edwardmatt83

I'm looking at replacing the stock tires on my trek which have worn out after 2,000 miles- it came with bontrager race lite 700x25 tires. They have been ok- but maybe that is because I don't have anything to compare them to. I've narrowed my choice to gatorskins or gp 4000's but can't decide between the two. I ride 5 days a week on decent roads in Salt Lake City if that makes any difference. I want a durable tire that will perform better than the tires that came on my bike. What do you suggest? Will I notice any speed difference between gatorskins and the gp4000s? Also, I will be going from a 700x25 to a 700x23 tire- will I notice any differences there? Thanks for the help.

sonik90

4500kms on my GP4000s, and they still going strong. Not a single flat yet.

brian416

While the Gatorskins are durable, they ride really rough, GP4000s ride much better and seem more grippy

woodchuck69

Also look at the Vittoria Diamante Pro

comes in both 23 and 25

Carbon Unit

I haven't used Gatorskins but have used 4 Seasons which are similar. The Gatorskins will have better side wall protection but if they ride like the 4 Seasons, and I expect they will, they will ride harsh compared to the 4000s.

The 4000s with the chili compound, which I think is now all of the black tires, is the only tire I will use. They have a great ride quality and they perform well. They are more flat resistant than most tires but the side walls are not as strong as Gatorskins.

laduckslayer

I ride both the Gator Skins and GP4000, depending on the wheel set. I like them both. I have not noticed that the 'skins are a rougher ride, but I do ride chip seal most of the time...luck of the draw I guess.

However, I would shop PBK. You can find them about $30 - $40 less per pair, when they are in stock.

petalpower

To the people sporting the Conti's, are they the 4000 or 4000 S* ones?

I do know that the black 4000 are the same as the 4000 S.

I ask because as a first upgrade, I've been looking at some tires.

Carbon Unit

There is a difference. According to Conti's website, the "S" stands for schwarz which is the German word for black. The black tire is has the Chili compound. The 4000 comes in many different colors and doesn't have the Chili compound.

I may be incorrect in saying that all black 4000 have the Chili compound because the website shows the 4000 also being available in black.

I think the only way to tell is the lettering on the side of the tire. 4000s have the lettering in silver and 4000 have orange box around the number 4000.

https://www.conti-online.com/generato...w_race_en.html

Val23708

4000s and the black 4000 are exactly the same except for the graphics.. so they both have black chili... and the graphics are pretty nice...

the colored 4000's and the gatorskins and 4-seasons do not have black chili

Skewer

Yep, you will notice that the ride isn't as nice on the narrower tire. In addition, wider tires have less rolling resistance when run at the same pressure as the narrower version of the same tire. And for the Conti 4000, the weight differential between a 25c and a 23c is only 5 grams as weighed on my scale. You may begin to get a slight aero benefit from the narrower tire at very high speeds, but in your case, you would likely go just as fast on the wider tire and be more comfortable doing it. JMO.

froze

Actually I like the Conti Grand Prix 4 Season with the Vectron belt and DuraSkin sidewalls. They seem to be tougher then GatorSkin or the 4000's and their only about $5 dollars more then the 4000.

petalpower

Are the 4000 with the black chili better than the colored ones without?

JeremiahW037

As some have said I think the black GP with the black chili compound (GP 4000S) are the best tires made for non race situations ad even then you could race on them, they roll sooo smooth

FrenchFit 

Gators seem heavy and slower to me. GP4000s if the bike and rider aren't over 250lbs. mho

reedpride

+1

The conti's are nice. I am at about 1800Mi on my GP4000 and they are maybe medium wear and no flats so far. Roads are decent but lately they have not sweeped them

edwardmatt83

Anyone finding a better price than me on the gp4000s? PBK looks the cheapest now at about $40 a tire.

Val23708

if in better you mean better performance, then yes. if you mean better as in matches your bike better, then it would depend on other factors.

freako

HUH?? their under 300 grams and you think their heavy and slow? You must be weak! Take up basket weaving it'll be more up your alley.

a1penguin

I decided to replace my older tires because they have cracks in them from sitting uninflated and unused in the garage for five years. After doing a lot of searching and reading a lot of reviews for the gp4000 and ultra gatorskins, I decided that I saw too many reviews that the gp4000 sidewalls had durability issues and went with the gatorskins.

YMMV. But you probably won't go wrong with either of these choices.

I bought the folded ones from wiggle. Search for coupons and you can get 5 EU off and if you spend $81 you can get free shipping to US. Several coworkers order from wiggle because of the good prices. I added a second super flash for my helmet now that it is getting dark for the commute home.

khatfull

I replaced the stock MAXXIS Fuse tires on my CAAD9 with GP4000 (no S) w/black chili. The difference was beyond amazing. This weekend I got a pair of new GP4000S (with the silver graphics) because I took a BIG cut in the rear GP4000 and it was getting close to the wear indicators disappearing anyway, I kept the front for a spare.

I gotta tell you, the GP4000S is a smoother ride than even the GP4000 non-S was. Not quite the OMG of going from the MAXXIS to the GP4000 the first time, but very noticable.

sstorkel

Recently switched from GP 4-Seasons to Ultra Gatorskins. There is a noticeable difference between the two: the Gatorskins are more harsh than the 4-Seasons and roll noticeably slower...

KDGast

I run 4000s and Ultra Gatorskins on my bikes. I do not detect any noticeable difference in speed or ride quality. After many thousands of miles on both, have yet to get a flat.

urbanknight

I switched from Pro 2 Race to Ultra Gatorskins in May, and in June I got a sidewall pinprick flat, then another flat (couldn't find the cause) in July. Still only August with about 1500 miles on the tires and the rear tire is already flattening out on the middle of the tread. I didn't notice any rougher ride like mentioned above, but I expected more flat protection and longer tread life over my racing tires, which I don't seem to be getting.

schnee

I've used both, a lot.

Gatorskins last a very long time and the only flat I ever had was a snakebite, but are a bit skittery on wet pavement. GP4000s last a decent time and have insanely confident grip that makes me a faster rider in the corners, but are susceptible to cuts.

I guess it depends on if you skew more towards practicality or performance. You really can't go wrong with either one.

TrippleB

I run the GP 4000 tubulars and love em. I trust them enough to train on them in the rain and over dirt roads.

Performance wise, they are excellent.

I have a few friends who run the GP 4000 clinchers over lots of training miles.

I think the GP 4000 is an excellent tire. Either tire will serve you well, but from what I hear the gatorskins will serve you better as we head into the debris-ridden winter.