CX/Gravel Tire Test: Continental Terra Competition Race Rapid 35

The Terra Competition is a new gravel tire from Continental, featuring a unique tread pattern and Continental's latest off-road casing designs and compounds. According to Continental, the Terra Competition is built for All-Road riding, and its tread design could be the ideal mix between a full slick tire and semi-slick/low-knob-height tires often used on gravel bikes.

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The Terra Competition is available in 2 casing/compound options: Race casing with Rapid compound and Trail casing with Grip compound. We already have a solid understanding of the Terra Competition's performance, as we recently tested both the Race Rapid and Trail Grip versions in the 40 mm size, along with the larger 45 mm Race Rapid.

We found a significant difference in speed and protection between the casing versions, and the Race Rapid version remains the primary choice for our website visitors because of its lower rolling resistance.

Even as the broader gravel market moves toward larger tire volumes, there is still clear interest in faster, narrower options like the 35 mm size. Our Pro Member votes confirmed this demand, gathering enough votes to bring the 35 mm version into our testing round.

If you'd like more background on Continental's new Terra Competition, we recommend our initial review of the 40 mm size, which includes a more thorough introduction. This is our test of the 35 mm Continental Terra Competition Race Rapid. Below are our full test results; comparisons with the 40 mm and 45 mm Terra Competition Race Rapid, and a selection of similar tires in the 35-40 mm size range.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Continental
Model	Terra Competition Race Rapid
Year	2026
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	0102025
EAN	4019238401509
TPI	3/330
Compound	Race Compound
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	35-622
Specified Weight	360 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	79
Made In	Pro Data
Available Sizes	35-622 (700x35c) 40-622 (700x40c) 45-622 (700x45c)

Continental Terra Competition Race Rapid 35 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	360 grams
Measured Weight	364 grams
Measured Width Casing	33 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	31 mm
Measured Height	Pro Data
Tire Circumference	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	0.5 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	1.1 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2.60 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall	Pro Data
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	None (30 ml sealant)
Measured Width	33 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)	16.9 Watts CRR: 0.00507
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.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread	48 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Pro Data
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Pro Data
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Pro Data
Tread Total Tire Thickness	2.60 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Pro Data
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Pro Data
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness	Pro Data

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	77 Points
Wet Grip Center	Pro Data
Wet Grip Edge	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	0.5 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	1.1 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

We're surprised the 35 mm Terra Competition Race Rapid rolls slower than both the 40 and 45 mm sizes. It's now clear that, even on a hard surface, the larger Terra Competition are faster than the smaller sizes. Only at higher air pressures, which is likely with the smaller sizes, does the 40 mm size look to be the fastest option.

In the wet grip tests, we also see the larger sizes performing stronger than the 35 mm size. Tread puncture resistance is also lower than the 40 mm size and much lower than the 45 mm size. Much of this lower tread puncture resistance can be traced back to the tread being thinner (2.6 mm) on the 35 mm size when compared to the 40 (3.0 mm) and 45 mm (3.1 mm) sizes.

The only thing the 35 mm size has going for it is the obviously lower weight and lower aerodynamic resistance. Because of the lower scores, we rate the 35 mm size slightly lower than the larger sizes.

Compare the 35, 40 and 45 mm Terra Competition Race Rapid on our comparison section.

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RATING: 4.6 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Highly Recommended

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