Continental Grand Prix 4000

I started riding on GP3000s 10 years ago and moved to GP4000 3 years ago when they first came out. I highly recommend these tires to anyone who wants a durable, high-performance clincher that can take all of the 'junk' that roads can throw at you without flatting. I weigh 190 lbs and get about 2000 miles from the rear tire and 2500-3000 from the front tire.

I'm a 200lb avid rider and ride a couple hundred miles a week (more in the summer). I don't compete in races, but my local club rides are very competitive. These tires never let me down. They are fast on the flats, have great traction for descents and feel light and responsive on the climbs.

With my size and power, I put more wear on tires than most riders, so the 1500 to 1800 miles I can get out of a rear tire feels pretty reasonable given the performance. I get more miles out of the Black Chili variant, but I like the way the blue and red tires look on my bikes.

Flat protection seems about as good as other high performance tires. I do get an occasional flat, but generally not in the first 1000 miles. I've only had one sidewall cut that required tire replacement in dozen or so tires I've gone through.

I try the other contenders once in a while just to make sure I'm not missing anything, but keep coming back to the GP4000. Compared to the Pro3 Race, they seem a bit more durable and definitely suffer less from microcuts in the tread. They are more supple riding with a bit more traction compared to the Fortezza Tricomp.

Love these tires. Very tough and flat-resistant. The reflective sidewalls are hard to find but I've ordered for two years in a row from BTD.

After reading a couple negative reviews on these tires, I had to chime in. I've tried all the top brand race tires - Michelin Pro3, Vittoria Open Corsa CX, Vredestein Fortezza Tricomps, Schwalbe Ultremo, and the GP4000. I have to say that the GP4000 with Black Chili tops the list when it comes to durability and flat protection while still offering exceptional traction and handling.

But these are an ultra-performance tire. Don't expect the kind of wear you can get from Gatorskins or Krylions or Rubino Pros. Race tires will typically wear out in about half the time compared to training tires. But if you're pushing the limits on descents, it is well worth the extra piece of mind.

After a 40 mile ride, I couldn't wait to take the tires off. I switched from Michelen Pro 3 racing tires to these and I felt like I was riding my mountain bike. There was so much rolling resistance. I don't know if is was the rubber or the higher psi or the tread or simply me. I am a small female cyclist and really noticed the difference. They felt sluggish. After 3 more 40mile rides I capitulated and took them off! I'm trying to find a happy medium between the Michelens, which don't last very long and the Continental 4000.

I run GP4000s on my race and commute bikes. Over the past two years, I've had no problems with sidewall tears or damage from road debris. I run them at 95-110 psi in year-round conditions over crummy urban roads. I experimented briefly wPro Race 2s but found them too fragile and prone to cuts, so I swapped them out and remounted the Contis.

I bought the Continental Grand Prix 4000 based on the reviews tauting their flat resistance. I agree that this tire is VERY resistant to flats, but, unfortunately the tire wears very fast I bought my tires in July09 and by Sept09 I am buying new tires. After 900 miles, I am seeing the tire threads through the outside tread and I am afraid that I will take a fall if I continue to ride on these tires in this condition. Needless to say, I will look for another tire until I am satisfied with both flat resistance and wear. I say this in my most humble opinion, I like to ride long distances 17-20 mph, but I am not in the class of most reviewers that can notice a distinct difference between a racing vs touring tire.

Ended up buying a set of 700X25 and find that these are the best riding tires I have ever ridden. Already have about 1500 miles on them and no problems thus far. I just bought another set for my higher end rims and they ride just great!!

I have been using the GP4000 tires for 2 years. My current set of tires has been on the bike since July of 2008. During this time I rode approx 150 miles per week for training, numerous centuries, 2 MS150's, and 2 RAGBRAI's on this set of tires. The only damage to my rear tire is from road debris that I could have avoided. I run them at 120 psi and find the overall performance good.

I've been using Conti tires for about 4 years on my bike and my wife's bike. Started with the 3000 model and lately the 4000. Agree that they are not prone to flats, however I noticed today on four pair of 5 month old tires with less than 1000 miles some disconcerting cracking around the radius. Any one else notice this problem? I might try another brand next time.

First off, the GP 4000 in black is the only color with the Black Chili compound. The other colors offered are not made with that compound and that info came directly from Conti. I put these on my bike in the spring of '09 and it wasn't until about 2200 miles later when I got my first puncture in the rear tire. The tread wear dimples a GREAT feature I wish all tires came with were showing it was close to replacement time anyway. Before that, a piece of something worked it's way into the tread, but I dug it out and inspected the inside of the tire and noticed the casing was stressed but not breached. I put a tube patch over that area as a reinforcement and it seemed to help.

The tires seem to roll fast, and offer good grip, though I don't race or ride aggressively. I run mine at 120 psi, ride about 200-220 miles per week and am 175 lbs. The only drawback is what I call de-threading just above the rim on both tires. I've never had a sidewall blowout or handling concerns during descents at 30-35 mph. I have over 5000 miles on the front tire for the season and will probably replace it in the spring. Yes, I'd buy again and have.

I'm writing in to warn folks about Continental Grand Prix 4000 700 x 25 and folding tires with black Chili compound. I've only been on these a month and I've had one flat and 3 good-sized tears in the rear tire. The roads here in Taiwan are in fantastic shape road my Conti Gatorskins here all last year without incidentso I was REALLY surprised to see these things coming apart so quickly... we're talking around 300 miles only. It's too bad... they grip well on the many descents around here and I like the extra volume of the 25s for improving the comfort level of my bike. Won't buy them again though.

I have a nice road bike that I use heavily recreationally, in training and to race in triathlons. I bought a set of the Contintental Grand Priz 4000's in April and replaced my rear tire in June before a race because it had a lot of tears from junk on the roads. One month later, I'v discovered another deep tear in my rear tire that I'm worried about. Hopefully, BTD can give me some advice. I can't afford two bikes or two sets of wheels at this time so have to make due the best I can.

Im sure glad I was able to purchase two cases of the old 650x20c GP3000s right here at BTD before they were gone. I ride a Handcycle and when you put three 650x23 on handcycle its like there is a governor on the bike. It wont even roll down hill!!!

I emailed Continental two and a half plus years ago to see if they were going to make a GP4000 650x20 and they said the new 650x23 is better and faster. Do you believe that nonsense? Do you think a wider and heaver tire is going to be better? Come on BT-Direct I know and you know if Continental made a 650x20c GP4000 or GP3000 you, I and everyone else would be very happy. Keep squeaking people because like they say "the squeaky wheel gets the oil".