
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!
The Grand Prix 5000 tube-type tire in size 700x30 on a 19mm internal rim measure 30mm width and 27mm height, The 700x28 measures 27.7mm width and about 25mm high on similar rims, so the 30mm tire is true. The tires were within 10 to 15 grams of claimed weight. They mounted easily to tubeless ready rims with Pirelli Smart (thermoplasitc) tubes. Changed to these from Veloflex, which are equally nice hand-made tires because I wanted a larger tire without going up to 32mm, which just seem to be overkill for a pavement-only racing tire. 30mm is appreciated on the rougher sections but for most roads with alligator cracks or better pavement, 28mm still seems more appropriate for me (168 pounds). The 30mm provides a very plush ride at the expense of weight and aerodynamics (if you care).
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.
For years I ran the Conti Gatorskin tires as I was convinced that I needed the extra puncture protection. After hearing so many good things about the Conti GP 5000s I decided to try them a few seasons ago. The GP 5000s are now my go to tire.
I run the GP 5000s with either latex or TPU tubes and I inflate according to the SILCA tire pressure calculator. The roads that I ride on are typically either smooth bike paths or pavement/asphault roads and highways that I would consider to be average to good condition (live in Nebraska, so we get our share of pavement break-up).
Over the 3-4 seasons that I have run the GP5000s I have not experienced any more punctures with these tires that I had with any other tire...they are extremely durable and reliable. With the miles that I ride, I will generally get 1 full season out of the tires, sometimes I can extend the front tire farther as it gets less wear. Besides the same durability as other tires, these tires are incredibly smooth and roll extremely well. I don't see any reason to consider changing to any other tires.
Put these on my tt bike for my last 70.3 because I knew I needed flat protection and speed and I got both!
Placed these on a Giant Revolt Advanced 2 gravel bike to ride long distance on pavement on alloy factory wheels. Replacing tubeless 40mm gravel tires to a road tire 700c 32 black sidewalls. Got them for long charity ride Bike around the Bay 177 mi weekend ride, Florida rail trail vacations. Daily training rides consist of 20-30 mi rides. Wide enough to soak up sidewalk cracks, and anything else flat I want to ride across in comfort. Paired with Conti race tubes. Total system weight rider and bike 250 lbs, pressures front 65 psi rear 68 psi. No flats during the training and charity ride avoiding broken glass on my rides as I see it in the path as well as I can. I ride mostly concrete bike paths, and asphalt. Do not take these on a small gravel walking paths or off the road they will tear up the side walls. Rubber is slightly tacky I only use in dry conditions good traction. There are two tread wear dimples near the logo find their location so you know where to look for them when your tire wears out for replacement, if similar wear to tubeless S TR I'd expect about 3400 mi. before replacement in my environment hot n humid. Been using Conti products for 25 years haven't diverted to other tire makers because they have not given me a reason to. Pricey, catch them on sale, use your points.
My wife and I got new road bikes in 2019, this tire is what our bike builder installed on our custom rims. For the last 6 years we've been using the GP 5000, with no complaints. We did change from 28mm to 32mm for a smoother ride...did not notice any loss of speed or drag.
The Continental Grand Prix 5000 tires provide a smooth and comfortable ride due to their low rolling resistance and aerodynamic design. After riding 2,000 miles without a puncture, I was very impressed by their puncture resistance. These tires will be my first choice for road tires in the future.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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!
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.
There are faster tires out there but this one has better grip and comfort. I cannot atest to the puncture protection apart from the fact that i have not punctured (no jynx) in the last 3 years. i average 6k miles a year and i wear down 2 rear and 1 front tires.