Continental Race King Shieldwall Pure Grip- 29 x 2.2

The less expensive but still impressive version of the Black Chili compound race kings.  These Pure Grip Race Kings are slower than the Black Chili version, but they're still the fastest sub 60 dollar tubeless mountain tire out there.  So if you are on a budget and want the best mixed condition tire out there, get these.  

 At 25 psi these tires are fast on the road and comfortable on singletrack.  Basically they’re an ideal tire for a mix of conditions from occasional pavement, to dirt roads to flow singletrack.  I wouldn’t recommend them for serious rock gardens, or ultra chunk class 4 roads, if you can clear a bigger tire.  A 2.6” tire will always win in those conditions.  For non-racers, get the 29 or 27.5 x 2.2 tire.  

For nerds: these tires are rated really highly on Bicycle Rolling Resistance dot com for puncture resistance, have much taller knobs than similarly ‘fast’ tires, and they’re among the fastest knobbies in this category.  The bigger knobs mean more traction in looser conditions.  The tire casing is thicker than most race tires, which translated to increased durability.  

Run these on rims with an inner width of 22-30mm.  

Any tire of this size that’s being pushed hard off-road could benefit from the Mariposa Tyre Invader tire inserts, especially if you are a larger rider or riding with a load.