Continental Argotal & Kryptotal: The new enduro MTB tyres from Conti in a short test

With great fanfare Continental relaunched its range of gravity tyres in 2022. Baron and Kaiser are now a thing of the past, followed by Kryptotal, Argotal and Xynotal and a sobering realisation. Because: At Continental, the rubber compound is bound to the carcass. The puncture protection benefited significantly from this, but those who had previously favoured Continental for light and grippy tyres, with the Baron, for example, looked stupid.

To make matters worse, the endurance rubber on the lightweight trail casing in particular in our last tyre test did not score many sympathy points. Although it rolled well, it clearly lost out to its Schwalbe and Maxxis competitors in terms of traction. Conti's heavy downhill tyres were a completely different story: Here, the Kryptotal also scored massive points on the trail, thanks to its high puncture protection, but also because of the soft rubber compound. The inherent disadvantage, apart from the rolling resistance, is that the downhill tyres make the bike heavier and the handling is also sluggish. Not the best option for all-round use.

>> Be sure to read: Who makes the best tyres? Heavy and light tyre combinations from Maxxis, Schwalbe and Continental in a detailed direct comparison.

Argotal and Kryptotal Enduro: The golden mean?

This raises the question: Is the best compromise for most bikers perhaps somewhere in between? Between the light trail casing with hard rubber and the super-soft downhill tyre? After all, Continental combines the enduro casing with the medium-soft "Soft" rubber compound. At the same time, the enduro tyres are not as heavy as Continental's tyres with the thick downhill casing. We also liked the open Argotal tread on the front of some test bikes, especially when the ground became a little soft in the German winter. So is Argotal at the front and Kryptotal at the rear the best compromise?

Facts at a glance: The test tyres from Continental

Continental Argotal Enduro Soft

• 29 x 2.4 inches (tested) / 27.5 or 29 inches, widths 2.4 or 2.6 inches
• Weight: 1262 g (EMTB measurement)
• RRP: 74.95 euros - market price: 53,50 Euro >> available here

Continental Kryptotal Rear

• 27.5 x 2.4 inches (tested) / 26, 27.5 or 29 inches, widths 2.4 or 2.6 inches
• Weight: 1163 g (EMTB measurement)
• RRP: 79.95 euros - market price: from 52,95 Euro >> available here

To categorise: comparison of weight, puncture and rolling resistance*

• Continental Kryptotal Trail Endurance: 1011 g / 675 mm / 47.5 W
• Continental Kryptotal Enduro Soft: 1163 g / 875 mm / 67 W
• Continental Kryptotal Re DH Soft: 1342 g / 1250 mm / 69.4 W
• Schwalbe Magic Mary Supertrail Soft: 1100 g / 800 mm / 53.9 W
• Maxxis DHR II Exo+ MaxxTerra: 1052 g / 850 mm / 61.2 W
• Maxxis DHR II DD MaxxTerra: 1140 g / 875 mm / 63.2 W

* Data from 2022 - our new Kryptotal Enduro Soft from 2023 was just as heavy in 27.5 inches as the Kryptotal Enduro Soft tested at the time in 29 inches. Measured under identical test conditions in the laboratory, test tyres uniformly in 29 x 2.4 inches.

On the trail: how Continental Argotal and Kryptotal Enduro ride

Reason enough to mount the two tyres on a test bike for the winter. And the practical impression? Firstly, what we didn't like so much: The Kryptotal at the rear in the soft rubber compound does not roll overly efficiently. We know from the lab that Conti's soft compound doesn't have as much rolling resistance as a Maxxis MaxxGrip compound, but it does roll more slowly than the (orange) soft compound from Schwalbe or MaxxTerra from Maxxis. So you won't break any speed records on the way to the trail with Continental's Enduro combination.

Off-road, on the other hand, there is little criticism. Particular strengths of the Conti tyres: The Argotal with its open tread virtually bites into soft ground and, with its aggressive outer lugs, provides plenty of grip on off-camber sections and in bends. Here it has a slight advantage over the better-known Kryptotal Front. Thanks to the soft rubber compound, even transverse roots or smooth stones with the Argotal rarely lead to frightening moments. However, the Argotal Enduro is not as sticky as a Maxxis with MaxxGrip rubber or Conti's own tyre with supersoft compound and downhill carcass.

The Continental Kryptotal at the rear offers decent braking traction and remains very good-natured at the limit, which is a strength of the new Continental tyres anyway. Despite the rather closed tread pattern, the Kryptotal rear tyre didn't close up too early, even in deep mud. That's how it should be! Both tyres also cushion well, which matched the plush feel of our Santa Cruz test bike, and there were no punctures to complain about. This is hardly surprising, as the puncture protection of Continental's Enduro casing is better than that of Schwalbe's Supertrail tyres and roughly on a par with the Maxxis DoubleDown version. However, you shouldn't expect an agility boost with the rather heavy Contis.

Strengths

• Balanced performance
• Damping
• Puncture protection

Weaknesses

• Weight and rolling resistance already too high for touring riders

Conclusion Adrian Kaether, Editor EMTB

If you ride your enduro bike ambitiously downhill and don't want to break the sound barrier on flat terrain, the Argotal/Kryptotal enduro combination is a reliable partner with balanced overall performance. Unfortunately, there is still no option for ultimate sticky front or ultimate fast rear, which would make the tyres even more interesting for a broader target group. Nevertheless, a good compromise for downhill riders.