Are MTB tyres on gravel bikes just a gimmick? I tested the new 2.2in Continental Dubnital to find out

This week on CN Tech we are entering MTB tyre terrain with my review of the relatively new Continental Dubnital XC MTB tyre. This high-volume, racy XC option is also suitable for gravel and will fit the gravel bikes on the market with the clearance for it.

At the start of April this year, Continental overhauled its MTB tyre range with three new models: the Dubnital, Tritotal, and Magnotal. These dinosaur-sounding models replaced the Race King, Cross King, and Mountain King tyres.

The Race King was a model that had been on the market for a while and had been used in gravel races and on more progressive gravel bikes; the Dubnital officially succeeds it, making it one of the key options for gravel riders looking for 50mm plus tyres.

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More gravel bikes are being designed with clearance for up to around 57mm or 2.2” gravel tyres, or more. These bikes, such as the Allied Able, Lauf Seigla and Fara Gr4, can all accommodate the smaller-sized 2.2” Dubnital; it's also available in a 2.4".

I’ve been testing the Dubnital in its fastest, most racy version in the Lauf Seigla, which has had the clearance for it. There is a direction of travel when it comes to the best gravel bike tyres, gravel tyre sizing and frame clearances. It seems more riders and racers than ever are running larger rubber off-road. I wanted to see how 2.2” tyres rode off-road on a drop bar gravel bike, and try them out for myself.

Design and aesthetics

Continental describes the Dubnital as being ‘engineered for rapid cross country riding’ and a tyre for dry to damp conditions, rocky, hardpack, and medium loose soils. In thw real world, for gravel riding, I don’t think I’d hesitate to use this for pretty much everything.

The tyre's 330 TPI (threads per inch) single ply carcass has a relatively shallow tread that’s split into three zones. The centre tread, the transition area and then the shoulder tread on the outside of the tyre. The high thread count should also mean it's supple and fast-feeling ultimately, which it is.

True to their name, the tyres do feel thin and supple. I think I've felt chunkier winter road tyres; this made me hopeful they would feel good on the bike, and this proved to be the case. I weighed one at 621 grams, not terrible considering a 45mm Schwalbe G One Allround comes in at 590 grams. A Vittoria Terreno Dry in a 2.1" came in at 581 grams on our scales, just for some context.

The sidewalls of the tyre are marked with a trio of hexagons, which denote the version of the tyre you have. I’ve included pictures below so you can understand the Continental system. If you're lining up alongside people at a race, you will be able to work out what version of the tyre they are riding, and it makes life easy for us when deciphering tech images from races like Unbound.

The Dubnital, like plenty of mountain bike tyres, is available in several permutations with different casing and compound options. I have been testing the fastest, most race-ready version, though it still has a puncture protection strip.

The sidewalls of the tyre and casing itself have a 'spider web' pattern of lines all over. Aside from looking pretty cool, this feature is there to clear mud from the tyres. I haven't been able to test this too much, but I believe it replaces the chequered board pattern on some of the older tyres.

In theory, this should be the model that’s most attractive to gravel riders and racers who are looking for a quick ride that maintains good rolling resistance and isn't sluggish.

The tyre is available in two casing options, Race and Trail. Both use the well-loved now Black Chilli rubber compound from Continental that features in its higher-end tyres from various disciplines. You can then choose your compound; there’s Rapid and Grip to choose from. I’ve tested the Race casing and Rapid compound in a 2.2” size, a combo we saw in use at Unbound already.

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Performance

What does a 2.2” mtb tyre ride like on a gravel bike with 20 psi in it? Well, far more normal than you perhaps might initially expect. The tyres roll very well on and off road, and you don’t feel any of the sluggishness you might traditionally associate with a tyre like this, especially this specific version. Even after my first ride, which was on and off-road, I noticed a ‘zippyness’ I wasn’t expecting; the tyres felt nimble and reactive, not slow and sluggish.

If you currently sit in the "these wide tyres are getting stupid" camp, "just buy a mountain bike" is a phrase that often passes your lips, I understand, but you can trust me, my road bike has rim brakes and 28mm tyres with tubes. Believe me when I say they do feel zippy and not like big, sluggish MTB tyres. Trying a setup out is the only way to see if it will work for you.

Off-road, I’ve found them great all around. Grippy on bone-dry, loose and rocky summer trails, and the higher volume has given me more grip and traction than a skinnier tyre. I really feel I can lean them into corners well on or off-road, and the only thing that's really held me back in dry, loose corners is my own self-preservation instinct.

Switching to the Canyon Grail RIFT gravel bike, I've been riding with 40mm semi-slick tires. They do feel quicker on the road, but is there an element of the 'harsh is fast' feeling? It's been an interesting comparison. The Grail RIFT has a suspension fork, and you can achieve plenty of ride smoothing from a rigid bike with big tyres and lower pressures. Big tyres are a great way to smooth things out without a suspension fork.

I’ve also ridden my regular one-hour road test loop on them to see how they fare on tarmac alone; these are MTB tyres, but it's an important test nonetheless, given the mixed surface nature of gravel riding. Honestly, I was impressed. You wouldn’t really notice too much of a difference after a while for general riding; they hum along nicely. Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have believed you if you had told me I’d do a road ride on a drop bar bike with 2.2” tyres inflated to 20PSI.

There's also a good reason riders are fitting higher volume rubber, and that's because big tyres can help lower rolling resistance off-road. They are faster. Which is what we found during our CN Labs gravel tyre rolling resistance test. You still need to factor in what else you need in an off-road tyre and meeting the demands of your event, but in terms of saving watts, wider is the way to go.

Installing these tyres was also a breeze; I fitted them to some E13 Piedmont race wheels with a 26mm inner rim width and hookless rims. I fitted the tyres with a tyre lever, and inflated them using a track pump first time. There was a little bit of initial sealant seepage, but they have behaved ever since.

I have picked up one puncture whilst testing, thanks to a savage bit of thorny bush on a gravel lane after a recent hedge cutting, the long thorn pierced the tyre and stuck in, but my sealant did its job, sealed the hole, and I didn’t hear a peep for the rest of the ride. Thankfully, it was probably the least stressful tubeless puncture I’ve ever had. This time round, I was using about 60-80ml of WTB tubeless sealant, if you're interested.

Value

You can find these tyres online for a reasonable amount currently. An official RRP of £66 in the UK and $74 in the US is in line with plenty of other prominent competitors. They are a little more expensive than the Vittoria Terreno gravel tyres in a 2.1" size, for example and a similar price to the Schwalbe G One AllRounds.

The quality is there, and I trust in the tyres. I think the biggest risk here would be a slash from a sharp flint or similar on the tyres' thinner sidewalls, but that can happen to any tyre, unfortunately.

Tyres are our contact point with the ground, and generally, it pays to invest in the best ones you can for your type of riding and requirements.

Verdict

The Dubnitals in this particular version are a great option for gravel riders wanting to go bigger, be more comfortable, and hopefully go faster. I've really enjoyed riding with them. Next, hopefully testing them out in winter in some good old British mud and slop.

They offer plenty of grip across a range of dry terrains and feature proven Continental tech like the Black Chilli compound. With gravel bike clearances generally heading in the same direction, there should be a growing list of tyre options that can be used. Perhaps more and more tyres this size will start being embraced for gravel; the benefits are plain to see.

Gravel riding is so dynamic, it's hard to cite a best all-around tyre. There are a lot of options, and a lot of different terrain. If you do want to try the Dubnitals for gravel, I don't think you'll be left disappointed.