experience with GP-4season tyres?

[AngryScientist]

lately i've been riding more when the roads are pretty wet and i've been getting a rash of flats. admittedly my fixed gear is running open corsas, which i adore for grip, feel and handling, are just no good at flat protection.

my bike has tight clearances, so 23mm tires are what i need to run.

thinking about going for a set of continental GP-4seasons, any feedback on these?

[fiamme red]

I like these: http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/240...FQqe4AodAlsA9g

[GuyGadois]

I run the 28s on my commuter and in three years on the same tires I have never had a flat. Now, this guarantees I'll have one next week.

GG

[pdmtong]

open corsa not a good choice when roads are filthy.

I just started rolling with GP 4 season 700x25....two flats the first three rides. no incidents today. I wouldnt say they were flat prone like the open corsas...I would just say the roads were really bad with crap all over and fate was not kind

[eBAUMANN]

4 seasons are pretty tough. i rode 28's for both battenkill and the NE rapha gentlemans race this year, zero issues, great tires, highly recommend.

[wgp]

4 Seasons are on my "winter wheels" for commuting, when its potentially sub-freezing and dark (I commute in the dark both ways in winter months), and when one cannot afford to have flats.

NEVER had a flat on these tires, in 6+ years of commuting - as Guy Gadois said, now I have brought the wrath of the Gods down upon me!!

[Lovetoclimb]

know lots of guys who put big miles on theirs in 23/25 and seldom flat. They wonder I keep riding the Paves when I could get 4seasons at the same price, but I just can't part ways with the green! But yes, good tires. The sidewalls will start to de-thread or whatever it is Conti tyres do before the tread shows any concerns.

[Peter B]

What others have said; not the plushest but durable. I rode a pair of 28s for 2300 miles around the south isle of NZ loaded with rear bags over poorly paved and gravel roads and had zero flats. They're my go to tire for wet weather durability and a reasonable modicum of 'suppleness'.

[AngryScientist]

Thanks guys, looks like ill order a set.

[Ralph]

They are great all around tires. But for the current use you are describing, I would go with something more durable. Like Gatorskins. I would rather put up with a rough riding tire that doesn't flat, than change a tube in the wet and cold and maybe dark. And BTW.....Gatorskins ride is very air pressure sensitive. They are tolerable (barely) when pressure is on the low side. And I've had them last about 5000 miles. There is a reason Pro's train on them in winter.

[mistermo]

Ive ridden GP4s x 28 and like them fine. Have a buddy who ride them too. But, it should be noted that they measure 26 rather than 28, even on wider rims.

[rwsaunders]

I've been running them year round for a few years with no issues. 25's fit on an F1 fork as well.

[r_mutt]

Gatorskins are flintstone tires. No thanks for me. I preferred 4 Seasons, but they won't feel nice after what you've been riding.

[54ny77]

angry--that's pretty much all i use year round other than when i'm abnormally fit and it's summertime, in which case i'll throw on 4000s on a set of go-fast wheels. 4-season's are great tires. i use 23's and 25's on various wheels/bikes.

that said, some don't like 'em, say they're heavy, ride hard, etc. eh, whatever. your mileage may vary as they say. i happen to like 'em, and i have a lot of 'em, so i use 'em. pressure at 95-100lbs and i'm happy.

[11.4]

Your original post didn't quite ask for alternatives, just comments on GP4Seasons, but don't overlook Vittoria Paves. Everyone has their favorite tire, and yes, in the winter you don't want to be fixing flats. There's a point when the ride is secondary because one is so bundled up and stiff and uncomfortable anyway. I have both Paves and GP4Seasons on my winter bikes (24/25 mm in both) and frankly, I'd go with the Pave's.

Note that if you really want to improve all qualities of a winter training ride, my most recent discovery was to ditch the old narrow rims like Mavic OPs and go with something like the DT TK540 or H+Son Archetype. It completely changes the shape and thus the ride of a larger tire. Go down in pressure a bit, and the grip improvement is amazing, better than what you can possibly do with a 19-20 mm wide rim. The ride quality is also better, and you simply don't notice the road like you did with the same tire on a narrower rim. I am on Archetypes with Vittoria Paves, and the rim actually helps reduce flatting because it treats the tire better. And you certainly have a much less squirmy or slippery ride on slick roads. Do consider it a part of upgrading for the winter.