CX/Gravel Tire Test: Continental Contact II 37

The Continental Contact II is Continental's most all-round touring tire, Conti even calls this their Jack of all trades. The Contact II has a triple layer 180 TPI carcass, 25 km/h E-bike rating, Eco logo and a 'SafetySystem' anti-puncture layer. Although the Contact II is a direct competitor to the very popular Schwalbe Marathon range of tires, it doesn't have a thick anti-puncture layer. It instead uses a thin layer of kevlar reinforced nylon (SafetySystem) under the tread.

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The biggest advantage of using a stronger but thinner layer of anti-puncture protection is the weight savings. With a factory specified weight of 620 grams for the 37-622 version, the Contact II is 110 grams lighter than the Schwalbe Marathon (read review). If equal rolling resistance and puncture resistance can be achieved with just this thin layer, the lower weight is a nice bonus. Continue to read about the full test results.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Continental
Model	Contact II
Year	2015
Supplied By	Supplied by Continental
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	Med
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	0100262
TPI	3/180
Compound
Bead	Wire
ETRTO	37-622
Specified Weight	620 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	88
Made In	Pro Data
Available Sizes	47-622 (28x1.75) 42-622 (28x1.60) 37-622 (28x1.40) 32-622 (28x1.25) 28-622 (28x1.10)

Continental Contact II 37 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	620 grams
Measured Weight	623 grams
Measured Width Casing	34 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	mm
Measured Height	Pro Data
Tire Circumference	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	0.0 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	4.20 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall	Pro Data
All size measurements are taken at high air pressure on a 18 mm inner width rim.

The measured weight of my sample of the Contact II is 623 grams, this is very close to the specified weight of 620 grams. On my 17C rim, at an air pressure of 60 psi / 4 bar, the 37-622 Contact measures 34 mm wide and 31 mm high. Most 37-622 rated tires measure closer to 35 - 37 mm wide.

With a measured tread depth of 1.8 mm, the Contact ends up in the middle of the pack. Because the usage of only a thin layer of anti-puncture material, the Total Tire Thickness Tread measurement comes in at 4.2 mm. 4.2 mm is a very low measurement and comes close to the thickness of fast road bike tires (3 mm). While the total tire tread thickness is low, the sidewall is much thicker than comparable tires and comes in at 1.95 mm thick.

Rolling Resistance Test Results

Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube	Conti Tour 28 (170 gr butyl)
Measured Width	34 mm
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 66 psi/4.6 bar 33-35 = 60 psi/4.1 bar 36-38 = 54 psi/3.7 bar 39-42 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 43-46 = 46 psi/3.2 bar 47-50 = 42 psi/2.9 barHigh Air Pressure (60 psi / 4.1 bar)	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 55 psi/3.8 bar 33-35 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 36-38 = 45 psi/3.1 bar 39-42 = 42 psi/2.9 bar 43-46 = 38 psi/2.6 bar 47-50 = 35 psi/2.4 barMedium Air Pressure (50 psi / 3.4 bar)	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 44 psi/3.0 bar 33-35 = 40 psi/2.8 bar 36-38 = 36 psi/2.6 bar 39-42 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 43-46 = 31 psi/2.1 bar 47-50 = 28 psi/1.9 barLow Air Pressure (40 psi / 2.8 bar)	32.4 Watts CRR: 0.00971
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 33-35 = 30 psi/2.1 bar 36-38 = 27 psi/1.9 bar 39-42 = 25 psi/1.7 bar 43-46 = 23 psi/1.6 bar 47-50 = 21 psi/1.4 barExtra Low Air Pressure (30 psi / 2.1 bar)	Pro Data
The CX/Gravel section is a multi tire size section, air pressures have been adjusted to the measured casing width. All numbers are for a single tire at a speed of 29 km/h / 18 mph and a load of 42.5 kg / 94 lbs. Use the formula: RR (Watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load.

Rolling resistance at an air pressure of 60 psi / 4 bar is 24.3 watts, this is 3 watts more than the Schwalbe Marathon. When dropping air pressure, rolling resistance rises to 28.9 watts at 45 psi and 39.4 watts at 30 psi. At these lower pressures, the disadvantage of the Contact II grows to 5.1 and 8.9 watts respectively.

When we look at the charts, it's obvious rolling resistance at low air pressure is really bad. When you make sure air pressure never drops below 50-60 psi, this might be an OK tire. If you like to run low air pressure for increased comfort or just don't check your air pressure often, forget about this tire.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread	65 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Pro Data
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	11
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Pro Data
Tread Total Tire Thickness	4.20 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Pro Data
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Pro Data
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness	Pro Data

In the puncture resistance test, the Contact II scores quite low. In the tread puncture resistance test, it scores a low 11 points. In the sidewall puncture resistance test, on the other hand, it scores an above average 7 points.

When we also combine the total tire thickness measurements with the puncture resistance scores (Puncture Factor), the Contact scores even lower. With a Puncture Factor Tread score of 46 points, it's at the bottom of the pack. While the Puncture Factor Tread score is very low, the Puncture Factor Sidewall score of 14 points is at the top of the list. The high sidewall scores are of limited use as I think the Tread scores are much more important for most touring/e-bike usage.

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	No Data
Wet Grip Center	No Data
Wet Grip Edge	No Data
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	0.0 mm
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 CX/Gravel grip test rim width = 23.0 mm
Wet Grip Test and Off-Road Tires (info)

Conclusion

I find it hard to judge the Continental Contact II, it doesn't really stand out at anything. When we exclude the slight weight disadvantage, the Schwalbe Marathon (read review) performs better on every test. To make it even worse, performance in the puncture resistance test is very low. For touring/e-bike usage, puncture resistance is just as important as rolling resistance. I would have given this tire a recommended 3/5 rating if puncture resistance was at least average.

At the moment, I just don't think there is a tire on the market that beats the Schwalbe Marathon on rolling resistance/puncture resistance and price. Given that the Contact II is close to the same price as the Marathon, I can't recommend it.

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RATING: 2.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Not Recommended

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