Disappointed after swapping to GP 4000S tyres
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As they get really good reviews, I thought that I had made a good choice by getting Continental GP 4000S tyres to replace the Schwalbe Ultremo ZX tyres that came with my Cube bike. However while they probably are more puncture resistant, they seem a lot harsher going over any speed bumps or uneven road surfaces than the Ultremos, and don't zip up hills quite as fast. Despite having no tread the Ultremos also seem to hold the road better in side winds.
I am therefore thinking of swapping back to Ultremos. As the GPs were £38 each I really expected better, but maybe its just that the Ultremos are better tyres than I originally thought.
I'd be interested to hear from others who have used both tyres.
I am therefore thinking of swapping back to Ultremos. As the GPs were £38 each I really expected better, but maybe its just that the Ultremos are better tyres than I originally thought.
I'd be interested to hear from others who have used both tyres.
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Comments
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The only criticism I've seen of the Schwalbe Ultremos is a tendancy to cut with ??increased risk of puncture. Otherewise they appear to be excellent tyres. Have you had a problem with punctures? I haven't to date, just a few cuts after 1500km
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The current zx tyres are 25g heavier than the first generation, which in turn were 15g more than the R1 that it replaced. This says to me that they are trying to get enough strength in them. If they have managed it yet, who knows?0
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I race on GP 4000s (and most of the people I know do as well) and they are fantastic. Tired of Ultremos and Pro race 3's cutting up if I go over anything but a smooth road made of fairy dust and cotton wool.
P.S I'll buy your 4000s' off you if you dont want them
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DavidJB wrote:I race on GP 4000s (and most of the people I know do as well) and they are fantastic. Tired of Ultremos and Pro race 3's cutting up if I go over anything but a smooth road made of fairy dust and cotton wool.
P.S I'll buy your 4000s' off you if you dont want them
I swear by these tyres, I'm on my 2nd set and my wifes uses them also.'I started with nothing and still have most of it left.'0 -
A bad workman always blames his tools.
Most of the issues you raise appear to be borne of frustration rather than any real tyre issue and relate to a discordance between the idealistic hope of improvement borne of reading reviews and the realisation that there isn't the significant difference in performance you were hoping for.
There may be some merit in some of your comment that could relate to the physical construction of the tyre (i.e. their ride quality on uneven surfaces) but you should expect difference as different tyres are constructed differently with different materials, plus there could be a myriad of other factors that add to and exacerbate small differences.0 -
wouldn't waste my time on Gp400 or ultremos, Michelin PR3s and 4s are abosolutely fine tyres, and they don't cut up imo.0
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What pressures are you running?
GP4000s recommend 110psi. I was putting 120 in mine and did notice the ride improvement when I dropped to 110.0 -
Picky for a road beginner
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The continentals have a rep for riding like you're on garden hosepipes, but they're light, grippy, and not all that bad at staying inflated. I particularly rate them in the wet.0 -
When my 25c krylions are gone past their best I am going for PR4 endurance tyres, I see no reason to swap to dead feeling tyres, if I was I would put the horrible specialized pro2 on I got with my sectuer (which I no longer own the frame of)0
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Keep the GP4000S for winter. They grip well in the wet and are a lot more robust than Ultremo's or Pro3's.
Unfortunately they do also have a worse road feel as you've discovered. I think the reason they rate so highly in UK reviews is that proper race tyres (like Ultremo's, Vittoria Evo and Pro3's) tend to get torn up by flint, especially in the wet, GP4000S don't making them a good compomise between speed, grip and durability.
What were you looking for when you changed? Ultremo's are a great tyre so if you're after something more supple and faster about the only option you have is the Vittoria Evo CXII but unless you're riding on debris free roads they won't last (and the wet grip is downright scary).0 -
If you want a tyre that falls in-between the GP4000s and the ProRace3/UltremoZX, go for the Rubino Pro 3 - the Rubino is more puncture resistant and harder wearing than both the Pro Race 3 and the Ultremo ZX - alternately, the Rubino Pro 3 is slightly less puncture resitant and cuts a bit more than the GP4000s (the Rubino is more supple and comfy than the GP4000s though).0
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When have tyres made a rider zip up hills and hold the road better in side winds? Or am I missing something?0
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I am not sure where you live and cycle but around Northern hampshire, your only safe bet is GP4000s or Gatorskins with all the flint around.
The roads are covered with them and after about 3 years without a visit from you know who, and needing to replace a type as the Gatorskin inner was now visible, I changed to a 'faster' tyre, which lasted 2 months before flint cut it to ribbons.
I never noticed the difference in climbing or rolling resistance one bit between the Vittoria Corsa Evo and the GP4000.0 -
thegreatdivide wrote:When have tyres made a rider zip up hills and hold the road better in side winds? Or am I missing something?
Don't you read the mags reviews???0 -
I also use these to race and in one race in awful rain in a crit last year I was one of the only riders who got round corners about 18/20mph
Not sure what op means about zipping up hill on tyres, its the legs that make the difference not the tyres!
Also the tread is for water displacement not grip, slicks grip best.0 -
Well literally today I ordered a pair of 4000s' to replace the ZX's on my Cube, so I'll let you know if I experience the same. I was getting a puncture every other ride with the Schwalbe's recently. The final straw last week was a 10 mile TT on Tuesday then finding the front flat on Wednesday, then 35 miles on Sunday then finding the rear flat as a pancake on Monday morning.0
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Thanks for all the replies.
I've generally managed to avoid punctures when out on the road, but I did have one recently on my Ultra Gatorskins on my Audax bike, and the tyre was a nightmare to get off and back on again. I therefore thought that to avoid punctures on my new Cube bike, I needed a tougher tyre. I wanted the same comfort and feel of the Ultremos, but with the additional benefit of more puncture protection, so I was prepared to invest in GP4000S tyres as I thought they would give me that. However my experience so far with the GP4000Ss is that the biggest difference is that the feel harder and the bike rattles a lot over uneven road surfaces, whereas the Ultremos felt much smoother and more comfortable over the same road surfaces. I had the GP4000Ss at 100 psi at first and then put them up to 110 psi.
Maybe the GP4000S would have been better as 25mm tyres rather than the 23mm that I bought. If I do change back to the Ultremos, I'll either keep the GP4000Ss for winter or put they on Ebay as they are practically brand new.
ChrisSA - I did look at Durano Plus tyres when I was about to change, but I think there were about double the weight and I thought they might be a bit sluggish?
aspender - I'll be really interested to know how you find the GP4000Ss after a few rides.0 -
Durano's (normal) are fast and comfortable (25mm). Puncture resistant more so then any race tyre. Grip is pretty similar to the Ultremo R.1 I had before.0
