Conti's Diesel has always been a relatively lightweight all-mountain tyre, but things have changed with the new double-wall wire bead version.
The carcass has increased in size so that the usual 'smaller than it should be' Conti rule doesn't apply. There's certainly plenty of float in the fat belly and the double wall makes it much more stable at lower pressures and able to shrug off sharp rocks and dodgy landings. The softer compound rubber in the rounded, triangular Gravity Arc tread also grips well on hard, rocky or loose surfaces, although it tends to clog and struggle in thick mud. The round profi le and overlapping tread gives a very smooth transition into corners too and it rolls relatively fast, which helps offset the hefty weight.
The stiff sidewall and tight bead mean the tyre is a sod to fit the first few times, but the reinforced carcass means it's much less puncture prone than its lighter brethren. The same tread is available on a variety of lighter carcasses as the 2.3in Gravity and 2.1in Vapor, and the pricing on all types is very competitive.
