“Tied up, tied down, up against the wall, you’re my Rubber Queen baby and we can do it all…” OK, that’s not quite what Axl Rose said, but it’s what Continental are claiming about their new piece of bootylicious royalty. Seems they’ve done a damn good job too.
The 2.4in Rubber Queens are definitely full donut size.The 872g weight includes extensive Apex reinforcement to match the appetite for destruction of most aggressive trail riders. They’re impressively stable and straight running, with only the occasional sideways ricochet. They haven’t pinch or thorn flatted yet, even with deliberately skinny inner tubes,and there’s no sign of sidewall damage or tread tear-off.
The extra sticky Black Chili rubber compound uses a finer, more pliable mixture for impressive slick surface adhesion in the wet. The fairly low, wide spaced blocks clean fast in claggy conditions,only peeling off if you suddenly shunt them hard sideways. The supple tread helps them stay controlled, and railing and off-camber grip is great.
The weight is noticeable on climbs and out of corners, but keep momentum up and the ramped front edges roll pretty well. The only downside is the high price, but there’s a lot of clever stuff here and they're lasting well.
