User submitted reviews
Review by Redding CA Biker
I don't care for the ride of this tire. I mostly use this on paved trails. I find that the tire wanders a lot, and also picks up a lot of pebbles in the tread due to its new inverted tread design. The previous version tracked nicely, and didn't have these issues. Also, this tire is slower than the earlier design.
Review by earthling33
I bought the Continental Top Contact II 700c x 37mm to replace the cheap 28mm tires that came on my new bike. I ride mostly paved streets and paths, but I wanted something that I could go off-pavement too. These tires have great grip when leaning into curves on pavement, and they are much more stable and sure-footed on course gravel with small rocks. The difference between these and my OEM tires is like night and day.
I first tried to run them around 80 PSI, but I found a better ride at around 60 PSI. I'm still experimenting. The lower pressure doesn't seem to slow me down, and it absorbs bumps and golf ball sized rocks better than the higher pressure. I use tubes. (Just old fashioned, I guess)
I almost bought the cheaper Continental Ride Tour, but decided at the last minute to buy the better tire. I'm happy with that decision. I have no complaints.
Me: 6'2", 225 lbs. Old guy.
Bike: Motobecane Tourino Expert XTL, Large frame, drop bars
Review by Anonymous
I bike to work 100-150 miles a week on a Specialized Turbo e-bike. I'm running these in 42. They're wonderful. Light, comfortable, and sure footed. Had for a month or two and nothing but good things going on. Great on grass, gravel, dirt, good in the rain. Much faster and less harsh than the OEM Armadillos. And those were pretty nice tires, not knocking them at all.
Review by Anonymous
These tires are the ones to purchase if you have an e bike. The ride is better and quieter than my original tires on my specialized turbo Vado. I have no compromise in my e- power distance. These tires perform well on both light packed gravel, dirt trails and pavement. Also have the added benefit that these tires have a very high puncture proof resistance. Definitely purchase these again but likely will have to wait 15,000 km or more.
Review by Anonymous
They are made in Germany, cost about 10% more than tires from the 'other' Country and were on our doorstep in less than a week from the great people at biketiresdirect; which by the way, was the only place that had 'em.
Hopefully they still have some for YOU.
"That's all folks"
Review by Cdale CX2
I received these tires in 47-700c and put them on my Cannondale Quick CX2...larger tire than the '40's (Kenda's) that came on it but there is plenty of clearance. i am a heavier/older rider who emphasizes time on a bike not distance/speed and appreciate the comfort that these tires provide. my average speed is only .4 mph slower on my normal hour loop and i am putting out more watts. all good (need the exercise) as i live in New Orleans where it's flat and has really poor roads.
i must admit i have been a lifelong Conti fan since riding motorcycles from the mid '70's.
the tire is up to Conti standards in quality and look to be a long lasting tire. great profile for city streets but anxious to do some gravel/light trail use with them to see if they live up to Conti's claims!
Review by Mike
Super smooth, durable, lightweight. A great all around tire
Review by Mark
Third yearly set of Continental tires with no plans to switch! 5k a year with one flat in three years! Comfortable and durable!
Review by Tom M
Only have a few hundred miles on the two sets I purchased this past fall but so far so good, I purchased a 32c for my Trek Domane for dirt road rides and a 42c set for my Salsa Fargo for gravel grinders My last set of Top Contact 1's gave me 8000 flat free miles so I have high hopes for the new versions. They mounted up well and are perfectly round and ride great as did my old set. I had a ride last week that had a lot of ice and crusty snow and they did better then expected. Hopefully I get as many miles out of these as I did the last set. Well worth the money for a quality tire. BTW I paid $140 for the last set in 2010 so I hope the drop in price doesn't translate into less quality
Review by Merlin
I use these on my Specialized Diverge. Works well!
Review by Jeller
I decided to switch from 23mm road tires to this option in 28mm to get a softer ride and to be able to ride on compacted gravel trails. These tires did not disappoint me and met those goals nicely. Another plus is that I did not notice an increase in rolling resistance. I have about 500 miles on them now and I am very pleased with them.
Review by Merlin
Works well on my rain bike. I had one on the back and just got a new one for the front.
I'm hoping the raised treat will help prevent glass flats.
Review by Madison_biker
It's a big cushy tire with good grip, long life, and good puncture resistance. I would say it has a good ride... except... after just a month and a few hundred miles, it's so out of round the wobble is surprising and really annoying except at pretty low speeds. It's also hard to get it to seat evenly on the rim.
I'd have expected better quality. At this price, forget it. I've had other Continental tires before and never had this problem to such a degree with any of them. I tried the tires on several different rims that are all very round, with which I've never had any trouble getting other tires to sit right and run true. Now they're on my commuter bike that never sees high speeds or long rides.
Where I bought 'em, they said they'd have warrantied them except I didn't bring them back quite within 30 days. Instead they sold me a set of Panaracers at a discount. They said they'd seen this problem a lot with the larger Continental touring tires.
Review by harleyhawgrider
There are many miles of city trails where I live that I ride on. This tire is just what I was looking for, it is wide enough to withstand the trails that are not perfect but still thin enough that I get a smooth ride. As long as I own this bike, these tires will be on it!
Review by Champboy
These are tough tires with low rolling resistance. If you have a touring or utility bike that you load down and don't want to have flats these are a good choice. They are a bit heavy but that is the tradeoff. I would rather ride my bike than fix flats. Given the toughness of these tires they have very low rolling resistance. Would I buy them again ... Well yes, these are replacemnts for the set I wore out.
Review by Anonymous
I bought these for my grandson's bike and he has been very happy with them, good rolling and so far no flats.
Review by Elkhart Commuter
According to my GPS, they are faster than they look or feel. They are also secure on many surfaces. But the ride is harsh for a tire of this size. They seem true to size, perhaps even wider than listed. Still, I dislike the ride quality enough that I'll probably go back to Continental Contact Travel Reflective 700c Tire. The latter aren't going to hold up as well, but they are so much more pleasant to ride.
Review by Anonymous
I ride about 50 miles per week through Seattle on a combination of bike lanes, paved trails, and gravel on my way to and from work. These tires are amazing, they are so grippy that I can actually hear them gripping wet pavement as I bike. They've also kept me from taking a few falls on black ice this winter. Not a single flat since biking with them the past three months!
Review by Michael
First off, easy to install. German specs, no 3rd world off-spec issues. Excellent rubber compound leads to good grip wet or dry and a nice ride. Tread pattern works great both on tarmac & light off road. However, this tire sucks up small BB sized pebbles till the cows come home. I can not comment on durability , but suspect that it would be up to standard Continental snuff...
Review by bluesriff
First purchase from Bike Tires Direct and I am impressed. Great website, prompt delivery and great tire. It will be my go stop when I need other bike gear.