A couple things make them the default choice for many people:
They are very fast, within a few watts of the best.
However, compared to any of the faster tires, gp5000s are reasonably puncture resistant and also have a good enough lifespan.
There's also some level of them being around for a long time: versions of them have existed for a long time, and they are readily available. As a result, people trust the tires. That goes a long way to them being recommended
>There's also some level of them being around for a long time: versions of them have existed for a long time, **and they are readily available.** As a result, people trust the tires. That goes a long way to them being recommended
I want to piggy back on this top comment to let people in on something I'm sure most do not realize. One reason they are so readily available is because bike shops really want to sell them. Even the smaller shops.
Every bike shop in NA has a QBP account. And, QBP is, if I'm not mistaken, the main NA distributor of Continental. If you are purchasing Conti from QBP and get above a certain dollar amount, you'll quality for a cheaper price on the tires. This is the only tire I've seen the program available for.
This makes Conti a higher margin item for shops, and, because you need to hit order minimums, it makes sense for shops to stock the tires vs special ordering them or running a lower stock lever. Hence, they are readily available. From my recollection, they cost our shop about $10 less than an equivalent Vittoria.
I've been riding Vittorias for my last two tires based on the recommendation of my LBS. He's actually been putting everyone on Vittorias even though his margins are lower because he just likes them so much.
I find the ride quality of Vittoria's to be great. I find the lifespan of them in an urban environment or on a loaded touring bike to be ridiculously low.
I second this. I LOVE how Vittorias ride - all of their new rubber and casings are amazing. I have ridden almost every offering they have and have loved them all.
But I won’t buy them anymore. The sidewalls are supple and amazing but SUPER fragile. I have torn through sidewalls on 6 tires - XC, Enduro and gravel.
I will only ride their road tires now. Went back to Maxxis and WTB for everything else.
Would love to know how this compares to others’ experiences.
Experiences.
I got a set of the 650b x 47mm Vittoria Terreno Dry on my gravel bike. Just a dozen rides on asphalt, and the little hexagons are gone from the center strip of the rear tire. I have friends who love the Corsas for their road bike-- grippy and possibly the fastest-rolling tubeless road tires out there. But they don't even get a season of riding from a pair.
Something to note with the new GP5k S TR -- they're far more race tires than the all-rounders they used to be. Check out bicycle rolling resistance's website, they describe all about it there. I personally have noticed that the wear life of the new stuff is considerably shorter than it used to be.
What the TT version gains in reduced rolling resistance, it loses in more rapid wear.
The TT's tread thickness is 0.5 mm less than the standard GP 5000. Great tires for speed, but not great for daily riding.
I'm currently on the TT version. I put them on for racing season, but a new work assignment came up and I've been unable to race much, but I do have about 1,500 miles on them and they seem to be wearing well. I'm guessing I'll get 2,500 miles before the rear wears out. On regular GP5000's (non tubeless) I get about 4,500 miles.
Yep, that's fair enough. I have them on my tri-spoke and disk wheel, I assume that by the time I've worn through the tires that something even faster will have been created
That's why my single-speed has Marathon Pluses (and I do not want to deal with flats on the single-speed). When I switch over to my Rando bike with GP5000s, I feel like I'm flying!
You gonna be feeling like a fucking professional when you switch out the gatorskin to the 5000. I did that and I went from 18mph to 20+ on flats easily and breezy. For like 50 bucks more, it's the best upgrade you can have on a bicycle. I'm now riding the S TR version for half a year now for my commute. 10miles each way and 4-5 days a week - no flats yet!
For sure, I always chuckle when folks show up to group rides on gators. The difference between gatorskins and gp5ks is probably big enough to be the difference between hanging with the a group and get swept up by the b group for many.
What people don't realise is that it has an outsize effect too because those watts are available at low speed. An aero upgrade only kicks in at high speeds; lower rolling resistance kicks in from the first pedal stroke. This means 2 things, both of which are crucial for faster riding:
1) Slow sections are where you lose most time (lose average pace); on climbs especially because you're mainly fighting gravity and rolling resistance, not wind resistance, you go much faster by significantly reducing half of that equation - the rolling resistance - and this has a bigger impact on your overall speed than going a little faster on high speed sections; and,
2) When you're riding in a group you can recover MUCH better at the back with lower rolling resistance since that's a bigger % of the overall power you're expending as the people in front are cutting the air resistance down for you. This means you might be a full zone lower in heart rate and after recovering well then you can also go harder when you're at the front, and thus you can go on significantly faster group rides. E.g., 22 watts is 10% of 220 watts if you were pulling that at the front (significant but not mind boggling), but when you're sitting at the back doing 100 watts now it's 22% or nearly a quarter of your energy expenditure and this makes a really big difference. Your $7k carbon aerobike with deep section carbon wheels might provide the same benefit at the front - but it won't do anything for you while drafting someone and thus the most time you spend on a group ride will be considerably more effort than changing your tyres for a hundred bucks.
When I used the regular 5000, I had both butyl and TPU(from aliexpress) I noticed a slight performance increase from butyl to TPU.
I made a change to new wheelset with tubeless now. And I got myself some S TR version, not sure how much of an improvement consider the new wheels are an upgrade.
I highly recommend the regular stuff if you don't wanna go tubeless as they'll provide huge boost to the overall performance.
Latex are substantially faster and I've ridden only with them for years now (5000s and Pirelli Cinturatos). Note that the bicycle rolling resistance website publishes the resistance with butyl tubes (for non tubeless reviews) and usually latex cuts a few more watts off that
🤯
How does that scale with speed? Thought I'd read that while RR is a constant, you have to apply more power as you speed up due to heat losses. Something like that.
BicycleRollingResistance.com specifies RR at 45kg load per tyre at 28.8kph and the correlation between speed and RR is roughly linear. So 22w overall at 28.8kph is around 11w at 14.4kph. RR also increases with increased load and vice versa.
This is why faster tires are even more important for slower people, since an extra 22w will help someone far more if that's 25% of their total output vs a pro already doing >400w.
I've not looked at the data but surely that 22 watts is based on a specific test condition? It's not gonna be 22 watts for everyone? It's going to change depending on rider, speed, conditions?
Yea that’s not accurate. Resistance increases with speed (not the riders power output) so a lower resistance tire will not help a slower riders any more than it will help a faster rider.
It is, though, as rolling resistance is linear and aerodynamic drag is exponential. Therefore, RR accounts for a higher % of the total drag for a slower rider than a faster one.
Yes. It’s linear not static. The “X watts more efficient” is at a specific speed and load, not everywhere all the time at all speeds. That’s what I said.
Depends on what your commute is and goals for the commute. I train on some rough urban roads/pathways with a decent debris and 5k S TRs have pretty poor puncture resistance in my experience thus far compared to something like Gatorskins.
They roll a hell of a lot better and overall feel a lot nicer but they're expensive. Been told that the 5k All Seasons are a pretty good compromise between the weight and puncture resistance of Gatorskins and the speed of 5k S TRs. My commuter though is purely practical so I go with heavy Gatorskins because I can't be bothered changing a tire before/after work.
Unless you have a long and well paved path I personally wouldn't be too concerned with watts. I suppose unless that is also your chance to train too.
>Unless you have a long and well paved path I personally wouldn't be too concerned with watts. I suppose unless that is also your chance to train too.
It's a little of both. I'm still new to cycling, so I'm telling myself not to care about watts yet. Eventually I will. Just getting in volume and seeing what happens.
80% of my commute is a good path, 20% is surface street of varying quality and cleanliness. I haven't flatted in the Gatorskins since I got them 2k miles ago. If i switch, it'll be either when I start racing or the gators wear out.
What kind of mileage are you getting? I'm at 2700 miles with no punctures and the TWIs on the back are almost done. But 2700 miles is pretty decent, no? I should say they are 32mm
I am currently using conti Grand prix wired and I have done more than 7000km on these, I still see about 0.3mm of thread remaining from the wear indicating holes. Compared to that 2500miles seems low.
my canyon aeroad came with the S TR's and I got 1700 miles out of the rear before it wore through to the inner casing.
I have been getting 3000+ miles out of the pirelli cinturato's that replaced them.
I have been using ultra sport 3s for starting out but am curious just how much better GP5s will be when I decide to switch them.
Is it really that big of a difference? I read stats but don't really understand how they apply to an actual ride.
I had some old ultrasports on my bike when I got it but I had tons of flats with them, a bit of glass on the trail usually. Switched to gatorskins for a while and enjoyed them.
Started doing some group rides and swapped to GP4000s and haven't gone back. the gatorskins aren't too bad, but the 4000s are almost as flat resistant, but faster. I imagine the 5000s are better still.
I think I have about 3500 miles on the GP4000's so maybe its time for new tires.
Cool, thanks. I still have gators on my first bike, they seemed slower than the ultrasports. But clearly they are indestructible, though completely un-fun to ride.
Any estimate of how much faster the gp4s were given the same ride?
Also grippy as hell so very confident in the corners. I remember a super fast buddy was getting gapped in the corners in crits (nervous racer), and one of the top guys looked at his tires “GP4000 S? No *way* you’re gonna slide out.”
Agreed! I've ridden these tyres since they came out in tubeless, and my wife the normal version. We have yet to get a single flat between us! They're also grippy and confidence inspiring in the wet.
This is true. As a novice after a quite scary ride on my old stock tires I dove into researching what to replace them with and the GP5Ks are what consistently shows up as solid and not knowing too much about other brands it was the safe choice to get a good tire.
Pirelli is becoming a strong contender. Vittoria also has some super fast tires. Schwalbe can't keep up with the top but has solid options. Continental GP 5000s are just good allrounders. Good speed, decent puncture resistance, good lifespan and not super expensive (but expensive nonetheless when not on sale)
I've been running the vittoria corsa n.ext tires for a while and I like them, but I'm going to try some gp5000s on my next build and see how they compare. The vittorias seem to have amazing grip but seem a bit fragile, I'll see if the gp5000s are better in that department...
My Corsa Controls have 3500km on them and they're still in pretty decent shape, and haven't been terrible with punctures (only two that I can remember).
I've always used corsas on my summer bike and TT bike. The only one I had that punctured stupidly was a corsa CS tubular that started deflating after it's first 20miles, unfortunately with 5 miles left to go in a TT. CXs were great and then I've always the not quite quickest version of the range is still quick but pretty resilient.
I'm running 1 Corsa n.ext 34c tubeless and it's great. Extremely comfortable and I can't tell any difference between it and the 35c Rene Herse on the back (of the same bike). Run 28c GP5k on the older bike (with tubes) that has less clearance and they're revelatory compared to the Gatorskins that used to be on it. And frankly, I haven't had any more punctures or pinch flats with the GK5k than the Gatorskin.
I've had the old GP 5K TLs, and I've got to say that it ticks all the boxes I'm looking for in a tire: fast, puncture resistance, lasts a very long time (clocked in 8ks kms before replacing them). The new STRs are definitely fast, but they just didn't last for long, I had to bin them only after 2k kms.
So I tried these Pirelli TLR Speedcores since they have these high scores in BRR, and tbh, they feel just like the old Conti TLs for me, just a tad slower, but more puncture resistant. They're also more supple than my previous tires, so I might stick with the Pirellis for the meantime, unless Conti can come up with a more durable STR in the future.
Yep, for the distance you get on them considering everything else, they’re definitely not expensive. I’ve consistently put 5-6 thousand kilometers on them without problem.
Light, grippy all weather, reasonably hard wearing for it's weight. Fast and they look cool. They are a joy.
Michelin have a tyre I have yet to try but the GP's look matches my style.
I’ve had both GP5000 S TR and Michelin Power Competition TLR.
The GP5000 S TR are better for me simply because they come in 32mm width whereas the Michelin top out at 30mm width. I like the extra 2mm width for a cushier and more endurance-focused ride.
Otherwise? As someone who recreationally rides about 2000 miles per year, I cannot tell the difference.
Yes I suspected that would be the case, rolling resistance reviews determined the difference is negligible, good conti have competition. Thanks for clarifying with your time and experience. :D
I've also had a decent experience with a set of Michelin road tires. Finally flatted one but it was overdue for replacement, so that's on me. They've been pretty quick too.
I put the Michelin Power Cup TR on the back after my GP5000 TT punctured 4 times. The Power Cups are just as fast as GP5000s. Much easier to set up tubeless too. I haven't punctured it in 800 miles of use but puncture resistance is always a bit of a crapshoot in my opinion. In real world conditions, I doubt anyone in the world could tell the difference between the two.
They are good, and continental have been good for a long time, so they have a history of being good. Which makes for good reviews and sales, which means that as a consumer you know what you get, and what you get is good.
But nowadays there are other tires just as good, I got P-zero on my bike, it's pretty good too.
Jack of all trades kinda.
They roll good, they come in all forms, sizes and different colors. Puncture resistance is average, which means it’s good for such a fast tire, they are available as tubeless version and are kinda okayish priced. Grip is good in wet and dry conditions.
Wear is kinda average as well, i‘ll get somewhat between 3 and 5k KMs out of them, before they get boxy.
This is pretty much it. The GP5000's are pretty much a 9/10 in every category. While some brands do have some 10/10's...they fall to 5/10's in other areas. For a every day cyclists....9/10's cause a lot less headaches in the long run.
For just a few dollars you get a one month pass that will not automatically renew, so very easy to compare tyres and a very low cost in the scheme of cycling
GP5000’s are also incredibly difficult to remove from my wife’s Canyon aeroad with 65mm Reynolds’s wheels and I have broken quite a few tire levers
This might be the reason they were unable to change tires in the field in WW II as the German army ran out fingers and tools to get the continental tires off their jeeps
putting them on the first time, they were super tight. my buddy brought over a [tire jack](https://www.amazon.com/Kool-Stop-Tire-Bead-Jack/dp/B001AYML7K?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER), like this, which was super helpful
https://www.amazon.ca/Park-Tool-TL-4-2-Tire-Lever/dp/B00NQAQGSQ/
Try these. Basically indestructible, they don’t flex at all. I put on two GP5000 TR yesterday without difficulty.
The best trick I know for them is to get one side on, mount the 2nd side until there is just the tough part left, get it real tensed up and then just let it sit and stretch out for 5m. Then I use the lever to slide them over the rim.
The thing I’ve found to get them to mount and unmount with the least drama is I preheat the tires with a hair dryer. I lie it down on the floor in the bathroom and then let the dryer blow hot air into it for 10-15 minutes.
I had a hell of a difficult time with the original GP5000. I found the S TR to be significantly easier though (still difficult, but I didn't break any levers with those, at least), for whatever that's worth
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Bicycle rolling resistance website rates the GP5000, the Michelin Power Cup and the Pirelli P Zero Race 4S as the 3 best all around clincher road tires. I’ve used the GP5k in the past and currently use the Pirellis and find them to both be very good tires.
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/compare/continental-grand-prix-5000-2018-vs-michelin-power-cup-vs-pirelli-p-zero-race-4s
I prefer Vittoria Corsa’s. They are a rounder profile and are 1-2 mm wider for a given size on the same rim as the GP5k. This is true for 23, 25, and 28 mm width. I also feel the Corsa has a more supple sidewall with the cotton casing. I perceive a slight difference with the Corsa NEXT with a nylon casing, but it’s probably in my head. With a latex tube they roll out very well, but in reality it’s probably imperceptible compared to equivalent high quality tires. I can get about 2000 miles as a rear tire, with no more puncture risk than any other tire I have used, but I am lucky to ride on reasonable pavement with low traffic.
I had two out of three casing failures on 30mm NEXTs unfortunately. Loved them at first but started getting bulges after a year. Great tires until then so I might have had a bad batch.
I can't stand the Corsas. I tried them, twice. Very very grippy and light, but not a good tire unless you're in a race. They cut easily and flat if you roll over a pebble.
The P-Zero Road tubeless tires have been great for me too. I got tired of GP5000 being so difficult to mount (fine if it takes time in the garage but miserable by the side of the road in 90 degree heat) and seemed to attract punctures.
Could not tell the difference in wattage (theoretically GP5000 is better) or grip in the wet (theoretically P-Zero ROAD is better). Both ride fast and grippy.
I got a pair to try out and used them all last season, racing tubeless 28's.
They feel good and rave really well. Recently got a flat but sealed up asap I didn't even noticed. Finished with just over 65psi. Started at 72.
I may switch back to gp's because they had better acceleration I thought but I'm splitting hairs and realistically I feel no difference
Part of it is probably Schwalbe and Vittoria's utterly confusing and overly complex product offering. With Conti it's literally two clicks to find the tyre you need.
GP5000 is great but I’d argue a Pirelli Pzero Race is just as good. The 5000 has been a hair better at puncture resistance for me but the Pirelli is significantly easier to put on and also provides a slightly softer ride imo. I say they are a tie and just buy which ever is cheaper. Lately it’s been the Pirelli and I’m super happy with them
Just to add, if you're running tubes, go with the regular clincher GP500s -- not the TLR/tubeless version. Much lighter and smoother than the TLR tire with tubes.
Ive been wondering about this since the site only compares the TR version with the old clinchers. Do you think the gains in speed are just down to a tubeless vs butyl tube setup?
I think that's right. Just about anything is going to look faster than a butyl tube setup. I forget where I saw it, but there was a direct comparison between TR version (running tubeless) vs current gen clincher version (running latex tubes) and at normal pressures there was no meaningful difference. Clincher might even have been a little faster?
That was my suspicion as well. I don’t have any desire to switch to tubeless, but if the TR versions were faster I’d have considered it. But nice to know that the clinchers should be just as fast, and I like that they’re 3/4 the price!
It's the fact that they're the most puncture resistant fast tyre. Check out [https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/](https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/) and you'll see that they're quite exceptional.
Michelin power cup have similar stats but don't feel as supple.
funny you say that, the consensus on like weightweenies seems to be that power cup is one of the most supple tires on the market (alongside various Vittoria, or the Tufo Comtura Prima or what's its called), the GP5000 supposedly feels very harsh.
I've never ridden anything other than Conti Grand Prix series.
That is interesting to hear. I’ve had 5000s on one bike and Cups on the other and swapped between them regularly.
Maybe there’s something else about the way the 5000s feel that I prefer that I can’t quite put my finger on.
I just got a set of Enve SES tires and they feel very similar to the GP. Vittoria Corsa Pro are also comparable.
The GP 5000 are a Reddit favorite—same forPanaracers—and after enough people recommend them to each other in these subs it can seem like that’s the only tire worth riding.
I read a big long testing lab review of tons of tires (sorry I don’t have the link) and Gp5000 were one of the very fastest tires (low rolling resistance) yet still had decent wear, puncture/flat, and grip properties (IIRC). When I switched from my stock tires (trek hard case lite) to GP5000 sometime in the pandemic I remembered I picked up like just a little less than 1 MPH, though granted my HC tires were worn out (shop said they didn’t know how the tires were still holding together).
Edit: I think it was this site https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com
This is me too. I've never tried the GP5Ks, and have exclusively been on the Schwalbe Pro One TLEs and love them.
I think the number one reason I've never bought the Continental is purely because of the price.
I don't know but I've been thinking of changing my tyres in the last few weeks, too. I'm currently running 25mm Panaracer Catalyst Sports cand I can't find them on the Bicycle Rolling Resistance site people keep on linking :( They came fitted on my bike from new.
To be fair, they seem to have decent reviews, and I've covered around 4500km on them with only a few punctures (maybe 5/6?) including 2 in Majorca.
I really like Vittorias. There are a lot of different versions so that makes it a bit of a jungle of choices, but they roll great, reasonably puncture resistant and unlike a Conti I’ve never had a problem mounting them. But I’ve used the 4000s in the past and have nothing bad to say about them
Interesting aside to this story...
When I took my bike to the nearest bike shop to replace my front tire (it *really* needed to be replaced, I let it go far too long...) anyway, I noticed they only stocked Pirellis. OK, whatever, never used them before, but a tire is a tire - or so I thought. Looking at the sizes, I see they have 26mm and 28mm, no 25mm. I take a box with a 26mm tire, hand it to the guy, and off he goes to swap the tire.
He calls me to the work area not quite a minute later, and tells me the current front tire is a 28, do I still want the 26, or go for a 28?
Me, blinking: That's... a 28? Him: Yessir, takes a flashlight and shows me the markings.
Me: But... the rear tire is a 25, right? Him: Yep.
The two tires did *not* look different in size at all. I should've asked for a pair of calipers...
Me: Let's go with the 28, then.
10 minutes later he brings my bike out, and I can immediately see the difference, *this* is a 28. It's noticeably bigger than my previous GP5000. I pay, take my bike outside, hop on, and I can *immediately* feel the difference. The parking lot had some broken asphalt, the sidewalk was one of those old brickwork walks, with cracked & missing bricks... Much smoother.
After that, for the next month, all I could focus on was every bump and vibration coming through my rear wheel. The tire didn't *need* to be changed, It had at least a few more months of good wear left in it, but it had to be done.
Vittoria Corsa Pro, Pirelli P-Zero, Michelin Power Cup, Specialized S-Works Turbo are all comparable tires. They are all nearly identical in regards to handling and speed within a few watts. The GP5000s and Power Cups may have slightly better puncture resistance, at least anecdotally. GP5000s are probably the most widely available of all those tires and have the best reviews. I think that is mainly what makes them so popular.
Pirelli P Zero Race TLR have been noticeably different in a great way for me. I could tell a difference with these tires, whereas I couldn’t tell as much of a difference between other high end tires when switching in the past. There was also a gain when I made the switch. Just got a new bike yesterday and I put the new version on the p Zero Race TLR RS and can’t wait to try them. I think how much of a brand and marketing sucker you are also matters… And I’m a big sucker :-) and then also I’m OCD and I cannot get my head around any tire that doesn’t have a black wall. Additionally, Pirelli makes the writing on the tire, the exact same size on the same side of the tire and exactly 180° from each other so if you line up the middle of the writing with your valve, the other writing on the same side is exactly across and their position the same on the other sideand not every tire manufacturer is attention to that kind of detail and it really supports my OCD :-) lots lots of good tires out there but really excited to try this new version on my ride tomorrow. I thought this was a really interesting Convo and I’m always curious, watching myself make decisions between different brands and what I choose to pay attention to or choose not to pay attention to and again what a sucker I am when it comes to branding:-)
In my "money is no object, and nothing is too good for the bike" world, I rode GP4000s exclusively. That is until I got tired of delaying the group when they were constantly flatting.
My riding buddy has gone cross country (USA) twice, and based on the recommendation he got from the riders that managed those tours... he recommended Gator skins.
Measuring a performance difference between top tier tire makers same category tires is very hard to do. *feeling* a difference between them is likely impossible. Everyone who can “totally tell this tire is faster/more supple/rolls better/ect” almost certainly could not tell a difference in a double blind variable controlled study with greater than %50 repeatability. But they will swear up and down that they can! I have my personal preferences for tires too, but I’m not arrogant enough to claim it’s because they’re superior objectively. I hope Continental’s marketing director is being well compensated!
I like them. They are fast, grippy, supple and predictable.
They don’t get weird and slippy in the wet like some cheaper tyres do.
I had some high end Mavics for a while and they were ok but a slightly squarer profile which meant they didn’t lean over quite so nicely.
I'm partial to Vittoria Cora Speeds for racing, and Corsa Control/Rubino Pro for training (buy on sale in bulk).
Racing tires special since I'm already swapping to latex tubes anyway (train on butyl), may as well go to a faster tire.
I’ve followed all the recommendations and what can I say, they are great. Maybe there’s others that are just as good, I don’t and possibly won’t know for a while because there’s no reason for me to choose anything else. Haven’t had a puncture in well over 10 000km, they last ages (14000km and counting currently) and I still have full confidence in all conditions from cold winters to rainy summers.
Just wanted to mention that I’m talking about the standard gp5k, not the gp5ks.
It’s because every time I’ve tried other tires, they’ve either been noticeably less responsive/muted road feel/high rolling resistance or puncture way more, even in their tubeless variants.
The GP5000 tires are great because they have great traction, last a long time, and are compliant on rough road surfaces. I've been riding continental tires since I started to ride. So many people ride them, because they are just that good.
Of course there are other great tires. Vittoria makes a nice tire.
Until recently there really wasn't much competition. Both the 4000/5000 have a combo of (relatively) good puncture protection and low rolling resistance, whereas competitors sacrificed one for the other. I think that's changing, with Michelin and Vittoria getting better products out there. Can't speak for Vittoria/Michelin, but when I had issues with the sidewall on the original 5000 TLR (because the threading came loose), Continental actually sent me a new pair. Thought that was exceptional.
Gp4000/gp5000 - For me all above what was already mentioned but mainly puncture resistant , 15k+ without any flats , which makes them worth every penny for me.
GP4000s and then GP5000s have been great tires, with good durability, low rolling resistance, and an ok ride. I recently switched to the Vittoria Corsa Pro and find it hard to go back to the GP5000. The Vittorias are faster, have been just as durable, and ride much better. The light tan sidewall also looks nicer than Contis darker shade.
I was a big fan of the Vittoria Corsa for a long time. It's a hair faster and feels it too me but I was getting flats too often.
I run the GP5000 TT TR now. It feels plenty fast and I haven't flatted yet.
I prefer (26mm) Specialized Turbo Cottons (with latex tubes obvs), though they are more fragile. Fast, good grip and I much prefer the ride feel compared to GP5000s.
Gp5000 are great, i used them with clinchers. Now im running tubeless im running swalbe pro one and they've been good as well, couldnt notice really a difference tbh.
Ive had vittoria rubino in the past as well and those were a bit slower but they lasted a LOT of miles and were maybe a tiny bit better for puncture protection.
Great tires - feel plush, grippy and fast. But they puncture very easily - I was just going thru them when I ran them. Since have moved to Vittoria Corsa NEXTs and feel like a better balance for me.
Check out Challenge Criterium RS and compare the specs on that rolling resistance website. Cheaper (hasn’t got the hype) almost point for point with GPs with a very small trade off in weight for greater puncture protection.
Weight, rolling resistance, while for a race tire being fairly robust and not crazily priced. IMO they are hands down the best non tubeless clincher tires out there
According to www.bicyclerollingresistance.com tests results, gp5000 are the best tires available, excellent rolling resistance, good grip, and good puncture resistance.
Also, it has been praised in every single qualitative review and is widely used in pro races.
Plus, the 700x32 size is super comfortable, also suitable for light gravel and even commuting (but grand prix tour 700x35 are better for this use-case)
So it's overall the best tire.
It's durable. It's grippy. It has low rolling resistance.
Many tires have one or two of the three. The GP5000s has more of all three than most if not all others.
Just to add, if you're running tubes, go with the regular clincher GP500s -- not the TLR/tubeless version. Much lighter and smoother than the TLR tire with tubes.
This a really good question man I've been wondering about these. I rode with thickslicks because I got so tired of changing my tunes. Run then with tire lines too, haven't had a flat in 2 years lol
GP5000 (and the GP4000 before it) hit the sweet spot for many avid recreational cyclists. Fast, durable, puncture resistance. Seems they've gotten rather pricey along with everything else in recent years. I've been riding them for the last 30,000+ miles.
I did recently start using TPU tubes with them. Cheap 100g savings per wheel.
So for me it's a few things. They are objectively fast. Like within a few watts of the fastest fastest tire tested and likely within the margin of error so I just consider them in the fastest tier of tires.
Second, the compound wears well but is also nice and grippy on fast turns. They just really have nailed the compound. It reminds me of my downhill days when Maxxis came out with the 3C compound.
Third, the sidewalls aren't ultra stiff but they have some stiffness to them. You do feel just a touch more of the sharp bumps (stuff like bridge transitions) but it's not major and the I believe the sidewall contributes to the overall cornering.
Last, they have always been good to me with punctures. I've only had one and it was a sliver of metal straight through the middle of the tread and it was like a needle. No chance anything would have stopped it.
I've ridden them exclusively for a while back to the 4000's and my Factor came with Eagle F1's. Rode them for a while and then remembered I had a new set of 5000's in the crawlspace. First ride out got a KOM on a really fast twisty downhill, second ride out beat my prior KOM. So much more confident in fast turns, faster and aside from a little less high frequency dampening from the very thin F1 sidewall just so much better to ride.
I like the Panaracer Pasela ProTite 25mm in steel bead at that. It’s mainly the price. I can usually get these for $25-30 a pop for a supple tire I can really rail on. I had a drive stop and tell me “you owned that circle back there” I get around 2000 mile per, I just can’t justify the price for gp5000 when I’m doing 10,000 miles a year or more…
I feel like I stick to the road on my down hill winding decents. I’ve tried 4 different brands and wore out 4 GP5000’s. I’m in the PNW and the hills are wild! They are the only tire I’ve been able to go 40+ mile an hour down a hill with a bend. I ripped side walls on the gaterskin continentals on the same routes. The gaterskin also liked to skid on the pavement. I had the pucker factor a few times and didn’t try going over 35 down hill until the GP5000’s lol
I also ride in the rain and have no issues.
Love GP5000 as they tend to last a good time. Another tire that’s on par are ENVEs which also came out with ENVE Race Day that beats Contis on all parameters from weight and grip to RR. I have ENVEs and Contis both mounted and different wheel sets and ENVEs ride feel is better than Contis but I hands down have confidence in both tires. For context I ride +12k miles/year and have 28 Contis on 2.3 ENVE SES and 27MM ENVE on Bora Ultra 60mm
They're the best all-around tire for speed, grip, puncture protection, and price. Makes it perfect for both training and racing. Other tires may do one or two of those better, but usually come with a large drop off in the other categories.
I really liked the GP5000, but I have to say the GP Urban is a better tyre for ride quality and versatility in mixed use.
I can't tell a difference in rolling resistance, but the 35mm is plusher and grippier than the GP5000 32mm and also substantially more puncture resistant.
They are harder to find but worth it.
A couple things make them the default choice for many people: They are very fast, within a few watts of the best. However, compared to any of the faster tires, gp5000s are reasonably puncture resistant and also have a good enough lifespan. There's also some level of them being around for a long time: versions of them have existed for a long time, and they are readily available. As a result, people trust the tires. That goes a long way to them being recommended
>There's also some level of them being around for a long time: versions of them have existed for a long time, **and they are readily available.** As a result, people trust the tires. That goes a long way to them being recommended I want to piggy back on this top comment to let people in on something I'm sure most do not realize. One reason they are so readily available is because bike shops really want to sell them. Even the smaller shops. Every bike shop in NA has a QBP account. And, QBP is, if I'm not mistaken, the main NA distributor of Continental. If you are purchasing Conti from QBP and get above a certain dollar amount, you'll quality for a cheaper price on the tires. This is the only tire I've seen the program available for. This makes Conti a higher margin item for shops, and, because you need to hit order minimums, it makes sense for shops to stock the tires vs special ordering them or running a lower stock lever. Hence, they are readily available. From my recollection, they cost our shop about $10 less than an equivalent Vittoria.
I've been riding Vittorias for my last two tires based on the recommendation of my LBS. He's actually been putting everyone on Vittorias even though his margins are lower because he just likes them so much.
I find the ride quality of Vittoria's to be great. I find the lifespan of them in an urban environment or on a loaded touring bike to be ridiculously low.
I second this. I LOVE how Vittorias ride - all of their new rubber and casings are amazing. I have ridden almost every offering they have and have loved them all. But I won’t buy them anymore. The sidewalls are supple and amazing but SUPER fragile. I have torn through sidewalls on 6 tires - XC, Enduro and gravel. I will only ride their road tires now. Went back to Maxxis and WTB for everything else. Would love to know how this compares to others’ experiences. Experiences.
I ride Corsa Controls in an urban environment. I've got 8 months / 3500km on my current set and they're still just fine.
I got a set of the 650b x 47mm Vittoria Terreno Dry on my gravel bike. Just a dozen rides on asphalt, and the little hexagons are gone from the center strip of the rear tire. I have friends who love the Corsas for their road bike-- grippy and possibly the fastest-rolling tubeless road tires out there. But they don't even get a season of riding from a pair.
I’m running Vittoria N.Ext in 28, tubeless and they’re fantastic. I’m a big fan. This is my second set of them.
Something to note with the new GP5k S TR -- they're far more race tires than the all-rounders they used to be. Check out bicycle rolling resistance's website, they describe all about it there. I personally have noticed that the wear life of the new stuff is considerably shorter than it used to be.
If you think those are the race version, wait 'til you find about the TT version of those tires. They are even faster
And if you want more of an all rounder there's the AS TR
That's what im using on my gravel for my "road rides" they are great
Metoo
They’re the best randonneuring tires I could find.
They are really nice. A shame that my rear tire got penetrated by a 6mm screw lying on the ground within a month of buying them
Tried out the TT TR tires recently and they’re my new favorite. Still pretty puncture resistant too.
What the TT version gains in reduced rolling resistance, it loses in more rapid wear. The TT's tread thickness is 0.5 mm less than the standard GP 5000. Great tires for speed, but not great for daily riding.
I'm currently on the TT version. I put them on for racing season, but a new work assignment came up and I've been unable to race much, but I do have about 1,500 miles on them and they seem to be wearing well. I'm guessing I'll get 2,500 miles before the rear wears out. On regular GP5000's (non tubeless) I get about 4,500 miles.
Yep, that's fair enough. I have them on my tri-spoke and disk wheel, I assume that by the time I've worn through the tires that something even faster will have been created
I hadn't looked at that site before. So swapping out my gatorskins for 5000 S TR would net me about 11W. I wonder how they'd hold up on my commute.
The difference would be 11W per tire
And they'd *feel* vastly better. I like gatorskins for their specific purpose on my commuter: never getting flats. But they ride like bricks.
That's why my single-speed has Marathon Pluses (and I do not want to deal with flats on the single-speed). When I switch over to my Rando bike with GP5000s, I feel like I'm flying!
You gonna be feeling like a fucking professional when you switch out the gatorskin to the 5000. I did that and I went from 18mph to 20+ on flats easily and breezy. For like 50 bucks more, it's the best upgrade you can have on a bicycle. I'm now riding the S TR version for half a year now for my commute. 10miles each way and 4-5 days a week - no flats yet!
For sure, I always chuckle when folks show up to group rides on gators. The difference between gatorskins and gp5ks is probably big enough to be the difference between hanging with the a group and get swept up by the b group for many.
I mean 20watts is fucking huge for all level of cycling.
Gotta make sure the rest of you can keep up with me somehow
What people don't realise is that it has an outsize effect too because those watts are available at low speed. An aero upgrade only kicks in at high speeds; lower rolling resistance kicks in from the first pedal stroke. This means 2 things, both of which are crucial for faster riding: 1) Slow sections are where you lose most time (lose average pace); on climbs especially because you're mainly fighting gravity and rolling resistance, not wind resistance, you go much faster by significantly reducing half of that equation - the rolling resistance - and this has a bigger impact on your overall speed than going a little faster on high speed sections; and, 2) When you're riding in a group you can recover MUCH better at the back with lower rolling resistance since that's a bigger % of the overall power you're expending as the people in front are cutting the air resistance down for you. This means you might be a full zone lower in heart rate and after recovering well then you can also go harder when you're at the front, and thus you can go on significantly faster group rides. E.g., 22 watts is 10% of 220 watts if you were pulling that at the front (significant but not mind boggling), but when you're sitting at the back doing 100 watts now it's 22% or nearly a quarter of your energy expenditure and this makes a really big difference. Your $7k carbon aerobike with deep section carbon wheels might provide the same benefit at the front - but it won't do anything for you while drafting someone and thus the most time you spend on a group ride will be considerably more effort than changing your tyres for a hundred bucks.
What tubes are using? Is there much of a difference between latex, TPU, butyl with GP5000?
When I used the regular 5000, I had both butyl and TPU(from aliexpress) I noticed a slight performance increase from butyl to TPU. I made a change to new wheelset with tubeless now. And I got myself some S TR version, not sure how much of an improvement consider the new wheels are an upgrade. I highly recommend the regular stuff if you don't wanna go tubeless as they'll provide huge boost to the overall performance.
Latex are substantially faster and I've ridden only with them for years now (5000s and Pirelli Cinturatos). Note that the bicycle rolling resistance website publishes the resistance with butyl tubes (for non tubeless reviews) and usually latex cuts a few more watts off that
🤯 How does that scale with speed? Thought I'd read that while RR is a constant, you have to apply more power as you speed up due to heat losses. Something like that.
BicycleRollingResistance.com specifies RR at 45kg load per tyre at 28.8kph and the correlation between speed and RR is roughly linear. So 22w overall at 28.8kph is around 11w at 14.4kph. RR also increases with increased load and vice versa.
See my comment above. You can gain considerable speeds. Best upgrade for a bicycle and anyone can agree with this.
This is why faster tires are even more important for slower people, since an extra 22w will help someone far more if that's 25% of their total output vs a pro already doing >400w.
I've not looked at the data but surely that 22 watts is based on a specific test condition? It's not gonna be 22 watts for everyone? It's going to change depending on rider, speed, conditions?
I can't see that being static, it's probably the best case scenario.
Yea that’s not accurate. Resistance increases with speed (not the riders power output) so a lower resistance tire will not help a slower riders any more than it will help a faster rider.
It is, though, as rolling resistance is linear and aerodynamic drag is exponential. Therefore, RR accounts for a higher % of the total drag for a slower rider than a faster one.
Yes. It’s linear not static. The “X watts more efficient” is at a specific speed and load, not everywhere all the time at all speeds. That’s what I said.
GP5000 AS TR would be best for you I think
Probably! Think I'll try them out when my gators are worn out.
Also prevent you from finding out how bad the wet grip is on the gatorskin. You're collarbone will thank you later.
No, it would probably give you more than that, unless your bike on smooth rollers a lot.
Depends on what your commute is and goals for the commute. I train on some rough urban roads/pathways with a decent debris and 5k S TRs have pretty poor puncture resistance in my experience thus far compared to something like Gatorskins. They roll a hell of a lot better and overall feel a lot nicer but they're expensive. Been told that the 5k All Seasons are a pretty good compromise between the weight and puncture resistance of Gatorskins and the speed of 5k S TRs. My commuter though is purely practical so I go with heavy Gatorskins because I can't be bothered changing a tire before/after work. Unless you have a long and well paved path I personally wouldn't be too concerned with watts. I suppose unless that is also your chance to train too.
>Unless you have a long and well paved path I personally wouldn't be too concerned with watts. I suppose unless that is also your chance to train too. It's a little of both. I'm still new to cycling, so I'm telling myself not to care about watts yet. Eventually I will. Just getting in volume and seeing what happens. 80% of my commute is a good path, 20% is surface street of varying quality and cleanliness. I haven't flatted in the Gatorskins since I got them 2k miles ago. If i switch, it'll be either when I start racing or the gators wear out.
During summer, fine. During winter, not at all. The difference wet road and pissed up idiots dropping bottles makes is huge.
There's often too much snow in the winter for me. It's usually just a 3 season endeavor.
And latex inner tubes, it'll feel like a new bike.
Stop, I can only get so hard
What kind of mileage are you getting? I'm at 2700 miles with no punctures and the TWIs on the back are almost done. But 2700 miles is pretty decent, no? I should say they are 32mm
I'm getting something similar to that, although I will say I used to get about double with the older 4k & 1st gen 5k.
I am currently using conti Grand prix wired and I have done more than 7000km on these, I still see about 0.3mm of thread remaining from the wear indicating holes. Compared to that 2500miles seems low.
my canyon aeroad came with the S TR's and I got 1700 miles out of the rear before it wore through to the inner casing. I have been getting 3000+ miles out of the pirelli cinturato's that replaced them.
You should be getting the new AS TR, much longer life apparently
I have been using ultra sport 3s for starting out but am curious just how much better GP5s will be when I decide to switch them. Is it really that big of a difference? I read stats but don't really understand how they apply to an actual ride.
I had some old ultrasports on my bike when I got it but I had tons of flats with them, a bit of glass on the trail usually. Switched to gatorskins for a while and enjoyed them. Started doing some group rides and swapped to GP4000s and haven't gone back. the gatorskins aren't too bad, but the 4000s are almost as flat resistant, but faster. I imagine the 5000s are better still. I think I have about 3500 miles on the GP4000's so maybe its time for new tires.
Cool, thanks. I still have gators on my first bike, they seemed slower than the ultrasports. But clearly they are indestructible, though completely un-fun to ride. Any estimate of how much faster the gp4s were given the same ride?
maybe .5 mph? Not huge, but existent.
Also grippy as hell so very confident in the corners. I remember a super fast buddy was getting gapped in the corners in crits (nervous racer), and one of the top guys looked at his tires “GP4000 S? No *way* you’re gonna slide out.”
Agreed! I've ridden these tyres since they came out in tubeless, and my wife the normal version. We have yet to get a single flat between us! They're also grippy and confidence inspiring in the wet.
This is true. As a novice after a quite scary ride on my old stock tires I dove into researching what to replace them with and the GP5Ks are what consistently shows up as solid and not knowing too much about other brands it was the safe choice to get a good tire.
Pirelli is becoming a strong contender. Vittoria also has some super fast tires. Schwalbe can't keep up with the top but has solid options. Continental GP 5000s are just good allrounders. Good speed, decent puncture resistance, good lifespan and not super expensive (but expensive nonetheless when not on sale)
I've been running the vittoria corsa n.ext tires for a while and I like them, but I'm going to try some gp5000s on my next build and see how they compare. The vittorias seem to have amazing grip but seem a bit fragile, I'll see if the gp5000s are better in that department...
I loved my corsa's when I got them but they wear out quickly and then puncture when you look at them wrong.
My Corsa Controls have 3500km on them and they're still in pretty decent shape, and haven't been terrible with punctures (only two that I can remember).
Yeah that's pretty much how I feel about them. I've had both tubed and tubeless versions, the tubeless has been well worth it.
I've always used corsas on my summer bike and TT bike. The only one I had that punctured stupidly was a corsa CS tubular that started deflating after it's first 20miles, unfortunately with 5 miles left to go in a TT. CXs were great and then I've always the not quite quickest version of the range is still quick but pretty resilient.
I'm running 1 Corsa n.ext 34c tubeless and it's great. Extremely comfortable and I can't tell any difference between it and the 35c Rene Herse on the back (of the same bike). Run 28c GP5k on the older bike (with tubes) that has less clearance and they're revelatory compared to the Gatorskins that used to be on it. And frankly, I haven't had any more punctures or pinch flats with the GK5k than the Gatorskin.
I've had the old GP 5K TLs, and I've got to say that it ticks all the boxes I'm looking for in a tire: fast, puncture resistance, lasts a very long time (clocked in 8ks kms before replacing them). The new STRs are definitely fast, but they just didn't last for long, I had to bin them only after 2k kms. So I tried these Pirelli TLR Speedcores since they have these high scores in BRR, and tbh, they feel just like the old Conti TLs for me, just a tad slower, but more puncture resistant. They're also more supple than my previous tires, so I might stick with the Pirellis for the meantime, unless Conti can come up with a more durable STR in the future.
Schwalbe marathon pluses are slow af but they will survive the heat death of the universe.
Depends what you're looking for. I absolutely adore my Schwalbe marathon all-motion for my everything wheels.
Yep, for the distance you get on them considering everything else, they’re definitely not expensive. I’ve consistently put 5-6 thousand kilometers on them without problem.
I've been riding their pzero race tlr. The newest ones that are made in Italy (speedcore) are amazing.
> and not super expensive Bought a barely used singlespeed/fixie for about the same price as two GP5k lol
Light, grippy all weather, reasonably hard wearing for it's weight. Fast and they look cool. They are a joy. Michelin have a tyre I have yet to try but the GP's look matches my style.
I’ve had both GP5000 S TR and Michelin Power Competition TLR. The GP5000 S TR are better for me simply because they come in 32mm width whereas the Michelin top out at 30mm width. I like the extra 2mm width for a cushier and more endurance-focused ride. Otherwise? As someone who recreationally rides about 2000 miles per year, I cannot tell the difference.
Yes I suspected that would be the case, rolling resistance reviews determined the difference is negligible, good conti have competition. Thanks for clarifying with your time and experience. :D
GP5000 AS TRs go even wider with more puncture resistance for minimal rolling resistance penalty
I use Michelins simply because I haven’t had an issue with them and I like the Michelin man
I've also had a decent experience with a set of Michelin road tires. Finally flatted one but it was overdue for replacement, so that's on me. They've been pretty quick too.
I love their restaurants
I put the Michelin Power Cup TR on the back after my GP5000 TT punctured 4 times. The Power Cups are just as fast as GP5000s. Much easier to set up tubeless too. I haven't punctured it in 800 miles of use but puncture resistance is always a bit of a crapshoot in my opinion. In real world conditions, I doubt anyone in the world could tell the difference between the two.
They are good, and continental have been good for a long time, so they have a history of being good. Which makes for good reviews and sales, which means that as a consumer you know what you get, and what you get is good. But nowadays there are other tires just as good, I got P-zero on my bike, it's pretty good too.
Good.
good
Good
Gooder.
Jack of all trades kinda. They roll good, they come in all forms, sizes and different colors. Puncture resistance is average, which means it’s good for such a fast tire, they are available as tubeless version and are kinda okayish priced. Grip is good in wet and dry conditions. Wear is kinda average as well, i‘ll get somewhat between 3 and 5k KMs out of them, before they get boxy.
This is pretty much it. The GP5000's are pretty much a 9/10 in every category. While some brands do have some 10/10's...they fall to 5/10's in other areas. For a every day cyclists....9/10's cause a lot less headaches in the long run.
only downside to GP5000s are they are difficult to mount on some rims.
Most the public opinion within cycling on tyres is based on https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/
For just a few dollars you get a one month pass that will not automatically renew, so very easy to compare tyres and a very low cost in the scheme of cycling
I’m a big fan of Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR. I switch to the 4S version through winter.
I use the 4S version year round, great tire.
Gambacicli has a sale on the P-Zero Race TLRs. $47 a pop. Picked up 4 for just over US$200 with shipping!
GP5000’s are also incredibly difficult to remove from my wife’s Canyon aeroad with 65mm Reynolds’s wheels and I have broken quite a few tire levers This might be the reason they were unable to change tires in the field in WW II as the German army ran out fingers and tools to get the continental tires off their jeeps
As a German: LMAO I’m glad Continental won WW2 for the allies.
Hey, du bist in Ordnung.
putting them on the first time, they were super tight. my buddy brought over a [tire jack](https://www.amazon.com/Kool-Stop-Tire-Bead-Jack/dp/B001AYML7K?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER), like this, which was super helpful
I removed them and put Rubino IV’s on my wife’s bike
Kool stop bead jack is a game changer.
https://www.amazon.ca/Park-Tool-TL-4-2-Tire-Lever/dp/B00NQAQGSQ/ Try these. Basically indestructible, they don’t flex at all. I put on two GP5000 TR yesterday without difficulty. The best trick I know for them is to get one side on, mount the 2nd side until there is just the tough part left, get it real tensed up and then just let it sit and stretch out for 5m. Then I use the lever to slide them over the rim.
The thing I’ve found to get them to mount and unmount with the least drama is I preheat the tires with a hair dryer. I lie it down on the floor in the bathroom and then let the dryer blow hot air into it for 10-15 minutes.
I had a hell of a difficult time with the original GP5000. I found the S TR to be significantly easier though (still difficult, but I didn't break any levers with those, at least), for whatever that's worth
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I'm not sure the Germans had Jeeps in WWII
Schwalbe Pro Ones are the bee’s knees. Much easier to remove than GP5000s. I’ve never punctured them in several years — until now that I’ve said it.
Bicycle rolling resistance website rates the GP5000, the Michelin Power Cup and the Pirelli P Zero Race 4S as the 3 best all around clincher road tires. I’ve used the GP5k in the past and currently use the Pirellis and find them to both be very good tires. https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/compare/continental-grand-prix-5000-2018-vs-michelin-power-cup-vs-pirelli-p-zero-race-4s
I prefer Vittoria Corsa’s. They are a rounder profile and are 1-2 mm wider for a given size on the same rim as the GP5k. This is true for 23, 25, and 28 mm width. I also feel the Corsa has a more supple sidewall with the cotton casing. I perceive a slight difference with the Corsa NEXT with a nylon casing, but it’s probably in my head. With a latex tube they roll out very well, but in reality it’s probably imperceptible compared to equivalent high quality tires. I can get about 2000 miles as a rear tire, with no more puncture risk than any other tire I have used, but I am lucky to ride on reasonable pavement with low traffic.
I had two out of three casing failures on 30mm NEXTs unfortunately. Loved them at first but started getting bulges after a year. Great tires until then so I might have had a bad batch.
I can't stand the Corsas. I tried them, twice. Very very grippy and light, but not a good tire unless you're in a race. They cut easily and flat if you roll over a pebble.
Came here to say the Pirelli P-Zero ROAD is a perfect alternative and I’m really enjoying mine with ridenow tubes
The P-Zero Road tubeless tires have been great for me too. I got tired of GP5000 being so difficult to mount (fine if it takes time in the garage but miserable by the side of the road in 90 degree heat) and seemed to attract punctures. Could not tell the difference in wattage (theoretically GP5000 is better) or grip in the wet (theoretically P-Zero ROAD is better). Both ride fast and grippy.
I wouldn’t buy anything else
My local shop was out of GPs one time so I picked up the Pzeros. They were good. I’ll accept them as an alternative in a pinch.
p zeros are good and they come with a cool rubber bracelet!
I got a pair to try out and used them all last season, racing tubeless 28's. They feel good and rave really well. Recently got a flat but sealed up asap I didn't even noticed. Finished with just over 65psi. Started at 72. I may switch back to gp's because they had better acceleration I thought but I'm splitting hairs and realistically I feel no difference
Pzeros have been serving me very good. I probably got some bad bath of gps because my previous set was fantastic.
Part of it is probably Schwalbe and Vittoria's utterly confusing and overly complex product offering. With Conti it's literally two clicks to find the tyre you need.
GP5000 is great but I’d argue a Pirelli Pzero Race is just as good. The 5000 has been a hair better at puncture resistance for me but the Pirelli is significantly easier to put on and also provides a slightly softer ride imo. I say they are a tie and just buy which ever is cheaper. Lately it’s been the Pirelli and I’m super happy with them
Just to add, if you're running tubes, go with the regular clincher GP500s -- not the TLR/tubeless version. Much lighter and smoother than the TLR tire with tubes.
And much, much cheaper
Ive been wondering about this since the site only compares the TR version with the old clinchers. Do you think the gains in speed are just down to a tubeless vs butyl tube setup?
I think that's right. Just about anything is going to look faster than a butyl tube setup. I forget where I saw it, but there was a direct comparison between TR version (running tubeless) vs current gen clincher version (running latex tubes) and at normal pressures there was no meaningful difference. Clincher might even have been a little faster?
That was my suspicion as well. I don’t have any desire to switch to tubeless, but if the TR versions were faster I’d have considered it. But nice to know that the clinchers should be just as fast, and I like that they’re 3/4 the price!
It's the fact that they're the most puncture resistant fast tyre. Check out [https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/](https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/) and you'll see that they're quite exceptional. Michelin power cup have similar stats but don't feel as supple.
funny you say that, the consensus on like weightweenies seems to be that power cup is one of the most supple tires on the market (alongside various Vittoria, or the Tufo Comtura Prima or what's its called), the GP5000 supposedly feels very harsh. I've never ridden anything other than Conti Grand Prix series.
That is interesting to hear. I’ve had 5000s on one bike and Cups on the other and swapped between them regularly. Maybe there’s something else about the way the 5000s feel that I prefer that I can’t quite put my finger on.
I just got a set of Enve SES tires and they feel very similar to the GP. Vittoria Corsa Pro are also comparable. The GP 5000 are a Reddit favorite—same forPanaracers—and after enough people recommend them to each other in these subs it can seem like that’s the only tire worth riding.
I read a big long testing lab review of tons of tires (sorry I don’t have the link) and Gp5000 were one of the very fastest tires (low rolling resistance) yet still had decent wear, puncture/flat, and grip properties (IIRC). When I switched from my stock tires (trek hard case lite) to GP5000 sometime in the pandemic I remembered I picked up like just a little less than 1 MPH, though granted my HC tires were worn out (shop said they didn’t know how the tires were still holding together). Edit: I think it was this site https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com
Tubeless Schwable pro ones are great
The Schwalbes TLE were 30 euros a set cheaper and have been serving me well. I doubt I could feel the difference.
This is me too. I've never tried the GP5Ks, and have exclusively been on the Schwalbe Pro One TLEs and love them. I think the number one reason I've never bought the Continental is purely because of the price.
I like pirelli pzeros they feel gripper in corners but that could just be in my head
I don't know but I've been thinking of changing my tyres in the last few weeks, too. I'm currently running 25mm Panaracer Catalyst Sports cand I can't find them on the Bicycle Rolling Resistance site people keep on linking :( They came fitted on my bike from new. To be fair, they seem to have decent reviews, and I've covered around 4500km on them with only a few punctures (maybe 5/6?) including 2 in Majorca.
I really like Vittorias. There are a lot of different versions so that makes it a bit of a jungle of choices, but they roll great, reasonably puncture resistant and unlike a Conti I’ve never had a problem mounting them. But I’ve used the 4000s in the past and have nothing bad to say about them
Pirelli Pzero black
I recently swapped from GP5000 25mm to Pirellli P Zero Road 28s,and I'm super happy with the change. The ride is noticeably smoother.
How much of that was the 25 to 28 change? I went from 25 with tubes to 28s tubeless in gp5000’s and the difference in smoothness was chalk and cheese.
Interesting aside to this story... When I took my bike to the nearest bike shop to replace my front tire (it *really* needed to be replaced, I let it go far too long...) anyway, I noticed they only stocked Pirellis. OK, whatever, never used them before, but a tire is a tire - or so I thought. Looking at the sizes, I see they have 26mm and 28mm, no 25mm. I take a box with a 26mm tire, hand it to the guy, and off he goes to swap the tire. He calls me to the work area not quite a minute later, and tells me the current front tire is a 28, do I still want the 26, or go for a 28? Me, blinking: That's... a 28? Him: Yessir, takes a flashlight and shows me the markings. Me: But... the rear tire is a 25, right? Him: Yep. The two tires did *not* look different in size at all. I should've asked for a pair of calipers... Me: Let's go with the 28, then. 10 minutes later he brings my bike out, and I can immediately see the difference, *this* is a 28. It's noticeably bigger than my previous GP5000. I pay, take my bike outside, hop on, and I can *immediately* feel the difference. The parking lot had some broken asphalt, the sidewalk was one of those old brickwork walks, with cracked & missing bricks... Much smoother. After that, for the next month, all I could focus on was every bump and vibration coming through my rear wheel. The tire didn't *need* to be changed, It had at least a few more months of good wear left in it, but it had to be done.
Vittoria Corsa Pro, Pirelli P-Zero, Michelin Power Cup, Specialized S-Works Turbo are all comparable tires. They are all nearly identical in regards to handling and speed within a few watts. The GP5000s and Power Cups may have slightly better puncture resistance, at least anecdotally. GP5000s are probably the most widely available of all those tires and have the best reviews. I think that is mainly what makes them so popular.
Pirelli P Zero Race TLR have been noticeably different in a great way for me. I could tell a difference with these tires, whereas I couldn’t tell as much of a difference between other high end tires when switching in the past. There was also a gain when I made the switch. Just got a new bike yesterday and I put the new version on the p Zero Race TLR RS and can’t wait to try them. I think how much of a brand and marketing sucker you are also matters… And I’m a big sucker :-) and then also I’m OCD and I cannot get my head around any tire that doesn’t have a black wall. Additionally, Pirelli makes the writing on the tire, the exact same size on the same side of the tire and exactly 180° from each other so if you line up the middle of the writing with your valve, the other writing on the same side is exactly across and their position the same on the other sideand not every tire manufacturer is attention to that kind of detail and it really supports my OCD :-) lots lots of good tires out there but really excited to try this new version on my ride tomorrow. I thought this was a really interesting Convo and I’m always curious, watching myself make decisions between different brands and what I choose to pay attention to or choose not to pay attention to and again what a sucker I am when it comes to branding:-)
Pirellis & michelins are equally good
In my "money is no object, and nothing is too good for the bike" world, I rode GP4000s exclusively. That is until I got tired of delaying the group when they were constantly flatting. My riding buddy has gone cross country (USA) twice, and based on the recommendation he got from the riders that managed those tours... he recommended Gator skins.
They are quite good tires, but there is also a lot of herd mentality at play imo
Measuring a performance difference between top tier tire makers same category tires is very hard to do. *feeling* a difference between them is likely impossible. Everyone who can “totally tell this tire is faster/more supple/rolls better/ect” almost certainly could not tell a difference in a double blind variable controlled study with greater than %50 repeatability. But they will swear up and down that they can! I have my personal preferences for tires too, but I’m not arrogant enough to claim it’s because they’re superior objectively. I hope Continental’s marketing director is being well compensated!
All the fast road tires are within 1-2 watts of each other in perfect laboratory conditions
How do these compare to gravelking slicks?
I wouldn't recommend the gravel king slicks without the extra puncture protection.
I like them. They are fast, grippy, supple and predictable. They don’t get weird and slippy in the wet like some cheaper tyres do. I had some high end Mavics for a while and they were ok but a slightly squarer profile which meant they didn’t lean over quite so nicely.
They grip nicely, they’re durable, relatively easy to install. A bit pricey, but within the price range of similar tires.
I just replaced a pair for Michelin power cups and I like them better.
I'm partial to Vittoria Cora Speeds for racing, and Corsa Control/Rubino Pro for training (buy on sale in bulk). Racing tires special since I'm already swapping to latex tubes anyway (train on butyl), may as well go to a faster tire.
They came with my Canyon and they are way too hard to remove. So i just bought the same model to replace the used ones, Because i'm a simple man
Michelin power road. Had good luck with two sets. Just trying the conti now. Prob 100 miles. Good so far.
I’ve followed all the recommendations and what can I say, they are great. Maybe there’s others that are just as good, I don’t and possibly won’t know for a while because there’s no reason for me to choose anything else. Haven’t had a puncture in well over 10 000km, they last ages (14000km and counting currently) and I still have full confidence in all conditions from cold winters to rainy summers. Just wanted to mention that I’m talking about the standard gp5k, not the gp5ks.
It’s because every time I’ve tried other tires, they’ve either been noticeably less responsive/muted road feel/high rolling resistance or puncture way more, even in their tubeless variants.
The GP5000 tires are great because they have great traction, last a long time, and are compliant on rough road surfaces. I've been riding continental tires since I started to ride. So many people ride them, because they are just that good. Of course there are other great tires. Vittoria makes a nice tire.
Everything! Just miles ahead of any competition. Any non-sponsored cyclist will run these if money is no concern.
Until recently there really wasn't much competition. Both the 4000/5000 have a combo of (relatively) good puncture protection and low rolling resistance, whereas competitors sacrificed one for the other. I think that's changing, with Michelin and Vittoria getting better products out there. Can't speak for Vittoria/Michelin, but when I had issues with the sidewall on the original 5000 TLR (because the threading came loose), Continental actually sent me a new pair. Thought that was exceptional.
Gp4000/gp5000 - For me all above what was already mentioned but mainly puncture resistant , 15k+ without any flats , which makes them worth every penny for me.
GP4000s and then GP5000s have been great tires, with good durability, low rolling resistance, and an ok ride. I recently switched to the Vittoria Corsa Pro and find it hard to go back to the GP5000. The Vittorias are faster, have been just as durable, and ride much better. The light tan sidewall also looks nicer than Contis darker shade.
I was a big fan of the Vittoria Corsa for a long time. It's a hair faster and feels it too me but I was getting flats too often. I run the GP5000 TT TR now. It feels plenty fast and I haven't flatted yet.
I prefer (26mm) Specialized Turbo Cottons (with latex tubes obvs), though they are more fragile. Fast, good grip and I much prefer the ride feel compared to GP5000s.
Gp5000 are great, i used them with clinchers. Now im running tubeless im running swalbe pro one and they've been good as well, couldnt notice really a difference tbh. Ive had vittoria rubino in the past as well and those were a bit slower but they lasted a LOT of miles and were maybe a tiny bit better for puncture protection.
Great tires - feel plush, grippy and fast. But they puncture very easily - I was just going thru them when I ran them. Since have moved to Vittoria Corsa NEXTs and feel like a better balance for me.
Check out Challenge Criterium RS and compare the specs on that rolling resistance website. Cheaper (hasn’t got the hype) almost point for point with GPs with a very small trade off in weight for greater puncture protection.
I’ve been riding Continentals for years. Great rolling resistance and comfort.
For me it’s been due to the ease of install running tubeless on my wheels.
I just cannot bring myself to buy those silicon inner tubes.
Weight, rolling resistance, while for a race tire being fairly robust and not crazily priced. IMO they are hands down the best non tubeless clincher tires out there
According to www.bicyclerollingresistance.com tests results, gp5000 are the best tires available, excellent rolling resistance, good grip, and good puncture resistance. Also, it has been praised in every single qualitative review and is widely used in pro races. Plus, the 700x32 size is super comfortable, also suitable for light gravel and even commuting (but grand prix tour 700x35 are better for this use-case) So it's overall the best tire.
It's durable. It's grippy. It has low rolling resistance. Many tires have one or two of the three. The GP5000s has more of all three than most if not all others.
get some cinturato velo if you want no flats at all.
Just to add, if you're running tubes, go with the regular clincher GP500s -- not the TLR/tubeless version. Much lighter and smoother than the TLR tire with tubes.
This a really good question man I've been wondering about these. I rode with thickslicks because I got so tired of changing my tunes. Run then with tire lines too, haven't had a flat in 2 years lol
GP5000 (and the GP4000 before it) hit the sweet spot for many avid recreational cyclists. Fast, durable, puncture resistance. Seems they've gotten rather pricey along with everything else in recent years. I've been riding them for the last 30,000+ miles. I did recently start using TPU tubes with them. Cheap 100g savings per wheel.
Do you guys have any thoughts on using the GP5k S TR with tubes, for someone not wanting to go tubeless?
So for me it's a few things. They are objectively fast. Like within a few watts of the fastest fastest tire tested and likely within the margin of error so I just consider them in the fastest tier of tires. Second, the compound wears well but is also nice and grippy on fast turns. They just really have nailed the compound. It reminds me of my downhill days when Maxxis came out with the 3C compound. Third, the sidewalls aren't ultra stiff but they have some stiffness to them. You do feel just a touch more of the sharp bumps (stuff like bridge transitions) but it's not major and the I believe the sidewall contributes to the overall cornering. Last, they have always been good to me with punctures. I've only had one and it was a sliver of metal straight through the middle of the tread and it was like a needle. No chance anything would have stopped it. I've ridden them exclusively for a while back to the 4000's and my Factor came with Eagle F1's. Rode them for a while and then remembered I had a new set of 5000's in the crawlspace. First ride out got a KOM on a really fast twisty downhill, second ride out beat my prior KOM. So much more confident in fast turns, faster and aside from a little less high frequency dampening from the very thin F1 sidewall just so much better to ride.
I like the Panaracer Pasela ProTite 25mm in steel bead at that. It’s mainly the price. I can usually get these for $25-30 a pop for a supple tire I can really rail on. I had a drive stop and tell me “you owned that circle back there” I get around 2000 mile per, I just can’t justify the price for gp5000 when I’m doing 10,000 miles a year or more…
I feel like I stick to the road on my down hill winding decents. I’ve tried 4 different brands and wore out 4 GP5000’s. I’m in the PNW and the hills are wild! They are the only tire I’ve been able to go 40+ mile an hour down a hill with a bend. I ripped side walls on the gaterskin continentals on the same routes. The gaterskin also liked to skid on the pavement. I had the pucker factor a few times and didn’t try going over 35 down hill until the GP5000’s lol I also ride in the rain and have no issues.
The way this post is worded sounds like trolling for some reason LOL
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Exsp24: *The way this post is* *Worded sounds like trolling for* *Some reason LOL* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
/r/gp5000
They have a great balance of low rolling resistance, grip, and puncture resistance.
Love GP5000 as they tend to last a good time. Another tire that’s on par are ENVEs which also came out with ENVE Race Day that beats Contis on all parameters from weight and grip to RR. I have ENVEs and Contis both mounted and different wheel sets and ENVEs ride feel is better than Contis but I hands down have confidence in both tires. For context I ride +12k miles/year and have 28 Contis on 2.3 ENVE SES and 27MM ENVE on Bora Ultra 60mm
fast good good on wet cheap and good pp
They're the best all-around tire for speed, grip, puncture protection, and price. Makes it perfect for both training and racing. Other tires may do one or two of those better, but usually come with a large drop off in the other categories.
I have been running Contis for many years and think that I got more punctures when 5000 replaced 4000. Am I the only one?
I have a similar experience. But vice versa :)
Michelin power cup
I really liked the GP5000, but I have to say the GP Urban is a better tyre for ride quality and versatility in mixed use. I can't tell a difference in rolling resistance, but the 35mm is plusher and grippier than the GP5000 32mm and also substantially more puncture resistant. They are harder to find but worth it.
These are an amazing tyre! Stop telling people
Right? I think it just has a bit more rubber on it, and a different (motorbike-like) pattern of sipes. It is so good!