# Conti Speed King tire for all around bikepacking???



## RPG (Sep 16, 2005)

I want to get a tire for my Fargo that will be decent on paved roads, dirt roads, gravel, and light singletrack.

Anyone have experience with Conti Speed Kings or Race Kings? I had WTB Nano 2.1 and loved them. The problem was they did not work well with Stans rims (PIA to take the tire off), but felt great on the road. I guess the race and comp versions will work with stans rims.

Anyways, I am looking for that 1 tire that can do well for rides that take me on (for example) 20+ miles of roads to 20 miles of gravel/rail trail, and another 15 miles or so of light singletrack.

Thanks!


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## bakerjw (Oct 8, 2014)

I still run Nano Comps (wire bead) on my Stans Arch Ex rims. They are a tight fit, so I carry a tire lever. the reason that I still use them is that I can seat them with a hand pump.


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## big_papa_nuts (Mar 29, 2010)

Nanos are one of the best bikepacking tires IMO. They roll well on pavement and grip surprisingly well off road. If WTB did a 2.4" I don't know that I would buy anything else. I have used the race version for years on a Stan's Arch without issue.

I also have a Speed King 700x42 on the front of my commuter bike, which sees action on gravel tails and light single track. No complaints other then build quality (the tread is a little wobbly), but that doesn't seem to effect the way it rides. Personally I would go with something bigger if I were going to ride more then a few miles of single track though.


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## RPG (Sep 16, 2005)

big_papa_nuts said:


> Nanos are one of the best bikepacking tires IMO. They roll well on pavement and grip surprisingly well off road. If WTB did a 2.4" I don't know that I would buy anything else. I have used the race version for years on a Stan's Arch without issue.
> 
> I also have a Speed King 700x42 on the front of my commuter bike, which sees action on gravel tails and light single track. No complaints other then build quality (the tread is a little wobbly), but that doesn't seem to effect the way it rides. Personally I would go with something bigger if I were going to ride more then a few miles of single track though.


Isn't the speed king a 2.2 tire?


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## RPG (Sep 16, 2005)

I had the Nano TCS on my stans rim. They didn't really seat right. Do the Race and Comps fully seat in a stans rim?

Thanks guys!


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## big_papa_nuts (Mar 29, 2010)

Sorry. I have a Speedride, which is a commuter/gravel/touring type tire. I have no experience with the Speed King.

WTB TCS tires are too tight for Stan's rims. Stan's even mentions it in their tire compatibility page. But the Race versions don't use the same bead and thus work swell with Stan's rims.


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## senor_mikey (Apr 25, 2009)

Schwalbe Thunder Burts... much faster rolling than a Nano, more supple ( smoother ride) and with the snakeskin version... pretty tough. Perfect for the riding you describe. 

mike


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## bakerjw (Oct 8, 2014)

RPG said:


> I had the Nano TCS on my stans rim. They didn't really seat right. Do the Race and Comps fully seat in a stans rim?
> 
> Thanks guys!


The TCS is a bit smaller and designed for TCS rims. They will not fit properly according to other threads that I've read about them.


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## 29ger (Jan 1, 2011)

I've run Race Kings, X-kings, and Mountain Kings on my Stans rim, and all the Conti tires I've tried have fit good. No big issues, although I use the Protection version, and until they get broke in, sometimes I have to use a compressor to inflate. After they are broken in, I can usually inflate with a pump. I found the terrain where I live (lots of loose over hardpack) a bit much for the race kings, so I stick with the X-kings for the rear. They weigh slightly more, but with the alternating center tread blocks, seem to roll about as well. I wouldn't have any issues running race kings on dirt roads unless they get loose and sandy.


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## zephxiii (Aug 12, 2011)

Racekings are very good tires, fast and well rounded. I have at least 3000 miles on a PureGrip model...and still going strong. 

My current pavement/gravel/dirt setup is a bald Bonty XR1 in rear, smooth in the middle but knobs on side, and an old Race King up front. Works great and i still kick ass on single track on that setup. 

So maybe Speed King in back and Race King up front? It really boils down to how easy u wanna roll on pavement. If it is a minor priority then RK front and back. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk


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## kevrider (Jul 18, 2010)

i have race kings on my fargo. all rides with that bike start on the road and lead to either gravel or single track and they do well for me on all of those surfaces. not on stans, so can't say how that works, but the tread is fast rolling with enough traction for my riding.


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## mdilthey (Dec 15, 2014)

I really liked the Teravail Sparwoods. WICKED fast rolling tire.


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## albeant (Feb 24, 2004)

I've used the Nano 2.1, Race King 2.2, and Thunder Burt 2.1 on my mixed surface bike (AWOL). The Conti and Schwalbe are fast, but don't have near the cornering traction on loose surfaces as the WTB. 

But the problem with the Nano is the fragile casing, along with the problematic fitment on some rims. Right now I'm really happy with the Vittoria Mezcal III--similar to the Nano, but much tougher casing and better traction all around. It feels a little noisier on pavement, though.


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## bmike (Nov 17, 2009)

Race Kings were great on my Fargo for mixed terrain. I liked the old WTB Vulpine as my favorite primarily gravel tire...


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## RPG (Sep 16, 2005)

I ended up getting the Nano race and had a tough time, again, fitting them on Stans rims. There is a slight side warp on one section of the tire. Barely noticeable on the road. I looked at the Thunder Bert and Teravail, but were 3 times the price of the WTB Nanos. Thanks for all the feedback! Hopefully other viewers got something out of it too.


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