Mattyb13

Love my Turbo Cottons but I just got another flat and I am ready to try another tire. Very interested in the Conti GP5000. I know there are tons of opinions out there and even more great tires. However, I am looking for opinions from those that have experience with both. Any compare and contrast that could be offered would be helpful. Live in Tampa Region, central FL. Roads and terrain are flat and usually in pretty good shape. I run clinchers with Zipp lightweight tubes. Thanks.
Bonus question: Anyone ridden the tan sidewall TDF version of the GP5000? Tire looks slick.

drewtk

I used to ride and race on Turbo Cottons and really liked the performance, except that they don’t last nearly as along as a GP4K / 5K. I also had two delaminate where the tan sidewall separated from the main casing. The tires didn’t go flat but I replaced them as soon as I noticed the issue.

I switched to GP 4Ks and now the 5Ks. Great tires from every perspective - long lasting, aero, and good rolling resistance. Can’t go wrong with them.

Germanrazor

I could swear this thread is Groundhog Day!

guadzilla

I use TCs on one wheelset, 5k with tubes on another and 5k TL on a third.

I prefer the TCs over the 5k any day of the week. As per Aerocoach, they are a wee bit faster then GP5ks, although BRR says differently - as far as i am concerned, they are close enough to not really matter too much. The superior ride quality of the TCs is what seals the deal for me.

That said, for my TT/tri bike, however, i run 5ks with tubes - mainly to avoid the risk of flats (my deep sections are quite old and not tubeless compatible).

There was a thread on this topic a month or so ago - you should try to find it.

Rides4Beer

No experience with TCs, but I run GP5000s with Silca latex tubes and the ride and handling is fantastic, and not a single puncture this year (over 8,000 miles so far).

Iride01 

I still have the same answer as in this thread GP5000's vs Turbo Cottons Tires

smashndash

Alaphilippe won today's TDF stage on the turbo cottons. GP5k has never, and probably will never get used in a WT race. Take that for what you will.

Rides4Beer

I couldn't care less about what the pros are doing, riding, using, etc. I don't have a car following me with spare wheels/bikes/parts. I need my gear to be reliable day in and day out, not just for one race/ride.

It cracks me up how wrapped up people are in what the pros are doing. Pretty much nothing that they do has any bearing on the average rider.

noglider 

I haven't tried the GP5000 yet. I'm riding GP4000S-II tires in a 28mm width. That's the previous model. I am super impressed with them. Some folks say the 5000 rides even better. Some folks (maybe not the same ones) say it's more puncture prone than the 4000. I've only had one flat on my tires, and that's good enough for me. I haven't tried the Turbo tire. I say try the Continental. It's pretty well liked. So is the Vittoria Graphene, and so are some other tires. You have many choices.

Germanrazor

I agree my friend. Problem is, some folk feel like pro’s because the emulate them and are on forums stating just how good they are.

I like Conti 5000’s and have no qualms with this tire.

Branko D

While I don't agree with people who say that it doesn't matter what the pros do, it doesn't hurt to analyze why they do or don't do something.

When it comes to tires, use of clinchers at all is pretty much a novelty. Incidentally, Specialized manufacture everything from tires, wheelsets (and in this case, they released super expensive clincher non-TL compatible wheels to go along their latest top bikes) to complete bikes. Continental doesn't have a bike with a super expensive clincher wheelset to sell, it's all the same to them if the teams use their tubulars or 5000s.

I don't think he would have lost the stage on GP5000s.
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Rides4Beer

I've ridden both and do think that the 5000s are a lil better than the 4000s. One thing to keep in mind if you do switch, the 5000s are more true to labeled size, so you'll want the 32mm 5000s to keep the same volume you're getting now with the 28mm 4000s.

InvertedMP 

I have wanted to try the TCs for a while. I have been riding 5ks on two different wheel sets for months, tubeless with no punctures and they have been phenomenal.

Frank72

Cont Gp 4000 IIs on one bike and Gp 5000s on another. Great tires and no flats this season.

JS41989

I have asked this question and though a small handful of people talked about how fast the TC's are, those same people all spoke to them not being very reliable. This was limited lifespan, cotton casing or tread separating from the tire, consistent flats, etc.

That being said, I stuck with the GP5000 which has given me little to no problems.

bbbean 

I loooved my Turbo cottons and ran them for two seasons. Supple, fast, light, great road feel - everything I wanted in a road tire. But I also ride the rollers on stormy days, and a few hundred miles on the rollers and they'd delaminate. If they could fix the delamination issue, I might still ride them today.

They certainly seemed to serve Julian Alaphillipe well yesterday! Tony Martin is a big fan, too.

https://www.velonews.com/gear/road-g...ton-clinchers/

https://www.velonews.com/gear/road-g...lincher-tires/

For those who argue they don't care what the pros use, I'd point out that it is useful to see what the men and women at the bleeding edge of technology use and why. They like to win, and that requires performance.

Germanrazor

I think the point is, we could never afford their gas or most recreation riders like ourselves. So why care. Buy what we can afford and run what does not require a loan to get.

I don’t mind hearing what they have but really obsessing over it is not a point in my life. Their bikes are not off the floor and really if they were, they would be on the highest end of the spectrum which is really insane when you see those prices.

Plus, does not matter if we had their identical ride, we do not have their genetics nor training to come close to their riding.

bbbean 

It is still useful to know what they ride and use. In this case, the OP is already using the same tire some pros use. He can afford the tire.

On your last note, I don't need to win the TdF to want to go fast or to enjoy good equipment. These forums are full of people who do obsess over equipment, whether it's the latest and greatest racing technology, finishing that perfect beach cruiser from 1956 with all mint vintage parts, or designing the perfect cockpit for their weekend bikepacking bike. Obsessing over gear is part of the enjoyment for a great many cyclists.

Germanrazor

It definitely is subjective for sure.....but most really could care less. Sort of like I could care less about Hollywood personas and what they think and would like me to believe.

Tires aren’t the real gas.....it’s the bikes! Most of us cannot afford that premium for sure. Plus, even with all that bling, we would still get smoked like our current rides by these genetic beast.

sfrider 

I'd be more interested in what the TdF peloton rides for training than what they race...
And I could be wrong, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's a whole lot of tubeless clinchers for when the team car is a call away, rather than following.

noglider 

Fast tires really show their value when you coast downhill. My bike takes off like a rocket in front of my wife when we go downhill. It's not useful to any degree, but it's fun.

bbbean 

You sure do know a lot about what "most" people are interested in or can afford.

And again, the point of knowing that Alaphillippe and Martin chose to use a specific tire for a specific stage isn't to outperform them. That's a straw man argument - lets not do that.

Finally, as for "tires aren't the real gas", I'd argue (as would a great many coaches, racers, and commentators) that a great set of tires is arguably the most cost-effective way to improve a bike's performance.

Have a great day!

genejockey 

That was completely different! This one's about Turbo Cottons versus GP5000s!

bahula03

The argument you're trying to make here eats itself as soon as you try to support it with "why" because the why here is that TdF riders are getting paid to use a selection of tires provided by their sponsor. The overwhelming utility of seeing which tires they're using is seeing what a manufacturer wants to sell you as their highest performing tire for a given stage.

Which, if as you're saying, what pros are riding should have such a strong influence on lesser rider's tire selection, how many stages do you think a TdF rider will put on a set of tires before they're binned?

guadzilla

That's too simplistic. If pros prefer Tire X to Tire Y, there are reasons for it. Knowing those reasons can help us make a more informed decision ("yes, I want the same speed", "no, I cant risk the same likelihood of punctures b/c I dont have a support car" or "no, i dont want to pay so much for a tire with a shorter lifespan").

No one is saying we have to ape the pros - as you say, they have different needs than us. But a blanket disregard for data seems self-defeating.