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.
These tires were recommended to me by multiple people and I must say, I guess the Chili compound is the difference. They are super light, super fast and super durable. They've been great for the first 1000 miles, no flats and less ware than I anticipated.
Reasonably priced, great tire.
I'm a long-time user of Gatorskins and a friend suggested I try these instead. I have to say I was really surprised just how much better one tire could seem compared to a very similar one. Much more comfortable ride, and rolls noticeably better due to less chatter on the road. I've had one slow-leak flat in 1000 miles from a sharp piece of wire, but that would have gotten any tire. I've also read others complaining of sidewall failures, but I suspect they're maxing out the pressure (or more) ignorantly assuming that will make them faster. I'm 185 lbs. and ride these at 90psi front and 110psi rear and I can't imagine making them harder and harsher could provide any benefit - more likely the opposite.
I commute daily through NYC so I am a little tough on my tires but a good amount of riding is loops around central park. After about 2500 miles (220lbs so I may wear quicker than others) I can see the tire has reached the end of its life coupled with 3 flats in two weeks. The dry grip is decent. Wet grip is average. May come back to if on sale but not thinking they are worth the full price
After 1500 miles on the black and also on the version with a reflective strip, I am very happy with these tires. The current research supports the use of a 25mm tire with a slightly wider rim for better traction, slightly lower resistance, and better comfort.
These tires are sticky. So much so that if you are closely drafting another rider, his/her rear tire will pick up some road debris and throw your way.
The reflective strip tends to start getting unglued at the last 1/4 inch overlap, that the only issue I've experienced.
I have been using the Conti GP 4000 for 3 years. I average 3000 miles a year and change it twice a year, just as a precaution. I go out without worrying about punctures. I highly recommend these tires
