My main concern with tires is flats. I just don't want to deal with them. So for years I used Schwable Marathon Plus 32mm tires on my Salsa La Cruz. I use the bike for commuting into Portland (55 miles round trip) and for touring (a few tours each summer of about 300 miles each). I knew the Schwalbes were heavy but didn't care since I never got flats. That is, unless the 95 mile mark in the 2018 Oregon Gran Fondo. It turns out that the inside of the tire casing was defective and a little wire from the casing was poking into the inner tube. I suspect it wasn't an issue before because I typically ran the tires a bit low, but on the day of the Gran Fondo, I pumped them up to the max PSI. It was really a pain to fix (I had to use a worn piece of gravel to grind the frayed wire down and still ended up pumping the tire up to the minimum inflation to complete the ride). After that mess, I swore I'd switch to a folding tire.
I looked around for a folding tire with similar puncture resistance and came upon the Grand Prix 4-season. I have over 3,000 miles on them and have just reached the point where I need to replace the rear tire (trust be told I probably should have replaced it about 500 miles ago). The front will probably be good for another thousand miles or so. And so far, ZERO FLATS! As a side benefit, they are much lighter than the Schwalbes and it's very noticeable. The bike is much snappier from a standstill and much faster on the steeper (and longer) hills.
When I got my new Trek Domane, it came with 32s which I just wasn't ready to go to. I had always run Continental GP 4000S IIs - 23s or 25s, and I saw they made 28s in that tire also, so I got those. I loved the softness of the wider tire and lower air pressure, but I got 4 flats within 200 miles. All goatheads. I lost confidence in the ability of those tires to fend off a couple teeny tiny goatheads, so I went with these 4 Seasons. So far, 300 more miles on the same roads, zero flats. They are a hair stiffer, but I'll take the stronger durability. The black edition was a little splurge but does look better with my partly black bike.
I love the black edition (although it is very difficult to read / find the suggested pressure on the sidewall). I regularly got punctures on other types of tires here in the Portland metro area. I didn't want Gatorskins because of the riding characteristics but these are a great compromise. Very few punctures (I say "few" because we occasionally have to ride through construction areas that seem to get us every now and then so I can't fault the tire in that case). But these roll very well for the amount of protection the provide. There are faster tires with better grip, but this seems to be a great choice for protection and function.
I picked up an old Trek 2100 Composite with many custom components. It had an older version of this tire that made the handling very twitchy. This is a nice upgrade that smooths out the front end, with a nice ride & the stability & durability of a Kevlar tire on a lean profile. I am running a Black Edition Gatorskin on the back with higher rolling resistance ...when it wears out, this is my choice. To paraphrase a successful ad, "Everything rides on your tires".
I want to love these tires. Coming from Conti gatorskins (wirebeads), i trusted the Conti name and I love that these are lighter and much easier to install, and bonus points for looking slick. However, in month of use, I've had FIVE flats, 4 in front and 1 in back. Each one has been a pinch, totally blowing out the tube and leaving me stranded on the side of the road miles from home. I'm not new to changing tubes and I never had an issue like this before. Immensely immensely disappointed and frustrated with these tires.
Only tires I use. I am doing more long touring now days. Not racing or worrying about time. Nice grip, good puncture resistance and long lasting tire. Have these on 3 different bikes. Used the 4000s and Dura skins primarily before switching to these. Some slower roll with the extra grip. I did switch to 25mm wheels which helped but probably a wash on speed/resistance gain with wheel set change and adding these tires. Great tire though and no longer changing blown tubes all the time! Highly recommended.
I ride 5-10,000 miles a year. Less so now with Covid and working from home. No commuting. I have been riding mostly Gator skin duraskin or hardshell for commuting the last 10 years. Continental 4000 for road. Like most note the 4000 blew out on the sides after awhile, have a pair of 5000 which have not had the same issue but they are fairly new. Switched to the 4 seasons on my gravel bike, commuting bike and one of my road bikes. Only tire I buy now. I am not racing or going for time so a little slower roll is an acceptable pay off for me. The extra grip with these is nice on some tight down hill corners I ride in the summer along the bluffs. Love those S curves. These roll well, are a bit grippy and good puncture resistance. In town our roads suck so on my commuter and gravel bike I do add some of the Ultra-thin Tuffy tape. Not one flat in 2-3 years since I switched!! Awesome! If you want a super clean roll, speed and time are a consideration for you the 5000s are probably a better tire for you. If you want a tire with decent roll, bit of extra grip, and some decent puncture protection these are the tire for you. They last longer than my other tires too which is a bonus.
Good balance between performance and life-time. Of course they are plenty of cheaper tyres but you pay for quality here. on the other hand, there are more expensive tyres too, but risk of getting a flat tyre or tiny incremental performance ( on the paper) does not justify premium cost for me. I ride every week, all seasons and thus tyre fits my need. Also, i was lucky to get the all-black edition, it looks awesome on my carbon wheels.
I will definitely repurchase in few months.
Already reviewed the 28mm. These are excellent, durable tires without the rock hard feel of Gatorskins. I rode 1000s miles over 18 months without a single puncture on very messy urban roads where multiple punctures per ride are the norm, as well as a lot of time on the turbo trainer. Rear tire finally retired due to a small sidewall gash that I booted to get home. Could've kept using it but decided to upgrade to 32mm.
32mm just give a bit more comfort with lower pressure.
All black version is slightly darker sidewall then the regular ones that have an almost imperceptible burgundy tint.
I've been running these in 32mm on my trek domane 'gravel' for the last couple months and loving them. Was previously running Schwalbe G-one Allrounds 35mm (tubed), but I just wasn't riding that much real gravel, so wanted something more road-oriented and quicker but still comfortable.
I've put about 800mi on them since early October and have had no issues so far, and the tires show hardly any signs of wear (re wear, they seem to be much long-lasting than the g-ones - as a point of comparison, I wore though the rear tire tread in 1300mi on my old g-ones...). Also I'd say I'm about 0.5mph-1mph faster on avg. on these vs. the g-ones. Haven't yet tried the GP4000s or 5000s but I think those would be a bit quicker but less durable. Was hesitant at first to take these tires on dirt paths (towpaths, well maintained dirt roads) near me, but have since ridden them multiple times and felt sturdy and fast, more so than I was expecting. They also handle sections of pretty rough pavement near me well. Overall, a strong, grippy, and versatile tire, esp in 32mm (curious to try 28s in the future). And the black edition looks dope, in my opinion. Very happy with the contis so far, my first experience with the brand - would buy again.
I have been using the Continental Grand Prix 4 season tires on my road bike for a few years now, and I hate to jinx myself, but ZERO flats . Zero.
Co motion Tandem carries around 350 pounds including bike weight. Replaced original conti gatorskins which flatted twice while new. Then self de-rimmed at slow speed. New 4-Seasons, both wheels trouble free. No flats since mounting. Handles well and a confident grip on scary heavy tandem decending. New Mexico varies hot to below freezing roads. Performs on tandem as expected. Worth it!
I used these before i put Conti 5000's on my bike. Had issues with flats from other brands so gave it a try. No flats over caliche, sandstone stretches of up to 1.5 miles on my road bike -- puncture resistance was not the issue. Loud, harsher ride. Did not like the feel at all. Tried Conti 5000's when they came out, replacing these. Ride of course does not compare and traversed the same stretches of caliche and sandstone (cobbles up to 1.5") many times with no flats. With no flatting issues on some ugly road stretches, i will stick with 5000's and have a great tire for the road and the caliche cobbles.
After trying many other tires I finally discovered the best of 'em all. This is a durable, long lasting tire. I get thousands of miles out of these tires and very few flats. It fits the rims nicely, so it is less effort when taking them off and putting them back on. Great cornering and tracking, even on wet pavement. I ride 25's and the drag is not noticeable if there is one. My air pressure is 100 psi. My opinion is this is the best tire out there.
Used this in the rear (700x32) to complete the C&O Canal and the Great Allegheny Passage trails. Rock solid performance with no flats or issues. 334 miles of gravel, mud and asphalt.
My history for rear flats is appalling. This is my latest attempt at mitigation..
It has turned out quite well. 2100 miles w no rear flats. This is very good for me and includes removing a staple from the rear tread after one ride wo a problem.
On the downside I blew out a front at 500 miles w a sidewall cut.
Now riding w Michelin Power Protection on the front (always been good on the front) and Conti 4-Season on the rear and having very good results. I do 100 mile rides (3 last week) so tire reliability is a big deal for me.
It's not scientific, but I haven't ever had better results.
I have been road biking for many years, completing many centuries. I get more miles out of this tire than any other I have tried. I have less flats, too. The grip is good on wet pavement and cornering is excellent. Great traction. I use the 25's.
I have put around 2,000 miles on these tires and have experienced zero flats. And the wet grip is good. I'm very pleased with these tires.
I have a set of these on my Lynskey Helix, on which I've been doing an 11-mile urban commute. I have a 28 on the back, 25 on the front. So far, these have been great. They're showing minimal wear, I've had zero flats, they seem to hold pressure pretty well. They feel fine to ride on - it's true what they say about wider tires giving a smoother ride and not adding to the overall effort. They were easy to put on. Feels like I have good feel, good control, tight in the turns. Two thumbs up.
If you like to spend more time riding and less time repairing flats out on the road this tire is for you. What you give up in rolling resistance (this tire is slower than the 5000) and grip, you gain in puncture protection. Been using GP 4 Seasons for several years after being sick of flats on the 4000S series. Zero flats, zero. One downside is they are tough to mount, but I think most all conti's are.
