CX/Gravel Tire Test: Continental Speed King CX RaceSport 32

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  • Continental Speed King CX RaceSport 32
Performance compared to all other CX/Gravel tires
(100% is best)
Pro Members get 11-point radar charts

Continental Speed King CX RaceSport 32 road bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

The Continental Speed King CX RaceSport is a 32 mm wide cyclocross tire optimized for dry conditions, and it's one of the lightest tires you can find in the 32/33 mm size. It comes with a stepped center tread pattern for traction under acceleration and slightly bigger knobs along the edge of the tire that should provide a little bit of off-road cornering grip.


The Speed King CX RaceSport looks very similar to the regular Speed King RaceSport (read our review) that's available as a mountain bike tire in the 2.20 size. They both come with the Continental 3/180 TPI casing and the well-known Black Chili compound that almost always guarantees a strong performance in our tests.


The Speed King CX RaceSport is only available in the 32 mm size, making this a tire that will probably only be used by a select group of riders. Compared to the bigger mountain bike version of the Speed King, we found some interesting differences that might be worth looking into.


Manufacturer Specifications


Manufacturer Specs
Brand Continental
Model Speed King CX RaceSport
Year 2022
Supplied By Bought in store
New or Used New
Mileage 0 km
Price Range High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number 0101256
EAN4019238724561
TPI 3/180
Compound Black Chili
Bead Folding
ETRTO 32-622
Specified Weight 285 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi) 85
Made In Members Only
Available Sizes 32-622 (700x32c)

Continental Speed King CX RaceSport 32 Test Results

Continental Speed King CX RaceSport 32  mountain bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements


Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight 285 grams
Measured Weight 285 grams
Measured Width Casing 32 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread 29 mm
Measured Height 30 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center 0.5 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge 1.5 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs) 1.90 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall Members Only
All size measurements are taken at low air pressure on a 17.8 mm inner width rim.

Rolling Resistance Test Results


Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube Conti Cross28 (160 gr)
Measured Width 32 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 bar
High Air Pressure

(66 psi / 4.6 bar)
Members Only
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 bar
Medium Air Pressure

(55 psi / 3.8 bar)
Members Only
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 bar
Low Air Pressure

(44 psi / 3.0 bar)
21.4 Watts
CRR: 0.00641
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 bar
Extra Low Air Pressure

(33 psi / 2.3 bar)
25.4 Watts
CRR: 0.00761
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.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Continental Speed King CX RaceSport 32  mountain bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine
Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread 41 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle Members Only
Tread Total Tire Thickness 1.90 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle Members Only
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle Members Only
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness Members Only

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

Continental Speed King CX RaceSport road bike tire on a grip test machine
Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average 74 Points
Wet Grip Center Members Only
Wet Grip Edge Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center 0.5 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge 1.5 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


  • Continental Speed King CX RaceSport 32
Performance compared to all other CX/Gravel tires
(100% is fastest - lightest - highest - strongest)

Pro Members get 11-point radar charts

The Continental Speed King CX RaceSport isn't the ultra-fast rolling cyclocross tire we expected it to be. When we compare it to the 35 mm Terra Speed, it's slower rolling but does appear to offer a slightly better puncture resistance of the tread. We're not sure, and we can't find anything about it on Conti's website, but it looks like there is some additional layer under the tread.


The main weakness we see with this tire is the minimal tread width (just 33.0% tread cover) combined with the very weak sidewalls. We find it highly likely that you'll be running on the sidewalls sooner than later, and these will be cut up very quickly as they are thin and easy to puncture. If you're looking for a tire that will last a long time, these probably aren't the right choice.


In the wet grip test (on a hard flat surface - data available through Pro View for now), we see very strong performance in the center test and average performance in the edge test. The performance here is much better than the Terra Speed, and it could be an indication a different spec of the Black Chili compound is used on this tire. This would also explain the higher than expected rolling resistance.


RATING: 3.5 / 5
TEST VERDICT:
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