Background
Continental is a multi-national German automotive parts and tire manufacturer, founded in 1871. Despite its globalized structure, the company is the only producer of high-quality bicycle tires handmade in Germany'.
At the beginning of my '2nd Bicycle Spring,' I did not pay much attention to where my tires have been produced. But political and economic developments let me reconsider this opinion. Consumers have an undeniable purchasing or money power, buyers can and should support free 'humane' countries which care about sustainability and the environmental impact of their products. Compared with China, Germany is a peaceful country trying to get to terms with its neighbors since the end of World War II in 1945.
Reason
For several months, I have ridden on my favorite Continental GP 5000 tires and have been very satisfied with them. They carried me reliable over different road surfaces through all kinds of weather, except snow, without any fault or, more specifically, without any flat for thousands of kilometers.
Surfing through several bike mail-order stores online, I discovered Continental Grand Prix (without 5000) clinchers were also 'made in Germany'. These 'all-round tires with solid construction are made for sportive tours in demanding terrain' (from the original packing) caught my eye. A surprisingly roughly 1/3rd cheaper price than the GP 5000 produced by the same factory made this tire a very sensible choice. So, I've decided to purchase a pair.
As the rear Panaracer RACE-D EVO 3 of my racing bike showed some serious wear, I've decided to replace it with the new Continental Grand Prix black clincher tire in the same 700 x 25c size.
Price
Taiwan is a 'trade-mark conscious' country, so it was worth importing these tires directly. The costs were €25,00/tire, incl. partial shipping costs as part of larger order.
Weight
My bamboo-covered scale showed 238 grams (700 x 25c) for one folding tire. This is close to the official weight of 230 grams as shown on the homepage of Continental.
Montage
The Continental Grand Prix tire was easy to mount. I dismounted the worn Panaracer and, as both old and new tires have the same size, re-used the inner tube. The new tire slipped on easily; only for the last few centimeters, did I have to use one tire lever.
On my internal 13.7mm wide rims, the 700 x 25mm tire measured 26mm wide. The yellow Continental mark with the silvery Grand Prix looks understated, a German flag followed by the 'handmade in Germany' lettering spell quality.
Ride Quality
For a fair comparison, I've pumped up both front (Grand Prix 5000) and rear (Grand Prix) tires to the same recommended pressures of 120psi/8.5bar, used the same Continental butyl inner tubes and both mounted them on the same rim.
After having used the GP5000s in both 23mm and 25mm sizes for over a year, I immediately noticed a slightly softer ride on the Grand Prix. Small road bumps (including the road markings) were better absorbed, and my Scandium alloy framed bike dampened the harshness of the ride better than the previous tire. As both Continentals feature the same exclusive 'Black Chili Compound', the ride characteristics like speed, cornering, and braking are so similar that they are difficult to distinguish from one another.
Plus:
- very (!) reasonable priced
- easy to mount
- robust
- low rolling resistance
- lightweight
- consistent high quality (handmade in Germany)
Negative:
- none so far
Conclusion
In my opinion, both the Continental Grand Prix and Grand Prix 5000 are very high-quality, capable, reliable, and reasonable light tires. While I found the Grand Prix is a touch more comfortable all-rounder for cost-conscious riders, its GP 5000 cousin is the harder tire for racers. The officially 5 grams per tire weight penalty of the Grand Prix (225 vs. 230 grams) is very negligible for any amateur.
I was much surprised by the Continental Grand Prix's low price of this good quality 'handmade in Germany' tire. How it will hold up on Taiwan roads only time can tell...
Several months and 100s of kilometers have gone by, and I still have to fight negative points about the Continental Grand Prix. I often mix them with my GP 5000s, and I still can't feel much of a difference. They are so reliable and fast, that you just ride and forget about them completely. Even with Latex tubes, I never had a flat. If rain or shine, they stick on the road and road markings, on straight roads and in corners they behave undistinguishably at a very high level.
I would give two thumbs up to these smooth-performing Continental Grand Prix tires and will, of course, consider them in the future!
Ride carefully, Gerhard