Continental

Baron Tire

The Der Baron tire is a DH favorite when the course is sloppy and wet for its aggressive, widely spaced lugs and Chili Pepper rubber compound. It's a combination that sheds mud and digs deep for encouraging traction, but the tire is too portly if you're not planning on an assisted ride back to the top. That's where Continental's 180tpi Baron Tire comes into play.

By using a different casing and fewer plies, Continental dropped almost a pound of fat from the Der Baron -- while retaining the same renowned tread pattern and rubber compound. This makes the Baron an overachieving, wet-season enduro and all-mountain monster.

That's a lot of lost meat, but the Baron still gets the Apex sidewall treatment to ensure protection from rock damage without compromising a supple ride. Apex is a rubber piece in between the tire layers along the sidewall. This not only makes it tougher, it adds to the Baron's ability to remain stable during hard cornering and heavy landings. Most important though, the Apex reinforcement helps prevent rim impacts on square edge hits.

Adding to the Baron's mud-shedding symmetrical tread pattern is the aforementioned Black Chili compound. It's exclusive to Continental, and only available on tires produced at their German factory. The compound offers lower rolling resistance, while enhancing traction and prolonging tire life.

The Continental Baron Tire is 2.3in wide and only comes in 26in diameters.