What makes a great road bike tire? It’s the perfect blend of low rolling resistance, puncture protection, reliability, longevity and feel and the Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR checks all of the boxes.
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Gear I’m Riding and Into ↓↓↓
Favorite Road Tires: Pirelli Race TLR https://amzn.to/49jhn7i
Classic Tires: Continental GP5000 S TR https://amzn.to/3ZdCD9Q
Gravel Tires: Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M https://amzn.to/4ghsTCj
Sealant: Orange Sealed https://amzn.to/3ZjIOt9
Road Race Bike: Specialized Tarmac SL8 https://geni.us/dD4d
Gravel Bike: Specialized Crux https://geni.us/USRdxh
MTB Bike: Epic 8 https://geni.us/1APpjc
OSPW: CeramicSpeed OSPW RS https://amzn.to/4eVD8v6
All-Around Helmet: Kask Protone Icon https://amzn.to/4f0y093
Road Helmet: Specialized Evade 3 https://geni.us/ReXn7
Road Shoes: Specialized Torch https://geni.us/ALhUC
Gravel/MTB Shoes: Recon Lace https://geni.us/tzba
Computer: Wahoo ELMNT Bolt https://amzn.to/45VERgm
Saddle: Pro Stealth https://amzn.to/3sVd9S7
Chain Lube: CeramicSpeed UFO Drip https://amzn.to/3B19Opd
Road Wheels: Enve SES 4.5 https://geni.us/yy3ao
Gravel Wheels: Reserve 40|44 https://geni.us/1iKt6Z
Valves: Fillmore Valves https://geni.us/uQQTZ6
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0:00: Intro
0:25 Tried and True
0:53 Rolling Resistance
1:39 Sponsor: Hola Adios Creative Agency
2:07 Reliability
2:27 Long-Term Reliability/Longevity
2:59 Road Feel/Tire Pressure Recommendations
3:32 Trade-Offs
3:54 Experience = Trust
if you could design the perfect roadbike Tire would it focus on speed having a super low rolling resistance or would it prioritize puncture protection what if you could design a road bike tire with both I’ve tried dozens of tires and just like you I read and watch reviews I ask friends for recommendations and I read bicycle rolling resistance.com like it’s the Holy Bible and guess what after all the experiments and all the blisters from changing tires I keep coming back to the same ones the Continental Grand Prix 5000 Str strs for the too long didn’t read crowd the Grand Prix 5000 Str strs have a super low rolling resistance they’re reliable they wear well and they feel great making them my go-to tire for just about every scenario and for those who want the deeper dive let’s start with rolling resistance because we all want to go just a little bit faster over the years I’ve come to trust the tire data and reviews from bicycle rolling resistance.com Mr jaro Beerman has never steered me wrong the they rate the 28 mm version with a rolling resistance of 8.5 watts and the 30 mm version with a rolling resistance of 8.6 watt for comparison that’s within 3 watts of the fastest Tire tested at 5.6 WT whereas the slowest Tire tested came in at 22.6 Watts with these tires you can feel the low rolling resistance especially when coming from other tires I don’t know what it is that they put in this black chili compound but the gp5000 Str strs much like their predecessor processors the gp5000 TLs they just feel fashed like right out of the box today’s video is sponsored by Ola aios Ola adios is a full service creative agency that I’ve used on a handful of projects with great success whether it’s your personal brand if you want to start a Shopify store you’re trying to figure out how to sell on Amazon or just get a basic website they’re the guys you get in touch with after you’ve tried the DIY routes and you’re frustrated with the results just like I was I’ll drop their info below tell they might sent you for 20% off your next project now back to a regularly scheduled program they’re also surprisingly reliable especially considering their low rolling resistance I’ll occasionally ride Solo in the mountains well outside of selfservice and the last thing that I want to do is leave the house with a questionable set of tires and yes you can make the argument that tubless is more reliable but I believe that not all tubless tires are created equal I’ve said before that most tires tend to perform well and remain reliable for the first I don’t know 00 to 1,000 Mi then you start to see the real difference between the good and the great tires now I’m currently riding a set of gp5000 STS that probably has 4,000 M on it the wear indicators are starting to fade and even though they’re starting to age I haven’t had a single puncture over 4,000 Mi they still perform exceptionally well and I wouldn’t hesitate to take them on some kind of like Off the Grid Adventure they just seem to go and go forever all that and they still feel really good on on the road they’re Supple they grip well they’re predictable and they’re simply a joy to ride over the years I’ve ridden the 28s at 60 PSI 30s at 55 PSI and 32s at 50 psi I found them all to feel plenty fast although I will admit that I have felt the additional weight and maybe an arrow penalty when I’ve gone from 28s to 32s no matter the size these tires have a consistent feel with the Comfort increasing As you move up to a wider tire at the end of the day there’s typically a trade-off if you want the fastest Tire with the lowest rolling resistance you’re going to sacrifice puncture protection if you want the best puncture protection you’re going to end up with a tire that rolls slowly and feels now terrible on the road and the gp5000 strs well there’s little to no tradeoff it’s kind of like that perfect intersection between performance reliability and Longevity anyways after trying more tires than I’d care to admit after tens of thousands of miles this continues to be my tire of choice the one that I come back to time and time again it’s that one that gets me home safely and it’s the tire that I trust there used to be this old Michelin tire ad that said because so much is riding on your tires and I think that holds true we put so much trust in that contact point between us and the pavement if you’re looking to save a few Watts or you’re curious about these tires I’ll post a link to Bicycle rolling resistance.com which has been a huge help for me over the years and you can compare them to the tires that you’re currently riding I’m continuing to put more miles on the new Shram red explore access group as well as the road group and I’ll be back with more thoughts on those soon anyways until next time [Music]
47 Comments
25’s, 28’s, 30’s or 32’s?👇🏻
I ride gp5000. Not sure what the suffix is. 25 mm. With vittoria laytex tubes. Fast, great grip
They are also a nightmare to change. I’ll take the PZeros.
Pirelli TLR RS gives up almost nothing RR wise, but gains you a lot of puncture protection and grip. S TR is king no more
Hi, i was thinking of a Fray as you said in your review you had PB's over the "most aero bike you owned" – Venge. But now you say the SL8 is the most aero and fastest and most comfy. Is the SL8 faster and more comfy than your Fray? I can t keep up with the contradictions and would like clarity.
Please do clarify as we value your opinion – even if you are American! Or ignore my comment.
Have you try gp5000 tt tr. I think they are one step better than gp5000 s tr
Who rides them on 25mm? Tell me if there are any nuances? What is your driving experience? Are there any pressure restrictions?
Presumable TR means tubeless ready. So my question, how hard is it to install the tire with a tube inside? Great presentation.
I have been riding Panaracer GK slick in 32 and love them. But now I am gonna try these soon.
PR came on my MOOTS RCS and loved them after 10k miles
Depends where you ride. In one year I’ve had to put two plugs in my tubeless GP5000s, and last night I got a screw puncture square in the centre of the wheel. I’ve had heaps of minor punctures that have been sealed up thankfully. (I wish their tan wall version looked better – meaning, had a wider tan section like the pirelli’s)
Wonderful information I was just deciding and this is just what I needed, quick question how many miles until these tires die?
Is the normal gp 5000 the Same tyre but you cant run them tublesse? Because they are cheaper. Since I dont want to Ride tubless could I just by the gp5000?
In the description you put the Pirelli Race TLR as your favorite tire. Kinda conflicted now.
I don’t use TLRs because I don’t know how to care for them and mount them. I trust tubes but the 5000s are my go to tires. best on the market for me.
can anyone tell me the actual tire width of 30-32mm GP5000STR on your rim with a known internal width? my rims have an internal width of 17mm and I suspect that the final tire width will most likely be 1mm less? thanks!
As someone who has run Contis for decades, mostly Grand Prix 4 Season and GP4000, I’d like to upgrade to the GP5000s. I see on the Continental web site there are 4 different models of the GP5000. What are the differences? One looks specific to time trials, but there’s a GP5000, a GP5000 S TR, and a GP5000 AS TR. What are the differences? TIA
I just installed a set of 32mm on my Trek Emonda. I went with tubes after a 1 1/2 years of frustrations riding tubless (different tire, not a good experience). Does anyone have any experience with these with tubes? I weigh 165lbs, thought I would run them about 60psi to start.
35’s anyone ?!
No the sworks turbo rapid Air tubeless ist much better. Smoother….and more grip in wet condition….
Continental GP5000 S TR have awful puncture protection. They look and sound amazing on the road, and ride fast, but for me it wasn’t worth having to stop roadside to fix a puncture every time I went out for a ride. By comparison I’ve used Vitoria Corsa N.EXTs and only had 1 puncture in 1.5 years. And I literally had to ride over a mound of glass for that to happen.
I have a bontrager rim with stock bontrager tires, will i go faster if i change the tires only or i need to upgrade my rim as well
can i use em in mtb cycle ?
Try the new Pirelli RS range. Same as GP500, but far better puncture protection both thread and sidewall; at least according to my experience during the last 6 months.
Try the new Pirelli RS range. Same as GP500, but far better puncture protection both thread and sidewall; at least according to my experience during the last 6 months.
Continental GP 4 Season 25. I live in outer London near Heathrow Airport with terrible roads, wet quite adding aviation fuel to the mix.
I’m too old to worry about rolling resistance/ watts & FTP. Oh also Rim Brakes till I can’t ride anymore.
I was looking at these and the 4 season for my 2017 Fx3 and 2025 Domane AL 5. Decisions.
So why are all of the pros using Pirrelli?
Have you ridden the GP Urban?
GP5000’s great tires. I also like Ritchey Race tires.
If I only use tpu tubes and don't plan on using tubeless is there any reason to get the Str vs regular gp5000 clincher? Because they are heavier
Conti GP 5000 TT TR, faster and better then STR..ride both
https://youtu.be/b-WqeDjm72A?si=pmZsSPk_IKlZyD5r
Vittoria Corsa pro speed is the real number 1.
i really love my goodyear eagle sport tire on my my pinarello dogma.. much better ride than these harsh/stiff tires 700/25c 88psi
It’s spring time now turning into summer in the Rocky Mountains, I just put a set of GP5000 S TR on my road bike I immediately noticed a slight decrease in rolling resistance very small but it’s there, time will tell, so far I’m liking what I see.
I agreem but on paper the new P zero Race TLR RS is better, with more puncture protection and grip and just a little bit more rolling resistance, so i will try them out next. But I'm pretty sure Continental will go back to dominating the market with the GP 6000 tires
Literally sitting here after watching dozens of videos..with blisters on my thumbs after changing out my Continental gp5000str 30mm to Continental gp5000str 32mm 😂.
Got about 3,000 miles out of my last set can't wait for my first ride tonight with the new ones!
It also is rubber technology. First, the low rolling resistance is quackery and an abject failure of methodology. Critical intervening variables that affect tire performance are compound, contact patch, TIRE TEMPERATURE AND as these change with tire wearing. As such, the "low rolling" recommendations by the site turned out LOW GRIP and v slow, which any motorsports aficionado knows. Less grip = less speed esp for the rear tire. Over the years, Continentals, car and tire turned out bulletproof as low as-5C! Michelin cycling tires and Pirelli Pro would slip below 15C! Pair these with a Colnago V4Rs and it puts that SL-8 to shame, as I learned first hand.
Im a pirelli fan (admittedly). I just picked up the p-zero race tlr rs in 30mm. Im simply amazed at the level of grip I have now. Far better than the specialized mondo tires that came on my bike. Its very noticable when stopping or turning.
I havent had them long, so no clue on longevity. My pirelli gravel tires lasted great though!
Continental GP 5000 = very poor quality, fast but Michelin power cup is faster.
What about the tires unraveling. I have had other versions of the gp5000 start to unravel little threads from the sidewall after time. Do these do the same?
I like Pirelli’s slogan. “Power is nothing with out control”
Agreed. Durable, fast with good side wall protection.
How difficult to mount?
ONLY if you are tubeless. This tire is a nightmare to get onto a clincher rim and a tube. I accidently ordered this tire and it has been sitting on my shelf. I needed to replace my regular GP5000's that got a cut. But when I grabbed this tire, i realized it was different (GP5000 S TR). I figured, no big deal.. i will use it. But this was an absolute nightmare to get onto my DTSwiss rims. I pinched two tubes putting this on. So I scrambled at lunch to go buy two regular GP5000's because they are so easy to put on, I do not need tire leavers. They might be nicer tires, but only if you can get them on and you are running tubeless. GOOD LUCK.
Hey so which one do you recommend 30 or 32 in the GP-5000?
Solely going of bicyclerollingresistance I've bought Michelin Power Cup TLR.
According to BCR, they have lower rolling resistance, better puncture protection, and better grip in the wet.
I bought them in 30 instead of the tested 28. They inflate to 31.5mm on a 21mm internal rim.
I've never ridden 5000's , but am quite pleased with the Michelin.