Continental, Mondraker and American Classic - Eurobike 2015
The all new Continental Baron has undergone a complete re-design for 2016. The 2.4" tire will be available in 26", 27.5" and 29" diameters. This heavyweight, 980gram enduro tire uses the Black Chilli rubber compound, and extra reinforcing from their new Apex urethane layer. This layer spans from the bead around 3/4 of the way up the sidewall and is said to increase tire stability and pinch flat protection. To celebrate the launch, the first production run of tires will come with limited edition packaging and includes a customized mudguard. This new Baron will be available straight after Eurobike and will retail for €74 (USD TBA).
 | The 'Baron 2.4 Projekt' is an extremely grippy, agile and universal enduro race tire with high durability and puncture resistance. During the development period, Continental's tire engineers optimized the tire tread as well as the size and the structure of the carcass. Its deep-tread, relatively exposed profile is the modification of the BlackChili compound, which has been adjusted to match the needs of enduro and freeride tracks, ensures reliable grip while not comprising the low rolling resistance, even in mud or loose ground. The 2.4" carcass combines good rolling characteristics with inherent damping, without gaining weight. An additional protection layer is incorporated around the entire carcass to reduce risks of punctures. The stable Apex inlay at the lower part of the carcass prevents it from collapsing in fast corners and helps protect the sides from slicing on sharp features in rocky or rooty terrain. - Continental |
| It's a brand new Crafty, completely re-designed from the ground up, nothing to do with last year's 29" version. It has our proprietary technologies like Zero Suspension with 140mm of travel. Forward Geometry with a longer top tube length than last year's Crafty, and our Stealth aluminium tubing. It has its own wheels that we developed this year with a 40mm internal width and 3" Maxxis Chronicle tires. We have two models - the Crafty R+ with a RockShox Yari up, Monarch Plus and a ten-speed drivetrain. Crafty RR+ that has a FOX 34 and Float X rear shock with an XT drivetrain and Guide brakes. We believe these bikes will be really successful this season, the ride will compare more to our current Dune than the Foxy. Although it has 140mm travel - the style is more enduro and fun riding. We believe these bikes will be really popular, not just our bikes, but it's a new trend that's coming and it's here to stay! - Israel Romero, Mondraker Bikes |
The Crafty shares a similar brace/mudguard design as the carbon Dune and Summum
The Crafty uses Boost rear hub spacing and is 1X compatible only
The Vantage hardcore hardtail has also undergone the leap up to plus sized tires from it' 2015 incarnation which had 'normal' 27.5" wheels.
 |
 American Classic Smokin' Gun Wheelset |
American Classic founder Bill Shook says that these huge 40mm internal width rims are the result of a search for the ideal enduro wheelset, and could have a place in the emerging plus market - although they are designed with traditional sized tires in mind. At 1733 grams for a 27.5" wheelset they're certainly light enough. They will cost around $950USD for a pair when they land in early 2015.
| In the same way you make an aluminum frame stiff and light by making the tubes bigger and thinner - I'm doing this with rims, as a result you get a larger air volume in the tire or you can drop the tire casing size and get weight savings which can be incredible on the periphery of a rim. - Bill Shook |
MENTIONS: @ContinentalMTB
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I like the tires but come on, if I have to be afraid of littles rocks with a 60€ tire, something is wrong!
www.pinkbike.com/photo/12614838
#nohomo
A 40mm wide rim that's "designed with traditional tire sizes in mind"?
BULLSHIT! You put a 2.35" tire on there you better hope it's got knobs on the sidewalls.
Luckily, as I'm in the Alps at the moment I see that the majority of riders don't lean their bikes over for cornering anyway.
I think it's overkill. 28mm internal would be great for trail and DH shredding. Things have gone too wide if you ride hard. Maybe if Maxxis made a rounder version of the DHF, then we could actually use these wider rims. Until then.. blah.
kindof an odd name for a suspension design eh marketing department.
bike looks good other than thier hunchback-of-notre-dam top tube technology
All the 26" for life brigade keep going on about how much fun small wheels are, well if they demoed one of these with an open mind they'd die laughing.
And if you don't like the + tyres you just put normal tyres on and have loads of mud clearance.
I think they've marketed the + sized tyre thing really badly. No one ever complained about 3"gazzaloddis (apart from the huge weight) or 2.75" wide minions.
Hans dampf probably the best for front, wide rim so far. Maybe 2.4 hr2-heavy tho
2.3 maxxis dhf waaaay too small.
They mixed up the two features in the review. Apex is the added layer on the sidewall and Protection is the extra ply from bead to bead.
I'm not holding my breath on availability despite what they say about them being released after eurobike. At the beginning of the current model year they updated the Trail King 2.2 protections to include apex, and introduced the Der Kaiser project 2.4 in a single ply + apex casing but I have not seen either for sale anywhere - not german online stores, CRC or the big american stores. Anyone had any better experience finding these newer Conti tires?
they are a bit late with the release
Bad news : 40mm internal rim for enduro?
The only purpose I can see for that little sharp upwards protrusion is to land your perenium on when you have a moment off the pedals and go sliding balls (or otherwise) first towards the stem.