FOR Deceptively fast Impressively damped Trustworthy traction
AGAINST Expensive A fight to fit on some rims
Verdict
The Continental GP5000s are tough with feedback from local shops backing up our own puncture-free test sample experience. Wear life is reasonable and the tubeless system boosts flat shrugging ability even further than the 20 per cent increase claims. Width is bang-on for the claimed dimensions and they’re available in 25, 28 and 32mm sizes in 700c and 28mm in 650c, too. That leaves only the high cost and the initial fitting difficulties as downsides of an otherwise superbly controlled, calmly comfortable and super quick, all-conditions tyre.
ccand51997 wrote:I mounted mine on a 21 ID WTB rim and they went on pretty easy for a new tire. I really like all the WTB rims I have bought because tires go on easy but maintain bead lock even when completely deflated. To me that is the perfect combo for a rim and it has been consistent across all the tire brands that I have used--WTB, Conti, Schwalbe and Hutchison. I never had a flat with the GP5000 through the three weeks I had it mounted for a Europe trip, but other tires that have gone flat, I was able to pump up the tires, ride them and then the sealant would find the hole.
Which WTB rim did you use? I didn't think their mtb rims were up for road tubeless pressures.
If your old school rims don't have the deep center channel that tubeless rims have, it's no wonder that tubeless tires won't go on, or won't go on easily if they go on at all.
I made the mistake of mounting a Hutchinson Intensive on an Open Pro rim, using a Stan's rim strip. I got it on, but had to cut it off.
Yeah, if you cant pinch the bead into a center channel, I can see where they would be near impossible to mount. Obviously, it helps to keep the valve stem near your final rim area that you are levering the bead onto as well.
I have a "new school" center channel, but the bead on those GP5000 is huge - not sure both of them fit well in my center channel. My ID is "only" 22mm.
Which WTB rim did you use? I didn't think their mtb rims were up for road tubeless pressures.
After a couple of years of riding tubeless, i keep dropping the pressure of my tires. At 45-50 psi, I loved the way the 32mm GP5000s rolled over rough pavement. I ran a front WTB Horizon at 18-20 psi which also just smooths out the bumps and inspires confidence on sketchy downhills. There are plenty of benefits to tubeless, but to me, if you are riding high pressure then you are just needlessly punishing yourself. And it is not slower. I've tested tire pressure at some extreme variance and I never saw a change in performance/speed. Even at pressures that were bouncy and you would never use (5-8psi for a 2.2 mtb tire on the road) it did not change my time on a set course at a set power output. Riding a squishy, big tire on the road felt weird at first, but now that I am used to it, I will never go back to pressures above 50psi. Maybe 60 to 80 with a tube.
I purchased a set of Conti GP5000 TL's 700x32 for my Aspero recently. I mounted them onto my Nextie (NXT30GR) with 22mm internal carbon rims. They were a bit of a struggle but not too difficult to install. These tires are great! My Aspero feels just as fast as my TCR with 28s with these. I only have one ride on them, but it included a nice road climb (GMR) and some socal gravel (really mtb trails). These tires feel bulletproof and will likely be my BWR tires.
Finally got the weather to cooperate and went for a 2 hour ride on these. Damn...I have some gp4000/28s (with tubes) on a road bike and they are great riding tires but these are the bomb. I started out at 60/50psi and think I can easily drop 5 on each. Fast and smooth as butta. PR'd a Srava segment on the highway with my Boone first ride!
I rode 32mm gp5000 all summer last year on my superx . They lasted a few century rides and lots of fire roads.. Of course the traction was not great on the fire roads but they were tough as nails
Yep, I've done crits on the 32mm tire. Very fast (and probably faster than the 23mm tires given how rough our roads are). The TL version is certainly built beefier than the tubed version. They are probably good for a season for the rear tire. I don't know that they are much better than the GP4000, but they litterally have 1/2 the rolling resistance of the GP4-season I was using.
kowalski wrote:I purchased a set of Conti GP5000 TL's 700x32 for my Aspero recently. I mounted them onto my Nextie (NXT30GR) with 22mm internal carbon rims. They were a bit of a struggle but not too difficult to install...
Got a secret? I couldn't do it. I struggled and struggled.
I left the tires outside in the sun for a few days, I'm sure that helped a bit. I've found that with really tight tires, once you get one side on, you must push that side of the bead to the center of the rim to make it easier to get the other side on.
