Continental Ultra Sport III folding, 700x25C

Continental makes its own compounds in Germany, and the Ultra Sport III is its long-running training tire.

What the manufacturer publishes

ETRTO measurements of 25-622. A supple 180 TPI casing and mileage from a silica-based tread compound. A revised model, updated from the previous Ultrasport with a renewed tread design.

TPI, and why it is the figure to look at

Threads per inch describes the casing fabric. A 180 TPI casing uses finer threads than a 60 TPI one, which makes it more supple: it deforms around road irregularities instead of bouncing the whole wheel over them. That is where a good tire’s low rolling resistance and grip actually come from.

It is also the trade — a supple casing is generally less puncture-resistant than a heavily armored one.

What is not named

A puncture protection belt. The Schwalbe on this shelf names its V-Guard; Fincci names a 1 mm (0.04 in) layer. Continental describes mileage from the compound rather than a protection layer on this model.

Width, in 2026 terms

Twenty-five millimeters was the standard and is now the narrow end. Most current road bikes take 28 or 32 mm (1.26 in), which run lower pressures with more grip and comfort at very little speed cost. Check what your frame clears.