Continental Rubber Queen 2010
Reviews / Tyres
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At a Glance
The Rubber Queen is new from Continental and it is attracting a lot of attention right now. Billed by some as the ultimate freeride tyre we felt we had to put it through it’s paces! We tested both the 2.2 and 2.4 versions and they both used the excellent Black Chilli compound, which has become a favourite of many riders. The tyres come up a little large for their stated size and while the 2.2 is obviously smaller it is still quite a high volume affair. The 2.4 is simply huge though in comparison. Both feature the Apex sidewall, which is designed to reduce pinch flats. We had the UST versions and the weight of the 2.4 version is quite high, making it more of a downhill affair. But then a tyre that size should really be used for gravitational riding anyway! The tread pattern is fairly widely spaced with large snipes in the lugs to aid grip on wet roots and rocks.
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On the Trail
The 2.2 is a great tyre, it performs exceptionally well on wet rocks and roots, although not lightening fast in a straight line over hard pack it certainly wasn’t a slouch. At 728 Grams we also found it easy to spin up to maximum speed. Grip in corners is good although we did get the front to kick out a bit on fast wet loose surfaces. It never fully lost it and it was a controlled affair but it did give.
The 2.4 is definitely harder to spin up to speed, the rotating weight is noticeable and unless you are running a full DH set up we would recommend running the 2.4 on the front and a 2.2 on the back for more big mountain style riding. At lower pressures, 25psi the tyre has so much grip it is scary. You can really push the bike and your lines to the limit. The wide spaced centre knobs do make rolling resistance an issue on hard packed surfaces, but the grip the tyre gives in other conditions more than makes up for this.
Overall
Great for wet surfaces, fantastic cornering and the 2.2’s are light for a UST tyre. The 2.4’s are a little heavier but the size is huge and the added grip on the front is a welcome pay off.
Size: 2.2
Actual Tread Width: 2.295 Inches
Actual Carcass Width: 2.398
Weight: 728 Grams
Measurements taken at 30psi
Size: 2.4
Actual Tread Width: 2.498
Actual Carcass Width 2.535
Weight: 1155 Grams
Measurements taken at 30psi
This review was in Issue 5 of IMB.
For more information visit ContinentalRelated
By Rou Chater
Rou Chater is the Publishing Editor of IMB Magazine; he’s a jack-of-all-trades and master of none, but his passion for bikes knows no bounds. His first mountain bike was a Trek 820, which he bought in 1990. It didn’t take him long to earn himself a trip to the hospital on it, and he’s never looked back since. These days he’s keeping it rubber side down, riding locally and overseas as much as possible.
