Continental UltraSport 3 Tire (Review)
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- Опубликовано: 10 июл 2024
- Finally another upload!
It's difficult working with clips longer than 6-8mins due to hardware (seriously need to upgrade and I will, lol).
00:13 (Intro)
00:51 (General tire info on rubber type)
1:06 (Tire size on rim/difference between 25 vs 28mm/tire grip opinion & info)
2:01 (Pricing on Amazon, link below)
2:26 (Tire weight (per tire/these are foldable!)
2:45 (Digital caliper sizing (width/height (height might be off by one maybe two milli, lol).
3:41 (Lowest (roughly)/Max tire pressure - 80-85?/116max)
4:05 (Main issue with this tire/Puncture Resistance)
5:08 (Main issue/TO THE POINT (Good/Bad)
5:43 (End information)
Link to the tire set (28mm size):
www.amazon.com/Continental-Ul...
I'm sure some of you have seen this tire pop up on your Amazon/eBay feed from time to time, or perhaps you need a tire that doesn't break your bank account (been there, lol), or maybe you're just curious about it! Curiosity and bank account is what lead me to this tire really, and after a little research I just bought them, and honestly, for a budget tire, they are probably one of the better tires I've purchased. Seriously.
Pros
-Rolling Resistance isn't really bad at all with this tire. Even with a 28mm tire. It rolls nicely.
-The rubber actually does mitigate some of the road buzz a little bit more than say Conti Gatorskin/Hardshell or Schwalbe Durano's (great for puncture resistance, but not so nice on road buzz)....
-GRIP! I've mainly ridden 23mm and 25 (gave up on 23 and never going back, lol), but 25 are I would say the standard or should be, but 28mm just have a little more rubber to work with and you can really feel the difference, but this tire does inspire a little more confidence in fast turns or when you need cat like reflexes (when you're on two wheels on a busy road, I'm sure you've called upon that, lol).
-I'm sure even if this tire was a 25mm, it would still work very well, but the 28mm! BRO! 28mm tires are like having a slightly nicer suspension in your car, lol.....
Con(s)
-ZERO PUNCTURE RESISTANCE. NONE.
First day I had these tires I hit a thorn and boom, flat. Fortunately it wasn't really deep (however, I can't say any tire would survive that). However, I've had a minimum of 4 punctures since I've had these, so the track record isn't great.
-WEIGHT. They aren't light. 290-295g per tire. If you're a weight weenie, yeah, you might not like these at all, but weight isn't everything so this one is 50/50.
In the end, I'd say this tire is great for folks who want to train on a fairly quick tire or race on something that isn't extremely expensive, or if you live in an area where glass/rocks aren't a huge problem (or if you're a little wild and just don't care, then we can ride that same wave, lol). But if you need something that won't puncture, definitely a different tire, don't go for this one because you're going to be using that hand pump/Co2 way more than you'd like.
That's it! I hope this helps you guys in some way, shape, or form!
-RTG 
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Thank you for your videos this was really helpful
I hope it helped you out! Thank you for watching!
Awesome thorough video on the Continental Ultra Sports,I'm thinking of getting these over the Michelin Lithion 2 or Lithion 3.They are similarly priced.Safe riding.💯👌🏻🚴
I would say the US3’s are pretty good for the price range. Once you have the right tire pressure dialed in with some latex tubes or some thin butyl tubes they float pretty good. Safe and happy riding! 🤘🏻
Dude you make good video👍
Thank you! I tried, lol.
The Continental Grand Sport Race tire is made of the same pure grip compound but adds a layer of puncture protection.
Yep. Confirmed. Basically it’s the same tire but adds a layer of puncture protection against the US3. Thank you for the info!
Thanks for sharing dude. I subscribed 👍
No problem and thank you for the sub! 🔥🤟🏻
Great review. I’m passing on these based on puncture probability. GP5000 no punctures after 4000k
Thanks for the review - Amazon price on a set of 28s is about $47 right now, insane deal. I had GP 5000s on my bike as my last set, and my life situation has changed resulting in me deciding on a lower cost, more long lasting tire. Looking forward to seeing how these perform in comparison.
I fully understand you. Things happen, and sometimes we have to make some cuts here and there to get by. I’m no stranger to that. Honestly, I haven’t been able (or willing really, lol), to spend the money on the 5000’s, but I really like my UltraSport 3’s. Only real drawback is the lack of puncture protection, but I still manage to get by. And, I’m still riding the EXACT same pair in this video an entire year later, lol. I typically do about 28-36miles (43-58km) Mon-Thu, and I run them at 76(front)-79(rear). Roughly hit about 3100-3800 miles on these already. Front still looks like it has a good amount of life, rear looks like it’s on its last legs. I hope this helps and I hope you get the same if not more mileage. 🤟🏻
@@railthegutter Thanks for the feedback - yeah, the GP5000s have pretty much no puncture protection either. I am no stranger to changing flats on the side of the road :D
Are they tubless? Amazon description say it is.
@@p.service I am unsure where you saw that on the Amazon description, but no, they are not tubeless ready tires.
@@MBergyman on the detail
I use Vittoria Randonneur 700 x 28c and have never had a puncture. They don't weigh much and are comfortable. Drives daily to work and drives on holiday with a high weight. Drives both on paved roads and on holidays a lot on gravel roads.
The price is in the middle price group and this probably also has something to say. Highly recommend these tires!!
The most outstanding information; effective. These are very nice tires and I was already going for them but after your review, they are not for an urban cyclist like me. Maybe the Bontrager R2 Hard-Case Lite would be a good choice because the kevlar layer. How difficult to decide among so many options. Excelent review. Thanks.
Yep no problem! Yeah there is a plethora of options out there! If urban commuting is something you do and are worried about punctures, definitely go with something that has a puncture resistant layer (the R2’s, Gatorskins, Schwalbe Durano and more!) and always always always carry one or two extra tubes (if you live in an area known for glass being everywhere on the ground definitely consider a patch kit as a super backup). AND, don’t max out your tire pressure! This actually makes punctures more than likely to happen! Happy riding!
Thanks for your advice.
No puncture protection? I have used these on roads with broken glass, sharp small rocks, grease and debris across 4,000 kms without a single puncture, until the rear tire was slashed by a glass piece. The rubber compound they use on these tires is at a different level and I will buy these tires again and again!
I am fairly new to road cycling. I watched a lot of stuff on youtube and from people are saying ...you would think they get punctures every 200km.
I have set of those tires on my bike and ridden on them approx 1500km. No punctures so far.
I am tempted to buy something more fancy like PZero Classic with brown sidewalls (gotta look sexy on the road!), but I am actually worried that PZero will puncture easier considering that all fancy youtubers run either Pzero or Conti GP5000 and they keep complaining about punctures. Even multiple on a single day!
I’m currently on my second set of these US3’s. My first set from my initial review ended up with 8-10 punctures total within the first 3 months. I’m not sure if I had just bad luck with glass and thorns on the road (glass and thorns are the biggest problems around my area, especially during the summer), but my second set hasn’t given me this problem. Not sure if it’s my tire pressure adjustment? Less road debris? Less weight? Better at noticing random bad road patches of glass/thorns? Who knows. I’ve had only one puncture so far on the second set. The tires still collect a crap ton of little rocks so I’m positive that puncture protection isn’t quite there, but, you can mitigate it. But, I’d STILL recommend them for the budget rider/racer! Thank you for sharing!
@@kamael1125 the ones you have will last you 4,000 kms at the very least. That, to me is just awesome especially if you don’t get more than 1-2 punctures in that entire life span. Stay with them till you hit the 4K mileage mark
@@railthegutter tire pressure could explain it. I use these in the 700*28c version and do not inflate them beyond 95psi.
Personally I don’t pump my rear tire past 82 and 77 in the front. Used to ride it at 100 front and rear, lol. Whoops 😅 the more ya know, ya know? Lol
I have the 23 and 25 mm versions. Especially the 23 mm are next to impossible to install withou levers after a flat. 25 mm are a little a little more forgiving but also ruin your thumbs. So I use some wide levers to not damage my wheels.
I will agree there. I had some 23mm versions on some older wheels and yeah, massive pain to get on/off the wheel. But when I bumped to 25-28mm, easy peezy. Thumbs didn’t mind the work either. I have had to use tire levers for sure as well, so I know the struggle, lol. I personally get my tubes in, then get as much of the tire into the rim as I can and if I need to use the lever, then I make sure it’s never around the valve. Every time I’ve replaced tubes and used the lever around the valve and accidentally caught some of it, boom, another issue. Lol 😂
Been a courier for 10 years and if I can't get gators, these are fucking excellent.
GatorSkins are still some of the best tires for rolling around (when you get the right pressure they’re actually semi cushy/semi fast). But I agree, the Conti 3’s are definitely some of my favorite budget tires and I’m almost due for another pair! Stay safe out there and keep the rubber down!
One of these is 16€ right now, online. I'm currently running the Lithion 2, and to my knowledge, those don't have any advertised puncture resistance, either. But I've ridden them over bad terrain, glass, rough rocky terrain, and I can't fault them in that regard, my only real gripe is the lack of wet grip, and the fact that they run wide (25 installed measures ~28 on a 14mm rim!)
I'm eager to try the UltraSport III. I've read favorable reviews, they run slightly narrower than my Michelins, and supposedly could save me a few watts in rolling resistance. I'll check back and add an update if I ever remember, thanks for the video :)
I’ve ridden the first Lithion on an old old setup and I didn’t mind them too much, except they were 23mm and I was like 4-5kg heavier, which meant rough terrain was definitely felt around my ass, lol 😂. I rode my Conti 3’s in rain a few weeks ago here in California (first time ever riding in actual rain), just lowered my pressure and I didn’t push them to their limit but cornering wasn’t too bad. Of course I didn’t test them around the yellow/white road markings (previous road rash taught me those are like slipping on a banana on top of oil on a rainy day, lol). Overall, I’m still happy with my 28’s. A little heavy, but I don’t mind extra grip. Gives me a little peace of mind. But definitely give an update when you get a chance!
@@railthegutter For what it's worth, sites like bicyclerollingresistance weigh the Lithion 2 at 268 g and 267g for the Contis. I don't think you'd save any weight if you got a Lithion in 28mm (if they made them that wide, anyway). Will do, just ordered them. Lots of reviews mention these two side by side, but there seem to be no opinions of the two online. Can't be worse than the completely chewed up Lithion I have on the rear that tends to skid sometimes 😅
Right so I've switched my rear tire to the Conti and I've put on some 200 km. The old Lithion 2, worn out, weighs 246 g, while the new Ultra Sport III weighs 278 g. For a pair, that would be a 64 g difference, and if you can tell that apart in a blind test you're a better man than I.
They're definitely stiffer and harder to mount than the Michelins (nothing a pair of tire levers can't solve though), but they're also narrower. Both tires are nominally 25 mm: the Lithion measures 26 mm, but the Conti is 2 mm narrower. This is measured on old-fashioned 14C wheels, so things might be different on newer 17C or 19C rims. It's probably placebo, but I feel like there's more road buzz coming through.
They grip extremely well compared to a worn out Michelin, which helps rejuvenate the bike's cornering and braking abilities, and they also won't skid as much when sprinting into steep climbs. They roll well and they're pretty cheap as far as quality road rubber goes.
Easy recommendation from me. I've ordered a 23 mm for the front rim for some aero gains.
Have you ever ridden the Goodyear Eagle sport tires? They frequently come up with the best budget tires as side recommendations to these common options
I personally haven’t. I have read about them as well and spotted people talking about them. I am thinking about testing goodyear or michelin as my next set of budget race tire, and/or american classic tires from Amazon. Unfortunately, bicyclerollingresistance.com doesn’t have any info on the goodyear tires other than one tubeless tire (f1 eagle?). I would take that small gamble though, lol. I’m all about testing stuff out to see how far I can push it. If it’s cheap and it works for my application, then I say balls to the wall!
Excellent review. I have a question for you which one would you choose Continental Ultra Sport II (700x23C) or Continental Ultra Sport III 700x28
Mmmmmm, honestly? I will never again use a 23mm tire, lol. When I was closer to 194lb (174 now), I used 23’s, and holy hell, you could feel every single crevice on the road. If you’re a lighter rider, or if your bike doesn’t permit anything larger, then I say by all means go for it and run the pressures as low as you can safely get them for some comfort. I personally feel like 25mm+ is just the way to go. I actually plan on buying a set of Ultrasport 3’s in 25mm soon and buying a secondary set of 28’s again. Waiting on a final decision on a new wheelset though so I can choose which one I’ll buy first. Of course, this is just from personal experience. I’ve even used a 23mmx25mm setup before and yeah the bike felt slightly lighter, but the 23mm almost made the bike feel harsher than it should. The moment I changed them to 25’s, it was amazing (even if it was a slight difference in sizing). But when I switched to 28’s? I was officially floating on clouds while sipping on a Moscow Mule. In the end, I always tell myself “comfort is speed”. I hope this helps!
@@railthegutter thanks for information
From my experience, intense speed, bad roads, also going offroad, this tires with a good layer of extra rub on top,adding some weight, are the amateur best anti-puncture at any tire, even saving that snake bites if bump to sharp surface at pressures too low. I had only one punture in about 4 years, sure more than 5000km. I never used the GP 4000 or 5000, and I guess they would puncture more, less forgiving the offroad, they will get destroyed sooner.
I’m actually happy to hear that you don’t get a lot of punctures because where I ride my bike, my biggest concern tends to be broken glass (specifically broken bottles, lol). I’ve had my share of punctures because of it. I would for sure buy these again. Honestly it’s probably my favorite budget tire (so far). GatorSkins are great but I roll around faster on the ultrasport 3’s and at 28mm I trust them in hard corners. So I can say I’m very happy with them as well. By the way, I’ve taken these tires through everything at this point (sand/dirt/rain/glass/gravel/some light mud), and they haven’t let me down for the most part.
yo! thank you for the vid. tell me pls how long does it live?
Mmmm, think you mean how long does it last? Not sure, but I'm going to say that's what you mean? Well, I'm still riding them since I've posted that video. They're still going strong, and I'm about 1300 miles (2092km) into owning them. So I'd they've been worth it.
@@railthegutter yeah, thats what I meant. okay thank you, mate. gonna buy a pair if those too
I was a little confused sorry, lol. Yeah no problem! I hope they work out for you too! 🤟🏻
Planning to change my tires and im stuck between UltraSport and GrandRaceSport what is better?
It really depends. I believe both use PureGrip compound, but the GrandRace Sport tire has a “Nybreaker” layer for added protection. Both weigh almost exactly the same with a + or -, 5-10g in weight penalty. Which isn’t noticeable at all. I’ve ridden a pair of Grandsports before and honestly I couldn’t tell the difference between those and the US3’s. Either one paired with latex inner tubes would be suitable really!
I have some. They are smooth rolling. The "25" sized tires were actually like 28s. They didnt fit on my classic road bike, and now live on a commuter.
Really? 28mm? Mine have never measured over like 26mm? That’s for 25mm, the 28mm definitely measured closer to like 29’ish. I agreed though, these tires are a bit of a pain to get on a rim, lol. Gotta have some good strength go get them on. 👍🏻
@@railthegutter I have an older set that read 25, and fit nice on 90s bikes. The new set had a tall casing and were unable to fit my old trek, but work really nice on a hybrid with fenders. I didn't need any levers to get them on or off.
It depends if your tire rim is wider you can get different size... 🤪
How are the UltraSport 3 Tires compared to the Gatorskin tires in terms of the amount of energy I will need to exert when riding my bike? I have the Gatorskins and like the protection but they feel really slow and I have to exert a lot of energy to get the bike moving fast. How much less energy will I be exerting if I switched to the UltraSport 3?
Mmmm, pretty big difference honestly. When I swapped the Gators to the GrandPrix (and then later on the US3’s), I noticed it would take me less pedal strokes to get up to 16-18mph. Went from roughly 6-7 pedal strokes down to like 3-4, and holding speed was a lot easier. Also, I adjusted the air pressure on the Gators to a lower pressure and that helped with road buzz, but it was still slower than the other two. I used the same lower pressure on the GP and the US3’s and those just roll better. Another thing to throw in is if you pair up the Gator with a latex tube it does help (albeit just a bit), but marry the latex with the other two and you’ll get something that is a bit more plush and it will pick up speed and roll a bit faster. I’m 5’9, 184/185 and I run pressures at 75/77-80 (front/rear).
@@railthegutter Wow thanks for the post. There seems like a big difference. I might switch to the Grandprix. Biking with these Gators feel like biking with a CitiBike
Lol 😂 yep! I used to use them a lot on my commutes to work (pre-covid) and they were great for avoiding punctures, but yeah, dragged a bit and it sucked more on headwind days. But no problem! 🤘🏻
I had the GP4000's which were supposed to be the top dog and I am not saying this to be a contrarian but those punctured way quicker than the Ultrasport 2 at the time so I will never ever spend money on the more expensive alternatives. The Ultrasport 3 is a great tire for the money
Personally have never used the GP4000’s, heard they weren’t bad? But yeah, never personally used them. So far so good on the Ultrasport 3’s though! Currently on my second pair after the first pair gave out after a lot of miles and hard braking, lol. Combo these up with latex tubes and you got yourself a decently fast tire setup! 🤘🏻
@@railthegutter any link for those latex tube? I run P-zero in Okinawa but they got no grip and when it rains I am scare to ride.
@@adonisrodriguez4499 sorry for the super late reply, but these are the ones I got.
www.amazon.com/Vittoria-Unisexs-Competition-Presta-700x25-28c/dp/B084CXNQ35/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=latex+inner+tube+700x28&qid=1683728818&sprefix=latex+inner%2Caps%2C508&sr=8-5
@@adonisrodriguez4499 yeah I've heard that the P Zero's are amazing for dry roads and are pretty damn fast, but I've also read they aren't great on wet roads. the US3's aren't great on wet either, but not the worst (I've tried them with slightly lower than normal pressures and they seem to hold okay).
is this tire tubeless ready?
I don’t believe these are. The entire tire has zero marking for tubeless compatibility. I personally run them on latex and/or butyl and so far so good. Hope this helps!
does it need tube, sorry im new
No problem and welcome! Yeah any clincher tire will definitely need an inner tube. Hope this helps!
I can get roughly 2k on a set of clinchers and 3k on wire bead. They are not bad tires for training.
I wish I can say I have a set of “trainer” and “racing” tires, but reality for me is the same tire does both, lol. In all honesty, I think this tire can do both? If you run the 25’s which weigh a bit less than the 28’s, you still get good RR and less of a weight penalty. Same lack of puncture resistance, but we can’t have it all I guess, lol. I have managed to run these tires right into the 3k area, and for what I paid, I’d say they’re worth it. 🤘🏻
@@railthegutter old school… I have been running 23’s. I do agree you could race these wheels. I consider them training tires because at $47 a pair ($23.50 each) is a great deal.
What is the tpi rating?
Officially on Continental’s website it states 3/180.
are Michelin PRO4 Endurance better overall? they are a bit more expensive, but lighter
I personally have never used any good Michelin bike tires (other than some semi crappy 23’s from years ago). I do use BRR’s site for info when making purchases though, and based off what I’ve read, they do seem to be very very close to the Conti 3’s. Here is the link for more information:
www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/michelin-pro-4-endurance-v2-2015#:~:text=This%20tire%20seems%20to,and%20high%20puncture%20protection.
how about the continental grand sport?
Mmmmm, can’t say Ive tried the Grand Sport tires from Conti. I had read that they are just slightly below the US3’s and the Classics are just slightly above the US3’s. You can check out bicyclerollingresistance.com for data on which tires roll good vs value. I use the site all the time. Keep in mind that there are lot of tires they haven’t tested so you might not see some stuff that is on the market on their site. Cheers!
You want Puncture resistance then go to 116psi and your go
rolls faster than the gatorskin? pls respond.
I have used two pairs of GatorSkins and the Conti 3 still roll faster than the GatorSkins. I use my Conti 3’s with Vittoria Latex tubes, but I’ve also used them with lightweight butyl inner tubes, and they are still faster than the GS tires.
@@railthegutter tysm
No problem!
Is it tubeless?
Nope. I believe it’s tubetype only. I haven’t seen it as tubeless-ready.
i choose the perelli P7 sport over these all because there is no inner punchure protection where the perelli adds a layer of some cloth for added protection but thats the only reason of my choice also they run wide i got 28 and they were only 27 pumped up 85 lbs but the continental run very wide so check clearance
I appreciate your comment. I did look into the P7’s and they sort of remind me of the Schwalbe Duranos a bit, except the P7’s have that cloth layer for added protection while the Durano have a nylon protective layer instead. Either way, I think it comes down to personal preference and trial/error. I’ve ridden my Conti US3’s in almost everything (I recently went on my first ever rain/shower bike ride, lol), lowered my tire pressures by a couple bars and they rolled beautifully. I hope the P7’s work just as good for you as the US3’s have worked for me! 🤟🏻
Whats wrong with the people in your town?...
People genuinely don’t care. The city and city workers don’t care either, lol. That’s just the reality of certain areas. You just learn to work around it and go on about your day ya know? Lol 😂
Aliexpress ....$30 for a pair
Bu lastik zırhlımı
Im not sure if you mean if it’s got a puncture resistant layer? Or a rubber protective layer? But I can it doesn’t technically have either one.
Learn to soeak precisely. Theres a SIGNIFICANT difference in reducing road buzz A LITTLE BIT?? WTH is a "significant little bit"??
Lol 😂 I tend to stumble and misuse words when I’m trying to explain something in a simple way. Speaking in front of the class was definitely never my strong point. Thanks for the critique, lmfao. I meant to say “it reduces road buzz a bit more, but it’s not a crazy amount”. 25mm still feel nice and are lighter for sure, and 28mm have the added weight penalty (not a SIGNIFICANT amount, lol, but its there), but you get more grip and slightly smoother on the road. Hope this helps! I will write out my review videos (currently working on one) for the future, lol.