I ride gravel trails with the grand kids and occasionally commute on debris laden deteriorating city streets with inattentive drivers. Good side wall protection is a must and thus have avoided many opportunities for punctures. Adjust the air pressure to the terrain 40 - 55 lbs. and ride with confidence. I have not made a direct comparison with comparable Compass tires but I think they are close in speed and comfort - on sale well worth the price. Had been using 32 mm Gatorskins and these are better for all weather traction, comfort and speed. The black edition actually improves the appearance of my beater VO campeur. To sum up, A tire that does its job very well.
I have been using Continentals for a long time without any serious issues. The quality control seems to have improved. They go on easier and seem to seat better. It's too early to tell about the durability, but so far it is starting to look better as well.
After years of trying brand after brand of racing and enthusiasts all around road tires, I was fortunate to come across the GP 4-season "black edition" and its now been my only choice for replacement. Long miles and great on protection from road debris. Stop with the frequent flat repairs that hold you back, and ride for hours without the worry of having to call for SAG.
I log 6000 miles per year on several bikes and only use Continental tires. The GP 4 season is one of my favorites. My county does a poor job of accommodating cyclists so that riding is on county roads and shoulders that are filled with debris. The GP 4 does an excellent job of soaking up the rough pavements with minimal punctures.
These don't feel faster than GP5000's; however it last 3x as long. Solid tires for all seasons if you're in the North Coast. I never got any flats to the roads we have here in NYC. I'm happy with Continentals and will be using them forever.
Portland has some rough paved streets throughout town but these tires (the old set of the same tires) held the test of time and handing highly variable pavement conditions for more miles than I anticipated them lasting with only one flat that could not be blamed on the tire's performance. Additionally when taking them for a whirl around the area, they held tight to the road in high speed curves and cornering.
It's a great tire in the wet and dry. I feel more confident riding with these on. It's a bit pricey and the treads seem to easily pick up little bits so you may want to double check often that nothing sharp is caught in there.
No flats in 500 miles! I bought the 32mm width to fit under the fenders on my Rivendell Leo Roadini. I put them on in November and have been averaging 18 miles/day.
My impression is that they are smooth riding and have low rolling resistance. Traction is good on wet or dry. (No snow here.) Quite a good bargain at the price I paid. I am very satisfied.
Although this tire was somewhat difficult to change, the traction, wear-ability and puncture resistance make the effort worth while. The side walls are very sturdy. Wearing the tires out without a puncture was a big plus. Now on set #2 after a several thousand miles on set 1.
I have been riding these in all weather for years in Seattle. I have had only a couple of flats, one of them a pinch flat that was my fault. Good grip in all conditions, great wear, and great puncture resistance. I highly recommend!
I was able to mount these 700x28 tires on my deep carbon rims, which I was unable to accomplish with other tires. They have low rolling resistance and excellent traction on all surfaces. So far, no punctures over a variety of road surfaces and conditions. I have confidence in these tires.
What can you say, they're Conti 4 Seasons. Ran the 28mm version of these tires for 1000s of miles without a flat (and ride though plenty of glass, wires and nasty bits).
They seem to provide similar protection to the Gatorskins but way more supple/lower weight.
Outstanding tires gone threw three sets this year getting about 3500 miles out of them have ridden almost 12000 miles this year and have only gotten 5 flat tires that sounds like a lot but the trails were I live are close to the roads and I roll across a lot of broken glass so to only get 5 flats is really amazing the tires also roll really nice
Love these tires. My go to as I feel safe in any riding condition. They grip the road well and stick well when cornering. I usually wait until they go on sale but well worth the price if you have to buy at regular selling price. I used to ride Gator Skins (which are great all purpose tires) but now I only ride the 4-seasons.
I couldn't decide between these or Gatorskins, but I like the all-black look. I had to replace one destroyed by a piece of metal that would have taken out any tire short of a Schwalbe Marathon. The Marathons are like truck tires, so the Conti's are a much better compromise between toughness and performance.
