I've been riding the 28mm version of these tires in the beating down rain, crud, gravel, branches, rocks and muck on the side of the road in Pacific NW springtime. No flats, traction is very reassuring and the tires feel great. I ride them at low pressures (65-70 PSI) on wide-ish rims. Did I mention the ride feel is great? Comfortable, not harsh. I've ridden other 28mm tires at the same pressure and those others are not as comfortable. Can't speak to long-term durability but so far they are holding up great with a few hundred miles on them.
Note these are muck and grunge training or commuting tires, not racing tires. That's what I rated them as. If you want lightweight racing tires with low rolling resistance, these ain't those. But as winterspring training tires, these are the best tires I've run in years. Very satisfied.
I picked up a pair of these while on sale at a great price. I use them for general road riding/training and for a few gravel-grinder organized rides (Hell of Hunterdon, Fool's Classic). After using several brands/models of tires, these have held up the best for the gravel roads. MUCH better than GatorSkins which I have had terrible luck with tearing the sidewalls on several. This is a much better tire IMO and a better price. Supple enough to use as a daily road tire as well.
I'm 140lb and the 25mm work well for me - I don't like the ride/feel of wider tires. Zero punctures, flats, or tears after many miles of rough gravel.
I'm 76, ride for distance, solo, 5000 miles per yr, lots of centuries.
I used many, many different tires and have come to rely on the 4-Season as my go to REAR tire.
I know this can be very subjective, but in my experience is this is the most reliable rear tire to get me home w/o flatting. Or worse, cutting/blowout. There are a lot of bad roads and debris out there.
You will notice I specify rear. I have found different behavior/types of flats between front and rear, and use different tires on the front..
I run 28s on both my winter training gravel bike (CX) as well as a tandem. I've ridden on all kinds of gravel roads and even on a few MTB trails with them. On the tandem we've recorded descending speeds of over 60mph and find them totally trustworthy. Logically, they are slightly heavy, but otherwise great handling, super durable, and hard wearing. My go-to tire.
Have always had good luck with Continental tires, and I especially like the GP 4-Seasons for my winter bike due to its nice ride quality, excellent grip on wet pavement, and decent flat resistance. The tread compound does seem fairly soft, which is undoubtedly why they grip so well, so they may not last as long as tires with a harder compound - but for me that's a worthwhile trade-off. I'm happy to get 1,500 - 2,000 miles on a set of tires and the GP 4-Seasons will do that easily.
I've been running Continental tires back to the Grand Prix 4000 days and always had good luck with them. Fast, grippy and very few punctures. I tried a set of 4-Seasons for winter riding and had several flats over the first month of using them. I switched back to the GP 5000s and am no longer having flat issues. Maybe I have bad luck or I ended up with a bad batch, but these tires just didn't work for me. It's my fault for straying from the GP 5000, which I think is the best tire out there. YMMV of course.
I've been using Gator Skins for years. The name changes a bit sometimes, but these are basically Gator Skins with a little more flatting protection. That's why I use them! No one wants to get a flat, even if you're a Pro. I usually go for about 3000 miles before changing them and sometimes without getting even one flat! I just check to see if they look like they could use changing or 3000 miles, whichever comes first. They're not the lightest tires on the market but I'm not racing with them either. So all good!
A friend recommended these as a livelier alternative to Gatorskins, saying they were fairly puncture-resistant but less clunky-feeling. He was right!
I have been riding Grand Prix 4-Season Tires for several years now and have had zero flats. They also handle well and get great mileage. At the start of every outdoor season I move the rear tire to the front then replace the rear with a new tire. These are well worth the money in my opinion.
I have tried a variety of tires over the years - Michelin, Vredestein, Vittoria, and several other Conti tires too, but these Grand Prix 4 Season strike the perfect balance between grippiness and durability. I do about 3 rides a week, 20-40 miles., usually in mild dry weather, but often on wet roads. There is often debris ranging from rocks to glass, and these tires are the most resistant to flats of any tire I have ever ridden.
As for mileage, I have squeezed over 3000 miles from them, but that wasn't a good idea. After 2000 -2500 they do start to feel less grippy to the point that even with some decent tread left, it makes more sense to change them. Not unsafe, just less grippy than you'd want.
They are expensive, but if you buy on sale and hold them until you need them, they are not unreasonable.
Tires ride comfortably, provide confidence when cornering and I've had zero flats in 6000 miles. The best combination for training tires.
Have been riding, training and racing on tubular road tires for the past few decades. 1st set of road clinchers since the early 80's. Picked up a set of 25mm for the FGSS bike. Running relatively low psi (85-90psi for my 58kg mass) for the last 2000km over gravel to smooth roads. Tires after 4000km are fine. A bit square and tread worn. Not the high level of performance (cornering, rolling resistance, supple ride, mass) of a high quality tubular. But for my specific use the tire is more than adequate. Liked them enough to purchase a set of 28mm. Sort of enjoy gravel grinding&128539,.
Recommend these tires if in need of a durable, decent performing, easy to mount training or general use tire. Bit pricey off the shelf. A good value considering wear after the number and type of km. put on these tires.
Bought these in 2021. Only put about 2500 miles on this bike. My rear tire is split down the middle for about 10 inches. Guy at the bike shop said he never saw anything like this. The front tire is fine. Wasted a lot of money now time because now I have to buy another tire.
I bought the GP 4-Seasons (28mm) to use on my '92 De Rosa for general riding, which includes solo training rides, club rides and medium touring (rear rack & panniers). I've put 1,000 miles on them since June, with zero flats. Hit a few rain pockets and traction was excellent. Loved them so much, I bought the same set for my Moots, which I just built-up at the end of July. I have 600 miles, with same type of riding (training & touring), and they've been nothing short of perfect.
Like many other reviewers I am a big fan of these tires. The only improvement I'd like Conti to make is to go one size wider. If I could I'd ride a 28 on the front and one size wider in the rear during the winter months when I'm commuting in the dark.
The Grand Prix 4-Season tire was recommended to me by another triathlete competitor, so I thought I would give them a try. I had previously used the Continental Gator Hard Shell which is great for being puncture-proof, but a little heavy. Now, I absolutely love the 4-Season tires! I ride about 150 miles a week through town and on the bike trails. Some roads can be a little rough, but I have yet to get a flat. They seem lighter and faster too. I have raced 2 Half-Ironman competitions with these tires and am very happy! I would highly recommend these Grand Prix 4-Season tires for both training and racing.
I have used this tire on my rear wheel for maybe about 3000 miles, and it still has some life left in the treads. I haven't seen a flat on this bike for over 6 months over 3000 miles, and I often ride on sketchy roads with lots of debris, cracks, and potholes. It's also pretty light and handles well as far as I can tell. I would keep on buying this tire. That said, the weak point of this tire is the sidewall. The sidewall still is strong, but not as strong as the tread. I used to have this tire on the front wheel as well, but retired it after a sidewall slit from hitting a rock; the rest of the tire is so strong that I didn't get a flat (though the tube bulged out) and safely made it home after 50 miles. Recently, I retired the rear one after 3000 miles again because of a sidewall puncture; I FINALLY got a flat after hitting a super gnarly pothole with sharp edges. The tread held up, and upon inspection, I can see many scratches and dents that would have resulted into flats in other tires. The sidewall was damaged, and a slit formed near the beads probably after I rode on the flat tire for 3 miles on sketchy road to the train station. In the end I'm not sure whether it was caused by the pothole or riding on the flat tire.
Going on 10 years without a flat
I'm 68, I ride daily 10-20 miles per day 365 days per year; performance road bike cyclist, city and foothills tours; occasional mountain tours and mtn. pass ascents. These are my fav. tires currently. Great value when they are available on discount. SPINTHOSECRANKS!
I got them at a huge discount, for rides in snowy roads on Mt Wilson and Mt Baldy (snow is mostly by the side of the road and it's easy to dodge the bits of snow on the road) and in the rain. These tires served me well in those weather conditions, though I'm not sure how much better than regular road slicks. I haven't got a flat yet, but I haven't used them for long enough to see how flat resistant they really are. I hope that they live up to their incredibly flat resistant reputation.
