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 have changed both my wheels for these Continental Grand Prix and I'm very confident riding on them!
Secure feel on fast corners at lower pressure. Comfortable, quiet. Durability (so far) seems great.
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!
Always used the Continental GP tires. Easy to install and remove from rims. Long lasting and grip well in wet and dry.
Like the high tpi. Seems to be faster than the Vittoria it replaced. Smooth ride as well.
Continental tires get me to where I want to go!!!
Rolls fast. The brown sidewalls are a perfect compliment to the look of my road bike.
The best if you still use tubes. Last forever, very few flats, and fast.
Always used the Continental GP tires. Easy to install and remove from rims. Long lasting and grip well in wet and dry.
I trust GP5000's to keep me on the road and riding fast.
These tires are highly reviewed for a reason. They roll fast and give better than average puncture protection. You can't go wrong with them.
Love these, now have them on 3 bikes in the house. I've noticed easy mounting, great grip, and long lasting tread. Will continue to purchase these if I need tires in the future, they are a nice upgrade from the 4000 version
The go to! Still the one to beat.
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.
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!
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 run the Conti tan side walls on my BMC SLR-01 and could not be happier. I run them with tubes at 78 psi F/ and 80 psi rear. The tires are absolutely the best I have ridden: I have ridden Vredesteins, Vittoria, Michelin Power Cup, Schwalbe, but these are by far the best. The grip, the excellent average speeds I have been posting, the durability, and the lack of punctures over the same courses have been exceptional.
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.
