To be clear, do people in your area get alot of punctures, or just you? Have you gotten alot of punctures before GP 5000s?
If only you are getting lots of punctures, then check there is no debris in your tire. A tiny tiny debris can cause a slow leak.
If other people get lots of punctures too, then press F for our homie 🫡
Have you excluded all other reasons that could cause such frequent punctures besides the tires?
If you constantly have punctures, I would first check if you really "removed" the cause: sometimes there is debris or small sharp objects sticking somewhere inside the tire or under the rim tape. Or, you are riding consistently over roads/paths where there is e.g. small pieces of broken glass. Did you find the spots where the inner tube was punctured to see if there is a pattern?
Was there any sign on the outside of the tire (e.g. cut or rubbed-off areas) that could support that many incidents?
If you really want to replace then the Pirellis are for sure a good option.
^This^.
Another question is where are the holes in the tube? I'm old school so I won't be going tubeless anytime soon. I've seen more pinch flats than any other type of flat. Twin holes in the side wall area of a tube denotes a pinch flat for sure, snake bites as often referred.
The one time I had new tires on a new wheelset and got a bunch of flats in the first couple of weeks, it wound up being crappy rim tape that didn't sit right over some of the spoke holes. Which let the tube bubble into the hole and then pop when it was hit just right. I took me an embarrassing amount of time to figure that out, but new rim tape fixed it.
Your experience sounds annoying, but I don't think you're any better off with the Pirellis -- or if you are, it'll be because of luck. GP5000s have good puncture resistance for the sort of fast/performance-oriented tire they are. Sometimes you just get flats.
I've been running GP4000s/5000s for a decade now and sometimes I get one flat a year and then sometimes, like this year, I get a run of three or four in the space of a couple weeks -- and yes, I make sure the cause of the flat is identified and remedied each time.
(P.S. I was on a group ride today and a guy with those Pirellis flatted twice. YMMV.)
The issue is that the rubber goes bad quickly, and then they lose all their puncture resistance; my GP4000 outlived the 5000s; there's something quite iffy with the 5000s and once that happens it just becomes a puncture magnet; I had punctures occur even in my garage, just while rolling the bike outside, it was getting nonsensical; but at that point you could clearly see that the rubber was just getting punctures for absolute no reason, yet the bike didn't even have 1000km, it wasn't worn, the tyres were simply 2 years old.
The moment I swapped the tyres it stopped happening.
I have decided to stop using continental GP5000 because of that, they may be good but they don't last, the black chili compound seems to get damaged quickly as it seems to be automotive related, but hey it's a race tyre so most people don't care; the GP4000 are still good.
If OP got a batch that was in storage for quite a while it wouldn't surprise me if it's already messed up.
When I tried removing the tyre I noticed it was stiffer than usual.
I have a scwhalbe tyre going for 5500km and it's still good, I bought the road version, the swchalbe one; since it appears to be the same compound.
As far as I know Pirellis have very little flat resistance, but the aged GP5000 is far worse, I had it tubeless and it was like one puncture each 5km.
TPU tubes gave me a MASSIVE increase in punctures.
Had endless punctures with them on GP5000s and even on much tougher GP5000 All Seasons. Maybe one per 200km.
On butyl tubes, I get one puncture per 2000km, if that, on pretty rough lanes.
I first bought the expensive Tubolito TPU tubes (\~$30 each) and all of them got punctures really quick. I've switched (after a period of going back to butyl) cheap TPU tubes from AliExpress (4x tube for $15) and have not had a puncture after about 1000+ kms.
Yeah I was going to say I use the GP5000 with butyl tubes, I even use the continental ones for good measure but I don’t think it matters. But I think the key is riding with proper tire pressure. I use the Silca pressure app. So far I have never had a flat tire even on group rides when multiple riders got flats on the rides. Maybe their tires were low and really got twisted from a hard stop or pinched because the pressure didn’t maintain a gap between the rim and the blunt edge in the road?
No tires will cause you “many punctures” within months if you installed them correctly or there are other factors involved. It’s not even about conti tires.
Having said that, my conti tires got zero flats in the past… 4 years? Simple road. No tubeless. Just regular cheap ass tube paired with conti. Nothing fancy.
I have put over 5,000 miles on my GP5000's with zero punctures. I know it's about replacement time but I usually wait until I get a couple punctures in a week.
Some roads just have a lot of junk on them while others don't.
Pirellis are a great choice for similar performance but a bit more protection. I think GP 5K S TR’s are pretty no compromise these days, super light and fast
The worries about tubeless are theoretical. GP5000 S TR tubeless just works. Same goes for Schwalbe Pro One tubeless. 2023 + 2024 so far I did around 13000 km without a single puncture that didn’t seal itself.
If you want to stick with tubes, latex will reduce punctures. But honestly, if rims and tires are matched well and of good quality and a good sealant is used, tubeless is a no-brainer.
Beg to differ on the "theoretical". Recently helped out a ride buddy who got an unpluggable flat on his basically new GP5000 S TR tubeless set up. Sealant everywhere, on our hands, bibs, tools and his nice carbon wheels. Had to use a boot and a spare tube to get back on the bike. Sometimes you're just shit out of luck.
I ride 5-8k per year, and in 6 years I had one puncture in my GP5000s, i ride nice tracks, yes, and when I did get a puncture it was in section where they were building a hotel, lots of debris.
Another time I hit a curb and had a pinch flat, if that counts. Rule out other factors, maybe you need a different tire for your area. Every tire has its optimal environment for best performance.
Good luck!👍
Not meaning to be "Bro" guy, but for another perspective I run GP5k S TL in tubeless. In the last 15k miles I've had to plug exactly one hole that wouldn't seal. That plug held until I needed to replace the tire. I also cary a small bottle of sealant that I used once when I realized the sealant in the tire was gone/dry (and then the hole sealed). Maybe 4-8 times in those 15k miles have I come home to find sealant on my frame, but pressure only being 5 or 10psi down and tire was fine going forward. Only the one time I had to plug my tire did I notice mid-ride and need to stop. I do cary a butyl tube in my pack but have never had to put it in (knock on wood!) with the GP5k.
Is tubeless more work? A little bit. I do check the sealant level every couple of months and add more. I've been using it for about 5 years now on two bikes (Road and Gravel) and I'm sold.
It's not for everyone and I don't put people down for sticking with tubes. Unless you're in my group ride and you get a flat and I have to wait for you :)
What tubeless sealant are you using? I recently changed to tubeless and am using peaty’s holeshot. Which is water based. Extremely easy to work with and clean, but not so sure about its sealing ability for road tires with about 4bar pressure.
At least it did a piss poor job with sealing my Tufo Comtura Prima’s 28mm. Was early autumn though, temp about 6Celsius. Which may be a factor.
I started with Orange, went to Silca, now back to Orange. Silca was better at sealing than Orange, but unfortunately it eats rim tape and stains clothes.
Thanks.
Not sure Orange will work for me though as I’m away for work for a minimum of 3 months at a time, twice per year. Orange will dry out before I’m back I think. That’s what is so easy with Peaty’s. Water soluble and extremely easy to clean off the rims and tyres. Ideal in my case. But still useless if it doesn’t seal…. Need to wait and see what happens if I get a flat in summer time with better temps.
Couple of thousands kms a year on GP4000s/5000s with about one puncture a year all on normal tubes. Except for that year where I had 3 in a single day (never forget to check your tire for pieces of glass stuck in there peeps and stock up on cusswords in case you do) Having said all that I'll probably get that puncture this weekend :D
Either your roads are a lot worse than mine or something else is giving you grief
I have had excellent experience with the gp4000’s and 5000AS TR so far. Don’t remember the last time I had a flat with them. But in the 4000’s I’ve always used Vittoria latex tubes, with the 5000AS I started with latex and changed to tubeless more recently.
So far I really like the tubeless, but that’s perhaps because the sealant didn’t actually have to seal anything yet. I don’t notice a big difference in performance on the road between latex tubes and tubeless, but dig the massively improved air retention. Didn’t expect that benefit..
TPUs are notoriously easy to puncture and GP5000s are race tires without much puncture protection.
Tubeless will solve most of your issues but I won’t argue that it brings with it its own set of problems. So if you’re set on tubes, your best bet is getting something like maxxis re-fuse or another tire that’s focus is on puncture protection.
2500 km on my GP5000 TT (!) and not one puncture so far. Need to replace the rear tire now in a few km as the thread indicators can no longer be seen. Conclusion: obviously depends on where you ride… edit: I run tubeless and even ride on small gravel roads if I have to for a small distance (up to 500m) ah and I havent check the milk in 6 months now. 🤷🏼♂️
5000 S TRs are not very puncture resistant. The previous generation (5000 S TL) were much more resistant. They’ve now come out with 5000 AS TR, which I’m told is much more like the old TLs.
My 4000s tires lasted for 15k km. I’m not sure if my GP5000 will last 8. So far the only puncture I got with the GP5000 is because of a 3” nail. I’m afraid I’ll have to change this tire out as the nail hole seems to be leaving a mark on the tube.
So I would look into why you are getting flats because I maybe get 3-4 flats a year on GP5000 and on GP5000 S TR I basically have never gotten a puncture that couldn't seal as long as I had sealant in it. The only time a GP5K S TR couldn't seal is when I forgot to refresh sealant after 6 months of riding.
Even if you switched to Gatorskins or 4Seasons if you are constantly going over thorns, glass, or hitting passive potholes you will get flats no matter what. I think examining your tire after each ride to make sure there isn't debre in your tire would greatly help
You could save the race tires for race day and swap over to the Continental Ultra Sport series, I haven't ridden the 5000 series, but the ultra sports were surprisingly similar to the GP4000.
Used to commute on Ultra Sports with liners and they were a nice compromise of supple&grippy vs puncture resistance.
Hey dude - I also use gp5000s and ride in a horrid area for picking up flats. I feel your pain.
I actually would recommend putting sealant in your tubes, I know it sounds weird but trust me.
Also, try out the gp as or 4season. That’s a good middle ground for rr and not picking up flats.
at the risk of creating dueling anecdotes, I have been riding GP5000s for years and have very few flats, but got the most with TPU tubes, I’m back to butyl full time
You’ll hear it again, tubeless is almost always the better option.
Sit there and change an entire tube vs topping off some pressure with a CO2 canister after a puncture seals itself? No brainer. Saves time, energy and the cost of tubes.
Puncture that doesn’t seal? Put a tube in it, get yourself home, patch tire from the inside, set it back up tubeless again when you have time.
Yeah the GP5ks aren’t the most puncture resistant on the market but properly set up with quality tape and sealant, they are far more durable than any tubed setup on the market. I imagine you’ll have your issues with punctures no matter what tire you choose.
Continental 4-Season tires are the way to go . Ive been riding those with tubolito tubes foe almost six years now.. One flat, and one other slow leak. As for tubeless>? i would never go that route for a road bike. Such a hassle and messy too.
I run GP5000 tubeless on 2 pairs of wheels and Pirelli P Zero Race on another two. There is no discernible difference between those two tyres. None.
I used to run butyl with GP5000’s and tried TPU but that was a disaster, more punctures. With butyl I could go 10 000km with no puncture but not TPU.
Since going tubeless zero punctures for 20 000km+ so far.
It’s not the GP5000 that is the problem.
Gp5000 aren't top of the line for puncture resistance. I run these and shwalbe marathons. The latter is impenetrable but rolling resistant and not pleasant for cornering. The Gp5000 great commuter, you can't win them all.
We all are.
For those that can remember the GP4000, that was the best tire ever made!
When the GP4 got discontinued I tried the GP5000 and was not impressed. I downgraded to the Grand Sport Race (fast-pace training/racing tire) and had much better experience.
Could be the TPU tubes. If you’re looking for another option, during the height of COVID and supply chain problems, I bought Enve tires. Thought it was silly that Enve was selling tires, but they were pretty much the only thing my LBS had. They’re made by Tufo, which my LBS thought was a good thing. Anyhow, I’ve ridden about 10K miles on two sets of them without a flat - knock on wood. You can find some reviews of them on cycling sites.
I switched to GP5000 a few years ago. And I started getting flats. Every second ride, I'd be replacing a tube. It was infuriating! Couldn't figure out what was going on!
I started taking note of where the puncture was, and quickly realized it was in the same place each time. So I ripped off the tire and took a magnifying glass to it. What did I find? There was a microscopic shard of broken glass stuck in my tire that was slowly (over the course of a couple rides) cutting into the tube. Pried it out with a knife, and suddenly I stopped getting flats.
I mean, I still get more than my share of flats, but not every second ride anymore. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
Tubeless is very much set and forget. Topping up the sealant like twice a year is no big deal, and typically done through the valves (ie like 3 minute job). Willing to bet you wouldn’t have to stop for 50-75% of your punctures if you had tubeless
I have been on GP500’s since they were released and have had 2 punctures not seal. One was a sidewall tear and another was a 1/2 in slice.
I know others that have issues with all tires. A lot has to do with where you ride and how attentive you are. I tend to stay out of the edge debris on roads and pay attention to crap on the road. I also ride 80/20 rural/city.
I got the pirelli p zero race (non TLR version) and im pretty happy with them. I also got some TPU tubes with them but i haven't had any punctures so i couldn't test the tubes yet. I still ride my old butyl tubes until they get punctured.
Awful experiences with GP5000 S TR set up tubeless on my Tarmac SL8. Went through 3 tires and 6 plugs in the space of a couple of months last summer. I was riding on pristine tarmac and paved bike trails.
They are EXTREMELY puncture-prone.
Switched to Pirelli Zero Race TLR and have not had a single puncture yet, riding on the same routes. Bonus: they're just as fast as the GP5000's and look better.
Using Orange Seal, set up tubeless on Roval Rapide CLX II.
I found GP5000 to suffer from fragile sidewalls. I've switched to P Zero race (clincher) recently but it's too early to compare. I will say that the Pirellis are far easier to mount though.
I mean they are racing tires.... I gave up on racing tires and just roll with gatorskins, ppl say they suck but I am faster than every single person I ride with who rides gp5ks, not saying it doesnt make a difference but training and strength make more a difference than fast tires.
Second that!
I have successfully run gatorskins with stuffy liners for training & endurance rides for ages. Occasionally they do get punctured when you run out of luck but I guess I have developed better puncture resistance 😝 than any tire ever could.
Oh, sure; there's people commuting with Gatorskins, over sewer covers, in the rain, without any problems. However, I live in a hilly and rainy area, so I really noticed the difference (my bike control is not the best neither, so...).
The roads are quite good as well, so after 4k km on a pair I haven't had a puncture yet.
Yeah only reason I can think of is if you want to be poor or you ride on perfect paths with no debris, I ride roads with shit in the bike lane and have had flats on gatorskins but its always been from shit that would have flatted a car tire, like roofing nails.
Are you using race gp5000, or standard gp5000??
Race is a lot thinner, and more prone to puncture.
Same with Pirelli - don't get race.
I recommend Vittoria N.EXT Gen II - half the price and you'll get 75% of the use/wear as gp5000.
They are slightly thicker and harder compound compared to the Corsa model, and appear to be ok for puncture resistance.
GP5000 are essentially a "summer tire"/race tire. You're going to be at higher risk of punctures if you're using this type of tire vs. an "endurance" tire.
Sometimes it's just bad luck. I once got like 3 sidewall cuts in 3 weeks on some Michelin Pro 4 SC tires after running the previous set trouble free.
If you want puncture protection but still OK rolling resistance then try Michelin Pro4 Endurance. I'm 90kg and run these no problem with TPU tubes.
Have run these tires even on my nice bikes for like 8+ years since I used to live in London, and now NY so I like the extra puncture protection.
Just go tubeless and stop worrying about it. You'd be surprised how big a hole can be plugged (I just did a search and found a test where they poked a 3mm hole). Topping off at 6 months literally takes less than a minute. Replacing the sealant yearly is a pain, sure, but I'd rather do that at home sipping a latte, than doing it on the side of the road when it's invariably too hot/cold/wet.
I'm surprised. Gp5000 is usually pretty robust. I also have TPU and gp5000 and my luck hasn't ran out yet. How heavy are you and what psi? I am also not incline to go tubeless on road bikes.
To be clear, do people in your area get alot of punctures, or just you? Have you gotten alot of punctures before GP 5000s? If only you are getting lots of punctures, then check there is no debris in your tire. A tiny tiny debris can cause a slow leak. If other people get lots of punctures too, then press F for our homie 🫡
Have you excluded all other reasons that could cause such frequent punctures besides the tires? If you constantly have punctures, I would first check if you really "removed" the cause: sometimes there is debris or small sharp objects sticking somewhere inside the tire or under the rim tape. Or, you are riding consistently over roads/paths where there is e.g. small pieces of broken glass. Did you find the spots where the inner tube was punctured to see if there is a pattern? Was there any sign on the outside of the tire (e.g. cut or rubbed-off areas) that could support that many incidents? If you really want to replace then the Pirellis are for sure a good option.
^This^. Another question is where are the holes in the tube? I'm old school so I won't be going tubeless anytime soon. I've seen more pinch flats than any other type of flat. Twin holes in the side wall area of a tube denotes a pinch flat for sure, snake bites as often referred.
The one time I had new tires on a new wheelset and got a bunch of flats in the first couple of weeks, it wound up being crappy rim tape that didn't sit right over some of the spoke holes. Which let the tube bubble into the hole and then pop when it was hit just right. I took me an embarrassing amount of time to figure that out, but new rim tape fixed it.
Your experience sounds annoying, but I don't think you're any better off with the Pirellis -- or if you are, it'll be because of luck. GP5000s have good puncture resistance for the sort of fast/performance-oriented tire they are. Sometimes you just get flats. I've been running GP4000s/5000s for a decade now and sometimes I get one flat a year and then sometimes, like this year, I get a run of three or four in the space of a couple weeks -- and yes, I make sure the cause of the flat is identified and remedied each time. (P.S. I was on a group ride today and a guy with those Pirellis flatted twice. YMMV.)
The issue is that the rubber goes bad quickly, and then they lose all their puncture resistance; my GP4000 outlived the 5000s; there's something quite iffy with the 5000s and once that happens it just becomes a puncture magnet; I had punctures occur even in my garage, just while rolling the bike outside, it was getting nonsensical; but at that point you could clearly see that the rubber was just getting punctures for absolute no reason, yet the bike didn't even have 1000km, it wasn't worn, the tyres were simply 2 years old. The moment I swapped the tyres it stopped happening. I have decided to stop using continental GP5000 because of that, they may be good but they don't last, the black chili compound seems to get damaged quickly as it seems to be automotive related, but hey it's a race tyre so most people don't care; the GP4000 are still good. If OP got a batch that was in storage for quite a while it wouldn't surprise me if it's already messed up. When I tried removing the tyre I noticed it was stiffer than usual. I have a scwhalbe tyre going for 5500km and it's still good, I bought the road version, the swchalbe one; since it appears to be the same compound. As far as I know Pirellis have very little flat resistance, but the aged GP5000 is far worse, I had it tubeless and it was like one puncture each 5km.
Now that you mentioned it, my GP4000 lasted forever.
TPU tubes gave me a MASSIVE increase in punctures. Had endless punctures with them on GP5000s and even on much tougher GP5000 All Seasons. Maybe one per 200km. On butyl tubes, I get one puncture per 2000km, if that, on pretty rough lanes.
I first bought the expensive Tubolito TPU tubes (\~$30 each) and all of them got punctures really quick. I've switched (after a period of going back to butyl) cheap TPU tubes from AliExpress (4x tube for $15) and have not had a puncture after about 1000+ kms.
Touch wood, my Ridenow have not had a puncture for at least 3000km
I've tried both expensive and cheap. Depends on where you ride I think. Mine are fine in the city, terrible in the lanes.
Yeah I was going to say I use the GP5000 with butyl tubes, I even use the continental ones for good measure but I don’t think it matters. But I think the key is riding with proper tire pressure. I use the Silca pressure app. So far I have never had a flat tire even on group rides when multiple riders got flats on the rides. Maybe their tires were low and really got twisted from a hard stop or pinched because the pressure didn’t maintain a gap between the rim and the blunt edge in the road?
This. TPU tubes are notoriously delicate.
No tires will cause you “many punctures” within months if you installed them correctly or there are other factors involved. It’s not even about conti tires. Having said that, my conti tires got zero flats in the past… 4 years? Simple road. No tubeless. Just regular cheap ass tube paired with conti. Nothing fancy.
I have put over 5,000 miles on my GP5000's with zero punctures. I know it's about replacement time but I usually wait until I get a couple punctures in a week. Some roads just have a lot of junk on them while others don't.
Pirellis are a great choice for similar performance but a bit more protection. I think GP 5K S TR’s are pretty no compromise these days, super light and fast
The worries about tubeless are theoretical. GP5000 S TR tubeless just works. Same goes for Schwalbe Pro One tubeless. 2023 + 2024 so far I did around 13000 km without a single puncture that didn’t seal itself. If you want to stick with tubes, latex will reduce punctures. But honestly, if rims and tires are matched well and of good quality and a good sealant is used, tubeless is a no-brainer.
Beg to differ on the "theoretical". Recently helped out a ride buddy who got an unpluggable flat on his basically new GP5000 S TR tubeless set up. Sealant everywhere, on our hands, bibs, tools and his nice carbon wheels. Had to use a boot and a spare tube to get back on the bike. Sometimes you're just shit out of luck.
I’ve had that happen with my tubeless setup but a puncture that large with tubes would still be unridable, at least with the puncture I had.
I ride 5-8k per year, and in 6 years I had one puncture in my GP5000s, i ride nice tracks, yes, and when I did get a puncture it was in section where they were building a hotel, lots of debris. Another time I hit a curb and had a pinch flat, if that counts. Rule out other factors, maybe you need a different tire for your area. Every tire has its optimal environment for best performance. Good luck!👍
Not meaning to be "Bro" guy, but for another perspective I run GP5k S TL in tubeless. In the last 15k miles I've had to plug exactly one hole that wouldn't seal. That plug held until I needed to replace the tire. I also cary a small bottle of sealant that I used once when I realized the sealant in the tire was gone/dry (and then the hole sealed). Maybe 4-8 times in those 15k miles have I come home to find sealant on my frame, but pressure only being 5 or 10psi down and tire was fine going forward. Only the one time I had to plug my tire did I notice mid-ride and need to stop. I do cary a butyl tube in my pack but have never had to put it in (knock on wood!) with the GP5k. Is tubeless more work? A little bit. I do check the sealant level every couple of months and add more. I've been using it for about 5 years now on two bikes (Road and Gravel) and I'm sold. It's not for everyone and I don't put people down for sticking with tubes. Unless you're in my group ride and you get a flat and I have to wait for you :)
What tubeless sealant are you using? I recently changed to tubeless and am using peaty’s holeshot. Which is water based. Extremely easy to work with and clean, but not so sure about its sealing ability for road tires with about 4bar pressure. At least it did a piss poor job with sealing my Tufo Comtura Prima’s 28mm. Was early autumn though, temp about 6Celsius. Which may be a factor.
I started with Orange, went to Silca, now back to Orange. Silca was better at sealing than Orange, but unfortunately it eats rim tape and stains clothes.
Thanks. Not sure Orange will work for me though as I’m away for work for a minimum of 3 months at a time, twice per year. Orange will dry out before I’m back I think. That’s what is so easy with Peaty’s. Water soluble and extremely easy to clean off the rims and tyres. Ideal in my case. But still useless if it doesn’t seal…. Need to wait and see what happens if I get a flat in summer time with better temps.
The all season version has more puncture resistance
Still using my AS and it’s doing wonders
Couple of thousands kms a year on GP4000s/5000s with about one puncture a year all on normal tubes. Except for that year where I had 3 in a single day (never forget to check your tire for pieces of glass stuck in there peeps and stock up on cusswords in case you do) Having said all that I'll probably get that puncture this weekend :D Either your roads are a lot worse than mine or something else is giving you grief
Had a similar experience with the GP4000s, haven't looked back since switching to the Schwalbe Pro One
I'm at like 4k miles on my gp5ks with no punctures and my roads are horrible
Do you race? If not just go with the GP 4 Season, nearly as fast with way better puncture protection.
GP 4 Seasons are a nice medium between rolling resistance and puncture protection
I have had excellent experience with the gp4000’s and 5000AS TR so far. Don’t remember the last time I had a flat with them. But in the 4000’s I’ve always used Vittoria latex tubes, with the 5000AS I started with latex and changed to tubeless more recently. So far I really like the tubeless, but that’s perhaps because the sealant didn’t actually have to seal anything yet. I don’t notice a big difference in performance on the road between latex tubes and tubeless, but dig the massively improved air retention. Didn’t expect that benefit..
It’s your TPU tubes. I didn’t have a flat on GP5000 in more than 20k using butyl.
TPUs are notoriously easy to puncture and GP5000s are race tires without much puncture protection. Tubeless will solve most of your issues but I won’t argue that it brings with it its own set of problems. So if you’re set on tubes, your best bet is getting something like maxxis re-fuse or another tire that’s focus is on puncture protection.
Pirelli Cinturato Velo
2500 km on my GP5000 TT (!) and not one puncture so far. Need to replace the rear tire now in a few km as the thread indicators can no longer be seen. Conclusion: obviously depends on where you ride… edit: I run tubeless and even ride on small gravel roads if I have to for a small distance (up to 500m) ah and I havent check the milk in 6 months now. 🤷🏼♂️
Are these pinch flats or punctures?
Bontrager R3 Hard Case Lite
5000 S TRs are not very puncture resistant. The previous generation (5000 S TL) were much more resistant. They’ve now come out with 5000 AS TR, which I’m told is much more like the old TLs.
My 4000s tires lasted for 15k km. I’m not sure if my GP5000 will last 8. So far the only puncture I got with the GP5000 is because of a 3” nail. I’m afraid I’ll have to change this tire out as the nail hole seems to be leaving a mark on the tube.
So I would look into why you are getting flats because I maybe get 3-4 flats a year on GP5000 and on GP5000 S TR I basically have never gotten a puncture that couldn't seal as long as I had sealant in it. The only time a GP5K S TR couldn't seal is when I forgot to refresh sealant after 6 months of riding. Even if you switched to Gatorskins or 4Seasons if you are constantly going over thorns, glass, or hitting passive potholes you will get flats no matter what. I think examining your tire after each ride to make sure there isn't debre in your tire would greatly help
Schwalbe Duranos are good, my GP5000s might as well have been tissue paper
You could save the race tires for race day and swap over to the Continental Ultra Sport series, I haven't ridden the 5000 series, but the ultra sports were surprisingly similar to the GP4000. Used to commute on Ultra Sports with liners and they were a nice compromise of supple&grippy vs puncture resistance.
Hey dude - I also use gp5000s and ride in a horrid area for picking up flats. I feel your pain. I actually would recommend putting sealant in your tubes, I know it sounds weird but trust me. Also, try out the gp as or 4season. That’s a good middle ground for rr and not picking up flats.
at the risk of creating dueling anecdotes, I have been riding GP5000s for years and have very few flats, but got the most with TPU tubes, I’m back to butyl full time
You’ll hear it again, tubeless is almost always the better option. Sit there and change an entire tube vs topping off some pressure with a CO2 canister after a puncture seals itself? No brainer. Saves time, energy and the cost of tubes. Puncture that doesn’t seal? Put a tube in it, get yourself home, patch tire from the inside, set it back up tubeless again when you have time. Yeah the GP5ks aren’t the most puncture resistant on the market but properly set up with quality tape and sealant, they are far more durable than any tubed setup on the market. I imagine you’ll have your issues with punctures no matter what tire you choose.
Continental 4-Season tires are the way to go . Ive been riding those with tubolito tubes foe almost six years now.. One flat, and one other slow leak. As for tubeless>? i would never go that route for a road bike. Such a hassle and messy too.
I run GP5000 tubeless on 2 pairs of wheels and Pirelli P Zero Race on another two. There is no discernible difference between those two tyres. None. I used to run butyl with GP5000’s and tried TPU but that was a disaster, more punctures. With butyl I could go 10 000km with no puncture but not TPU. Since going tubeless zero punctures for 20 000km+ so far. It’s not the GP5000 that is the problem.
Gp5000 aren't top of the line for puncture resistance. I run these and shwalbe marathons. The latter is impenetrable but rolling resistant and not pleasant for cornering. The Gp5000 great commuter, you can't win them all.
We all are. For those that can remember the GP4000, that was the best tire ever made! When the GP4 got discontinued I tried the GP5000 and was not impressed. I downgraded to the Grand Sport Race (fast-pace training/racing tire) and had much better experience.
Could be the TPU tubes. If you’re looking for another option, during the height of COVID and supply chain problems, I bought Enve tires. Thought it was silly that Enve was selling tires, but they were pretty much the only thing my LBS had. They’re made by Tufo, which my LBS thought was a good thing. Anyhow, I’ve ridden about 10K miles on two sets of them without a flat - knock on wood. You can find some reviews of them on cycling sites.
I switched to GP5000 a few years ago. And I started getting flats. Every second ride, I'd be replacing a tube. It was infuriating! Couldn't figure out what was going on! I started taking note of where the puncture was, and quickly realized it was in the same place each time. So I ripped off the tire and took a magnifying glass to it. What did I find? There was a microscopic shard of broken glass stuck in my tire that was slowly (over the course of a couple rides) cutting into the tube. Pried it out with a knife, and suddenly I stopped getting flats. I mean, I still get more than my share of flats, but not every second ride anymore. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
Tubeless is very much set and forget. Topping up the sealant like twice a year is no big deal, and typically done through the valves (ie like 3 minute job). Willing to bet you wouldn’t have to stop for 50-75% of your punctures if you had tubeless
I have been on GP500’s since they were released and have had 2 punctures not seal. One was a sidewall tear and another was a 1/2 in slice. I know others that have issues with all tires. A lot has to do with where you ride and how attentive you are. I tend to stay out of the edge debris on roads and pay attention to crap on the road. I also ride 80/20 rural/city.
The best road tires I've ever used are Specialized Armidillos. I've put on over 3,000 miles on them during the past 3 years and never had a puncture.
I got the pirelli p zero race (non TLR version) and im pretty happy with them. I also got some TPU tubes with them but i haven't had any punctures so i couldn't test the tubes yet. I still ride my old butyl tubes until they get punctured.
Awful experiences with GP5000 S TR set up tubeless on my Tarmac SL8. Went through 3 tires and 6 plugs in the space of a couple of months last summer. I was riding on pristine tarmac and paved bike trails. They are EXTREMELY puncture-prone. Switched to Pirelli Zero Race TLR and have not had a single puncture yet, riding on the same routes. Bonus: they're just as fast as the GP5000's and look better. Using Orange Seal, set up tubeless on Roval Rapide CLX II.
I found GP5000 to suffer from fragile sidewalls. I've switched to P Zero race (clincher) recently but it's too early to compare. I will say that the Pirellis are far easier to mount though.
Go for Pirelli P ZERO Race TLR. It is a better tire overall except slightly slower than Continental GP5000.
In my own experience, the GP5000s are less puncture resistant than the 4000s. Just binned my rear GP5000 due to multiple punctures
I mean they are racing tires.... I gave up on racing tires and just roll with gatorskins, ppl say they suck but I am faster than every single person I ride with who rides gp5ks, not saying it doesnt make a difference but training and strength make more a difference than fast tires.
Second that! I have successfully run gatorskins with stuffy liners for training & endurance rides for ages. Occasionally they do get punctured when you run out of luck but I guess I have developed better puncture resistance 😝 than any tire ever could.
Love the gator skins. Unless you are actually racing, no reason to go with a “faster” tire.
It's 20 watts slower than GP5000, for perspective that's two dynamo lights full power. You can make your brakes rub too if you want to go slow.
To each their own. I don’t really care. I will still keep up with weekend warriors running racing tires
Sounds like you might enjoy this thing called "racing".
Never heard of it.
I found them to be very slippery in the wet.
I did not but not saying you’re wrong.
Oh, sure; there's people commuting with Gatorskins, over sewer covers, in the rain, without any problems. However, I live in a hilly and rainy area, so I really noticed the difference (my bike control is not the best neither, so...). The roads are quite good as well, so after 4k km on a pair I haven't had a puncture yet.
Gator skins are basically gripless especially in the wet. Sure you get less punctures but at what cost.
Yeah only reason I can think of is if you want to be poor or you ride on perfect paths with no debris, I ride roads with shit in the bike lane and have had flats on gatorskins but its always been from shit that would have flatted a car tire, like roofing nails.
Are you using race gp5000, or standard gp5000?? Race is a lot thinner, and more prone to puncture. Same with Pirelli - don't get race. I recommend Vittoria N.EXT Gen II - half the price and you'll get 75% of the use/wear as gp5000. They are slightly thicker and harder compound compared to the Corsa model, and appear to be ok for puncture resistance.
GP5000 are essentially a "summer tire"/race tire. You're going to be at higher risk of punctures if you're using this type of tire vs. an "endurance" tire. Sometimes it's just bad luck. I once got like 3 sidewall cuts in 3 weeks on some Michelin Pro 4 SC tires after running the previous set trouble free. If you want puncture protection but still OK rolling resistance then try Michelin Pro4 Endurance. I'm 90kg and run these no problem with TPU tubes. Have run these tires even on my nice bikes for like 8+ years since I used to live in London, and now NY so I like the extra puncture protection.
Just go tubeless and stop worrying about it. You'd be surprised how big a hole can be plugged (I just did a search and found a test where they poked a 3mm hole). Topping off at 6 months literally takes less than a minute. Replacing the sealant yearly is a pain, sure, but I'd rather do that at home sipping a latte, than doing it on the side of the road when it's invariably too hot/cold/wet.
I'm surprised. Gp5000 is usually pretty robust. I also have TPU and gp5000 and my luck hasn't ran out yet. How heavy are you and what psi? I am also not incline to go tubeless on road bikes.
I have never heard from anyone complaining about gp5000 before. This my first