the cold season

CONTACT Urban

Cycling on the City Pulse

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A seven-layer lightweight TPU Inner Tube for performance-focused and space-saving road, gravel and MTB riders.

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Continental Tour Ride Tires - Clincher

The Tour Ride has all the featured a true touring tire should have at a top quality level - a tread for all road surfaces, good puncture protection and high mileage performance.

• USER REVIEWS

upon my first big ride after replacing my previous tires, I was positively flying on my route due to the lower perceived effort.

none that I can presently see

Great puncture protection (no flats in 2500km of urban commute). Low price (lower than Schwalbe plus options) - Decent millage. I expect around 4000 km from the rear tire. Good grip, I've done some mountain bike rides with the tires on soft ground, had to adjust my speed to the tire but was able to keep the bike under control. Overall, a good budget tire if your main goal is to have a good puncture protection and your ride speed is up to 20km/h.

These tires are skinny/have low volume. I've got the 700x37 and 42mm tire and they measure 33 and 35mm when assembled (they are wider if 3mm wider if you consider the outside knobs). Continental does this so that the tire doesn't look heavy on the spec sheet (over 1kg for a true 42mm wide). A few other issues for me: High rolling resistance. They are faster on dirt roads than on tarmac (probably cause the road deflects and increase the contact patch). Harsh ride. you need to under-inflate the tires if you ride on cobblestones (using 55psi on 42 rear). Hard to install (worse for the 37mm version)

Endurance Density Stability

You won't win any speed trials

This is the best tire in this price bracket. It would be a best buy in CR.

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• Ride Tour 24-inch

Continental Ride Tour 24-inch

The Ride Tour is at home on any surface: a real all-rounder continuous center tread provides good rolling characteristics and ample traction when cornering. Reliable puncture protection thanks to Extra Puncture Belt Durable casing and long-lasting tread impress on all rides.

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Continental gibt beim ADAC Truck-Grand-Prix Ausblick auf neue Kampagne zum Conti Eco

• Beim Branchentreff am Nürburgring rückt Continental die neueste Lkw-Reifengeneration in den Mittelpunkt
• Die Truck-Influencerinnen Katrin „Tinka“ Oschmann und Christina Scheib kommen am 14. Juli zum Showtruck
• Kampagne „Unermüdliche Leistung“ mit Oschmann, Scheib und Nationalspielerinnen des Deutschen Fußball-Bunds (DFB) folgt im Herbst

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Hannover, 09. Juli 2024. Continental bietet zahlreiche Plattformen, um die Trends der Transport- und Nutzfahrzeugindustrie voranzutreiben und Mobilität in ihrer ganzen Vielfalt zu erleben. So wird der Reifenhersteller auch beim ADAC-Truck-Grand-Prix 2024 vom 11. bis zum 14. Juli mit einem kommunikationsstarken Auftritt präsent sein. Zum Branchentreff mit Festivalcharakter erwarten die Veranstalter vom ADAC Mittelrhein mehr als 130.000 Besucherinnen und Besucher am Nürburgring. Continental wird als einer der knapp 50 Aussteller im Messepark den Showtruck der #ContiEuropeanRoadshow auffahren. Eine besondere Rolle wird die neue Reifenlinie Conti Eco der fünften Generation für den Gütertransport im Regional- und Fernverkehr einnehmen. Außerdem werden die Berufskraftfahrerinnen Katrin „Tinka“ Oschmann und Christina Scheib am Sonntag, 14. Juli, von 11 bis 12 Uhr für eine Autogrammstunde am Showtruck vorbeischauen. Sie gehören zum Team hinter dem Unermüdlich Blog , mit dem Continental alle anspricht, die täglich unermüdlich mit Lkw oder Bus unterwegs sind.

Truck-Grand-Prix als Vorschau auf neue Kampagne von Continental

Der Auftritt beim ADAC-Truck-Grand-Prix wird gleichzeitig ein Ausblick auf eine neue Kampagne sein, die Continental im Herbst starten wird: Unter dem Motto „ Unermüdliche Leistung “ werden Oschmann, Scheib und die deutsche Frauen-Fußballnationalmannschaft die neue Reifengeneration des Conti Eco präsentieren. „Auf den ersten Blick mag diese Kombination überraschend sein. Aber unermüdliche Leistung gilt für die Fußballerinnen genauso wie für „Tinka“ und Christina und auch für unsere Nutzfahrzeugreifen“, erklärt Timo Röbbel, Leiter Marketing im Reifen-Ersatzgeschäft Deutschland bei Continental. Das Unternehmen ist Partner der Frauen-, der Männer- und der U21-Nationalmannschaften des DFB. „Wir freuen uns sehr, dass so erfolgreiche Spielerinnen wie Alexandra Popp, Klara Bühl, Marina Hegering, Janina Minge, Sjoeke Nüsken, Elisa Senß und Bibiane Schulze Solano bei dieser neuen Kampagne dabei sind“, sagt Röbbel. Gemeinsam mit den reichweitenstarken Truck-Influencerinnen Katrin „Tinka“ Oschmann ( tinka_on_tour_86 ) und Christina Scheib (christina.scheib.official) bietet die Kampagne einen starken Bezug zu den Zielgruppen in der Transport- und Nutzfahrzeugbranche.

Neue Reifenlinie Conti Eco ergänzt Roadshow-Konzept

Die Autogrammstunde mit Oschmann und Scheib am 14. Juli gibt einen Vorgeschmack auf die neue Kampagne. Die Besucherinnen und Besucher des ADAC-Truck-Grand-Prix können am gelben Showtruck von Continental aber auch mehr über die neuesten Nutzfahrzeuglösungen von Continental erfahren. Die #ContiEuropeanRoadshow durch 35 Länder macht nach 2023 bereits zum zweiten Mal am Nürburgring Station. Neben smartem Reifen- und Flottenmanagement geht es in diesem Jahr vor allem um die Produkteigenschaften des neuen Conti Eco der fünften Generation. Den Entwicklern von Continental ist es mit diesem Lkw-Reifen gelungen, den Zielkonflikt zwischen hoher Laufleistung und optimiertem Rollwiderstand auszubalancieren. Mit dem Conti Eco können Flotten Kraftstoff und damit Betriebskosten sparen und CO 2 -Emissionen reduzieren. Gleichzeitig ist er langlebig und robust – und damit den Anforderungen im Regional- und im Fernverkehr gewachsen.

Annette Rojas

Kommunikationsmanagerin

Business Area Replacement EMEA

Continental Tires

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