Bicycle Tyre Range | 2009 - Continental Tyre Group AG

Compound technology
The tread compound is the starting point of any tyre. It makes the
difference between a good and bad tyre. The secret formulas hold the
key to why one tyre performs better than the next and why one tyre
grips the surface securely whilst another spins off out of control.
It is no secret what the basic materials are, but the art, just as with a
fi ne wine, lies in how the manufacturer combines the extras.
Elastomers: natural and synthetic rubber determine the basic
properties of the compound. Rubber is the main component of the
compound. The rubber determines the grip, the rolling resistance
and the wear of the tread.
Fillers or reinforcers: this is where carbon blacks and silicates are
used. They determine the hardness and the elasticity of the rubber.
Sulphur: during vulcanisation, the sulphur cross-links with the
polymer chains of the rubber and transforms the plastic raw
compound into elastic rubber.
Oils, waxes and dyes: they improve the processing and give the
tyres their colour.
Antioxidants: they protect the compound against environmental
infl uences, e. g. ozone, UV.
The innovation in puncture protection
Vectran is a multifi bred thermoplastic yarn, made of melted Vectra
Liquid Crystal Polymer. Vectran is the only LCP fi bre in the world,
which is made using a spinning process. Reinforcing and matrix fi bres
made of Vectran, are lightweight, extremely durable, have reliable
longevity and are fi ve times stronger as steel.
With a layer (breaker) of Vectran under the tread, the tyre is protected
from breakdowns more effi ciently than with a Nylon Double Breaker.
This is because a single Vectran layer is lighter, more fl exible and
stronger than the two nylon layers.
Airtight
The new processing techniques have succeeded in our existing puncture
protection deposits to supplement our new PolyX Breaker. For the fi rst time
we have used polyester as Breaker material and rely on our experience in
car tyres, where we have used polyester successfully for many years.
The advantage of our new PolyX fabric lies however in details. The fi bers are
often crossed in the manufacturing process. This gives us a dense fabric
with a minimum of space between the individual threads.
Result: Whether sharp thorns or large shards, PolyX is failsafe and is very
resistant to any kind of foreign body without reducing the rolling resistance.
Speed
Mileage
Grip
0,0000001 m
53