In this article, we use so-called affiliate links. With every purchase through these links, we receive a commission from the merchant. All relevant referral links are marked with . Learn more.
Long before gravel became a hype, fast mountain bike tyres from Continental were already an insider tip among touring cyclists. Especially the Race King - today Dubnital - has long combined fast rolling with a little more driving safety on loose surfaces. In line with this and the increasingly popular SUV category, Continental now has its own tyre with crossover tread in its range: the Ruban.
The ideas behind the Ruban: good puncture protection, easy rolling and good durability on the road and yet also some riding safety off-road. Anyone familiar with tyres knows that such a balancing act is not easy to achieve. Continental relies on an almost centre-web-like tread pattern in the centre in combination with significantly more open and higher tread blocks on the side, especially on the outside.
The eRuban rewards riding technique
All in all, the construction of the eRuban well. The centre lugs roll easily, but sing a little louder than the direct competitor Johnny Watts from Schwalbe. However, we needed a little more force to mount the eRuban on our standard rim. The Continental's damping and grip on hard surfaces are also only average. With the high outer lugs, the shape of the tyre is a little angular and you need sufficient tyre clearance. Otherwise, the Conti quickly grinds against obstacles such as mudguard struts. On the other hand, the eRuban scores with good rolling behaviour. In everyday use, the high cut resistance ensures that nails or shards do not immediately damage the inner tube.
The Conti scores well off-road, especially when it gets a bit muddy or slippery. The higher outer lugs and the laterally quite open tread give the eRuban good handling characteristics here. Especially if you use the correct riding technique and deliberately place the tyre in the bend to interlock the outer tread with the ground. However, this takes some practice. Due to the significant difference between the centre and outer knobs, the tyre does not always ride completely smoothly.
Advantages
- Wide range of applications
- Cut-resistant tread
Disadvantages
- Driving experience not always completely smooth
Conclusion on the SUV tyre from Continental
The eRuban is wide (watch out for the mudguard struts), but not heavy and reasonably priced. The outer knobs provide plenty of cornering grip off-road, while the centre tread remains tame. The eRuban therefore benefits from good riding technique in order to exploit the tyre's potential. The damping is firm. - Adrian Kaether, Editor Test & Technology
The most important information about the eRuban Plus
- Model name: Continental eRuban Plus
- Tested size: 58 - 622
- Price: 37,95 Euro >> available here
- Technology: Poly-X-Breaker, tube
- Reflective strips:
BIKE measured values
- Weight: 860 g
- Rolling resistance: 21 watts (2.0 bar)
- Tyre width: 59 mm (25 mm rim)
- Tyre height: 58 mm (25 mm rim)
- Carbon copy: 413 mm
- Cut resistance: 169, 750, 345 NN
Adrian Kaether
Editor
