I use these tires for commuting on my rain bike and for longer rides on my dry bikes
This is my go-to tire during the rainy season in Northern CA. Around here we have lots of hills with grades exceeding 10%, sometimes exceeding 15%. On wet climbs where a normal tire would slip when you're out of the saddle, these hold their grip. They perform comparably to GP4000's, with a barely noticeable compromise in weight and rolling resistance. My one compliant about Conti's is weak sidewalls, in the past year (4,100 miles of riding) I've had 2 sidewall blowouts with Conti tires, one with this model and one with a GP4000. However, that's offset by the fact that I've only had a single puncture during that time, vs. the 5 to 10 per year I would experience with Michelin Pro Race tires.
These tires are expensive, there's no two ways about it. On the other hand, I haven't encountered a tire with a better road feel on Portland's roads, which are, this time of year, usually coated by rain. Less harsh than Gatorskins, less wooden than the excellent Ribmos, and more robust than your usual nice slick.
I've also had no problems with excessive flatting (which I've heard other people complain about with these tires), and Portland's street-cleaning budget has been slashed for the past year.
Good value? Depends on what you want from a tire, but I'm happy with the purchase.
(For reference, I do a regular 10-12 mile a day commute, and some recreational riding on the weekends-these tires get a decent amount of use.)
I have ridden this tire for at least two years and have had one flat. Wears and rides well. Would recomend this tire without reservation.
best tires by far. ride 'em all year 'round. all conditions, gravel, dirt, city streets, snow. wear long, ride well. corner well. rarely flat.
I really enjoy this tire in a 28. It improves my overall ride quality since most of my rides are long endurance type. Provides confidence in the long fast descents also.
After 800 flat-less miles in Seattle winter road conditions these tires show very little wear. My front tire still has some of the center-line mold material visible. They're a good weight for off-season race training and have very good grip in wet conditions.
This is the best tire for training. It is safe long lasting, confortable
I put these tires on as the weather turns cold. They provide better grip in the wet conditions, and also with all of the sand and salt on the roads. Not the cheapest tire, but worth the money.
This tire really smooths out all kinds of road surfaces and makes for long pleasant rides. With Continentals puncture resistence I never worry about flats out in the middle of no-where.
The only possible negative is they tend to ware a little more rapidly than some other tires.
Switched from the Gatorskins to 4 Seasons in spring. Made our tandem handle better and perform great
Ride quality was also improved
Been using these tires year round for several years. A great compromise between the GP 4000 and Gatorskins, you get the suppleness and feel of the 4000s with the puncture resistance of Gatorskins. Well worth the extra money.
I've only been running this tire for 400 miles, but they're great so far - no flats after rolling over plenty of glass. They're a bit heavy but worth it for the flat protection. They also have pretty good traction on wet roads. Great tire for Oregon winters!
I have ridden the roads on Continental tires for many years, and I feel that they make a great product. In my experience, their tires seem to wear quite well and resist flats, letting me spend more time riding and less time swapping tires & patching tubes. I recently bought a heavier hybridcommuter road bike that can use wider tires, but was unhappy with the tires that came with the bike. (The tread wore out very quickly, and anything sharper than a marshmallow seemed to poke right through them!) So I decided to try a pair of Grand Prix 4-Seasons, and have been happy with the perormance so far. And while I do appreciate the quality product, I just wish they were priced a little more reasonably. If I were ever to put on a new one of these tires, and then cut it shortly thereafter by hitting a road hazard, I might actually shed tears of financial anguish....
These Continental GP Four Season tires are the best I have ever had the experience with. I will purchase none other as long as these are available. They are exellent for repelling flats. They have a very tough liner that prevents piercings from thorns, nails etc. I have pulled several out of the tires with no leakeage. They hold very well in the corners and provide a very quiet smooth ride.
Just rode over 1100 miles from Santa Fe New Mexico to New Franklin Missouri on our tandem this September and while lots of the other riders had problems with flats on there single bikes these tires were able to weather everything that the trip threw our way. For tandem use I wouldn't recommend going smaller than a 700x28.
Tires grip the road and are a smooth ride. I've had them on now for a few hundred miles and no problems.
Had Kenda Kriterium tires and was constantly getting flats.
I ride all year in all conditions, rain, cold, dark, bad road conditions and these tires perform wonderfully in all conditions.
use with good quality inner tubes
Used these tires for training rides. Picked glass out of them without getting flats on numerous occasions and skuffed the sidewalls pretty hard on a concrete curb and still no flats. Changed out after 2000 miles to try the 4000s tires. Still had plenty of tread left. No flats during this time.
