Hearing about BlackChili for the first time, you might think that Continental Tires have gone into the business of food. But this isn’t grandma’s secret recipe for a nourishing bowl of chili; this is a revolutionary tire tread compound, highly prized by cyclists and motorists alike. That’s because our patented BlackChili compound has unbeatable grip, speed and durability, equating to a road performance that’s not only dependable but also… rather spicy.
BlackChili compound is exclusively manufactured at the Continental factory in Korbach, Germany, combining the very latest polymers with specially developed carbon black particles and filler materials. And both cars and bikes benefit from this technology. Fitted to a bicycle, tires with BlackChili give riders supreme confidence whether they’re tumbling downhill on a mountain bike or time-trialing on a road bike. Fitted to a car, drivers can expect maximum grip during acceleration, cornering, and braking on wet or dry roads.
The improvement is dramatic. But don’t just take our word for it. The professional cycling elite has long relied on this exceptional tire compound. Geraint Thomas and Team Ineos (Team Sky) have won the world’s biggest bike race, the Tour de France, using Competition Pro LTD tires made from BlackChili. And for this year’s edition of Tour de France, six out of the 23 teams taking part in the three-week race around France are using BlackChili compound in their hand-made tires.
So how did this legendary compound come into being? At the Continental R&D labs in Korbach, our heroic team of engineers grapple with one of the fundamental problems of tire construction. Essentially, the running properties of a rubber compound of a tire are determined by three co-dependent factors:
The challenge is that when you make improvements in one area, there’s a performance penalty in at least one other area. A compound which offers maximum levels of grip, for example, will wear out faster and roll slower. Conversely, a compound optimized for higher speeds or greater durability has a reduced ability to grip.
The BlackChili compound is different because it takes advantage of the latest innovations in polymer and other raw material research. For the first step, we refine proven natural rubber with special synthetic rubbers into a high-performance tread mixture. Next, the mixture is combined with special nanometric carbon soot particles. Finally, the surface and shape properties are optimized for the best use case of the tire.
The result is that BlackChili compound provides a truly unprecedented level of performance. Compared to Activated Silica Compound – our previous best performer – BlackChili tires have 30% higher grip, 26% less rolling resistance, and 5% increase in mileage. The speed and grip advantages are readily apparent, applied to either a bike or a car tire.
Furthermore, the science behind BlackChili is in constant development; we can adjust the formulation of the compound to match individual requirements of new Continental tires rolling out of the factory in Korbach. In other words, it’s possible to tailor the tire to the specific needs of the vehicle. The compound technology is so sensitive and complex, however, that BlackChili cannot be manufactured anywhere else in the world.
You can personally experience the innovations of BlackChili on either two wheels or four, as high-performance tires for both bicycles and cars. Here’s a sample of the custom formulations available in our premium tires.
Car / SportContact 6
For the SportContact 6, we developed a new Micro Flexibility Compound to ensure optimal contact between the tire and the road surface. The compound provides shorter braking distances and better acceleration at low and high temperatures – in dry or wet conditions.
Bike / Continental Grand Prix 4000 SII
For athletes demanding the ideal combination of comfort, speed, and low rolling resistance, the Grand Prix 4000 SII is the best all-rounder. The BlackChili compound provides excellent grip, high mileage, and efficient rolling, plus a Vectran puncture protection insert for added security.
Car / WinterContact TS 860
The Cool Chili compound is a variation on BlackChili specially made for the WinterContact TS 860; a Maximum Traction Silica Compound which stays flexible in all winter conditions, substantially improves braking performance, and provides excellent grip in the wet.
Bike / Mountain King
With superior grip and fast rolling, the Mountain King is the perfect companion for exploring trails and hilly terrain. The continuous central tread and grippy outer lugs are made with BlackChili, and the ProTection technology – three plies in the sidewalls and four under the tread – mean the whole tire has greater resilience and is less vulnerable to damage.
