GP4000 tyre - me unlucky or them poor?

sopworth

I've been using Cont GP4000 for about 3 years now. I've had them on both my TT and road bike but I've been running 25mm Gatorskins on my winter ride (no dramas with those bad boys!).

In the last 12 months i've had to buy 4 new GP4000 due to the tyres ripping, tearing and opening up. Only last Sunday I had a puncture and found a bit of shrapnel lodged in the tyre wall. Took it out only to find a gash about 8mm further down the tyre. If I put anything close to 100psi in this tyre, the slit just opens up and clearly not good enough to ride on.

I've always purchased the brand as I kind of bought into their reputation of reliability and strength - i'm struggling to see these benefits now.

None of the tyres i've had to replace have covered more than 600miles and the roads around here are no worse than the rest of the UK I guess.

Granted, I could be going through one of those spells of being mighty unlucky and catching every shard of glass/metal etc, but it just seems to common now.

Maybe I should just run Gatorskins all year round! Anyone else had problems with GP4000's?
S

andrewjoseph

No, my wife and i use them on our bikes for day rides for years. I must have about 2000km on my set now. There are a few nicks in the tyre but the sidewalls are fine.

There are loads of threads on here about it. I think the concensus is that they are among the best value tyres for normal riding.

wishitwasallflat

They are very good and very popular - you have just been unlucky - they make and sell millions so it is unavoidable that some will have issues and search on here will show you. Remember though the truth of retail is - An unhappy customer tells 20 people - a happy one tells 4.

antsmithmk

I had similar happen last year. I had a nick down the middle about 10mm... When inflated the tube was visible, had to bin the tyre after approx 500km. I just put it down to bad luck

adamfo

The MK II is now available which should be an improvement.

gubber12345

Have had a set for maybe a year now and have a few slits in them.only had 3 punctures and 1 was down to hitting a stone,2nd was due to a pinch flat(although tyre was hard I just hit the hole too hard) and 3rd was a slow puncture picked up I think by a small sharp piece of gravel whilst going through some roadworks.done about 2000k on them so not bad.dont like the slits on them so put a set of vredestein tricomps on my new wheels recently as recommended by a few people on here, have to say very happy with my choice but would say your just a bit unlucky.still using the 4000's tho on my second bike.

DiscoBoy

Try the pro4 service course.

ManOfKent

I think GP4000s are in the top five topics on BR. A quick search should give you enough complaints and compliments about them to keep you reading for hours.

sopworth

You guys are correct - should have done a search!

I think I have been mighty unlucky with them as there are plenty of happy campers with them.

Cheers....

josehernandez

Lost three in a fortnight last year. One blew out on high speed descent, one going over a cattle grid and the other had a hole where the inner tube was bursting out like a hernia. Not a big fan!

binsted

sopworth wrote:

You guys are correct - should have done a search!

I think I have been mighty unlucky with them as there are plenty of happy campers with them.

Cheers....

Well heres a camper who is not happy, would not buy them again or Michelin procourse4, I will stick to gatorskins

iron-clover

I must admit I'm quite happy with my pair- I run Gatorskins and recently Vittoria Rubino pro's and they're easily the best of the lot- they feel a lot softer/ smoother even at the same pressures as the others, and have enough grip that I can relax for a bit and take corners with more confidence (although I am generally pretty poor at cornering).

I've had my new pair for racing and TTs for around 1000 miles so far, and the rear one has just lost the mold line, whereas the front looks almost new still. Even after a wet and flint filled weekend in the Peaks. There are virtually no nicks on either so far either.

Unfortunately my current pair of Gatorskins hasn't done as well- with the front suffering a sidewall cut at around 700miles, and is now destined for the bin as each repair just isn't strong enough to hold it together... The rear tyre also looks like it's been run through a war zone with all its cuts and nicks, although to be fair it has rolled through the worst winter I can remember and still hasn't p******ed yet.

cougie

I've had them for years with no dramas at all. Yours might be a bad batch ? Speak to Continental maybe ?

alihisgreat

I've ruined two brand new Michelin Pro4 SC in the last month... These things happen. Its just unlucky!

I don't think GP4000s are ideal for winter riding though.. You can get away with if if the roads are relatively debris free.. And if you're lucky.

Nick Cod

DiscoBoy wrote:

Try the pro4 service course.

Just started using these on my commuter. Great traction but doesn't roll as fast as the GP4000s, and unfortunately doesn't come in 25mm