Continental TKC80 and TKC70 Rocks Bike Tires Assessment

I’m fortunate to stay in journey bike heaven, with 5 (quickly to be six, when Montana is launched subsequent 12 months) Backcountry Discovery Routes accessible inside a day’s trip and innumerable gravel and filth forest service roads crisscrossing the panorama for tons of of miles in each course. The Idaho BDR, for instance, is greater than 1,200 miles lengthy, and once you issue within the pavement miles required to get there and again, it’s been recognized to simply chew by way of a rear big-block knobby tire.

Enter the “mullet” setup, a time period coined by mountain bikers that I’ve co-opted to explain a mix of an aggressive, off-road-oriented entrance tire and a longer-wearing, much less aggressive however nonetheless succesful rear. In a cheerful coincidence, Continental not too long ago introduced the return of its legendary big-block knobby TKC80 after an almost three-year hiatus, with a brand new manufacturing course of that Continental says ends in an total higher-quality tire that performs higher in moist situations and holds up higher to the calls for of aggressive off-road driving.

Continental instructed we check the brand new TKC80 paired with an open-block TKC70 Rocks rear, which they’ve positioned as a 50/50 tire halfway between the usual TKC70 and the TKC80. Plans for lengthy, multiday ADV rides instantly started dancing in my head.

And trip I did. Over two months of testing I’ve put 2,200 miles (and counting) on the TKCs, together with metropolis commutes, lengthy slabs of freeway, twisty mountain roads, gravel, hard-packed filth, suspension-testing rocky climbs and descents, ruts, mild mud, and unfastened rocks. I can confidently say I’m impressed.

Continental mentioned the TKC80 entrance/TKC70 Rocks rear combo would ship 70% of what a full set of TKC80s might do off-road, however for the kind of terrain I trip it feels extra like 90%. Aired right down to about 25 psi entrance and 29 psi rear, the TKC mullet combo is compliant and very succesful. The TKC70 Rocks, regardless of its mild-mannered look, grips sketchy options like facet slopes and unfastened rock tenaciously. Surprisingly, the place I really feel happiest to have the knobby TKC80 entrance is on unfastened gravel, the place its chunk offers confidence on a completely loaded ADV bike, particularly on downhill switchbacks.

The opposite half of the story, after all, is pavement efficiency and longevity, and my optimistic impression holds true. Whereas I’ve but to come across onerous, driving rain, there have been some slick, moist mountain roads, and with a dose of purpose and clean braking I don’t discover the TKC80’s knobs in any respect. On dry roads I get downright sporty, pushing to the outer limits of the tread each entrance and rear with nary a twitch. These aren’t sport tires, however I’ve pushed them tougher than my driving companions have been prepared to go, and the chorus repeating inside my helmet is at all times, Wow, these tires are good.

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In spite of everything that abuse – punishing rocks, canyon carving, and loads of freeway slabbing – the middle blocks on each tires are simply beginning to spherical a bit, however they’re exhibiting no measurable put on by my not-so-technical methodology of a toothpick and a pen, and the TKC70 Rocks rear is just not squaring off but. It’s value noting that I’m cautious to at all times air again up after off-road excursions, which actually helps with longevity. It is going to be fascinating to see what number of miles I can get out of the combo, but it surely’s clear it is going to outlast a full TKC80 set with little compromise off-road and definitely higher pavement efficiency besides. See your supplier, on-line retailer, or Continental’s web site for accessible sizes and pricing.