I've used the 4000 S II's since February '14, when I upgraded to new wheels (Fulcrum Racing 3's). Use has been road riding on variedhilly terrain, on less-than-perfect roads (lots of potholes, gravel, tar & chip, etc.), and crits & road races. With almost 5000 miles on them, they remain my tire of choice.
As a former expertpro motorcycle road-racer, I have very high expectations of tires. Grip (dry and wet) and predictable handling are what matters most, with reliability & puncture-resistance also important, light weight a consideration for racing, and tread life a nice benefit.
Tires are always a compromise. If you want ultimate grip on a dry road, forget about tread life and wet grip. If you want ultimate grip in the wet, forget about dry grip. If you want lightest weight, forget about durability & puncture-resistance. If you want best durability, forget about grip and weight...
For fast road riding and racing, the 4000 S II is the best mix of these traits that I've yet experienced in a bicycle tire. The grip, both dry and wet, is superb, and even when that level of grip is exceeded, they're smooth & predictable like a good racing tire must be. They're not the lightest racing tire, but close enough that it's not an issue for me. When I compare this tire to the lighter racing tires, this one delivers better all-around grip, better handling, and better durability, so the few grams I could shed with the others are simply not worth the trade-off.
The few negative reviews seem to me just users who had unrealistic expectations andor trouble that wasn't the fault of the tires. I had one flat all year. Other than maybe Gatorskins, I couldn't have done any better. These tires take a beating. Considering how much grip they offer, and the light weight, the durability is amazing.
They seem expensive considering they're just a bicycle tire, but the product quality is what I expect from a leading German company, and I figure I'm also paying for some R&D expense. I'm happy to pay it for tires this good.
I have been a GP4000 S customer for some time and I needed some new tires this summer and I liked the look of the new S II tires.
Currently I have 1640 miles on this set and there have been no issues in performance or ride comfort. actually the front tire still has some of the mold flash showing.
I have ridden on hard pack Dirt roads and some of the roughest country roads Virginia has to offer and had no problems.
I have ridden down some steep mountain roads at almost 50 MPH and had no vibration or instability. I may crash and burn tomorrow or have a flat tomorrow' but these tires are very satisfactory for all types of road riding!!
Durable and lightweight with phenominally low rolling resistance. Lacks a certain amount of road feel, though as Black Chilli evolves, that is improving. Go to for training and can be raced, though there are better racing tires.
I rode these 450 miles accross the Pyrenees in 6 days. No flats, great traction, always felt confident even on the fast descents.
I primarily used these on my race wheels. They feel fast and ride really smooth. The best part about these tires is that I think they are a perfect compromise between low rolling resistance and durability. There are tires that feel faster, but wear out quicker. I can usually get a whole season of racing and weekend riding out of these before the wear indicator gets too low. The only thing to note with these is that they run a tad big - I ride 23mm which is almost the size of some other companies' 25mm tires. They're more bulbous rather than wide. The only reason I found out is because I had 25mm of another brand on an aero bike with race fenders installed for the winter. When I switched to the Conti's, in 23mm, the fenders no longer fit!
I ride about 7000 miles a year and only want to use this tire after many others. It has great puncture resistance, rolls fast and can get lots of miles on them. I think that I am getting around 5,000 on the front and 4,000 on the rear conservatively. I urge all people that I ride with to get this one, it is worth the money.
Great tire, great rolling resistance and traction. Wears great and has amazing puncture proof technology. Highly recommended.
Great ride quality, very light but very, very weak (tissue paper like) sidewalls. Sidewalls such as this crush easily and lend themselves to pinch flats even under mild surfaces. Just two weeks after installing them this tire left me stranded 3 miles from work today. Not what I expect for such an expensive tire that claims to have flat protection tech. I've been commuting to work with Conti- Gatorskins wire beads for years and got only one flat in that time. I will attempt to return them to my LBS tomorrow. Hopefully the owner will swap them for some Gatorskins. Sorry Continental.
Did some research and bought these tires in the 2013-2014 winter off-season. Have used them for 1,900 road miles in 2014 (Connecticut) and no problems at all. I am not the lightest cyclist (200 pounds) but pump them up before every ride to 120 psi both front and back and have not had one issue all year, knock on wood. They seem extremely puncture resistant.
Good for all around riding good handling tire last a long time
I put 3092 miles between December 2013 and Aug 2014 on my first set of Conti GP4000s with only 1 puncture. I replaced that set with a second pair of Conti GP4000's and am confident I will get the same results.
These are my most recent tire experiments. I bought them in 700x25 sizing. Mounted on my 23mm rim, they measure about 28mm wide. Previous tires this year include Vittoria Rubino Pro III Slicks, Michelin Pro4 Service Course, Veloflex Open Corsa, and Vredestein Fortezza Senso All Weather.
Things I like
- They're durable and can take a beating but feel every bit as fast as slick tires
- Reflex material is a nice bonus on black tires - shine a line on them and they're very visible in the dark
- Comes in colors
- Comes in even wider 700x28 size (I don't know how wide these measure)
I don't hear much road noise when riding on these, and there's no buzz even when riding at higher pressures. I can see why people say this is probably the best tire you can get without putting in too much thought or fuss.
My only experience was with the previous GP4000S, and I was unfortunate enough to have suffered the poor sidewall problem. I've had the GP4000 SII for about 1,000 miles now in the last 3 months and they've done a superb job for all-around riding in California dry and wet conditions.
A testament to these tires taking a beating - I rode on a fully-deflated tire for 26-miles, stuffed only with leaves to get me to the finish line (stuck in the middle of nowhere at 8PM, no cellphone service, with no tubes left). The tire was worse for wear and had a lot of bruising, but there weren't any cuts or fraying, and my rear wheel was still fine despite that abuse.
I'm plenty happy with the 700x25 tire but would like to see just how the 700x28 tires fare.
I like riding on this tire, but after about 1200 miles of paved paths and public roads my LBS pointed out it's no longer safe to ride. The front tire casing weakened and is bulging all along the sides. My mechanic wouldn't put more than 60 PSI when he installed upgraded rims today. I now have to put something else on for a century this weekend.
Last year during in late June, I went from Gatorskins to 4000's (both wereare 23mm) and picked up at least a mile per hour in my average speed. After riding about a tenth of a mile I realized the ride felt better (I hadn't even been thinking about it and it just occurred to me).
I don't get the distance on them that others say they get, I usually get about 3,000M. Yesterday, I had a sidewall issue...I got a blowout. It was the first time I had any sidewall issue as others have described and I have gone through about 3 or 4.
Overall, I have been very pleased with these tires.
Using a 25c in back and a 23c up front. Love the ride of the 25c. Overall performance is great. No complaints.
These tires have been on my bike for 2000 miles and are still going. I have had one flat and they roll super fast, best tires I have owned.
Handles cornering better than the other puncture resistant tires I had been using x4 years. Good value, although it seems to me that all tires are a bit overpriced. Better appearance than the last set of tires I used, with rust colored sidewalls.
I haven't had near the success with these tires that others have. I bought 700x25c's and have experienced a much higher than typical number of flats. The tires seem prone to cuts. My rear tire is shot with less than 1000 miles.
I've ridden road bikes for years - all over the USA and Canada. I've been through all the tires. This one suits me best. Best feel. Best all around wear history. Easy of removal and replacement. I like the high TPI count and I think it makes a difference. Great all purpose tire - touring, city, hard pack.
It would of been nice to known that new inter tubes were recommend by the tire maker.
