Continental

Wanted to "step up" to Conti Gatorskins to a more versatile road tire. The Grand Prix deliver on road feel and grip. That's the good news. First install is a real challenge. If you are a home mechanic, patience and good tire install technique will win the day - but my goodness, each of these tires fought me tooth and nail on the initial install. Solid tire, wonder rolling characteristics and grip, absolute challenge to install.

Would I purchase these again? Yes, I would. They just ride and grip that nice.

I have been riding these for a year. I ride tubeless and have not had any issues with the flats or cuts. These are comfortable and last me about a year (3k miles). I have older carbon rims that are very difficult to break the bead from the rim in the field, so I can't ride recreationally with thinner tires because if there was a cut, I would be calling an uber.I can mount and remove at home using hand tools and an air canister, They are no more difficult to mount than the Maxxis tires I was using before. I have lost strength in my hands, and have found that I can reliably break the bead with 3 plastic woodworking clamps that have one foot handles, I put these about 4 inches apart, and by torquing all 3 at once, I can get the bead to move into the center channel in that spot, then use normal methods. I need a plastic bead jack to mount, and an air canister to get the bead seated.

The performance standard. I use these to race and train. Best ride quality for grip and smoothness. I'm using the recommended PSI from the Silca PSI calculator. Pretty good durability, I've had some holes that would not seal up with the orange seal I use, no fault of the sealant just too big of a cut. Bummer to replace a $90-100 tire from a puncture, but I have to consider all the smaller punctures that seal and I never know about, and the training miles I put on a race tire. Set up is easy using a floor pump on my Zipp wheels. I've tried many tires over my 54 years on this planet and keep going back to Conti GP's.

Why GP 5000? 1. Fast. Low rolling is far better than Vittoria or Schwalbe tires that I have ridden. 2. Punctures resistance. For such a high performance tire, it is incredibly durable. I never flat riding these tires. 3. Long lasting. Tire wear if less better than competitors. Worth spending a little more, a great value. 4. Grip. Most of my rides include significant descents often on wet roads. These tires corner extremely well on steep, technical descents. 5. Appearance. May not be important to some, but the cream side wall tire is beautiful on my bike. Highly recommend these tires!