I plumped my GP5000 up to 36mm
Taking a cue from the wider is better trend, and finding my personal sweet spot for bad asphalt and light gravel is 35mm, I’ve managed to get my GP5000 up to 36mm
The wheels are 29 internal, which means they should not be used for tires under 35mm. These tires just squeeze into that and reportabley are beautiful aerodynamically with the wide 3T wheels. But what I love about them is how darn fast they are compared to anything else I’ve ridden, and yet at the same time so cush and a recommended 38lbs. They glide over crap asphalt, don’t get the pavement pinch flats I so often see here, and love to go explore hardpack class 1 and 2 gravel. The downside to this is that the sidewalls get exposed to potential damage, so no chunky gravel for this set (admittedly I’ve got sidewall scars from 32mm tires on 21internal rims, so 40mm+ tends to be my goto for chunkier gravel rides.
Alternatives:
35 mm Grand Prix Urban
compare the 35 mm Grand Prix Urban to the largely similar 25 mm Grand Prix 5000, and compare them at similar comfort levels (Urban = 75 psi / GP 5000 = 100 psi), we do see quite a big difference in rolling resistance – like about 50% more rolling resistance (8.9 to 15.2) Besides, its not tubeless is it?
Challenge Strada Bianca Pro HTLR 36
Schwalbe Pro ONE TLE 700c. GP5000 is reportedly better, but this one is very close, and should be a bit wider. “Rated 4 out of 5 because the Continental Grand Prix 5000 TL seems to be the better choice in almost all aspects.” -BRR. I'd rather have the width than the marginal gains of the GP5000