My disappointing experiences with the Vittoria Corse G+ tires they still gave me some more appetite for alternative 'high end' tires. The difference of quality tires is too obvious to ignore.
Thanks again to the internet I've discovered that the German tire manufacturer Continental just released the successor to its highly popular Grand Prix or GP4000, the new GP5000. A new tire means years of research and development, a high investment in manufacturing and marketing. I thought this might be a good opportunity to test these tires.
HISTORY OF CONTINENTAL
The 'Continental-Caoutchouc- und Gutta-Percha Compagnie' was founded in Hanover/Germany on October 8, 1871 as a joint-stock company. Production at the main factory in Vahrenwalder Street included soft rubber products, rubberized fabrics, and solid tires for carriages and bicycles. In 1892 Continental was the first German company to manufacture pneumatic tires for bicycles.
Today Continental is the only German bicycle tire manufacturer to produce its (high end) tires in Germany. In the technology and development center in Korbach/Germany, engineer constantly develop new technologies such as the Black Chili compound and the ultimate Vectran™ breaker anti-puncture technology, both used at the top end of race tires by professionals in the peleton.
PRICE
I rode to my trusted bike shop and bought two black folding 700x25c tires in the original box. In Taiwan, there are some 'illegal' OEM or plastic bagged Continentals in circulations. I bought my tires for NT$1250/€37.80/US$42.45 per tire (Jun 01, 2020) in original retail packing.
The matte black rectangular box has a shiny silver '5000' printed beside a cut-out window which shows the tire from the outside. There is a lot of information in English and German printed on the packing, a drawing explains the construction of the tire. The packing also an additional multi-language manual with a large QR code stuffed in the folded tire.
WEIGHT
My bamboo covered kitchen scale showed me a lightweight 214g/tire for the black clincher in the size of 700x25c. This is the lightest tire I've ever owned, even 26g/tire lighter than the Vittoria Corsa G+ in the same size.
TECHNOLOGIES
The Continental GP5000 is, in my opinion, a technical masterpiece that includes:
- BlackChili Compound:
refined special synthetic rubbers with proven natural rubber to high-performance tread mixtures. To these mixtures we all soot (impure carbon) particles are optimized in shape and surface properties. The complex compound technology is so sensitive that tires with the BlackChili Compound are produced exclusively in the German Korbach plant.
- Active Comfort Technology:
Embedded in the tire construction the Active Comfort Technology absorbs vibrations and smoothens the ride.
- Lazer Grip
The lasered micro profile structure expands over the tire’s shoulder and provides outstanding cornering.
- Vectran™ Breaker
Vectran™ is a synthetically manufactured high-tech fiber from a natural model. Like spider silk, Vectran™ is a liquid-crystalline polymer (LCP). Vectran™ is spun from the melted liquid polymer Vectra and processed further to a multi-strand thread. Spider silk-like Vectran™ has an enormous tear resistance at a very low weight: Exactly the right properties to process into a premium Continental bicycle tire as a puncture protection insert. A Vectran™ Breaker is lighter, more flexible, and protects more effectively against cuts than the comparable nylon breaker. Vectran™ Breaker does not adversely affect the rolling resistance.
All the above details result in a great all-rounder. The GP5000 is neither the lightest, nor the fastest, nor grippiest, nor the tire with the most puncture protection in the Continental range - it is an allrounder.
MONTAGE
It was quite an easy task. It took me only two tire levers, one less than the previously used Panaracer EVO3s. The fitting was spot on my Campagnolo Khamsin wheelset without any fiddling to let the tires seat properly on the rim. Contrary to some reviews there is a direction indicator on the wall of the tires - without it, the Lazer Grip would show in the wrong direction...
EXPERIENCE
I haven't ridden these tires yet but mounted them on my 'Italian style' dream built. It has a NOS (New Old Stock) Reynolds 853 frame with carbon rear stays and full carbon fork, a Campagnolo Khamsin wheelset, 3T handlebar, and stem, Prologo saddle plus a complete Shimano 105 groupset. I will try to sell this bike, if I should not succeed, I will ride it by myself.
A Word of Caution
Always ride with a helmet and in a way that you are in control of the bike and not the other way around. Ride responsibly and defensively, be prepared for a worst-case scenario! It is senseless to gain some seconds but spends weeks to recover in a hospital and/or at home for a stupid action! You, your body, your parents, your family, and friends will surely appreciate your precautions before, during, and after a bike ride.
Take care, Gerhard I've owned these tested tires, mounted, and rode them for thousands of kilometers by myself. I paid for my Continental GP5000 tires (1st Generation) out of my own pocket, I am neither endorsed nor sponsored by anyone. Subscribers, followers, and comments are more than welcome!
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