Continental has announced a narrower, 50mm / 2in version of its Dubnital cross-country mountain bike tyre, designed for use on gravel bikes.
Following the recent launch of Continental’s Terra Competition, which uses a low-profile, all-road tread and is available only in sizes up to 45mm, the new 50mm Dubnital is intended to fill the hole in the brand’s range between its dedicated gravel and cross-country MTB tyres.
As Continental notes in its press materials, the Dubnital and its predecessor, the Race King have gained popularity among gravel racers in recent years, as riders have searched for tyres that offer lower rolling resistance and better grip on rough trails than dedicated gravel tyres.
However, with many gravel bikes not being capable of accommodating the Dubnital’s smallest, 55mm / 2.2in option, there was growing demand for something larger than 45mm but smaller than 55mm.
Rather than developing a dedicated gravel tyre in this size, as Schwalbe did with its G-One R Pro range, Continental has decided to simply size down its XC tyre.
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Removing the boundaries between MTB and gravel
Continental makes no bones about the Dubnital being an XC tyre first and foremost, but with the demands of gravel racing evolving rapidly, the brand seems happy to give riders exactly what they’ve been asking for, rather than developing something distinct.
Alexander Haenke, Continental’s MTB and gravel product manager, says: “With the introduction of the Dubnital 50mm, we are removing the boundaries between mountain biking and gravel once and for all.”
“In this 50mm dimension, it hits a distinct sweet spot for technically demanding off‑road races such as Traka, The Rift or Badlands,” Haenke says.
Like its larger siblings, the 50mm Dubnital therefore features a tread optimised primarily for off-road riding, rather than a mix of tarmac and gravel.
Compared to Continental’s Terra Competition or Terra Speed gravel tyres, then, the Dubnital’s tread is much more pronounced.
According to the brand, the tightly spaced knobs in the centre of the tread are designed for good rolling efficiency in a straight line, while slightly larger, more widely spaced shoulder knobs offer better traction for off-road cornering and braking.
While this should naturally provide better performance off-road, it remains to be seen whether this approach proves slower on tarmac or lighter gravel than the previously mentioned alternatives.
As always with tyres, tread patterns aren’t the sole deciding factor when it comes to rolling resistance – casing construction and rubber compound also play significant roles.
Two casing options and one compound
As with the wider tyres, the new Dubnital 50mm is available with two casing options – Race or Trail – and costs £66.99 / $86.95 / €74.95.
As the names suggest, the Race casing is designed for the lowest rolling resistance possible, while the Trail casing features increased puncture protection and greater stability at lower tyre pressures.
Both casings use Continental’s low-rolling-resistance Rapid rubber compound, are tubeless-ready and are compatible with hookless rims.
We’ve got the Race version in for testing, and our samples weighed 576 and 589g per tyre.
That’s roughly in line with a set of 54mm / 2.1in Schwalbe Thunder Burt tyres (with Schwalbe’s SuperRace casing), which weighed 560 and 580g on our scales.
It’s also only 20 to 35g more than a 45mm Continental Terra Speed, which tipped the scales at 555g with transparent sidewalls – so there’s less of a weight penalty than you might expect for the additional volume and tread.
