User submitted reviews
Review by Anonymous
I typically ride 50-100 miles on weekends on the narrow, cracked, potholed, broken, glass-strewn (are you sensing my rage?) pavement hell known of Boston exurbia - Bedford-Carlisle-Acton-Littleton-Boxboro-etc. I used to believe I could survive these rides only with tank tires - namely the incredibly uncomfortable but indestructible Vittoria Randonneur tires. These new contis are a revelation. Beautiful rounded profile with a narrow contact patch for the flats but awesome cornering traction. The 25s have enough volume that you can safely run them at 90 PSI for an incredible ride feel, even though they are rated to 120 PSI. My bike feels completely different. I rode a brutal (in terms of road conditions) century on Sunday and was grinning ear to ear the whole way. I can't yet say they are going to last as long as the Vittoria's, but at this price and with this level of performance, I would be happy if they last a few thousand miles. And since I also commute all season, I love the reflective sidewall option.
Review by Lactic Acid
I bought a set of these and got a screaming deal at BTD. Ride was smooth and they were very grippy. On the fourth ride, got a sidewall puncture in the rear, trashing the tire, despite the supposed puncture resistance. I've never had a sidewall puncture and whatever caused it was small enough that I didn't see it coming. I can't afford to get caught 50 miles from home with a trashed tire so I ill not buy these again. I'm trying the Conti Gator Hardshell now.
Review by Mike K.
Have yet to be let down by the performance or durability of this tire. However, my last pair weighed in as 205 grams, and 217 grams, respectively. What gives?
Review by Big D
I've tried a number of tires but I keep coming back to these. It's a perfect mix of (light) weight, puncture resistance, grip and cost. If you can pick these up on sale it's a no-brainer. Incredible bang for the buck
Review by Jeff
This is a very good tire. It doesn't quite measure 25 mm wide but overall it rolls very well and so far no flats after a thousand miles or so.
Review by D
These tires are fast, smooth and affordable.
Review by Jake460
I've got a pair of these on my Ti frame road bike. I ride 100 miles a week in cycling season (4000 miles last year). Lots of back country roads, some with good smooth pavement, some chip and seal, occasional gravel. Top speed so far 45mph. No flats in over 4000 miles.
These tires have low rolling resistance and are pretty cut resistant. The tread wear indicators are nice. I like these tires so much I bought 4 more when they went on sale.
Review by Anonymous
I my opinion the best balance of rolling resistance, weight and puncture resistance.Great quality.
Review by Anonymous
These tires perform great in dry conditions, and resist punctures well enough. They offer good grip and feel secure in the corners. The 25's also provide a supple ride without feeling squishy. They are soft and wear relatively quickly, and are prone to damage if you lock up a wheel, but perhaps not more than other racing tires. These are also relatively easy to mount and dismount, even without levers on some wheels. After having tried several other popular brands, I will be riding these from now on.
Stock up when they're on sale, and move fast because popular sizes/colors sell out quickly.
Review by TT
best tires out u can buy!
Review by CoMotion
I use only the Conti 4000 series tires for my 100 or so mile per week fitness/local touring rides. They grip well in the wet and provide the comfort and road feel that I like on any paved surface while also keeping the weight down.
Review by Anonymous
Also use Continentals on the cross bike and they've withstood much abuse
Review by Mo-Mo
I use these tires all year for both training and racing. I do a thorough inspection before every ride and rarely get a flat. I'm very happy with them.
My only complaint has been from last years model. I had a side wall blow out at high speed on the front tire. Luckily I kept the bike upright. But, it could have been really bad. The tire was relatively new and it shouldn't have happened. Hence, the four star rating instead of five.
I replaced the tire with this years model and am so far happy with the product.
Review by DustNurFace
Supple, comfortable, and responsive. I haven't put in enough miles to comment on longevity. If this stands the test of time I'll give it 5 stars. I'm hopeful that it will be a 5 star tire...
Review by Anonymous
I purchased these on sale (instead of my usual tires, which are Vredestein Gran Fondos or Tricomps). I am used to having little to no issues with flats, I can count the number of flats I have in a year on 2-3 fingers, and it usually after some wear on the tires (the Vredesteins are built like tanks). Within 100 miles I had flats and issues with these Conti's I will never buy Conti again... which is a bummer, as I know a lot of folks swear by them.
Review by Brett
I rode Pro3's and then Pro4's in 23c for years. I decided to make the move to 25c and heard good things about the 4000's so after I pinch flatted at 30mph on a corner on the Pro4's I decided it was time to mount up the 4000's. I do a lot of climbing (avg, 1000' per 10 miles) so when I first jumped out of the saddle on a 10% grade I actually looked back to see what was going on. I really felt like I was dragging something and couldn't believe tires made that much difference. I'm not sure whether the move from 23c to 25c made the difference or if it's the Pro4's are that much better than the Conti's but my next set of tires will be the Pro4's in 25c.
The jury is still out on durability but I can say that I flat more often on the Pro4's than the guys I ride with. That said I'd rather replace a tube now and then as long as I can climb like a goat.
Both tires are easy to put on the rim using only hands which is what I prefer to avoid pinched tubes. Although I've never ridden Conti gatorskins I've heard they are hard to put on.
Review by DaveL
This tire is my favorite. They last long and hold the road very well in both wet and dry conditions. Good for roughly 2K miles if you rotate them. I just started riding the 25mm instead of the 23mm. They are even more comfortable on longer rides than the 23s and aside from that I note no performance difference. I live in Colorado and use these tires commuting on my road bike and riding in the mountains. They are relatively flat resistant for this category of tire too. Watch for a BTD sale price and buy them. You will not be disappointed.
Review by jkmccoy
Returning to cycling after a 35 year hiatus I purchased a decent quality road bike online. I love the bike, but it came with obviously low end budget tires (Kenda). Previous experience with all manner of wheeled vehicles has shown me that high quality tires well matched for the job are serious plus. Based on numerous reviews and previous experience with Conti's I ordered a set of the GP 4000 SII's and Conti race tubes (700x25C tires, same as the original). Shipping from Bike Tires Direct was very prompt and I mounted them immediately. Mounting was easy and on my rims (Weinmann DP18 700 13C) the tires measure 24.3mm max.width.
Today was my first chance to ride the new tires. It was a cloudy, blustery day with intermittent rain. As I walked the bike out of the door the sky cleared and the rain quit. The sun came out and the roads dried. The wind quit and birds started singing. I flew out of town like winged Pegasus and was shortly skimming along at speeds rarely seen outside of NASA tests. The only downside to the ride was how often I had to pull out to pass cars on the highway. As I came back into town there were people gathered in their yards to cheer as I went by.
When i arrived home there was a telegram from Lance welcoming me to the pantheon of cycling greats. My mailbox has been full of letters from professional cyclists conceding upcoming races. My phone is ringing constantly. I think most of the calls are offers of marriage from super models, it's a little hard to hear over the sound of angels singing. They've even offered to put my picture on a Wheaties box (I declined that one, I don't want to buy a women's bike).
Ok. So that may be a slight exaggeration. I'd let them put my picture on the Wheaties box and deal with the other stuff later. Despite the fabulous tires, I'm still an old slow guy. But these tires are GREAT!!! Compared to the low grade Kenda's they replaced the tires are much more comfortable, have noticeably lower rolling resistance, and much more nimble handling. On the ride today i picked up at least 12 mph on one of my regular rides. On one short, steep descent my max speed was 2 mph faster. The ride was much more comfortable. I had much less numbness in my hands. The handling was much quicker and more nimble. i was actually over steering for the first several miles.
I don't know how these compare to other high grade road tires (I don't have any experience with other tires). I do know that these are light years better than the tires they replace. If you get a set of these tires I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Review by CarbonBlack
Bought a pair of the new Ess Two to replace my long-wearing set of GP4000S Chili's and was dismayed to find that Continental has changed the size for the updated version. What used to be a generous tire (often referenced as a 24C width) and a perfect fit for my Scott is now just another skinny little sub-23mm tire. Size up, if you can.
Fwiw, I typically get 3000k miles out of a set, and the only punctures I've had over the several sets I've used have been two pinch flats, both from rushing out for a ride and not checking my tire pressure. Would like to assume the new model has kept the Black Chili's epic grip characteristics and Vectran's robust puncture resistance. Five stars for legacy performance and value...
Review by Thomas
I've been asking around my local bike shops, and the cyclist i see on the bike paths, and i have been asking them all the same question What's a good tire i should run?. They all have been steering me towards this Continental Grand Prix 4000 S2 tire, and now i see why. These tires must have glue in the tread because when i take my corners i can feel the bike just stick to the road, i feel safer, and more confident. Also the increase in acceleration is there i know because i can feel myself being faster than the Bontrager R3 that i replaced for the continental's. I am going to use this tire for the rest of the year to see how many miles i can really get out of them. I ride to and from work, and i am a daily cyclist commuter. Not because i don't have a car but because it is better for the enviroment. This was the best upgrade i could have done for my road bike. I highly recomend this tire, and also be sure to get the continental light race tubes for this tire, it will really make the dirrerence. those tubes are only a few grams lighter than the standard butyl tubes.
Thanks for your feedback and sorry to hear about your experience! The GP 4000S II is a racing and training specific tire, which prioritizes grip and road-feel over all out puncture resistance, so your jump to the Gatorskin Hardshell sounds like a solid choice. It's always a tradeoff between features when choosing a tire, and some trial and error is necessary at times. Also, since you are within our 90 day satisfaction window, we would be happy to give you a great price on a new set of the Hardshells.
Derek