I road ride 5-7K miles a year, 6ft 205#. I've ridden Michelins, Vredesteins, Continentals, etc. I have a history with Continentals of side wall gashes, and have sworn them off numerous times. I had heard good things about the GP 5000's so thought I'd given them another look. These GP5000's are supple and hold the road well, especially on high speed descents. Fairly good at flat resistance too. Ultimately, I got 2700 miles out of the rear tire before tread wear was evident and ultimately the tire failed on a side wall nick on pavement, by just clipping a rock on the road shoulder. Ironically I was going to retire the tire at the end of the ride in question. The front failed with a side wall gash, also on pavement at 2100 miles. While I like the tire & I got reasonably good mileage out of the rear in particular. The fact that side wall gashes ended both tires lives, leaves me looking for alternatives. I have never, that I can recall, ever gotten a side wall gash that ruined any other tire, except Continentals.
I really believe that tires are one of the most important components on your bike. Tires impact comfort, performance and safety. I probably replace tires much sooner than most people, because nothing feels as great as new rubber! This means that I have experimented with about a dozen tires so far, including vittoria, panaracer, specialized, and several from continental. Nothing beats a gatorskin for a super durable, yet relatively light and fast rolling all-purpose recreation and commute tire. Until recently, the venerable Grand Prix 4-seasons was my year-around training tire and I still use them for winter training when roads are dirtier and punctures are more inconvenient. But the 5000 is my new 3-season training/performance tire. They have great rolling resistance, excellent grip (especially on dry pavement, but also on wet) and are have a soft flexible tire bed to smooth the road and conform to its surface. I was surprised to see that they are actually not much lighter (about 10 grams) than the 4-seasons, but they faster and overall better. I have to say, their claims to offer more puncture resistance than a 4-seasons (I've even seen comparisons to a gatorskin!) have not borne out for me. But they are much more puncture resistant than other performance tires such as the 4000s. So I continue to keep a set of 4-seasons for November-March, but the rest of the year the 5000 is my new favorite.
Over the years I have found the Continental brand the best. I get the best handling and long term use from this brand. They also look good on tire rims. I have bought the 4000 tire over the past few years. Thought Id give the 5000 a try especially since they were on sale.
I have found them to be another excellent tire from a Continental. Dont think you would make a mistake when you give them a try. I have a house in Sarasota FL and another in New Jersey. These tires are excellent on the warm fast flats in Florida. Also on the hilly terrain of central Jersey.
