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Catching up after a few months away, this seems to be about the only thing that's happened that actually matters. I didn't see any thread or news item on it here, and I know we have quite a few fans.
- Kryptotal Fr - Downhill Casing - Soft Compound - 60-622
- Kryptotal Fr - Enduro Casing - SuperSoft Compound - 60-622
- Kryptotal Fr - Trail Casing - Soft Compound - 60-622
- Argotal - Enduro Casing - SuperSoft Compound - 60-622
Not in the country yet though as far as I can see.
Kryptotal trail soft out front with a magnotal out back will be my replacement set for the current baron apex/mountain king protection pairing on my "DC" Spark
The enduro ultrasoft Argotal is in stock at Tredz, £80 though. I guess we'll see more trickle through in the next few weeks. Weirdly Conti UK still haven't updated their own website
(ot really but I was really wanting one of these, but got fed up waiting and got a highroller 3 in exo+ maxxgrip instead, and so far it's been pretty fantastic. Slower than I'd hoped tbh, but the grip's never been less than impressive so far in whatever conditions I've found for it. Based on the argo soft enduro and supersoft dh they're probably going to be pretty close rivals)
A very nice person gave me a few Argotal & Kryptotal Enduro Super Softs for the front of my bike. I’m a fan of the new Maxxis High Roller 3 in Maxx Grip, so it’s interesting to compare. I think the Maxxis is a more well rounded tyre overall, when it’s soft (wet or dry) the Argotal is better, but on harder pack trails the Maxxis wins out.
Still having to run a DH casing Kryptotal on the rear though, as the Enduro casing really isn’t that tough.
Tyres are expensive these days, but I’m also convinced they last way, way longer than they ever used to. I’ve generally had good experiences with continentals MTB stuff, had a Kryptotal rear on for a few years now.
TBH I think that's where Conti have always been ahead with their rubber, they always seem to get a bit more grip out of a particular hardness of tyre, which means you can have better knob shapes that hold their edges better, usually roll a little faster, and last longer. They've just never been able to consistently make good tyres out of it, especially for trail and enduro bikes.
I reckon this range is the first time they've really had a good enough range of treads and carcasses to match the rubber, they've always had a few good options but it's been so erratic and spotty. There's still gaps here obviously but it's such a massive improvement.
By comparison, Maxxis and Michelin pretty much solve everything with softer rubber, which works fantastically and consistently but does roll slow and wear fast. But at least means they still can do good work when they're completely worn out. And Schwalbe often have the cleverer treads but they can drop off in performance fast as the tread blocks lose shape and edges.
Have they mechanised the production line in Germany yet? As much as I liked their tyres, the quality control of the "handmade in Germany" was pretty poor, I had several where the kevlar bead separated from the tyre after **** all use and gave up on them.
Don't know about that but they've definitely moved more production overseas- it used to be everything black chili was made in germany, tbf it used to be that every mtb tyre they made that didn't suck was made in germany. But at least some of the new topend lines are made overseas. I can't actually remember which, one of the first lot I bought was definitely chinese, argotal or kryptotal I can't recall, but IIRC my dh argotal was german.
I liked those old adverts they did where you could see your tyre was being made in Korbach by a big bald dude with an epic beard.
Ordered a Kryptotal enduro super soft from BikeInn a couple of weeks back (£75ish with p&p) which arrived this week. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to fit it as the existing Kryptotal Fr enduro (soft) on my Hunt rim (which I want to move to my hardtail) is absolutely impossible to get off!
I liked those old adverts they did where you could see your tyre was being made in Korbach by a big bald dude with an epic beard.
If I remember correctly those adverts were a deliberate attempt by the marketing department to save the manufacturing department. They were planning to close down the workshop and move production overseas until the 'Handmade in Germany by Gunter' adverts become the public image of the company. It worked for a while.
I fitted some Kryptotals in July last year. Did 2 weeks in Morzine and a dozen uplift days since and the treads are still in ridiculously good shape.
I did pinch the rear so it's got a couple of plugs. Enduro casing and I didn't have time to fit inserts before I went to France and I popped it on a chunky trail in Lindarets. I put Rimpacts in when I got home and I've absolutely battered them ever since with no problems whatsoever.
When I need new ones I might try a DH casing rear and a super soft front which wasn't available at the time.
Anyone know what's happened to Black Chilli? Is it no more?
Also anyone able to suggest any X-King alternatives or am I just as well going for whatever the Conti replacement is?
@Northwind Disappointing if they have moved production overseas, part of the attraction was that they were made in Europe.
I haven’t been able to fit it as the existing Kryptotal Fr enduro (soft) on my Hunt rim (which I want to move to my hardtail) is absolutely impossible to get off!
Have to say I love the argotal dh but it is the absolute worst tyre to fit and remove that I've used since about 2010. Quite tight but also stiff and sort of slidey, it's like the entire structure of the thing is always pushing the wrong way but at the same time will never stay where you put it so it's always pulling on or off of another part of the rim. Bastard thing.
Anyone know what's happened to Black Chilli? Is it no more?
They're not using it in the branding any more but the actual tech is still how they make tyres. It's literally just a proprietary mix of very carefully graded carbon black and silica apparently, they used the exact same thing in motorbike tyres but the branding didn't take hold there so they just quietly dropped the name, it's only in pushbike land that it became the "blackchili is good, everything else we do is terrible" thing. Can't remember what they called the previous midrange line but supposedly that was black chili without the name, they just didn't call it that because they knew it was seen as premium and linked into the made in germany stuff, because they'd built that mythology of "we can't let our overseas division use this or it'll get copied"
Can't remember what they called the previous midrange line but supposedly that was black chili without the name,
Now you mention that, I'm sure I remember reading the same.
PureGrip was the mid-range stuff I think?
Contis can be pigs to fit, so we leave them in the sunshine for an hour before fitting usually as it makes them more compliant. After they've been on the rim once, they're generally a lot better.
I've got a load of DH Supersofts here as you'd expect, but also got a pair of Krypto in Enduro (whatever 2 out of 3) compound/flavour is, i'm running them on my Fuel at Dyfi this weekend.
It'll be interesting to compare to the DH Supersoft that i'll be running on the Session in between times on Sat.