Probably the most popular road bike tyre for good reason, here’s my review of the Continental GP4000s.
When you’re banking into a corner at speed, how often do you think about the effectiveness of those two tiny rubber contact points between your bike and the planet?
Continental GP4000S Review
Two tiny points of friction to hold the world in balance.
We expect rather a lot from our tyres, when you think about it. We want them to be light so they’re quicker to spin up to speed, and keep there. We want them to be durable, and last for miles and miles whilst repelling all thorns and bits of glass and other debris out to burst your bubble. We want them to be affordable, naturally and some people even want them to look funky. One of the best selling tyres on the market is the Continental GP4000S. I’ve just ridden my first ~2,500 miles on a set, and here’s what I think of them. It’s my own subjective take, drawing comparisons with some of the other tyres I’ve used over the last couple of years.
1. Confident cornering. These are grippy mutha suckers.
Apparently it’s got something to do with black chillies. Whatever the real reason, these tyres have never made me feel that I had to be really tentative, as others have. Many times when I’ve switched to a different tyre it’s taken time to adjust, but for some reason the GP4000S felt natural and responsive from the very first spin. Like an extension of my own body, man. Switching from Michelin Krylion carbon tyres (which had been highly rated by Cycling Plus magazine at the time), the difference was astounding. I never trusted those Michelins, they felt hard and ‘disconnected’ in some way.
2. Durability.
My summer bike had previously been wearing Schwalbe Ultremo ZX, which had initially been a beautiful tyre to ride on. Sadly, they suffered from premature disintegration. The sidewalls started fraying and they just looked unsafe, as though the tube might have popped out at any second like an alien from John Hurt’s stomach. Shame. Having done a similar mileage on GP4000S, they look barely worn. Integrity is still there, and there are very few cuts or gashes. They also have two handy little dimples for you to gauge the level of wear. When you can’t see the holes any longer, it’s time to replace them!
3. Low rolling resistance. These things shift.
I first upgraded to GP4000S tyres on my winter bike, replacing the stock Specialized Flak Jacket tyres. The difference was instantly noticeable, and it was possible to maintain higher cruising speeds for the same effort.
4. Weight
The 23mm version comes in at 205g which is pretty light. Sure, there are lighter tyres but they won’t last as long. The GP4000S may well be the optimum balance between weight, durability and performance.
5. Puncture resistance
Blah blah blah vectran belt. I’ve never had a puncture on these tyres. Ever. In ~2500 miles. Compare that with oh, far too many on the Flak jackets. The Schwalbe Ultremo ZX also suffered a few. YMMV, as they are say.
6. You’ll want another set.
Of all the brands of tyre I’ve used, these are the first ones that I’ve re-ordered. In the past I always tried a different tyre because of some niggling imperfection or fault. Not so with the GP4000S, there’s nothing to pick holes in. They do everything you want them to.
7. There are discounts available!
The retail price of a GP4000S is a whopping £49.99, but thankfully there are loads of online sellers competing for your business and offering chunky discounts. Wiggle usually offer them at a 30% discount, as do Chain Reaction Cycles. See price comparisons lower down the page….
And don’t forget good old reliable Amazon, and get a set for £25.10 (as at 16.12.13).
[taq_review]
Also worth considering, for winter especially, are the Continental Grand Prix 4 Seasons
Continental GP4000s Price comparison
Update: the price tables now include the more recent GP4000S II upgraded version
Here’s a very convenient table of various prices from the main retailers.
The prices automatically update, so do bookmark the page and tell your friends.
I’ve been using these for this summer and I love ’em. That said, I did have to replace the rear one as a puncture put a slash in the sidewall bad enough that you could see the tube after about 1000miles. It was the first proper puncture I’ve had in a couple of years though so it’s hard to complain but it’s a shame to bin the tyre with so much tread left. I immediately re-ordered the same though, I think I’ve ‘found my brand’,
Nice article. Funnily enough though I had had almost the completely opposite experience. Started on the Schwalbe Ultremo ZX and loved them after thousands of miles of trouble free riding. They got cut up a bit so thought i would try the GP4000s and got a split first ride out. Right through. Replaced it and rode about 1000 miles on them but got more punctures then with the Schwalbes. Then I got another split.
but my losses and went back to Schwalbe Ultremo ZXs and so far this year have ridden just under 2000 miles without a puncture, including the Manchester to London in 24 hours challenge and the Ride London Surrey 100 puncture free.
i will stick with the Schwalbe’s but I guess everyone will have different experiences.
Strange isn’t it? I would imagine they have pretty stringent quality control processes but there’s always a chance that some “Friday afternoon” samples get out by mistake. Having used both, I’d be happy using either, to be honest, but I did find the Continentals a bit more durable.
Interesting article, I can relate to some of the points but overall not impressed with GP4000s and would not buy another set.
I am only an enthusiastic amateur and cannot say I can detect any increased rolling resistance compared to any other “racing” tyre I have tried.
The big problem with them for me is puncture resistance or lack of it on Hampshire roads. The set I have (had) cut up very badly, they are too soft and in less than 1000 miles I have had nine punctures, nearly all small flint shards that have penetrated the vectran layer. I have now retired them although there is still plenty of depth left to the dimples.
The Mavic Aksions they replaced were a lot tougher and I am currently trying Michelin Pro 4 Course.
PS Like your blog
Just out of interest, what pressure were you inflating the tyres to?
110psi
Odd isn’t it? I guess there must be variation within batches, and perhaps you’ve been unlucky and/or I’ve been lucky. I’ll let you know on my next set!
Changed to set of GP4000 (25mm) from budget Conti Ultra Sport a couple of months back and imediately felt a difference in grip and speed. The GP’s save almost 1/2 lb over the Ultras which goes someway to explain increased average speed, but I have much more confidence in their grip after a couple of spills on damp roads with the others. No punctures yet after 1000 miles of mainly poor roads, so very happy with my investement so far!
Had gp4000s 25mm for a year, just 2 tiny side wall punctures recently, best tires i have had. 4500miles on them just ready to change…
Wiggle are doing a pair for £55 at the moment, which is the cheapest I’ve seen them, I think.
I’ve used Conti GP 4000’s year-round for four years. Usually I buy a new set in Spring when they’ve been battered through the winter. I’ve never had any major slashes on the sidewalls or main rubber. They are a softer compound so little cuts are going to occur. That said, I’ve had far fewer p****ures than with any other tyre. These are a great all rounder.
Yeah well you can buy them for me, they’re really really really expensive, let’s not forget it’s just skinny piece of rubber you could get car tire for this money… Don’t get me wrong, I’d like to try them but never for this kind of money, I have ultrasports and I’m faster than guys on those overpriced tires anyway and they got amazing grip, can’t imagine any grippier tires besides cornering has alot to do with frame geometry, something people overlook.