CX/Gravel Tire Test: Continental Speed King CX RaceSport 32

The Continental Speed King CX RaceSport is a 32 mm wide cyclocross tire optimized for dry conditions, and it's one of the lightest tires you can find in the 32/33 mm size. It comes with a stepped center tread pattern for traction under acceleration and slightly bigger knobs along the edge of the tire that should provide a little bit of off-road cornering grip.

The Speed King CX RaceSport looks very similar to the regular Speed King RaceSport (read our review) that's available as a mountain bike tire in the 2.20 size. They both come with the Continental 3/180 TPI casing and the well-known Black Chili compound that almost always guarantees a strong performance in our tests.

The Speed King CX RaceSport is only available in the 32 mm size, making this a tire that will probably only be used by a select group of riders. Compared to the bigger mountain bike version of the Speed King, we found some interesting differences that might be worth looking into.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Continental
Model	Speed King CX RaceSport
Year	2022
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number	0101256
EAN	4019238724561
TPI	3/180
Compound	Black Chili
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	32-622
Specified Weight	285 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	85
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	32-622 (700x32c)

Continental Speed King CX RaceSport 32 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	285 grams
Measured Weight	285 grams
Measured Width Casing	32 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	29 mm
Measured Height	30 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	0.5 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	1.5 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	1.90 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	Conti Cross28 (160 gr)
Measured Width	32 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 (66 psi / 4.6 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 (55 psi / 3.8 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 (44 psi / 3.0 bar)	21.4 Watts CRR: 0.00641
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 (33 psi / 2.3 bar)	25.4 Watts CRR: 0.00761
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	41 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	1.90 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	74 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	0.5 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	1.5 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 Continental Speed King CX RaceSport isn't the ultra-fast rolling cyclocross tire we expected it to be. When we compare it to the 35 mm Terra Speed, it's slower rolling but does appear to offer a slightly better puncture resistance of the tread. We're not sure, and we can't find anything about it on Conti's website, but it looks like there is some additional layer under the tread.

The main weakness we see with this tire is the minimal tread width (just 33.0% tread cover) combined with the very weak sidewalls. We find it highly likely that you'll be running on the sidewalls sooner than later, and these will be cut up very quickly as they are thin and easy to puncture. If you're looking for a tire that will last a long time, these probably aren't the right choice.

In the wet grip test (on a hard flat surface - data available through Pro View for now), we see very strong performance in the center test and average performance in the edge test. The performance here is much better than the Terra Speed, and it could be an indication a different spec of the Black Chili compound is used on this tire. This would also explain the higher than expected rolling resistance.

RATING: 3.5 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

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