Continental Tyres.

drkawaszelong
drkawaszelong Posts: 260
edited October 2011 in Road buying advice
Hi,

quick question, what's the general feel for continental tyres? i'm looking at getting a pair of Attack/Force or GP4000s to replace my set of ultremos. which one is better? also, what are schwalbe duranos like? any good?

TIA :)

ps i don't want vittorias, :) too expensive for their top tyres!

Comments

  • Hi,

    FOR SALE: 2 x Continental GP4000S Black Tyres! - £45 Posted

    700 x 23C & Only 200 Miles Old - Like New

    http://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/conticycle ... 000S.shtml

    http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/7043/crw0057.jpg

    £45 Posted / Nearest Offer

    PM / Reply

    Thanks
  • i can get a brand new pair for £50, and i'm looking for advice!!!
  • ajb72
    ajb72 Posts: 1,178
    Continental in general make superb, handmade tyres.

    I have run the GP4000s this year with just one puncture, after 2000 miles they still seem to have plenty of life left. They are great tyres, plenty of traction and roll very well indeed. They are certainly more robust than the Michelin Pro Race 3's I always used until this year.

    I am tempted to switch to the Attack and Force combo next, if you look at the Continental website they are more of an all round training/racing tyre than the 4000s, although not much in it.

    The 22mm front tyre and 24mm rear seems to make a lot of sense, but I don't think you'd go too far wrong whichever set you bought.
  • Make me an offer and you could have a set of these tyres or you could swap me your ultremo's for these?
  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    Had few complaints with GP4000S. Great grip, great puncture protection but wear out quite quickly. Ah well, no such thing as a free lunch etc. etc.
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  • 06townsonj
    on the picture you provide, it looks like they're splitting by the side wall, and i'd like to buy new, but thanks anyway :)


    22/24 does seem to make alot of sense, and i like how they have been "designed individually" for front and rear (or it's just good marketing.)

    i think at £50 a pair they seem to be good value for money? but they both are £50 a pair, so i don't know which ones to get!
  • I've been using 4000s for a few years; 700 x 25 or 23. Seem to get over 3000 miles on the back, a bit more on the front. Good feel, nice and sticky.
  • blu3cat
    blu3cat Posts: 1,016
    Initially ran GP4000s 23s front and back, but being a *ahem* larger man (around 100kg at the time), I found I was getting a few more visits from the pf on the back than I wanted (about 1 every 6 weeks).

    The gp4000s are good tyres, grippy, fast, nice feeling and unless you're a lard-a*se like me offer fairly good p*ncture resistantance.
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  • flasher
    flasher Posts: 1,734
    Run GP4000s on my 3 bikes, best general purpose tyres I've used, and not had a puncture in over a year!
  • so GP4000s has been given a big thumbs up. now, any attack/force or durano owners? :)

    thanks for all the help too guys!
  • mattoo
    mattoo Posts: 27
    Love the Conti GP4000s but changed to Vittoria evo CX and they are rapid!
  • Yes the Attack/ Force are great tyres. Fast and handle/ corner well (I think the different sizing does help). The only problem is that the puncture protection isn't as good as other tyres. I used them for commuting and the glass did course problems, which saw the rear tyre retiring before it was worn (hole so big you could see the inner tube through the tyre).

    I think I will go for gp4000s on my road bike next as I believe they're a bit tougher.
  • RedJohn
    RedJohn Posts: 272
    Haven't used Duranos, I've been running a set of Stelvio Evolutions, a predecessor of the Durano, for 2-3 years. Done about 2500 miles, maybe 2-3 punctures in that time*, roll & grip & ride well, I'm very pleased with them.

    * Best way to avoid punctures: stay out of the gutter!
  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 17,079
    edited October 2011
    for commute/general i use gp4000s - they're great tyres with reasonable puncture resistance, in wet weather they will cut/puncture more readily

    i've got attack/force on my shiny bike - excellent, the slightly wider rear gives better ride and imho a bit more traction, but these are lighter tyres, they do wear faster than gp4000s and puncture resistance is lower
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    Best tyres I've had. Force and attack are very p******* resistant for a fast tyre. Had three pairs and literally worn them out. Third winter with Ultra gatorskins without a single flat. I was flatting pro3race on a weekly basis.
  • northpole
    northpole Posts: 1,499
    I still haven't tried gp4000's - mainly because I love the attack/force combo. I'm sure the rear wears pretty quick compared to some others but what the heck, they're fab tyres. If you can get them for £50, after you've secured your, let us know where!

    Peter
  • following the good comments on the AF combo, i've bought myself a pair for £50...

    at Planet X! only 5 pairs left!
  • racingcondor
    racingcondor Posts: 1,434
    I don't actually think you'd notice much difference between Attack/Force and the GP4000S.

    GP4000S are great tyres for the UK. Good puncture protection, grip well (including better than most in the wet), roll pretty fast. The only complaint I have is that the ride quality is awful compared to a race quality Vittoria or Veloflex. Unfortunately you can't ride them in winter in the UK because you'll puncture before you're out of the garage.

    I train/commute on GP4000S and race on Vittorias. I keep being tempted by other tyres but I haven't found anything else that has the wet grip of the Conti.
  • Used GP4000s for a few years. They are great and I tend to go puncture free for a very long time and I commute 20miles a day on fairly ill repaired roads (as everyone does).

    Only thing I'd say I have now had 3 incidents of side wall splitting. I have repaired two with a puncture patch and some contact adhesive :oops: and they seem to be OK. One split happened after only a few weeks of use.

    I'd still recommend them though, they look good and give you a great deal of confidence. Particularly in comparison to OEM tyres.
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  • northpole
    northpole Posts: 1,499
    In part feel compelled to agree with racing condor re vittoria tyres - when the road surfaces permit they are the best. Thing is, for anyone weighing more than 60kg, they require someone to clear the path of any sharp objects. They cut up like nothing I have come across before. When circumstances permit, they also provide the best quality ride I have experienced - for both speed and comfort. Interesting dilemma, but one I gave up on a while back. I've had both Corsa and Open Pave, the latter managing to chuck me off my bike going round a gentle but slippy corner during a sportive - didn't enjoy the last 25 miles!!

    Peter
  • i think i'll give vittorias another try in a couple of summers time. will see how i get on with the AF combo first! hopefully they won't cut up a easily as the Ultremos i have atm!

    other than that i really liked my Ultremos tbh. Fast, really grippy and light.
  • foggymike
    foggymike Posts: 862
    I use GP4000s on my winter bike and attack/force on my best bike. I change them both after 12 months as they seem to get a bit baldy by then, but I do swap them just before the wear indicator holes have completely worn away. That seems OK to me as far as wear goes. I average about 1 puncture a year, if that, so no complaints there either.

    Grip is about the same as you'd expect, but I find the A/F combo a bit more comfy with the bigger rear tyre on my stiffer race bike, and with the smaller front tyre they should be a bit more aero for fast riding.

    I also use my winter bike on the turbo, so if I want to swap front and rear around when the rear gets a bit squared off I can as they are the same (which you can't with the A/F). The grip in the wet is excellent with the black chilli compound.

    That's why I split them that way anyway. Works for me! Both very good tyres IMO.