it doesn't make any difference which way the tire is put on so long as it is dry outside. The thread would only make a difference if the thread was going into something (i.e. water, mud ect.) But it is apparently impossible to hydroplan on skinny road tires, so direction doesn't make a difference either way.

For that very reason. I found it hard to believe these were directional... and sure enough, the arrow is just a nod to the OCD crowd.

Remember, Conti's a German company:

"Ze tires vill rrrooolllllll zat vay, und ONLY zat vay."



I accidentally installed a pair of these tires with the arrows facing each other. The bike wouldn't move.

It was weird.

I'm 195lbs and I've put over 3000 miles on a tire and it still had some depth to the wear indicators. I've had a few flats and have destroyed a tire on a piece of glass that put a large 1 inch cut through the tire. I have the 4000S's but haven't put them on the bike yet.

I presume we are talking about 700x23 tyres here. I would like to move this thread on a little by saying the GP4000 seems to hang on to glass it picks up from the road, and the ride is more harsh than than Michelin Pro 2 race. Same size, same pressure. I am regularly picking glass shards out of my GP4000 tyres but not out of the Michelins on my other bike. I get more punctures with the GP4000 tyres as well. As my tyres get slashed to bits I am swapping the whole lot over to the Michelins. By the way, the ride on 700x20 GP4000 is a shocker.

Interesting point. I am very curious about this, as I am trying to decide what tires to buy for the upcoming season....and am trying to decide between the conti 4000 (or 4000s) versus the Michelin Pro 2 race. Is there a general consensus that these two are more or less equivalent when it comes to performance and durability?

Just got the Black Chilli Attack/Force combo. This doesn't really have anything to do with this thread.

Thank you. That is all.
- - The Mgmt.

Pro3Race now.

I've never heard any real declaration that there is significant performance difference between the GP4000 and P2R.

Yeah, Conti tires (at least the GP4000s) come with one heck of an instruction manual. It took me longer to find the English instructions than it did to mount the tire. And all it said was do not put too much pressure in the tire- What if I want to run my tires at 300 pounds?