I am a Conti fan, having settled in on the Grand Prix 4 Season tire as my go for many years, after trying several different brands. I got a new road bike a year ago, and thought I wold give the 5000's a try when the OEM tires gave way. Those were Specialized Turbo Pro's, and based on my previous experience with Specs, I thought they would be shot after 500 miles. In fact, I got 3150 out of the rear, and 4000 on the front!
Once I was fully on the 5000's I noticed 2 things right away - they are indeed smooth, fast, and grippy, but the sizing is a little questionable. I moved from being a 700x23 @120psi diehard, to 25's, and with the new bike, 28's running 75 psi F, 85 psi R. (I am 6'2", 180 lbs). If you're an old diehard skinny tire rider, do yourself a favor and try something different - easily just as fast, and waaaay more comfortable. When I mounted the 5000's it was immediately clear that although labelled 28's they were no bigger than 25's. So if you're looking for bigger tires, I would suggest going all the way to 32's - that's what I plan to do if these last long enough to be worth repeating.
The rear tire has 900+ miles on it now, and is showing considerable wear. Lots of cuts and nicks, with one fairly small cut having nicked a cord of the casing. By contrast, the Spec's had many more and deeper cuts, without a single injury to the casing. In fact on removal I saw that the sidewall had been cut along the radial line about 1" all the way to the casing, yet the tire performed flawlessly!
A word about rubber- these 5000's new out of box had noticeably less rubber on the wear surface than my 4000 mile worn Spec did!
If I can get 2000 miles flat free, I will consider another pair. The Specs went their entire life flat free, which is amazing. Plus they were a dream to ride.
Some reviewers commented on sidewall weakness. So far, no problems. Also, others say tires difficult to mount, but mine went on pretty easily, FYI. Lastly, I believe these are an improvement over the 4000's, as my experience with those was that they flatted like crazy.
I've lost track of the number of Continental tires I've owned. Quite a few 4000's followed by a couple of sets of 5000's. I rotate them every 1,000 miles, so between rotations and rare flats, I have a fair amount of experience mounting/unmounting these.
At some point a couple of years ago, I felt like it had become a lot harder to change tires. I figured that maybe I didn't have as much hand strength as I once had. But then I bought a new bike that came with Specialized Turbo Pro tires. When it came time to rotate, oh my gosh -- what a difference! The tires were actually easy to change! Now it could that my previous troubles were from some interaction between the Continentals and my Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheels, but when it came time to replace the Turbo Pro's, I asked around and read reviews and noticed that I am by no means alone in having trouble with the Continentals.
So I'm going to try something else for my next set of tires. I may come back as I like the 5000's and was getting a couple thousand miles out of them, but I'm hoping that I can get easier maintenance and the same performance out of something else.
Before taking the new road bike tire for a spin, I reviewed the technology first. The Grand Prix 5000 has a 12% lower rolling resistance, a 20% better puncture resistance and 10 grams less weight according to Continental. The tires puncture resistance was improved and I put that to the test. While out for a ride we encountered a large patch of glass. My buddies all got flats. I pulled some glass shards out of the tire. No damage and No Flats... The tire smoothly glides over asphalt and my bike has no problem accelerating.
Got the 28c recently, noticeably smoother and grippier than the 25c at slightly lower psi and based on initial impressions, can't say I feel any slower. Cornering does feel more secure and if the 28's are supposed to perform better in wet conditions than the 25's then even better as the 25's worked fine for me in the rain. Will see how long these last. So far no punctures on my 25's after 2000 miles but perhaps I just jinxed myself...
I been using continental 4000S tires for a long time, Now that the 5000 came out I wanted to try them , and I am not disappointed , it feels fast and grippy just like the old one . If it is as durable as the 4000 I am a happy cyclist. Of course durability of any tire depends on the terrain and the weight of the rider, I am pretty light and I am lucky that most of the roads in my area are pretty smooth. The only downside is installing the tire for the first time can be difficult, it fit pretty snug. Tire lever are a most ,
The Continental makes for a smooth comfortable ride. They absorb some of the roughness of the road. I also found them to be puncture resistant. I had only two flats all year. For a tire that grips so well in the corners, they wear very well.
Purchased three 700X28c GP5K's. Anticipating my standard rotation of two rear tyres (expecting 3K miles ea.) / one front. Say four to six months of riding. TOTAL usage from these three was <250 miles. Three mystery (non sidewall) cuts, from mystery debris that shredded the tyre even thru the liner and created emphatic tubular flats. My first ride, 30 miles rolled, following the group and Bam, one rear tire gone. We scouted for what could have caused this and nothing was found. Called up the 2nd tyre and new Schwalbe tube and had a fine ride. GP5K provided comfort at speed, confidence in cornering, was agile and quick. Then two days later another Bam moment. Put the front GP5K on rear; placed a used Vittoria Corsa Control on front and enjoyed a twin bammer day in less than 100Km. Theory, desert southwest summer asphalt temp.'s, speeds all near 25 mph, and a design flaw where what should be a tiny debris cut cascades into a major tyre/tube destroying tear.
I've used other GP4000 / GP4000S tires in the past and was not impressed with them. They didn't offer the rolling resistance or cornering grip I liked.
The GP5000 tires (in 28mm) changed that. I find these tires are great for all around riding, cornering grip and rolling resistance.
Unfortunately, you can't get everything. These tires are soft and can be punctured pretty easily. I would avoid running over any glass or thorns. I've gone through many tires already, but I accept that fact for having nearly "race-tire"-like performance on a daily basis.
Buy these tires if you want grip, but accept that they can and will be punctured. I hope you have extra tubes and co2 cartridges while riding! I had both tires go flat from riding through an area of thorns. Not fun.
These tires are also quite expensive, but if you can find them on sale, buy them! When they were half off, I bought three pairs of them. I just love these tires but accept they're fragile.
Every day cycling enthusiast, riding roughly 200 miles per week. I've always ridden Conti 4000s, then these came out and gave them a try. They're expensive at my LBS, which is why I got them on this site. The GP5000s are just as fast as their predecessors and more durable than before. The 4000s tended to get weaker over time , before they were fully worn , especially in the sidewall. The 5000 have lasted for months without issues or punctures (that may be luck) of every day use in southern California. They are long-lasting, grippy, inspire confidence on the descents, and are fast rolling. I'll not buy anything else.
I bought these at a good sale price a few months ago and put them on last week when my 4000's were getting flats to easily. This is usually a sign to me that they needed replacing-about 3000 miles worth of wear.
The new tires were a tight fit on my DT Swiss carbon rims but the new bike tire tool, a Crank Brothers Speedier lever, lived up to its name. It made mounting the tubes much easier than putting on the 4000's , which was what led me to buying the new Crank Bros. tool in the first place. The tires look good on the bike and ride well with better grip on the turns than the previous ones. The ride is comfortable, too. I'm not sure I can tell if they have less rolling resistance. Obviously, I can't comment on longevity or flat resistance yet but usually have good luck with Continental products.
Try these tires. I think they are a good example of continuing product improvement by Continental.
I've amassed 2600 miles on these Conti GP 5k tires. The rear tire is just now showing the flat wear so time to rotate. No flats (did I jinx myself here?). I've ordered another on sale already. Good value when they are the Deal of the Day.
The Conti 5000s are great. Not only do they roll true to size, but they last for thousands of miles. Put 4000 on a set I installed in June...and now am thinking I finally need to replace them. Only two flats all season...and one was in my driveway! Great value.
I am an avid cyclist of mostly group rides that range between 20 to 75 miles over flat to hilly terrain. Back roads with some countysecondary roads to help connect the dots. I was a long time user of the Continental brand between the GP4000s and the 4Season. I went between the two depending on the season, weather, and the amount of riding where durability was more sought than ride quality. I would trade between the two by switching out the tires. I ride a 500 mile7 day cycling fundraiser every July in the Northeast US so that alone causes some flux as to what tire to use. I recently went off course by trying out the Vittoria Corsa G which claimed to have vastly improved its durability by way of a new material called Graphine. The first two sets where super fast and buttery smooth. The third set which was used over the 500 mile ride rendered the ugly durability head by rendering three flats. I have since switched back to Continental as I was made aware of the 5000s. Of course they are on par with the Corsas in terms of speed and roll resistance but I've been told the 5000s were made with a 20% improvement on puncture resistance. I just took them out for 40 miler and have to say they are impressive from a ride quality and rollspeed standpoint. I did not flat during that ride but honestly its going to take a much larger sample size to determine just how much more durable they are than the 4000s, the Corsas, and whether they're close enough to the Conti 4Seasons which while very reliable deliver a slower ride with greater vibration. Ruins the experience a bit.
I'm very happy with the 5000s but jury remains out on the surviving the rural routes.