Continental Kryptotal Front Tire [Rider Review]

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We were very stoked and impressed with Continental's new DH/Enduro tires they rolled out a while back. See what one of our customers thinks about the Kryptotal Front tire!

Overview

The Continental Kryptotal Front Tire — 29 x 2.40, tubeless, folding, black, Soft, Trail Casing, E25 — is a superb option for beginner and intermediate mountain bikers. The Trail Casing is light and fast, yet durable enough for riders who aren’t “charging” hard. For a couple of years, my wife ran the Trail Casing with the Endurance compound. It was quick and light, but the harder rubber felt a bit slippery and not confidence-inspiring when the trails got steeper. That was fine for two seasons, but as her skill and confidence grew, she started to outride those tires. She’s a relatively timid rider and tends to panic when the tires begin to slide. On Colorado and Utah rock, especially in colder weather, the Endurance compound was just too skatey. It would slide on rock, and especially on damp rock or roots. The Soft compound is much better, but until this new offering from Continental, you had to jump to the heavier Enduro Casing to get Soft rubber. Timid riders definitely don’t need softer rubber in the rear, but up front, a sliding tire can mean a nasty crash. Enter the Trail Casing with Soft compound. The tire stays pliable and rides nicely, but with far more secure grip than the Endurance compound.

The Kryptotals are very consistent tires, which, to me, matters more than maximum grip. I’d rather have a tire that clearly warns me when it’s approaching the limit of traction, even if that means a little less ultimate grip overall.

I’m a more aggressive, more skilled rider, and I run a Super Soft compound up front. It still lasts about twice as long as an equivalent Maxxis tire for me. I pair that with a harder compound in the rear for maximum tire life — Super Soft in front and Soft in the rear. My wife runs Soft front and rear. Running Super Soft in the rear is an option, but it basically halves tread life compared to Soft. We don’t need 5,000 miles out of a tire. About 1,500 miles is great; by then, the tubeless sealant buildup is significant and makes the tire heavier anyway, so it’s time to replace it.

Before the Continental Kryptotals, we ran Maxxis DHF/DHR II and even Assegai/DHR II combos. They were solid — durable and grippy — and we were happy with them. Switching to the Kryptotal has kept the same grip, roughly doubled tire life, and noticeably improved rolling speed compared to those Maxxis setups. I have hundreds of laps on certain segments here in Northern Utah, and after the switch, I found myself pedaling less yet overshooting jumps more often than before. They just roll faster. You might not notice it as much on the climb, but the efficiency is there. I’m rarely the slowest in the group, so rolling speed doesn’t technically matter that much, but why burn watts and calories unnecessarily? With the Kryptotals, I can even climb faster at the same power I was putting out on Maxxis. I’ll take that.

Final Thoughts

If you’re a newer or timid rider, the Trail Casing with a Soft compound up front (Soft rear if you want a matched feel) is a sweet spot — real grip and predictability without the Enduro Casing weight. If you push harder, go Super Soft up front and Soft in the rear for a great balance of traction and lifespan; only choose Super Soft in the rear if you’re willing to replace it more often.