On Feb 24, 3:07*pm, TJ wrote:
http://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/conticy...security.shtml

Continental, Germany tells us the Contact Security is

"Designed for industrial applications, the ContactSecurity can also
perform well in everyday use. Its massive puncture-proof breaker was
developed to resist metal cuttings and shards on factory grounds. In
view of its tough construction, it is not a comfortable touring tyre
with low rolling resistance, but it does effectively ward off gravel
and shards on short stretches in the city."

How do these compare for puncture protection, speed and mileage
against the Schwalbe Mararthon Plus ??

Thanks

I haven't tried the Continental Contact Security and, having read what
the manufacturers say about it in the sections you and Tom quote, I
won't be trying them. I do however have experience of the Schwalbe
Marathon Plus and the very similar Bontrager Satellite Elite Hardcase,
which are everything Continental says the Contact Security isn't: the
Marathon Plus and the Bontrager Hard Case are high-pressure, low
rolling-resistance tyres of exceptional puncture resistance; they also
have perfectly good grip in the wet, considering that their tread is
very low and the sipes are only at the sides of the tyres. I switched
to Marathon after a series of flats in, among others, Continental
tyres, that cost me about 125 Euro for new tubes and labour to fix
flats, and after several ruined rides in the same week bit the bullet
and bought the expensive Marathon Plus, and have not looked back; zero
flats in about another 2000km on the same roads. The Bontrager
Satellite Elite Hardcase came on my Trek "Smover" and has about 1750km
on the same roads that Contis (*not* the Contact Security) weren't
good enough on. The Bontrager tyres have nice graphics, if such things
matter to you, illustrated on my Trek "Smover" at:
http://members.lycos.co.uk/fiultra/B...20CYCLING.html

There is nothing to choose between the Marathon Plus and the Bontrager
Hardcase except that the Schwalbe tyre usually costs more even at the
discounters, though I must admit I haven't fitted the Bontrager to
rims yet (they came with the bike as a standard fitting); the Marathon
was difficult enough to fit, being enormously stiff, but nowhere near
impossible with patience. I wouldn't want to change a tube beside the
road though with these tyres fitted. I suspect the Bontrager will be
the same or a little more difficult to remove and refit as it feels
stiffer still. Neither tyre shows appreciable wear in around 2k klicks
on roughish roads. If comfort matters to you, you can have it on
either by inflating to about 60psi at which they are quite resilient
and do not add appreciable drag through higher rolling resistance, but
I have suspension seatposts and forks on both my current bikes so I
pump them up to about 85psi for minimum rolling resistance, at which
point there is no rolling resistance penalty over any other tyre I
have ever used; inflate higher still and the action becomes a bit
jiggly on poor roads and the suspension starts working harder for its
living.

As you can guess, I'm a big fan of the Schwalbe Marathon Plus and the
Bontrager Satellite Elite Hardcase -- I hate flats.

Andre Jute
http://members.lycos.co.uk/fiultra/B...20CYCLING.html