CX/Gravel Tire Test: Continental Terra Speed TR E-25 40

The Continental Terra Speed is one of the fastest gravel bike tires you can buy today. We tested the original Terra Speed in the 35 mm size in 2020 (read our review), the 40 mm in 2021 (read our review), and the 45 mm with tan sidewalls in 2023 (read our review). Somewhere in between those tests, Continental added an E-25 rating (E-Bike ready up to 25 km/h), and our Pro Members want to know if Continental made an actual change to the design of this tire.

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The easiest way to check if anything has changed is to check the part number and EAN/UPC codes, as most manufacturers change the part number when there are significant changes in the design of a tire. In the case of the Terra Speed, both the part numbers and EAN/UPC codes are exactly the same for the E-25 and non-E-25 rated versions, which would indicate that both tires are exactly the same.

If you want more information about the Terra Speed, we recommend reading any of our other Terra Speed reviews, which include more of an introduction. For now, let's examine our test results and draw a conclusion on the whole E-25 and non-E-25 debate.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Continental
Model	Terra Speed TR E-25
Year	2024
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	0101694
EAN	4019238027099
TPI	3/180
Compound	Black Chili
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	40-622
Specified Weight	465 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	73
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	35-622 (700x35c) 40-622 (700x40c) 45-622 (700x45c) 35-584 (650x35b) 40-584 (650x40b)

Continental Terra Speed TR E-25 40 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	465 grams
Measured Weight	473 grams
Measured Width Casing	38 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	39 mm
Measured Height	35 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	1.1 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	1.3 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2.60 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	None (30 ml sealant)
Measured Width	38 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 (54 psi / 3.7 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 (45 psi / 3.1 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 (36 psi / 2.6 bar)	19.6 Watts CRR: 0.00588
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 (27 psi / 1.9 bar)	22.4 Watts CRR: 0.00671
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	46 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	2.60 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	65 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	1.1 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	1.3 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

Our sample of the E-25-rated Terra Speed TR rolls roughly 10% slower than the non-E-25-rated sample we tested in 2021. At the same time, we see the E-25-rated version performing 10% better in our wet grip test, and both changes seem logical to us if Continental made actual changes to make this tire more suitable for E-bikes.

All other test results are the same or within the margin of error of the tests and manufacturing tolerances.

While we see some changes between our samples of the Terra Speed, we still need to be convinced Continental intentionally changed it. What doesn't help is that we also tested the Continental Race King in both the non-E-25 and E-25 versions, and while we saw a similar increase in rolling resistance, the E-25 Race King didn't perform better in our wet grip tests.

Compare the E-25-rated, and non E-25-rated Continental Terra Speed on our comparison section

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RATING: 4.5 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Highly Recommended

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