Found these tires solid in performance and durability, just one downer, they are wearing quickly. At this point I estimate just over half the life of the gator skins they replaced. As long as they are available at a reduced price I will definitely buy.
I bought a set of these for my road bike about six weeks ago. Size 28mm with translucent side walls. A couple weeks ago the rear tire developed a slit in the sidewall. This allowed the tube to protrude through causing a sudden blowout. I could not find anything in the tire that could've caused this. Nor was I aware of hitting or running over anything that could have damaged the sidewall. Therefore, I suspect it was a defective tire. I sent a message to continental tire online a couple weeks ago, but have not heard back from them.
Running TPU tubes for a light and supple no hassle ride, did I mention I never get flats? !!
Bought a set of Conti GP5000 clincher tires, transparent sidewall, about 5 weeks ago. A couple days ago I had a blowout on the rear tire. Upon inspection I found a crack in the tire sidewall that allowed to tube to blow out and go flat instantly. There is no explanation for the tire damage other than a defective or weak sidewall. The tire only had a few hundred miles on it, and is 99% ridden on paved roads. I have contacted Continental to see if they will provide a replacement tire under warranty.
After trying Michilan's, Vittorio's, Specialized and various Conti road tires, I finally settled on the 4000S (23, 25) years ago as my go-to tire. When Conti came out with the 5000 chili's I tried them (25) and liked them! I typically ride between 3500-8000+ miles per year and that includes commute, pleasure, group, training, touring, and in the past some light racing. I also delivered Jimmy John's in downtown Indianapolis from 2012-2018 part-time on these tires (28 on my SS) as part of my quest to improve my sprinting. I mean, why not get paid to ride your bike, huh?? What I've found across the board is that these tires perform overall superior to any other brand racing/performance/endurance road tire I've ever used in the past. I've found the GP4000 and 5000 to be the perfect combination so far of durable, comfortable and performance qualities. Excellent sticky grip in cornering, reliable handling on dry, wet and even somewhat on snow, equally excellent on dirty city roads as on pristine clean roads, more comfortable on chip&seal and rattlebone roads. I usually get 3000+ miles out of a set, more if I rotate tires every few of months and actively avoid glass if possible, and bad sections of road. Nowadays most of my riding is training for my annual, multiday touring of back to back century days in the saddle, which can always include unplanned surprises in road surfaces, reroutes and detours. (I plan the routes based on where I'd like to ride and Google maps/Map-My-Ride. I do not use a touring service. I like the adventure! And I prefer a carbon road bike (coz, you know, we like to get there without taking the whole day, lol!) a lightweight backpack and a credit card for these tours - 8 under my belt now!) I always put on a new set of tires the day before Bikecation and roll without worry over what unexpected surprises the road throws at us! I find these tires to do very well, rarely flatting until pretty well worn, and getting noticeably table-topped. Only once ever have I had a sidewall blowout, and that was on an aged tire and my own, awkward-moment fault. Again, rotating the tires periodically helps them last longer than if you don't. These tires have proven to be worth the money to me, especially when i can find a great deal on pricing. But I have paid - and will pay - the $70+ normal RV if I need the tires and can't find a deal at the time, with zero regrets. Although now I stock up ahead of time when I find them on sale. And that's my review! Good riding and happy trails to you!
Comparatively, to other tires, the Conti for the price is a steal when on sale. Now to the 28mm tire I upped to from a 25mm. Not only is it a bit more plush, I lost no overall speed average. In fact, may have gained a bit but will need to at my speed metric from my last new install of the 25mm size. Is there a better race tire and all-around tire in existence? Maybe, but as long as my Conti's keep providing exceptional ride and performance, I will never know! Try a set today!
I am a Conti fan, having settled in on the Grand Prix 4 Season tire as my go for many years, after trying several different brands. I got a new road bike a year ago, and thought I wold give the 5000's a try when the OEM tires gave way. Those were Specialized Turbo Pro's, and based on my previous experience with Specs, I thought they would be shot after 500 miles. In fact, I got 3150 out of the rear, and 4000 on the front!
Once I was fully on the 5000's I noticed 2 things right away - they are indeed smooth, fast, and grippy, but the sizing is a little questionable. I moved from being a 700x23 @120psi diehard, to 25's, and with the new bike, 28's running 75 psi F, 85 psi R. (I am 6'2", 180 lbs). If you're an old diehard skinny tire rider, do yourself a favor and try something different - easily just as fast, and waaaay more comfortable. When I mounted the 5000's it was immediately clear that although labelled 28's they were no bigger than 25's. So if you're looking for bigger tires, I would suggest going all the way to 32's - that's what I plan to do if these last long enough to be worth repeating.
The rear tire has 900+ miles on it now, and is showing considerable wear. Lots of cuts and nicks, with one fairly small cut having nicked a cord of the casing. By contrast, the Spec's had many more and deeper cuts, without a single injury to the casing. In fact on removal I saw that the sidewall had been cut along the radial line about 1" all the way to the casing, yet the tire performed flawlessly!
A word about rubber- these 5000's new out of box had noticeably less rubber on the wear surface than my 4000 mile worn Spec did!
If I can get 2000 miles flat free, I will consider another pair. The Specs went their entire life flat free, which is amazing. Plus they were a dream to ride.
Some reviewers commented on sidewall weakness. So far, no problems. Also, others say tires difficult to mount, but mine went on pretty easily, FYI. Lastly, I believe these are an improvement over the 4000's, as my experience with those was that they flatted like crazy.
I use these tires on a vintage 80's high end road bike. At correct inflation they give a smooth, fast ride on my light weight, aluminum frame bike, and enhance its quickness and nimbleness around corners with their great grip on the road. I ride 50-100 miles a week in spring to fall; last version of these tires lasted me two seasons. There is nothing I do not like about these tires in my application; they are a perfect fit for my '84 Schwinn Mangusta 5000. Even the number matches and it feels like they were made with a bike like mine in mind.
I've been riding on Conti's for 2 decades and the newer 5000's for the 3rd year. Terrific tire all-round. They hold pressure, handle and roll rrally well - top shelf.
However, when new they can be a bear to mount!
A few pointers on this that will definitely help. If possible place them in direct warm sunlight for an hour or so to soften it /make a "bit" pliable. Rub the edge of the rim with lightly diluted dish soap. And [oddly] I've worn rubber dipped yard gloves while mounting the tire. Along with a solid mounting lever - all in all these work well and will illiminate the near impossibility if you don't!??
I recently had a rear tire pinch-flat with about 500 miles on the tire - the tube swap was a snap. No problems at all removing/remounting the tire.
Gr8 bike tire! Try 'em!
It's hard to criticise these tyres. They're agile and reliable. I'd put them on par with the Pirellis.
Bought the 30mm blackwall. Running with TPU tubes. Saved almost 1/2 pound from the Turbo TLR tires I had on my road bike. Lighter, cheaper, and greater tread thickness for the win.
Over the years I have found the Continental brand the best. I get the best handling and long term use from this brand. They also look good on tire rims. I have bought the 4000 tire over the past few years. Thought Id give the 5000 a try especially since they were on sale.
I have found them to be another excellent tire from a Continental. Dont think you would make a mistake when you give them a try. I have a house in Sarasota FL and another in New Jersey. These tires are excellent on the warm fast flats in Florida. Also on the hilly terrain of central Jersey.
Before taking the new road bike tire for a spin, I reviewed the technology first. The Grand Prix 5000 has a 12% lower rolling resistance, a 20% better puncture resistance and 10 grams less weight according to Continental. The tires puncture resistance was improved and I put that to the test. While out for a ride we encountered a large patch of glass. My buddies all got flats. I pulled some glass shards out of the tire. No damage and No Flats... The tire smoothly glides over asphalt and my bike has no problem accelerating.
I bought these at a good sale price a few months ago and put them on last week when my 4000's were getting flats to easily. This is usually a sign to me that they needed replacing-about 3000 miles worth of wear.
The new tires were a tight fit on my DT Swiss carbon rims but the new bike tire tool, a Crank Brothers Speedier lever, lived up to its name. It made mounting the tubes much easier than putting on the 4000's , which was what led me to buying the new Crank Bros. tool in the first place. The tires look good on the bike and ride well with better grip on the turns than the previous ones. The ride is comfortable, too. I'm not sure I can tell if they have less rolling resistance. Obviously, I can't comment on longevity or flat resistance yet but usually have good luck with Continental products.
Try these tires. I think they are a good example of continuing product improvement by Continental.
Absolutely the best brand and model Conti has for road bikes. I have run a variation of the GP for about two decades! They should tell you something. The bad reviews for flats and sidewall issues have me perplexed a bit. I am not saying there can't be a few bad ones that get by, but I really wonder if it is a road quality issue or improperly mounted by the rider. I ride some junk roads on daily routes too, and knock on wood, no issues like I had with Michelin tires I use to run. These 5000's are truly a race tire and very durable. I even have a daily section of over a football field length of gravel to reach the black top and no issues. Go get yourself a set and those who think the tire is bad that have used them.....check what your roads are like or get them mounted professionally then reassess. If you do in fact have rough roads you may need a gravel bike instead!
I am an avid cyclist of mostly group rides that range between 20 to 75 miles over flat to hilly terrain. Back roads with some countysecondary roads to help connect the dots. I was a long time user of the Continental brand between the GP4000s and the 4Season. I went between the two depending on the season, weather, and the amount of riding where durability was more sought than ride quality. I would trade between the two by switching out the tires. I ride a 500 mile7 day cycling fundraiser every July in the Northeast US so that alone causes some flux as to what tire to use. I recently went off course by trying out the Vittoria Corsa G which claimed to have vastly improved its durability by way of a new material called Graphine. The first two sets where super fast and buttery smooth. The third set which was used over the 500 mile ride rendered the ugly durability head by rendering three flats. I have since switched back to Continental as I was made aware of the 5000s. Of course they are on par with the Corsas in terms of speed and roll resistance but I've been told the 5000s were made with a 20% improvement on puncture resistance. I just took them out for 40 miler and have to say they are impressive from a ride quality and rollspeed standpoint. I did not flat during that ride but honestly its going to take a much larger sample size to determine just how much more durable they are than the 4000s, the Corsas, and whether they're close enough to the Conti 4Seasons which while very reliable deliver a slower ride with greater vibration. Ruins the experience a bit.
I'm very happy with the 5000s but jury remains out on the surviving the rural routes.
Ridden over 6,000 miles on all aspects of road surfaces and some unpaved with and without debris and not single flat. Stable at wide range of pressures from 60 to 90 psi. A little tough to mount the first time, better subsequent times (done for inspection after sharp debris and when converting ubes)
Excellent tires once you have them on! If it's cold while you're installing, a good tip is to either leave them in the sun for a bit to warm up and let the rubber expand, or run a hair dryer over them to warm them up! I was getting frustrated until I read the hairdryer tip, then it was so easy!
The first thing that I noticed was that the two little wear markers in the tread are about one half of the depth on the GP 5000 as compared to the GP 4000, so I'm not quite sure if that means that there is only one half of the tread or not. I cycle 12,000 mile per year for fitness, and don't race because I don't like broken bones and road rash, although I have weekly group rides with racers. I have never actually worn out a rear GP 4000 tire because they always gashed out first from striking rocks or debris. On the front I do wear out a GP 4000. I get about 2,000 miles per tire on the GP 5000.
Love these tires. Comparing really to the continental TT. These have amazing rolling resistance. Very similar to the TT but the 5000s feel stronger and stickier.
