Now that the 28mm GP4000 are gone

[mcteague]

Originally Posted by Dave

I prefer michelin tires. For tubed applications I really liked the power endurance model. I'm running 28mm michelin tubeless on 19mm internal width rims now. So far, they've worked well.

Me too. BikeTiresDirect just had a one day sale, about $34 each, on the Pro4 Service Course so I snagged few more. For me they ride well, rarely flat and have a decent life. One day they will be no more and I'll have to look elsewhere. I also like how the size 25 actually swells to about 29 on a 19mm rim.

Tim

[fmradio516]

Sooo whats the GP4k equivalent in Michelin? Just looking for a good riding tire with good flat protection. Not racing or weight saving anything.

[MikeD]

The Vittoria Rubino Pro's are a better tire. I used the 4000S tires in 25 width. Got tired of out of round tires, throwing threads from the chafer strip, fragile sidewalls, and the high price.

[Tickdoc]

Been a long time since I've ridden any conti's (unless they were on a rental)

Veloflex is my go to now and although their 28's may not look like 28's once mounted, the magic carpet ride difference between them and conti's will blow your mind.

Are they as tough and long lasting? no, but the comfort wins here for me. My flatting ratio is the same as with conti's.

Other than the harshness of ride, the other memorable thing about my conti tires was always having a thread peel off the tires.

[retropean]

Nothing scientific, but I went from GP 4000 to 5000 without any noticeable differences. Still seem bulletproof and roll nicely, what's not to like?

[robt57]

Originally Posted by MikeD

The Vittoria Rubino Pro's are a better tire. I used the 4000S tires in 25 width. Got tired of out of round tires, throwing threads from the chafer strip, fragile sidewalls, and the high price.

Better, as in what/how I am wondering??

I've had those let go [as in loose grip] in the past and sold off them on a bike. One left is on my wife's trainer wheel. I do not know if the G+ makes the difference. These where 'Pro' with a smooth center and some tread, albeit slight from the center to the shoulder fwiw.

I do tend to push/lean hard on the go fast bikes..

[robt57]

Originally Posted by fmradio516

Sooo whats the GP4k equivalent in Michelin? Just looking for a good riding tire with good flat protection. Not racing or weight saving anything.

Not equiv really, as I have for years used GP4s for go fast summers tire and put on Pro4 Service Course for riding thu winter. But honestly this was before the last few year where a gravel bike in here to grab and does winter duty that road bike used to do with more robust tires.

But the Pro4 SC hold up better in crudy shoulders of winter. And I've not flatted one yet. But I do keep newer tires on, my ars is important to me... I never get near cord, giving my decent used to a friend that sells a lot of use bikes...

As far as price and the Conti $$ comments; I shop and for either the Pro4 or GP4s pay 33.00-35.00 consistently over the seasons. Got caught out paying more for the Contis once or twice...

The Pro4 25s are 29mm or more on wide/fat rims, generous width for what I'd call the fattest 25 out there... So for a 29mm fatty that does not flat easy at all, that is as light as any 25 mostly.

As far as VeloFlex, I don't do tires that start out missing 300+ miles of tread depth @ my weight.

I also loved and splurged for a few years on 27mm Paves, but I was 235lb back them and even @ 45-50.00 a pop They tore up way too fast and wore like a VeloFlex did for me.

30 lb lighter these last few seasons tires are lasting a lot longer, probably double on the rears...

[robt57]

Originally Posted by lavi

We all likely overthinking most of this crap.

This is what we do when we can't pile miles, right??

Thinking about driving to Redding, CA [again] for 75^ weekend of the 27th. Wanna go with?

Still got you in my calendar reminders for June/Mckenzie pass Dee Wright cresting....

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by robt57

Better, as in what/how I am wondering??



I've had those let go [as in loose grip] in the past and sold off them on a bike. One left is on my wife's trainer wheel. I do not know if the G+ makes the difference. These where 'Pro' with a smooth center and some tread, albeit slight from the center to the shoulder fwiw.



I do tend to push/lean hard on the go fast bikes..

See my second sentence.

I don't go around corners at the limits of adhesion so I can't comment on how grippy they are. Maybe Tour magazine tested them for this, but I don't read German. The Conti's may have a longer tread life, but I don't know. The 5000's are also supposed to be very hard to mount and remove.

[robt57]

Originally Posted by MikeD

I used the 4000S tires in 25 width

Mike, were you seeing a high percent of issue with them? Or keep them on to milk the money outta them [which I don't do]?


I must have had 20+ go thru here over a few years and had the wife tired not miss the edge of a curb stop after a rest stop cut one sidewall.

The GP3k I did loose a lot to sidewalls issues for sure.

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by robt57

Mike, were you seeing a high percent of issue with them? Or keep them on to milk the money outta them [which I don't do]?


I must have had 20+ go thru here over a few years and had the wife tired not miss the edge of a curb stop after a rest stop cut one sidewall.

The GP3k I did loose a lot to sidewalls issues for sure.

I have a bunch of 4000S tires in 23 and 25 width, and I run them till the cords show. I bought a pair of the Rubino Pro's and wore one out. I currently have the front one on the rear and a 4000S on the front. All the 4000's shed threads and some I notice are out of round when riding on smooth pavement. I'll use up my stock of Conti's and then will buy the Rubino's.

[pdonk]

Originally Posted by MikeD

See my second sentence.

I don't go around corners at the limits of adhesion so I can't comment on how grippy they are. Maybe Tour magazine tested them for this, but I don't read German. The Conti's may have a longer tread life, but I don't know. The 5000's are also supposed to be very hard to mount and remove.

I have found the tube version of the conti 5000s on Hed Belgium + rims be the easiest road tire ever to mount and remove, I can do it without tire levers.

I have about 3000 km on a set and they have worn very well. Before that, i ran 4000s and would get about the same before cuts and flats would necessitate replacement. I plan on swapping the 5000s over to my backup bike and getting new tires on my main ride. Curious to try something else, but also happy with the luck I have had with the contis.

[CZ413]

I’ve ridden all the tires mentioned in this thread a bunch. The old pre-G+ Rubinos in 28 were my winter tire, and I don’t think I ever flatted one of those in many, many 1000s of winter miles. The G+ Rubino has always felt like a different tire to me — stickier, heavier, louder, more sluggish. I rode Open Pavés in 27 mm for years in all seasons and all kinds of roads, with both latex and butyl tubes, and liked them a lot, though they tended to be a ~1500 mile rear tire for me before they were cut up enough that I stopped trusting them. I used to flat the Pro 4 SC the most of any tire I’ve used, I think. Maybe Panaracer Gravelking slicks were about the same, but I took those on far more dirt roads and rode them many more miles than the Michelins. I did like the bonus width of the Michelins, and they had a pretty nice ride as I remember, though it’s been years since I’ve used one.

I wasn’t a fan of the first version of G+ Corsas. The tread seemed to pick up and trap so much road crud/glass shards in those narrow grooves, and they didn’t seem to have any of the durability Vittoria was touting with the Graphene compound. Haven’t tried the 2.0 models.

A friend always swore by Conti 4Ks. I never tried them. I did finally buy some 5Ks last fall, non-tubeless, and they have felt like some of the fastest tires I’ve ever ridden. With latex tubes, they’re also very comfortable. I did flat one of the 5K 32s on a dirt road in the Berkshires (right through the casing) though otherwise they’ve felt pretty durable.

[dddd]

Originally Posted by robt57

Mike, were you seeing a high percent of issue with them? Or keep them on to milk the money outta them [which I don't do]?


I must have had 20+ go thru here over a few years and had the wife tired not miss the edge of a curb stop after a rest stop cut one sidewall.

The GP3k I did loose a lot to sidewalls issues for sure.

Speaking of curbs and sidewalls, I often see riders come to a stop at a light and let their bars and front wheel flop over until the sidewall rests against the curb thus holding the bars nearly straight ahead.
It's a recipe for sidewall abrasion, particularly on tires where some months of smog exposure has left the thin film of sidewall rubber largely evaporated away.
So I attribute many of the sidewall failures I've seen to abuse of this type, or as when loading bikes into a vehicle, etc. as opposed to what happens while riding.

I blame the "Continental chafer-strip threads problem" on the higher mileage and thus longer period of service that these tire's tread can sustain.
It's a nuisance pulling these tough threads out of derailer cage pullies but I do like and prefer the Continental GP 4000 and 5000 tires myself.

For a smoother ride I might choose Vittoria's better tires having the Corespun cotton/Kevlar casing, though their tread wear seems kind of meager compared to the Continental 4000's and 5000's.

[robt57]

Originally Posted by dddd

I blame the "Continental chafer-strip threads problem" on the higher mileage and thus longer period of service that these tire's tread can sustain.

I guess also when one is paying $120.00 + for a pair of tire they milk every mile. I retire [ahem] after 2-3 flats. I have only seen chord on the trainer on my old road tires before getting into a trainer specific, much quieter too...