Continental Touring Plus tyre

SMP+ 700 x 28 for me.

I had a pair of these on a project retro Kona MTB -  26 x 1.75.

I've used Schwalbe Marathon Plus for many years and thought I'd try something different and a bit cheaper (found the Touring Plus on special offer).

Two punctures in two months. Thorns and glass that my Schwalbe's rejected had defeated the Conti's. Same roads I'd ride with the Schwalbes. Not worth the hassle - switched back to Marathon Plus ASAP.

Strongly advise AGAINST buying this tyre for it's puncture resistance.

On my third set of 42mm tyres.. Before I switched my commute (10 miles ew) into industrial area (strewn with glass nails etc) was a puncture nightmare.

since then not one and like comment above I have worn them through to puncture layer. But then to be fair to the reviewer I am that person who wants to ride a few miles to work and never get a puncture.

I have these on my Tour de Fer in 37mm. They were easy to fit on Mavic XM719 rims and were plenty comfy on a 180km ride I did a while back. They are hugely heavy but then so is the bike, especially loaded up!

Continental Sport Contacts have served me really well as a commuting tyre for a number of years. They're pretty quick, supple and feel surprisingly fast. durability is OK, I generally replace them after about a year - usually when I start to get punctures as the centre portion of the tread squares off.

They're also widely available for under £20.

Fit them with a pair of Lezyne Saber levers, very easy. OK to carry these levers if touring but not for road biking.I like this tyre as the reviewer comments they're great for mixed riding - tarmac and a bit of towpath / gravel.

I've got these in 25mm on my CX commuting bike and didn't find them that bad... Heavy, slow, dead - yeah, but also BOMB proof.  I found them a step up tougher than Durano plus.  In fact, the only tyre I've worn through to the puncture layer without ever getting a puncture.

This review fits my experience, a few years ago, of these tyres. I had the '28mm' version too .

They are so hard to fit that their puncture resistance counted for little, as I was terrfied in case I got a puncture as there was no way I would be able to remove and refit the tyre out on the road.

I never normally use tyre levers to FIT tyres, but I snapped a plastic lever getting these off and off and holed an inner tube after being reduced to using metal levers to get them back on.

When on they rolled so badly that if felt as if I brought my personal headwind with me.

I still have a pair in the garage, with a handful of miles on them, but really I should just chuck them away as I am never, ever, going to use them again.

I used these a fair bit during my commutes over the past few years, as well as Top Contacts. They gave similar results. I was using 32mm versions and I rather liked them. They do roll well and are certainly tough. You do sacrifice a bit of pace uphills and under acceleration but it's worth it to avoid punctures during the winter. But the main reason for me using them is I found them to be an excellent choice if you have a mixed surface commute. They handle offroad tracks surprisingly well without feeling wrong on tarmac, like you do with knobblies. The wear rates are also impressive.

I cannot say I remember having as much difficulty getting them on. But I got shown good a good technique for fitting tyres from a mate who ran my LBS many years ago. I also have pretty strong hands so I'm often surprised when I hear people complain and resort to tools.

If you are riding on tarmac only, you would probably be better served by something like the Continental 4 Seasons.

FWIW, I had these on a Surly Long Haul Trucker in 42c.

I found that they felt rather leaden on that bike too - I liked the Comfort Contacts (again, 42c) that they replaced a lot better, and didn't notice a huge difference in durability.  (The bike was used as a year 'round urban commuter).