CX/Gravel Tire Test: Continental Terra Speed TR (tanwall) 45

The Terra Speed is Continental's fastest gravel bike tire, and it has been available for several years in both the 35-622 and 40-622 sizes. With the ever-increasing tire sizes we see on road and gravel bikes, Continental needed to catch up and now offers the Terra Speed in the 45-622 size. Something to be aware of is that the 35-622 and 40-622 sizes are available with both black and transparent/tan sidewalls, while the 45-622 is only available with the transparent/tan sidewalls for now.

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We have already tested the 35-622 (read our review) and 40-622 (read our review) (with black sidewalls) sizes of the Terra Speed. We found them to be one of the fastest gravel bike tires that still offer a somewhat knobby tread while at the same time offering tread puncture resistance and excellent sidewall protection. With this test of the 45-622 size, we will take another look at the Terra Speed and pay special attention to the sidewalls to see if we can find any differences between black sidewalls and transparent/tan sidewalls.

In this test, we'll compare the 45-622 Terra Speed to both the 35-622 and 40-622 sizes of the Terra Speed, the 40-622 Continental Terra Trail (read our review), and a selection of top-performing gravel bike tires with a similar knob height/tread pattern.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Continental
Model	Terra Speed TR (tanwall)
Year	2023
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	0102007
EAN	4019238083439
TPI	3/180
Compound	Black Chili
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	45-622
Specified Weight	490 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	73
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	35-622 (700x35c) 40-622 (700x40c) 45-622 (700x45c)

Continental Terra Speed TR (tanwall) 45 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	490 grams
Measured Weight	537 grams
Measured Width Casing	43 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	42 mm
Measured Height	40 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	1.1 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	1.2 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2.40 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	43 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 (46 psi / 3.2 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 barMedium Air Pressure (38 psi / 2.6 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 barLow Air Pressure (31 psi / 2.1 bar)	16.4 Watts CRR: 0.00492
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 (23 psi / 1.6 bar)	18.9 Watts CRR: 0.00567
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	37 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	2.40 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

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	63 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	1.1 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	1.2 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

The 45-622 Terra Speed with transparent/tan sidewalls performs just as strongly as the black-walled 35-622 and 40-622 versions. However, we do see some areas where the performance differs. The most apparent difference we've found is the puncture resistance of the sidewalls, which comes in much lower than we're used to with the black sidewall versions of the Terra Speed or Terra Trail. Although we can't find any confirmation on Continental's website, it looks like the sidewalls are made of a different material.

We see slightly better rolling resistance that gets even better at lower air pressures. The stronger rolling performance at lower air pressures can result from the weaker sidewalls as the sidewall material becomes more critical at lower air pressures. We also see a stronger performance in our wet grip tests, with the 45-622 gripping roughly 10% better than the 35-622 and 40-622 sizes. We attribute the higher grip to the larger size that puts more knobs in contact with our test surface and the casing that might have traded strength for flexibility.

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RATING: 5.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Highly Recommended

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