Raleigh to distribute Continental Tyres to UK bike market

Raleigh UK has announced the addition of the Continental bike tyre label to its stable of brands.

Continental’s portfolio is headed up by flagship lines such as the Contact and Ride ranges, which have become favourites among the urban and touring segments. The Contact Plus range has also become a preference for many choosing to equip their e-Bikes with a hard-wearing and puncture resistant tyre that has been built with acceleration in mind.

The label has likewise been lauded for its investment in developing its Taraxagum technology. This advance, created by PHD student Cara Recker, now employed by the firm, is based around the harvesting of dandelion root to create a compound that means 30% of the tyre stems from a sustainable source. Continental is to invest €35 million in the concept, such is its faith in being able to roll the compound out further in its car and bike tryes.

“The Taraxagum range feels just as grippy, if not more so and weighs in very respectably too, the Urban tyre is just 350 grams. At present we have a clincher tyre for road and urban applications,” said the importer when quizzed on the tech last year.

With stock flowing in via importer Cambrian Tyres, Raleigh joins a handful of other B2B sources for the brand, including Bob Elliot and I-ride.

Madison has, as of the end of August, ceased to distribute Continental to the UK market and now instead carries the Vittoria performance tyre portfolio.

CI.N’s market study found Continental to be the second largest tyre brand by volume of shops carrying the product in the UK market.