I recently replaced my original tourance rear (8k miles but still with good tread depth) to reduce the wheel locking under heady breaking and the funny cornering with tyre wear.
I went for conti trail attack 2 which makes the bike corner much better and less wheel lock but...
I noticed the ride has become much harder and bumpier (running the standard 29psi @ the rear). Potholes and bump now have a kick!

My question is, could the conti be a harder tyre with stiffer side walls or that the garage fitted the tubeless version (with an inner tube of course)?


Conti list either TT or TL for this bike

The Trail Attack is a stiffer tyre than the Tourance, it's more road bias, so you will feel some difference. I can certainly tell the difference in ride quality between road bias and proper dual sport tyres. Probably something you'll just have to get used to.

Just as an aside, it's always worth checking when you buy new tyres that they are actually new! Some retailers push out tyres as "new" when they're actually old stock. In the UK it is actually legal to sell a tyre as "new" even if it's up to 6 years old!

Most of the big name tyre manufacturers do however instruct retailers to send stock back if it's been on the shelf for two years... but it's not always the case. Tyre rubber gets harder during storage. So buyer beware.

Have a look on the sidewall for the date moulding. The first two digits show the week and the second two digits show the actual year - Eg: 1109 means the tyre below was manufactured in the 11th week of 2009.

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thanks for the info.

Would you say a tubeless version of the same tyre is also stiffer than the tubed version?

shame about this coz I like the handling of the tyre but the bumpier ride defeats one of the main reasons I got the XTR.

I guess I will have to switch back to tourance @ the next change.

didn't know 6 years old tyres could be sold as new. Possible, if they are stored in the right environment maybe.

An interesting observation. After the tourances and K60 , I am on the conti trails now. Same feelings, as you. I started to blame forks and shock, but hopefully you are right. Thanks.

I wouldn't know as I only ever tried the TL version of the Trail Attack. TL tyres tend to be slightly stiffer around the bead because they've got to stay airtight, which is why they're generally slightly harder to mount. However, the actual compound and structure of the rest of the tyre is usually little different.

Basically it's just a fact of life and you just have to live with it. Sportier tyres are stiffer and generally don't ride as well. You've got to ask yourself which is more important to you: comfort or grip/handling? All tyres are a trade off in some respect. Many tyre makers claim to have a �do-it-all� tyre, but none actually are. Whoever invents a tyre that can genuinely do everything will make millions!

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Hey Bonjo......surely no one ever goes 'back' to Tourance!, a truly horrible tyre. And Pleiades makes a good point about the date mark on the tyres ....I took a tyre I'd bought online to be fitted only for the m to tell me the tyre was 8 years old...according to the marking on the tyre. To be fair I was given a full refund and kept the tyre...but it's something to be aware of . Steve