Conti Tyres - Time for a Change, or Not?

Conti Grand Prix GTs are a good halfway house. I've had them on my commuter for yonks. They're grippy (same compound as GP5000s) and feel fast. Strava tells me that I have done 9,271 km on the current pair, which I am frankly amazed by. They just don't puncture, even on the crappy, debris-strewn north London roads I commute on.

Always been disappointed with Gatorskins.... As mentioned they don't seem to have rubber that is better suited to cold wet conditions than "normal" tyres and yet I've also had as many punctures on them as with any other tyre. Didn't I read somewhere that normal Gatorskins (not the hardshell) don't have any more puncture protection than say a GP4000?

I'd probably avoid 4 Seasons too, again because having ridden those also the rubber doesn't seem any better for cold winter and wet conditions than a GP5000 or any other similar tyre.

So if it was Conti I'd go for GP5000 or if not Conti then I would recommend Hutchinson 11storm tyres, either the performance or all season version. I've run the tubeless version but the non-tubeless would be the same compound and should be similarly grippy.

Another vote for the four seasons,  so much more grip than the gatorskins they replaced. Having broken my hip on the skatorskins last January,  I  will never ride them again! Not had a puncture so far since starting riding again in June. To be fair,  been riding the Gatorskins for years troublefree,  but within 400miles on new 28mm tyres lost the front wheel on a bend that I have gone round for years and never want to repeat that experience again. Hospital food to be avoided! Safe riding  and merry Christmas all.

Another vote for gp5000s. When I switched from gatorskins to gp4000s it was a revelation, so much faster. If you aren't using your road bike in poor weather go for those, they served me well for 1000s of kms until I got 2 punctures in a week and then it's time for new ones.

Also check out -

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/

Which gives a good indication of both rolling resistance and durability for most tyres.

Another vote for Four Seasons as the (good) compromise option.

The word I got from Conti via someone in the know at British Cycling was that the Conti GT was the best compromise, quite a bit of puncture proofing but with the grippy black chilli.

I used to ride Hardshell 25mm on my winter bike and had some scary moments on group rides lacking grip when others didn't, and I still had punctures. So switched to GTs and hasn't had problems, and the grip is much better.

I've riding tubeless since 2017, and wasn't overly happy with Schwalbe One which seemed a bit keen on tearing after a puncture so wouldn't seal.

I've moved onto Conti 5000Tubeless Ready and found them easy to fit with good technique and they were designed with a built in sealant layer so in theory didn't need sealant but they've dropped that now. I ran with sealant but in 2 years all I've done is replace for wear and pump up (4000 miles on rear, 8,000 on front) and add a bit of sealant.

I would say that our ride rarely has punctures compared with 10 years ago - group rides this year 3 times a week with average 10 riders, I think we've stopped for 4 punctures. I predicted 2 of them after riding through viciously flailed hedge clippings, so I think tyre quality has gone up a lot.

At least one of those punctures was an overly worn tyre where the carcas had failed.

My other puncture tip is if you running through axles, make sure you have greased them (I used anti-sieze) and checked that they undo. My Giant had a rear through axle that was glued my the laquer when new and the shop hadn't undone it on the PDI. Another rider had to call a taxi to get home as it couldn't be removed, even the bike shop struggled.

Really enjoying 32mm tubeless tyres this winter, it seems to be an extra bad pothole season and I've got away with a couple of holes which gave someone else a pinch puncture.

I have Gatorskins on my winter wheels, and GP5000 for the summer months on my best wheels, so can attest to the merits and limitations of both. The Gatorskins are much, much more resiliant than the GP5000 but as others have said they are noticeably slower and have a harsher feel. 

I hate punctures particularly in the cold and wet so am willing to sacrifice speed and comfort for reliability. This year my switch over was after I had my second puncture (thorn from hedge cutting), yet no punctures in the Gatorskins in the past 4 years.

The step up from Gatorskins is Conti Grand Prix 4 Seasons.  I have them on both of my most-used (mudguard) bikes and Gatorskins on both my tourer and my tandem.  I have GP5000 tyres on my jazzy bike.  Go with the Grand Prix 4 Seasons if you're looking for p****ure protection primarily. 

I tried Gatroskins many years ago and they were ok.

In the summer I then used GP4000's - now I use GP5000's. They are much nicer to ride than Gatorskins but yes - you are correct that you will get the odd puncture. Personally I'm happy to pay that price for the nicer feel. 

As a happy medium I have switched to GP 4 Seasons during the winter - not quite as nice as the GP's but not as harsh as the Gator's.

As OTR asks - are they for summer or winter use? 

ETA - As your getting new tyres for Chrimbo, why not get new 'summer tyres', GP 5000's and keep the Gatorskins for winter?

Are these for winter use or when the weather improves? Personally I have used GP4000's all year round for many years and now use GP5000's all year round, are they more puncture prone? I have never used Gatorskins but I can't say that I have noticed anymore punctures than any other tyres and I can cope with the odd puncture, usually caused by thorns left by farmers or glass.