I wanted a tire for winter road conditions and I was willing to trade off some speed for toughness and durability. But not this much. These have to be the slowest tires I've ever used, and I've tried many. If you're a commuter and you go along at 8-10 miles an hour and care exclusively about grip and longevity these may work for you, but there are still better and less expensive choices out there.
Completely unsuitable for any type of fast riding or training, too expensive vs the competition for commuter tires. Just don't see any use for these.
I've ridden Conti Grand Prix 4000s for several years and have always been impressed by their durability, flat resistance, and very smooth ride. I was hoping the Grand Prix 4-Season would be sort of a combination Gatorskin and 4000, and might take some of the harshness out of my Gatorskinned commuter. Well, the durability of the 4-Season seems great so far... no complaints there at all! I can't honestly say that it's as smooth as the 4000s, but the ride is clearly smoother than the Gatorskins. To be fair, my commuter bike is kind of a harsh riding frame anyway, so your results may be better with a sweeter frame.
Overall, great tire. Very happy with it.
I'm a big heavy guy on a really stiff frame on lousy roads. I usually run Vittoria CX3's in 25C-fantastic tire!!! Soft, resilient, fast ride, etc., but tend to be flat-prone. Re 3 season granted the flat protection may be great (I haven't put serious miles on them yet), these things ride soooo rock-hard stiff!!! Especially in spring when the roads are particularly rough (yet full of crap built up over winter from snow), these things are just beyond brutal. I am assuming I wont flat...yet cant wait till roads are clean enough to switch back to CXIII's!!!!
Very durable all weather tires. Best tires I've owned, had Continental 4000, Gatorskins and many more.
I have never suffered a flat tire yet! I have been using these tires for many years now and they are by far the best training tire. They do seem to have more rolling resistance than other race tires. However, every time I ride over glass accidentally and don't suffer a flat, I remember why I use them.
Very durable all weather tires. Best tires I've owned, had Continental 4000, Gatorskins and many more.
Bullet proof tires...and the ride quality is better that the Gatorskins... Also, I went with the 700x28 and lowered the tire pressure 5 psi...great set up for long distance rides...and will definitely buy again
These are the only tires I roll with in the fall and winter, great traction on wet pavement!
At 250 pounds this is a fast tire that holds up well. I have had no real issues with these other than a sidewall blow out that might have been a foreign object.
Feels safer on these in winter roads with more debris. I really like having these heavy duty tires work for me!! Worth the extra cost for peace of mind.
I've been commuting on these for a couple of months now, about 150 milesweek, and have nothing but praise for these tires. Relatively light weight, rock solid performance, and a sense of security that I won't flat in the middle of the international district at 0-dark-thirty. They are fast enough to leave on for quick group rides on weekends too.
A good durable tire. I bought a second set because I liked the first set so much. I'm using the 700Cx28 size which seems on the small size for a 28, more like a 26 or 27, but that also works well for me.
I went to my local bike shop to buy your Gatorskins and they did not have my size so I upgraded to the Vectrans. I had logged 1400 miles on my standard tires with only two flats, but am preparing for a 350 mile bike so wanted flat protection. With the Vectrans I got a flat tire in my first 7 miles. I switched to the Gatorskins and will ride today.
Gotta have fresh Rubber. These Treads are smooth as silk.
Love the tire because it rolls fast but it is very puncture resistant. I pretty much run these year-round, rain or sunshine because I know I can count on them to be great.
Like the 28 more comfortable ride.
I use these 28c tires on my disc-brake cyclocross commuter bike for my 20 mile commute from the Bronx to Manhattan in NYC. I like to ride fast, and I hate the typical heavy, slow commuter tires. These tires feel more like my race tires, but repel the broken glass and soak up the bumps of the mean streets. I've been using these tires for about 2 months, and haven't had a flat yet. Definite recommendation!
Good durable tire, I had brand new Grand Prix racing tires and got two flats in 100 miles. I have 200 miles on these with no problems.
Have 2,400 miles on these tires over varied terrain all 4 seasons without a puncture. Plan on rotating and putting new tubes in just in case. Hard downhilling, light gravel, puncture vine country, rough chip seal and a few unintended off-road trips without any problems. How could you beat it?
I put these on my Trek 5200, and oldie but goodie, and they feel just great. Here in N. Georgia there's lots of hills that get you up to speed quickly, and these tires roll like a dream. Unfortunately, a good amount of sharp junk on the sides of the roads to ruin your day, but no flats yet. Wonderful grip on high speed turns gives confidence when hitting them hard. The price was great also. I'll be staying with these for awhile.
