Grand Prix 5000 Tubeless
 

Ordered from Chain Reaction and arrived in 2 days. The fragrance is awesome...like Discount Tire. :)

These are the 32mm flavor. It's going to pain me waiting for the weekend to install them. Maybe I can sneak them on tomorrow night.

-Matt

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...267340c6e.jpeg

Nice! Please post up your thoughts after a few rides.

I mounted a set of 25's and even though I have a set of Vittoria Corsa G+ on another bike with really low rolling resistance they felt noticeably lower rolling resistance. The traction also seemed pretty good as well. I haven't really pushed them though.
My problem with the Continentals was that the traction was so good that they wander all over the road with every road irregularity. Also they wear out rapidly and the traction surface is thin. But I couldn't think of a better tire for a racer to use because of the traction. The problem is the expense and the speed at which they wear. The Vittoria Corsa's seem to wear forever and they have very good directional stability.

I had my first ride on a set yesterday. They felt really smooth. Rolled nicely on the descents.

Ouch. Is ~$85 each the typical overseas price for these or have they been dipping lower?

A cat 1 or 2 racer on youtube called Cycling Virgin said that though they feel fast, they don't seem to dig into asphalt as much when cornering. The Corsa G+ is supposed to be the gold standard in grip with 4C, so I'd be interested in knowing whether you feel as comfortable pushing the 5k in corners. I'm afraid that Conti might have sacrificed a good amount of grip for rolling resistance...

I was able to get them for $62.88 from Merlin, still a bit more than I like to pay but I really want to try them out.

https://www.merlincycles.com/contine...0c-129411.html

Yeah, still spendy, but saves more than 50 bucks on a pair. :thumb:

I almost bought a pair, but I have great tires on now. I need to wear them down. :)

5000 size
 

Will be curious to hear what size your 32's measure out as. I have some 21 internal width rims I would like to use. My current gp 4000's in a 32 measure out at 33 and some change.

I'll try to remember to measure them tonight. I'd guess close to 33mm.

-Matt

UPDATE

I got the tires installed last night. Easiest tire install ever! I installed them on Roval SLX24 wheels, replacing a set of Roubaix Pro 32s. The rims had already been taped from the previous install, so I just wiped them off with a paper towel and slipped the 5000s on. Tire levers were not needed. Put in 2 ounces of Stans race. The tires aired up with a standard Bell bicycle pump. 30 pumps aired each tire up to about 80 PSI. From watching the air gauge built in to the pump, they sealed immediately. And, there was no need to adjust how the beads set, they just popped right into place. Very, very user friendly install.

The tires definitely roll better than the Roubaix Pros. I took a 30 mile ride this morning. Over the same route I've ridden many times in the past few months, my moving average was .6 MPH faster than any previous ride with the Roubaix Pros. I'm not a speedster, so this is all the more impressive. Interestingly, the last time I rode this particular route, my moving average was again .6 MPH faster, with the same heart rate. Wind speed and direction were similar.

Going back to my ride data from when I was running 28mm GP4000SIIs for a few weeks, it appears the 32mm 5000TLs are again slightly quicker.

As far as comfort goes, they seem very, very similar to the Roubaix Pros. If I had to venture a guess I'd say *very slightly* more comfortable, but that's hard to judge from a single ride. And if they are, it's likely due to the slightly lower pressure I'm running in them (about 5 pounds less than the Roubaix Pros.)

The tires are a little expensive, but were very, very easy to install. I'm very pleased so far, but only time will tell. It will be interesting to see how they handle punctures, and how they break in as to speed and comfort over the next few thousand miles.

-Matt

Very encouraging feedback so far from people using them. Glad to hear it. :)

Wow. Good feedback. Glad to hear it went well. Looking forward to the continued updates. Cheers.

Wider tubeless have always been easier to install and seat. Hope the 25s work similarly.

I'm always curious to hear how these measure. I have heard that the 5000's measure narrower than tubed 4000's of the same "marked" size. In some applications (aero wheels, etc.) the difference can be important.

I have both the Corsa G+ clinchers and the GP5000TL's. There is NO QUESTION that so far I haven't cornered the Continental anywhere near as hard as the Corsa G+. I have been astonished at not just how well the Vittoria cornered but how effortless it has been. Corners that I would have to set up carefully for and take my entire lane from white line to white line, on the Vittoria you just ride around like it is straight road.

The Continental does not appear to have anywhere near the directional stability of the Vittoria. But it does roll fast and perhaps it's just a case of getting used to them. I have a camera on my bike and I videoed a couple of rides. You can tell a distinct reduction in weaving as I got the first 100 miles on them. And in tight maneuverings the GP is superior.

When properly fit to the proper rims they measure the same. I measured the deep carbon clinchers with 25 mm Vittoria's and Deeper carbon tubeless with the GP5000TL's and they measure the same width with a micrometer. Within measuring error.

I'm not worried about Vittorias. I'm specifically curious about 4000's vs. 5000's. Conti tires (including the 4000's) have traditionally measured up to 4mm wider than marked. (The 25mm 4000's on my ENVE wheels measure 29mm wide.) Rumor has it that the 5000's are now more true to the marked size -- meaning they are somewhat narrower than the equivalent "sized" 4000. So, switching from a 25mm 4000 to a 25mm 5000 may yield a different width tire on the same wheel.

I just went out and measured them with a digital micrometer. The Scwalbe was a little more than 23 mm wide - they are supposedly 25 mm. The Vittoria Corsa G+ and the GP5000TL's were exactly the same at 25.9. This measurement was the total width of the maximum sidewall which is slightly wider than the tread surface. The inside bead lock on the clincher and tubeless wheels is about 18 mm and probably 23 mm max outside measurements.

I have 28 mm tires on my Time VX Edge because the bike is so stiff it is unrideable with high pressure 23 mm tires. The 28's are Michelin Pro4's with really low rolling resistance. They are a little slow even though they are better than most other tires (expressly Gatorskins) But the Vittoria and Continental GP5000's are faster.

With my entire load on the Colago, I suppose it weighs 215 lbs so I think that a 26 mm tire would probably be a bit better. But that isn't made by Vittoria or Continental.

By way of update...I posted in another thread that the rear tire took a puncture that would not seal after a few hundred miles. I went back to Specialized Roubaix Pros. My LBS finally had a pair of GP5000TL in 32mm today, so I grabbed a new pair. Hopefully they don’t meet the same fate as the last pair and the GP4000SIIs that died prematurely.

-Matt

Is that because of the tire or because of the Stan's Race? I still see overwhelmingly negative feedback on online for Stan's (regular or Race) at road tire pressures.

It’s hard to say. I was running Stan’s Race, which did not seal what seemed to be a fairly small hole. Not sure what caused it but I’d say it was finish nail size. So I tried to plug it. The plug made the hole larger and kind of tore a tiny flap in it. I have half a pint of Stan’s left that I might as well throw it out. Stan’s really should have plugged that hole. I ran Orange Seal when I put on my most recent pair of Roubaix Pros and that’s what I’m running in these new 5000TLs. I had a puncture large enough that I heard air escaping that Orange Seal sealed in less than two seconds. Fast enough that I didn’t even have to stop to add air to the tire.

When I get some spare time I’m going to try to patch the inside of the old tire.

-Matt