CX/Gravel Tire Test: Continental Terra Hardpack TR 50

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  • Continental Terra Hardpack TR 50
Performance compared to all other CX/Gravel tires
(100% is best)
Pro Members get 11-point radar charts



Continental Terra Hardpack TR 50 road bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

The Continental Terra Hardpack is a tubeless-ready, semi-slick gravel bike tire that's available at quite a good price when we compare it to most other high-end gravel bike tires that we've tested over the past 2 years. For now, it's only available in the 50-622 size, but given its performance and price, we hope to see some smaller sizes shortly as well.


Ad Buy Continental Terra Hardpack TR at Amazon.com


To keep the price down, the Terra Hardpack comes with Continental's PureGrip compound instead of the premium BlackChili compound they use on their most high-end tires. Even though this seems like a downgrade, we've already tested some other tires that come with the PureGrip compound, and it performs very strongly in our wet grip tests. It does roll a bit slower, and if you're looking for pure rolling performance, the BlackChili compound is the better choice.


Together with the Terra Hardpack review, we're also introducing a new protocol for the inner tubes we use during the tests. As you might know, tubeless-ready gravel bike tires were still tested with an inner tube as we stuck with our original inner tube protocol that we introduced in 2014. As tubeless tires are now the norm for most high-performance tires, we have to move with the times, which is why we now test all tubeless, tubeless-ready, and tubeless-compatible tires tubeless with sealant.


This change affects the test results of 117 out of 266 tires we tested between 2014 and 2022. To keep the data "compatible" and easy to compare, the rolling resistance of those 117 tires has been recalculated with data we obtained from inner tube tests. The original test data is also still available, and you can find it on the tire's review page, where you now see 2 sets of rolling resistance data.


We also changed our test wheel as our previous wheel wasn't tubeless-ready, and inflating some tubeless-ready tires without an inner tube was troublesome. We used a rim with the same width, and the width and height measurements come out the same for both the old and new rims.


You also might have noticed from the picture above that we moved our test lab to a new location where we have more room to expand. We also took apart the rolling resistance machine for servicing and gave it a big makeover. We're now ready to keep on testing tires for years to come.


Manufacturer Specifications


Manufacturer Specs
Brand Continental
Model Terra Hardpack TR
Year 2023
Supplied By Bought in store
New or Used New
Mileage 0 km
Price Range Med
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Manufacturer part number 0150565
EAN4019238052107
TPI 3/180
Compound PureGrip
Bead Folding
ETRTO 50-622
Specified Weight 530 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi) 65
Made In Members Only
Available Sizes 50-622 (700x50c)
50-584 (650x50b)

Continental Terra Hardpack TR 50 Test Results

Continental Terra Hardpack TR 50  mountain bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements


Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight 530 grams
Measured Weight 561 grams
Measured Width Casing 48 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread 45 mm
Measured Height 46 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center 0.5 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge 3.4 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs) 2.50 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 None (30 ml sealant)
Measured Width 48 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

(42 psi / 2.9 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

(35 psi / 2.4 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

(28 psi / 1.9 bar)
18.6 Watts
CRR: 0.00558
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

(21 psi / 1.4 bar)
21.9 Watts
CRR: 0.00656
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 Terra Hardpack TR 50  mountain bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine
Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread 40 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 2.50 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 Terra Hardpack TR road bike tire on a grip test machine
Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average 77 Points
Wet Grip Center Members Only
Wet Grip Edge Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center 0.5 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge 3.4 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 Terra Hardpack TR 50
Performance compared to all other CX/Gravel tires
(100% is fastest - lightest - highest - strongest)

Pro Members get 11-point radar charts

The Continental Terra Hardpack performs well in our tests, with a strong performance in the (center) wet grip test, which again shows us the Continental PureGrip compound is one of the best gripping compounds. It isn't the fastest rolling, our most puncture-resistant tire, but when we also consider its price, we're sure this will be quite a popular choice.


We did notice the tread is relatively narrow on this tire, but given its tread pattern, we're not sure how this will affect its real-world rideability. The semi-slick tires with a slick center and knobs along the edge of the tire are always a tradeoff when it comes to lean angle, as you'll want to be on the edge of the tread at some point. When the tread is too wide, you might never reach the knobby part of the tread.


Ad Buy Continental Terra Hardpack TR at Amazon.com


RATING: 4.5 / 5
TEST VERDICT:
Highly Recommended


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