Continental Dubnital MTB tires in review – XC performance meets bikepacking suitability

Note: I purchased the tires myself. Continental was not involved in any way.

After riding over 3,000 km with the Schwalbe Rick XC, I wanted to know how the new Continental Dubnital, the successor to the Race King, would perform and whether it would provide more grip and puncture protection on tours.

A few weeks ago, Continental completely revamped its tire lineup and introduced the Dubnital, a tire that is supposed to be “the perfect choice for dry to wet conditions as well as rocky, hard surfaces and slightly loose soil.”

I’m actually a Vittoria Mezcal rider. And whenever durability, good grip, and reasonable rolling resistance are important, I fall back on these tires. However, it must also be said that the Mezcal has its weaknesses on wet/muddy surfaces, where the tread easily clogs up and grip disappears.

In the high mountains of Kyrgyzstan or on the rocky, dusty tracks of the Moroccan desert, the Mezcal was a very good choice. At home, I wanted to try out other tires and, above all, minimize rolling resistance without losing grip.

So I fitted Schwalbe Rick XC Pro tires, which I really liked. They lasted 3,000 km before becoming too prone to punctures. The grip was good, even if the tread pattern of these tires did cause them to slip occasionally on dry and wet surfaces. But the side lugs compensated for this very well and delivered impressive performance. I rode the Rick XC on the Devils Trail in the Harz Mountains and then throughout the fall and winter – without any problems.

However, I wouldn’t consider them for events such as SRMR, TBR, or AMR. I would be concerned that they would break more easily, even though they run very fast and save energy. For the Grenzsteintrophy, I went back to the Vittoria Mezcal: in 2.6-inch and 2.35-inch widths.

After that, I tested the Pirelli Scorpion, which were okay off-road but rolled rather heavily. However, there is now a new version that is supposed to be better.

And then I bought the Conti Dubnital to compare it with the Schwalbe Rick XC.

Table of contents

1. Technical data at a glance
2. Profil, carcass, and rubber compound – the theory
3. Riding experience: 1,400 km on gravel, forest trails, and asphalt
4. Rolling resistance comparison
5. Durability and wear measurements
6. Who is the Dubnital suitable for?
7. Conclusion: Strengths and weaknesses at a glance

Technical data at a glance

For comparison, in terms of height and width:

• The Rick XC is 51 mm high and 55 mm wide at 2.25 inches on the same rim.
• The Mezcal is 54 mm high and 60 mm wide on the same rim at 2.25 inches.
• I mounted the Pirelli Scorpion XC with 2.2 inches on 24 mm wide rims (inside). Here, the tire width was 56 mm and the tire height was 52 mm.

Profil, carcass, and rubber compound – the theory

When dealing with tires, there are usually three things to pay attention to – and all manufacturers describe them differently depending on their own creations and inventions: profile, carcass, and compound.

The profile of the Conti Dubnital consists of three core elements: the center tread lugs in the middle. These are slightly slotted and are designed to ensure good rolling performance. The lugs in the transition area, i.e., the transition between the center and the edge of the tire. These are responsible for stability in corners and are designed to provide a little more grip off-road. And the lugs at the edge, in the so-called shoulder area. These provide grip and cornering stability.

The carcass is the supporting framework of a bicycle tire—the skeleton of the tire, so to speak. It consists of a fabric coated with rubber and gives the tire its shape, stability, and flexibility. Conti offers two carcass options for the Dubnital: Race or Trail.

Race is lighter and faster and designed for sporty XC use. Trail is slightly more robust and reinforced to cope with rougher conditions on trails. Race usually rolls better, while Trail has better grip.

And: each carcass has its own icon that indicates the respective type.

The TPI value is important for the carcasses. It refers to the thread density (treads) per inch.

A low TPI (e.g., 30–60) means:

• Thicker threads
• More robust, but heavier
• Better puncture resistance

A high TPI (e.g. 120–320) means:

• thinner threads
• lighter, more flexible, more comfortable
• less puncture resistance

The carcass of the Continental Dubnital is very fine and light at 3/330 TPI. This makes the tire ideal for fast, comfortable rides on trails and gravel. The carcass offers a good balance between performance and agility, but tends to sacrifice maximum puncture resistance.

The final element of a tire is, of course, the compound. Almost every manufacturer relies on its own developments in this area. Continental has a great deal of expertise thanks to its experience in developing car tires.

In bicycle tires, the compound refers to the rubber material used to make the tread. This rubber compound has a decisive influence on grip, rolling resistance, abrasion, cornering behavior, and damping.

Conti offers two compounds for the Dubnital: Rapid and Grip. That says it all, because the Rapid compound is designed for speed and efficiency, while the Grip compound focuses more on damping and traction.

The compounds also have their own icons. This infographic from MTB-News provides a good overview:

Riding experience: 1,400 km on gravel, forest trails, and asphalt

After all the theory, let’s get down to practice: I have now been riding the Conti Dubnital for 1,400 km. I ride 65% on gravel, forest trails, and unpaved tracks and 35% on asphalt. I am currently riding the Dubnital on gravel tracks through Sweden and putting them through their paces on rough gravel and forest trails.

They perform well on asphalt, although they don’t feel as light as the Rick XC. However, the Dubnital is not as loud as the Rick XC. Off-road, they wake up and offer decent propulsion and good grip.

In wet conditions, you can really feel how the transition and shoulder lugs catch the tire and push it back into the track. They float less than the Rick XC, but feel like they have higher rolling resistance. However, they become unstable on rough gravel and tend to wobble. When it gets really wet or muddy, they spin out and slip away. In this respect, they are no different from the Rick XC, and the Mezcal also has little grip in mud. However, the Conti Dubnital cleans itself better than the Mezcal.

Rolling resistance comparison

Speaking of rolling resistance: according to Bicycle Rolling Resistance, the Conti Dubnital has a rolling resistance of 20 watts at a tire pressure of 1.7 bar. However, this applies to the Dubnital Race Rapid in 2.4-inch width.

In comparison, the Schwalbe Rick XC Pro Speedgrip has 19.3 watts and the Vittoria Mezcal XC Race has 24 watts – all at 1.7 bar.

Durability and wear measurements

At 1.5–1.7 bar, the tires are really fun to ride off-road and feel super safe. The tread performs very well and the lug structure catches the wheel at the right moment and guides it back into the track. I always enjoy turning off the asphalt onto gravel, because that’s when the tires really come into their own. Especially here in Sweden, where the weather means I often encounter wet, muddy, and dry sections, the wide range of applications for these tires really comes into its own.

So far, I have no complaints about puncture resistance. I did get a hole in my front tire after 85 km, but that was a huge nail that would have destroyed any other tire. However, sealing it with Maxalami worked perfectly.

Durability is an issue, though. I’m used to tires that last 10,000 km or more. I rode my tour from Leipzig to Mumbai with Corratec Diamond Grip and Slick tires – 14,500 km through the Kazakh steppe, to Tibet, over the Himalayas to India. Or to Timbuktu and the North Cape with the Schwalbe Marathon Mondial in 26 inches. They lasted and lasted and lasted.

With modern tires, the mileage is more limited. Although I’ve already ridden 8,000 km on the Vittoria Mezcal. Then the flat tires started to become more frequent and the tread was simply worn down.

Looking at previous experience with the Conti Dubnital, mileage varies greatly depending on the application:

However, it should be noted that these values refer to the rear tire, which is often more affected by wear. The front tire usually lasts 30–50% longer, which makes it interesting to move the tires from the rear to the front. And it should be noted that these values are only an estimate, an average based on previous experience with the Dubnital from the Internet.

I would classify my use of the tire as somewhere between bikepacking and touring and expect a mileage of 3,000 km. However, I am currently unsure whether I should still use the tires for my next bikepacking event, which is 1,000 km long. I am somewhat concerned that the tires will “give up,” especially since I will be riding another 1,000 km in training before then.

The wear and tear is already considerable. I measured it myself:

Tread height v&h/thickness after 0 km mileage:

• Center tread (top center) 2.1 mm.
• Transition (inner side) 3 mm
• Shoulder (outer side) 3.5 mm

Front wheel tread depth/thickness after 1,300 km:

• Center tread (top center) 2 mm (-0.1/-5%)
• Transition (inner side) 3 mm (0)
• Shoulder (outer side) 3 mm (-0.5/-14%)

Rear wheel tread depth/thickness after 1,300 km:

• Center tread (top center) 1.5 mm (-0.6/-29%)
• Transition (inner side) 2 mm (-1/-33%)
• Shoulder (outer side) 3 mm (-0.5/-14%)

I would need to measure again after my days in Sweden, as I imagine that the rough gravel here has caused even more wear. At least the tread looks a little more worn.

And as if he knew I was working on the test report, Andreas sent me a photo of his Conti Dubnital (2.4″, Trail Rapid) after 1,300 km in Kyrgyzstan with 80%+ gravel. The center tread was significantly worn down, and Andreas was understandably disappointed. He had hoped for more durability and wanted to try the Dubnital as an alternative to the Mezcal.

Who is the Dubnital suitable for?

Unfortunately, I can’t say whether the Continental Dubnital is a worthy successor to the Race King. I simply don’t have a basis for comparison.

What I can say, however, is that the Dubnital can definitely be seen as an alternative to the Vittoria Mezcal. The tire can take a lot of punishment and also rolls quite well.

At 2.2 inches, it is also a possible alternative to the Conti Terra Adventure, which is said to be somewhat slower and has very high rolling resistance. However, it is said to be good in terms of grip and durability. Here, the Dubnital can be a fast alternative.

In 2.4 inches, I would also consider it as a tire for “tough stuff” like the Atlas Mountain Race, Hellenic Mountain Race, or Silk Road Mountain Race—but you have to expect some wear and tear and a mileage of around 2,000 km under these conditions.

I am curious to see how many of the participants in this year’s Silk Road Mountain Race will opt for the Conti Dubnital and what their experiences will be. I know that it has already been used in the Hellenic Mountain Race, but I have not yet received any feedback.

In terms of price, the Conti Dubnital is currently available for 60-70 euros in 2.2 inches. To be honest, I find that a bit high.

When it comes to the lowest rolling resistance, the Schwalbe Rick XC Pro wins. In my opinion, however, the Conti impresses with its smart combination of relatively low rolling resistance, grip, and durability.

Conclusion: Strengths and weaknesses at a glance

Pros:

• Good grip on dry and wet trails
• Pleasantly quiet on asphalt
• Very good self-cleaning in wet conditions
• Balanced mix of comfort and traction

Cons:

• Noticeable wear, especially at the rear
• Not ideal for mud
• Slightly higher rolling resistance than Schwalbe Rick XC
• May not be durable enough for very long bikepacking events

Have you already ridden the Continental Dubnital and can share your experiences? Then feel free to post your comments below.