pdxtex

I'd like to hear from people that made the switch from Gatorskins to GP4000s. Especially the 4000 S with that black chili compound. Are these really the best all around clincher on the planet as many people think? Do they corner better? Is the rolling resistance noticably better?

Elvo

Yes

Daytrip

4,500 miles without a flat, and still going strong (front and back).

Doubt Gatorskins are any better, and they're not as fast or smooth.

ErichM

I can't speak on the Gator Skins, but I just put on both front and rear GP 4000s tires a few days ago. They are great tires. Feels really smooth, and rolls along really nicely. No complaints here. I'd get them.

palesaint

You might get a few more miles out of Gator Skins, but that is quickly negated when bombing down a steep hill or wet road (or both!). The 4000s handle amazingly, almost on par with the uber expensive tires out there. They're the perfect marriage of ride quality and durability.

Aurelius

I recently went from gatorskins to Ultra Sports to GP 4000s a few weeks ago....I'm very glad I switched to the GP 4000s.

blueride2

Less rolling resistance, better cornering is probably marketing hype. I like the tires and ride them primarily for flat protection. In thousands of mile, no flats.

Runner 1

These tires interest me. I'm still running the stock Schwalbe Lugano tires that came with my bike, but when it's time to replace them, I'm considering these GP 4000s. Will I notice an immediate difference (oh wow!), or is it more of a durability thing that I'll notice over time?

ErichM

I replaced the Bontrager tires that came with the bike with them, and while I'm sure since the Bontrager tires were worn out, they certainly weren't at their best, I did notice an incredible difference. Not sure how much of that is just because I got used to riding on worn out tires.

patentcad

No GP 4000's for you.

Seattle Forrest

Yes, and yes. I didn't like Gatorskins all that much, but the GP4000s are excellent tires.

Silvercivic27

Sheesh! I thought the GP4000s *were* the uber-expensive tires! What's more expensive that works as well or better?

Bob Dopolina 

The casings are the same between the two tires but the Gatorskin has the additional material in the sidewall to protect against sidewall cuts. This makes the tire less pliable which means cornering and ride quality suffer.

Unless the Gotorskin has been upgraded to VECTRAN it uses 2 layers of Kevlar vs I layer of VECTRAN in the GP4000(S). This extra layer affects handling and comfort in the same way.

As to puncture resistance 1 layer of VECTRAN is more puncture resistant than 2 layers of Kevlar. Despite what many believe Kevlar does not function so well under tension (which are the conditions found in a bicycle tire at pressure) so the VECTRAN easily outperforms the Kevlar in this application.

BTW, The BLACK GP4000 and the GP4000S are the same tire with different labels. Because of compounding issues the Black Chili compound can only be used in black tires because it is incompatible with the Silica compounds used in their coloured tires.

Go GP4000(s).

flaco

The difference in ride quality is very noticeable.

Shuagster

What's a reasonable price to pay for the contis?

Terex

The Gatorskins (unless recently redesigned) ride like crap and are hard to change. A much better riding tire is the Gator Hardshells. They have a good level of cut/puncture resistance and ride much better. 4000s is a great riding tire, and is reasonably resistant to road debris. I've ridden all of them. I would never buy another Gatorskin.

pdxtex

dang dude. your new nickname is mr. tires. sounds like you know your stuff. do you know anything with sidewall blowout issues on the gp's? ive read some reviews where riders claim they had unprovoked sidewall splits due to defective tires.

rangerdavid

Just ordered a set of g'skins so I can't help here.

pdxtex

ive got 3 pairs of gatorskins on three separate bikes and have been happy with their performance so far. my performance pallette might not be as advanced as some other riders but ive alwaqys read the gp4000's were great.

jonathanb715

Count me among the riders who have tried the GP4000's and a bunch of other similarly priced tires. My take (in chronological order)?

Michelin Krylion Carbon: long lasting, never seemed to flat (although one person's experience with flats on a bicycle tire really doesn't help figure out how durable they are!). Roll well, but not supple - the ride is kind of stiff legged. I liked the 25's much better. I got over 3,000 miles out of the back tires, close to 5k out of the front (and I'm on the large size - 220 pounds). On wet cold days, it was really easy to slide a tire, which is why I ultimately stopped using these.

Conti GP4000 and 4000s - as noted, these are the same tires if the 4000 are black. Ride noticeably better than the Michelins, even at similar pressures. Roll well (on a par with the Michelins) but with a more supple ride. I tried both the 23 and 25's - Conti tires seem to run more narrow than the Michelins. I preferred the 25s but it wasn't as cut and dried as it was with the Michelins. I got 2k miles out of the rear tire with these.

Vittoria Open Corsa CX - The best riding tires I've had on my bike. Supple, but still give you confidence when you dive into corners. Rated to silly levels of air pressure (140 psi), I ran them at 110f/115r. I used the 25c size. Would still be on my bike but they wore out very quickly - I was replacing the rear tire in not much more than 1200 miles. Like the Contis traction was fine - I never found the limits.

Michelin Pro Optimum - sold as a training tire, and only in a 25c size. The front tire is a softer compound, that will hopefully wear out at the same time as the rear. I now have 2000 miles on them and the rear is just starting to show signs of wear, so they are quite durable. They ride better than the GP4000s but nowhere near as well as the Open Corsas. So far for me, these have been the best compromise. Seem to work fine on cold, damp days - traction hasn't been an issue.

Tires are a set of compromises, so look for the compromises that work best for you and your riding.

JB

El Conquistador De Amore

I liked my Continental 4000s' just fine until today. Hole in the rear sidewall, and seems like there was a lot of wear in other parts of the sidewall just waiting to happen with probably less than 1000 miles on them. I'm a heavy rider, over 280 lbs, so I probably should have gone with 25's.

jayp410

At LEAST 25's... At 280 + 20 lb for the bike, 60% on the rear wheel, you're looking at 180 lb on the rear wheel. According to this chart, even 28's are on the small side for that application at 120 PSI: https://www.bikequarterly.com/images/TireDrop.pdf

Your rims were probably rubbing against your sidewalls often with 23's. With 120 lb on the front wheel, 23's or 25's are not so bad up there....25's at 110 PSI would probably be good for the front, according to that chart anyway.

TJClay

I gotta admit I wasn't drinking the GP4000 kool aid until I broke down and bought a set when they were sale. All I can say is "wow!" what a difference in ride quality. One flat in 1000 miles but that was a staple in the tread, would've flatted anything. I'm a big guy and it looks like I'll probably get around 2500 miles out of a set.

bikepro

Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CX. With latex tubes, these are about as close as you can get to tubular. More expensive, but wear quicker and are pretty easy to puncture.

I'm sure there are others. The 4000's are a resonable balance of price, performance, wear and puncture resistance.

v70cat

+1 Gatorskins ride like rocks I don't care how long they will last or protect from flats.