Continental Supersonic Tires
By James Sharp

Have you ever looked at a pro cross-country racer’s bike? Everything is made to go from point A to point B as fast as possible. Their forks are extremely lightweight, their frames are extremely efficient and lightweight, even their shoes are lightweight! You can imagine that they would want the lightest possible tires, even if it means giving up the comfort a large volume tire provides. Continental knows tires and they know racers. It was only a matter of time before they raised the bar on a race specific tire.

According to the folks at Conti, their new (to the USA) line of Supersonic tires are “optimized as far as weight and rolling resistance are concerned”. I couldn’t say it better myself. The Twister and Explorer models both come in Supersonic tires.

Twister
Explorer

Continental Twister Supersonic
At 370 grams, the Twister Supersonic may be the lightest cross-country tire on the market! It is made up of tiny center knobs with larger side lugs. This makes for an incredibly fast rolling tire that has adequate cornering grip as well. It is available in a 1.9-inch size only. Continental recommends a minimum of 50 psi in the Twister Supersonic, more on that later.

To be honest, the first thing I did when I got the Twister Supersonic was throw it on a postal scale. It felt light, but come on, 370 grams? I have used road bike tires that weighed more than that. Well, our test tire came in at 372 grams. Wow. I couldn’t wait to get these things mounted and rolling! Well, this was pleasant surprise number two, not only to these tires roll incredibly fast, but they hook up well, especially when used as a rear tire, on hardpack to moderately muddy conditions. I say moderately muddy conditions because there isn’t enough knob height to penetrate through deep mud. On the plus side, there isn’t very much surface area to pack up with mud. They corner well, thanks to Conti’s Endless Edge pentagonal knobs.

Make no mistake; this is a no-nonsense race tire. The sidewalls are very thin, I strongly suggest following Continental’s recommendation to run a minimum of 50 psi in the tire, especially if used as a rear tire. I cannot recommend this tire for general riding, exploring, or anything else but racing. They are not comfortable at the recommended pressure, but all but the most careful rider will pinch flat running anything less.

Continental Explorer Supersonic
The Explorer is a full knob tire that tips the scales at a scant 440 grams! It is available in any size you want, so long as its 2.1. It features Continental’s Endless Edge knobs that make for a smooth transition from straight-line to cornering lugs. This makes leaning over in a corner a no-brainer.

Like its Supersonic sibling, the Explorer Supersonic is meant to be a race tire. Unlike the Twister, however, the Explorer handles damp conditions with ease. It’s full height knobs are more than capable of reaching into the mud and muck and grabbing the firmer terra firma below. It’s open knob spacing still allows collected mud to be flung off quickly.

I found the Explorer Supersonic to be a better all around tire than the twister, partly due to its larger girth, partly due to its longer knobs. Actually it was a great front tire, it didn’t push out in corners and handle braking duties with aplomb.

The same caveats are true with the Explorer Supersonic as with the Twister Supersonic. Continental recommends higher air pressure due to the thinner sidewalls. In the case of the Explorer they recommend at least 40 psi. That is not bad, but still a little harsh. Again, this is meant to be a no-nonsense race tire, it is very specific about its purpose in life, GO FAST.

Summary: The Twister Supersonic and Explorer Supersonic are some of the fastest tires I have ever ridden. Rotating weight is felt the most, and tires are the farthest away from the hub. You can’t help but notice how quick these tires are. I found that running the Twister in the back with the Explorer up front gave me enough traction in almost any conditions with smooth predictable braking traction in all but the deepest mud. Are these epic adventure tires? No, they aren’t, but if you are looking for a no compromise tire that won’t hold you back during a race, look no farther. The Twister Supersonic and Explorer Supersonic both retail for $44.95. That is the cheapest way to make your bike noticeably faster.

James Sharp is a Contributing Editor to GearReview.com specializing in mountain biking.

For more information, contact:
Continental
www.conti-online.com