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Saturday, February 20, 2010

Conti Buy Me Love


I just need to take a moment to express my love for the Continental 4000 Grand prix. I have been using these 25c Contis as my primary road tire for two years and they still haven't worn through. They are sticky in corners. They hold in the wet. They roll like the beejeebus. They rock like the Magi-Kist. In theory, an aluminum frame is supposed to be "harsh" and pick up "road noise" or whatever the big bike companies would like to sell you with a $4000 carbon frame. The proper wheels with properly inflated tires can tune the feel of most bikes for maximum comfort.

Although I could max out my Contis at 120psi, I usually opt for 90-100psi front and 100-110 rear in dry conditions. There have been days when I haven't followed my own rule and pumped up to the max... resulting in a jarring ride and back ache. Many riders worry about "road resistance" and the feeling is that maxed out tires will ride faster because there will be less contact with the road. Actually this doesn't matter as much as the ability to maintain a constant speed over the full spectrum of normal road riding.

These Contis rock!!!