trigger

Hey all ...

I'm just about to put new tires on the bike that I use most of the time to commute, and I'm curious about the Conti GP 4000 with the reflective sidewall - has anyone here used them?

My only real experience with tires are the Conti Gator Skin which I like very much and the Conti Ultra Sport which came stock on the bike and which I like considerably less.

I'm 155, and the commute is 30miles round trip through urban terrain. This bike will also be my rain bike / winter trainer, so it will see fast rides up to 60 miles sometimes as well.

My primary concerns are 1) flat protection and 2) rolling resistance.

Thoughts on these tires??

LordBass

I have them, but only put about 30 miles on them so far. The GP 4000 is supposed to be long wearing, thought it may slightly lean to better rolling resistance than flat protection. The 700x25 is also said to measure slightly wider (~27mm), so it should give a bit nicer ride. The reflective sides are very bright, too.

IMO this is a fine tire.. Got mine for $43/pair shipped from probikekit. An LBS has it for $57 each.

trigger

Well, if I'd seen the same deal this would have made the decision easy. Looks like they are that price per tire on PBK today. Grrrr.

zpl

I agree that the GP 4000s roll nicely but aren't as flat-proof as Gatorskins. They are a really good compromise if you're not prone to flats in the first place. Otherwise I'd recommend sticking with Gatorskins.

In my case, as a 230 lb rider, I gave up on running them on my back wheel (too many flats). My favorite setup is currently a 700x28 Gatorskin in the back and a 700x25 GP 4000 in front.

Scott

trigger

(Knock on wood) I've only had one flat in two seasons on the Gatorskins ... I ride over lots of crap, not sure if its the strength of the tires, the fact that I'm reasonably light, or just good karma. Whatever it is, I'll take it.

I'll give the GP 4000 a try I think.

M_S

They aren't very flat resistant: more a of a race tire. gatorskins would be a better tire for you.

Cyclist0383

I've found that the new Conti 4 Seasons (with Vectran) offers flat protection that is just as good as the Gatorskin, but has MUCH better wet weather grip.

M_S

That's good to know. Wet weather grip is a big downfall of the gatorskins...as it is for many flat resistant tires. How is wear on the 4 seasons with vectran?

Cyclist0383

Not as good as the Gatorskins, but well worth it considering the much better grip. I think I got a few thousand km out of the rear I just replaced, but to be honest I wasn't keeping track.

Gatorskins scare the hell out of me on wet cobblestones; with 4 Seasons I can go 30 kph with no problems.

noisebeam

I am in the same dilemma.

I have always used UltraGatorSkin 25c. I wanted and decided to try the folding Gatorskin 23c to see if I note the weight savings (it's not just my commute bike and roads here are near perfect), but pbk is out of stock.

So it is between the GP4000 or the 4 season. 4 season seems to be a bit more durable? But the ad copy talks about being wet and cold optimized. Riding right now is 90-110F, with the rare, but possible monsoon thunderstorm. That seems to not fit.

pityr

Im 220# and have the same luck with them as I do other puncture resistant tires. They work well. They are more resistant to punctures than say a real race tire and they roll so very nicely. I have about 800 miles on mine and I love it. I won't buy any other tire except maybe the GP4000 All Season for winter.

I have used gatorskins, armadillos, racelite hardcases, etc and Im sold on the GP4000.