I am 83 and have been riding since the Truman administration. Now I ride 30 miles three times per week at speeds from 13 to 15 mph on a decent road bike. I am no expert on anything but I believe in trying to get the best when it comes to tires for obvious reasons. I have used this and other high end Continental tires for at least 15 years and never had a problem of any kind with the tires. This GP 4 Season sounded like it had the very best features for my particular riding style, safety over speed. In years past I have tried racing tires with no problem but did not notice any significant advantage and they don't last as long and do not give me the feeling of safety that I need. My opinion is if less weight is desired there are better ways to reduce weight than shaving a little weight off of the tires. I do care about speed but you can go a faster when you are not thinking about a fragile tire blowing out on you. I did have a blow out flat one time and it was coming down a steep hill and was able to bring it to a stop without spilling over. Just keeping calm and steady; I was never a really strong rider. I think my fastest ever long distance closed loop road ride was 18.5 mph average, but I can't even do 15 mph these days. Seriously, don't skimp on your tires and enjoy some serious riding at your own level. I am not against racing tires...they are just not for someone like me. One last thing, I take 18 seconds and check both tires before every ride. Although it is rare to find anything, I remove any little rock that is sticking to the tire. I am not an expert on tire technology; I just think the All Season sounded like the best for me, the safest most trouble free, a serious tire.
The Grand Prix 4-Season tire was recommended to me by another triathlete competitor, so I thought I would give them a try. I had previously used the Continental Gator Hard Shell which is great for being puncture-proof, but a little heavy. Now, I absolutely love the 4-Season tires! I ride about 150 miles a week through town and on the bike trails. Some roads can be a little rough, but I have yet to get a flat. They seem lighter and faster too. I have raced 2 Half-Ironman competitions with these tires and am very happy! I would highly recommend these Grand Prix 4-Season tires for both training and racing.
I have used this tire on my rear wheel for maybe about 3000 miles, and it still has some life left in the treads. I haven't seen a flat on this bike for over 6 months over 3000 miles, and I often ride on sketchy roads with lots of debris, cracks, and potholes. It's also pretty light and handles well as far as I can tell. I would keep on buying this tire. That said, the weak point of this tire is the sidewall. The sidewall still is strong, but not as strong as the tread. I used to have this tire on the front wheel as well, but retired it after a sidewall slit from hitting a rock; the rest of the tire is so strong that I didn't get a flat (though the tube bulged out) and safely made it home after 50 miles. Recently, I retired the rear one after 3000 miles again because of a sidewall puncture; I FINALLY got a flat after hitting a super gnarly pothole with sharp edges. The tread held up, and upon inspection, I can see many scratches and dents that would have resulted into flats in other tires. The sidewall was damaged, and a slit formed near the beads probably after I rode on the flat tire for 3 miles on sketchy road to the train station. In the end I'm not sure whether it was caused by the pothole or riding on the flat tire.
Im a 61 year old recreational cyclist. I ride about 20 miles a day during the week and enjoy rides of up to 60 miles on the weekend. Im not fast, I dont own a heart monitor and I dont use a power meter. I ride simply for the joy of it, so I choose my equipment to maximize that joy. I ride an endurance bike and I prefer tires that are quiet, comfortable and durable rather than fast and delicate. For what do, these tires are perfect. They slot in I rly between the GP5000 (faster, but not as durable) and the Gatorskin (more durable, but less comfortable and slower). I currently have these tires on two road bikes and will shortly put them on two hybrids (range of available sizes is another plus). The only two cautionary notes I have are 1) Conti tires all seem to run at last 1mm large - if your frame clearance is tight, beware of this - and 2) There is a black version of this tire and, while it may be my imagination, I think the black sidewall is stiffer than the natural one. Other than that, great tires!
Balanced and Tough Spin without any wobble adjustment needed. I run 100 - 110 psi - hit potholes and rolled over gravel roads without any cuts or punctures.
Stiff and Grip My average weight is 175lb - have never ran them at the 120 psi max. Feel rock hard at 110 and 100 perfect for commuting and night rides for those sneaky bumps and cracks in the road. The grip to the road is superior, instilling confidence to take turns as fast as you can handle.
Highly recommend these tires and this company - Shipping was fast, (once order was processed) price matching was fast and easy, and the selection, reviews, testing, specs, videos, etc. allow you to research a deep a rabbit hole as you want. Will definitely order from y'all again.
I got them at a huge discount, for rides in snowy roads on Mt Wilson and Mt Baldy (snow is mostly by the side of the road and it's easy to dodge the bits of snow on the road) and in the rain. These tires served me well in those weather conditions, though I'm not sure how much better than regular road slicks. I haven't got a flat yet, but I haven't used them for long enough to see how flat resistant they really are. I hope that they live up to their incredibly flat resistant reputation.
I race on the GP4000SII5000 tires and enjoy the performance to weight ratio of those tires. They hold really well in corners and then during club rides they are super fun to descend on and fare really well against flats when compared to the performance provided. When the race season ended this last season I slapped a pair of these 4 Season 28's on the bike and have really enjoyed them. They can handle gravel and sand, they are almost bomb proof riding on roads with highway bits and pieces of metal, and they can be run at lower pressures to make those long training days a bit easier on the body. Rockysemi-paved trails that will occasionally cut the sidewalls of my GP4000SII's are easily handled with these tires.
The one thing I do have to watch for, however, is the grip when descending. I've come loose in a couple of corners and drifted the back wheel at high speed riding them like the GP4000SII's, which is not the best feeling in the world. Totally my fault for pushing the tires beyond what they were designed to really handle, but I throw that out there as a word of caution to just take it a bit easier when on these tires and pointing the bike through some tight corners at high speed. There is necessarily a small drop off in handling when you are getting the durability built in to these wonderful, purpose built tires. I will definitely buy another pair when my current pair finally give up the ghost.
I've yet to get a failure with this tire and I am on my second set. I change my tires roughly every 3,200 miles to be safe but could get substantially more had I wanted to. The 4000s kept getting sidewall failures so I gave up on them. The 4-Season is much more durable and gives an equivalent ride to the 4000s. I was told if durability is your main priority then go with the Gator Skins but if you want solid tires that delivers performance then the 4-Season is the best option. For added protection, I also suggest adding Stans sealant to your tubes and make sure they have removable cores. Careful not to remove the valve cores when taking off the pump nozzle like I did and got 2 ounces of sealant in my face. (Pumps with pressure release buttons will avoid this. )No flats since doing this in over a year and I now ride with peace of mind.
Quiet, fast and handles assuredly on rough country roads. Works ok on dirt paths also. I have it on road bike, and hybrids.
73 year old 168lb daily rider (20-25 miles). I ride hard...for me anyway and I like hills, curves and going fast. I have used sew ups for about 3 decades and loved them despite the frequent flats and expense, the last straw however was losing a very expensive tire the day I mounted it. I talked to a few riders who suggested Continintal's GP 4 season with Vectran foldable bead. I ordered 2 tires plus 2 Continental Race tubes from BTD in 25mm width which was new for me also, they fit with room to spare on my Trek carbon fiber frame. I played with the psi from 90- 110 lbs and at about 50 miles I settled on 100 front and 110 rear. I don't know if the tires actually need break in or if it was just me getting used to them and not playing with the PSI anymore but at around 50 miles I thought they felt and handled better. At first I rode them like sew ups, watching for every little pebble, stick or debris in the road but after a couple of hundred miles with no issues I started to ignore them. Today I have just over 1200 miles...with ZERO flats. They may not be the best in every way but they are fast, they corner very well, are comfortable and survived the goat head thorns this fall. I love these tires!
I ordered these tires as backup to the identical tires I've been using on my two road bikes. They are super. So far - resilient, long lasting and having good grip on the road. And the purchase experience with Biketiresdirect was superb.
I really enjoy riding on Continental tires. Typically in nice conditions I'll be on Conti GP4000IIs tires but, when I know conditions will be poor and the road may not be very nice, I like to slip on these Conti GP4-Seasons.
I've used these tires for when I'm going to do a long ride in the rain or when I'm going to be going over more difficult roads. I feel quite confident taking these tires through a slightly rough gravel trail section without having to worry about a puncture.
I also used these for a criterium which took place in the rain. A few guys fell in a set of technical corners but I was able to get through with confidence with these tires.
All in all, I would recommend having a set of these 4-seasons on hand in case you are going to be riding in off weather. Or if you expect to be riding on mixed roads, they are quite robust in terms of puncture resistance.
As a 71 year old retiree I have the privilege of riding a titanium Habanero crosstour bike with disk brakes for 150 to 250 miles each week. Plus the Continental tired Habanero takes me on 2 or 3 tours of 300 to 400 miles each summer. I pack light (- 40 lbs) and the 4 Season 28 mm tires carry that total 225 lbs over country roads and hard packed gravel with ease. I buy a new set for the summer tours then ride them out in the wet falls and winters of the Willamette Valley. They flat seldom. Unavoidable road debris cuts the tread but the tough core protects the tube. The slight increase in tire weight provides a security tread for all conditions increasing my confidence in cornering at high speeds. Yes, 71 year olds can attain high speeds and corner without causing heart attacks or strokes. I trust this tire more than any (and I have bought and replaced many tires). I could but wont' name a few duds that cost about the same.
I've been riding the 28mm version of these tires in the beating down rain, crud, gravel, branches, rocks and muck on the side of the road in Pacific NW springtime. No flats, traction is very reassuring and the tires feel great. I ride them at low pressures (65-70 PSI) on wide-ish rims. Did I mention the ride feel is great? Comfortable, not harsh. I've ridden other 28mm tires at the same pressure and those others are not as comfortable. Can't speak to long-term durability but so far they are holding up great with a few hundred miles on them.
Note these are muck and grunge training or commuting tires, not racing tires. That's what I rated them as. If you want lightweight racing tires with low rolling resistance, these ain't those. But as winterspring training tires, these are the best tires I've run in years. Very satisfied.
I picked up a pair of these while on sale at a great price. I use them for general road riding/training and for a few gravel-grinder organized rides (Hell of Hunterdon, Fool's Classic). After using several brands/models of tires, these have held up the best for the gravel roads. MUCH better than GatorSkins which I have had terrible luck with tearing the sidewalls on several. This is a much better tire IMO and a better price. Supple enough to use as a daily road tire as well.
I'm 140lb and the 25mm work well for me - I don't like the ride/feel of wider tires. Zero punctures, flats, or tears after many miles of rough gravel.
Have always had good luck with Continental tires, and I especially like the GP 4-Seasons for my winter bike due to its nice ride quality, excellent grip on wet pavement, and decent flat resistance. The tread compound does seem fairly soft, which is undoubtedly why they grip so well, so they may not last as long as tires with a harder compound - but for me that's a worthwhile trade-off. I'm happy to get 1,500 - 2,000 miles on a set of tires and the GP 4-Seasons will do that easily.
I've been using variations of the Continental Grand Prix tire for 30 years. I've used them, not so much because of the ride quality, which is fine, but the flat resistant durability has been outstanding. This new Continental Grand Prix 4-Season edition holds up well riding the rough farm roads in my area while still light weight.
I have used the Vittoria Corsa G2.0 tire in my long ride for a long time.
However the recent ride, I had several experiences with the flat tire in my recent ride.
When I checked the tire after riding, I could see many stone and glass chips nailed to the tire surface, and removing them was a sort of headache and I was worried about the flat again.
Finally, I purchased the Grand Prix 4-season clincher and it was quite impressive because I haven'
t had a flat tire during my 200km and 300km ride even I rarely saw chips on the tire.
I am not sure about grip on wet surfaces, but I am pretty confident on the dry pavement.
If you are worried about a flat during the long ride, I strongly recommend this tire for you.
It's packed with features! The Vectran is tops for preventing flats without ruining your road feel. The Duraskin helps prevent sidewall cuts. The extra soft rubber compound makes the tire grip exceptionally in bad weather. ...and all this without weighing a ton or feeling like a training tire. It's great! But somebody's got to pick up the tab, and it's a bit pricey for a training tire. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.
