Continental GP Force II and GP Attack II Folding Road Tyres & Race 28 Supersonic And

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merlinxlm
Posts: 129
Joined: Wed Feb 26, 2014 9:44 pm

by merlinxlm

I'm looking to save some weight off my wheels and thinking of fitting this tyre and tube combination. Continental GP Force II and GP Attack II Folding Road Tyres & Race 28 Supersonic tubes. I currently run Continental Grand Prix 4000S 23mm, plus std continental tubes. Looking at the spec of all the components, should be looing to loose 190 grams. Is this a worth while upgrade? Plus the Dura ace cassette, total weight knocked off the bike should be about 250 grams. Which should in total
cost me £200, is this expens worth the weight saving? Will I notice any difference in the climbing ability of the bike? Any advice or comments very appreciated.

Thanks

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uraqt
Posts: 1108
Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 8:53 am

by uraqt

The DA 11 speed cassette is defective use an SRAM RED one, or keep using the one you have. There is a massive thread here about it.

I like those tires and they are reliable. They ride just about the same as 4000S.

I haven't used those tubes but I do think that it's one the best cost/reliability/weight options.

Will you notice, I think so at first, but it's not going to be much and over time you will forget about difference.

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sungod
Posts: 1702
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 9:37 pm

by sungod

i've used the combination, you'll save weight and the a/f tyres are really grippy

downsides: the rubber is pretty soft, and also thinner, compared to the gp4000s i found they wore a lot faster and punctured more often

the supersonic tubes are really thin, which again makes them easier to puncture, also need more mounting to avoid nipping between bead and rim, there's an intermediate conti tube 'race light' which is a bit more robust

a couple of hundred grams isn't going to make much change to climbing [ with everything else constant, time will reduce in proportion to ((system mass - 200g) / system mass) ], i think you'll feel more difference in hard accelerations on the flat

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pdlpsher1
Posts: 4016
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2012 6:09 pm
Location: CO

by pdlpsher1

I use the Supersonic tubes with reasonable good results. I find that I need to keep tire pressure on the lower side...less than 100psi. I once used higher pressure (120psi on narrow rims) and the Supersonic gave mixed results. Now I don't exceed 90psi on 24mm externally wide rims all is good.

As someone had mention a lighter tire usually means thinner rubber, and hence a short life. I'd stick to the 4000 and lose the weight on the tubes.

I have also tried Conti's race light tubes at 80g. They are a bit more durable than the Supersonics but also slower. For me it's more about being faster (reduce rolling resistance) than losing the weight to help me climb faster. But with the Conti you get both so it's a good product :D

Marin
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Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2014 11:48 am
Location: Vienna Austria

by Marin

Supersonics won't puncture more often than heavier tubes, but they are easier to damage during install.

The GP F/A is a very fast combo - they are basically GP4000s II with less rubber. The ride isn't much better.

If you are looking for fast, light tires that also ride well you should consider Veloflex Master or Corsa 23mm, or a 23/25 set.

Alumen
Posts: 165
Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2015 1:47 pm

by Alumen

You won't notice the weight loss, you will probably only win some watts in terms of rolling resistance and aerodynamics on the front wheel. Which you probably won't notice either during training sessions... Maybe with racing only.

Plus to me this tyre combination sounds less robust, while you already ride an outstanding tyre combination...

I would save my $200 for another upgrade over time (like new wheels, that where the real savings are in terms of weight, aerodynamics and stiffness) :thumbup:
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wingguy
Posts: 4318
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:43 pm

by wingguy

The supersonic tubes are totally worth it, gotta be one of the cheapest ways of knocking 100g off the bike. I also don't really think they're any more puncture prone than other tubes (if a sharp thing gets right through the tyre, you're gonna puncture any tube, IMO). And unless your rim/tyre combo is ultra tight, you've got to be completely kack handed to pinch them when installing a tyre.

Force and Attack... I'm not so sure. Apart from the widths they're exactly the same construction as a GP4k just with half the rubber and half the lifespan but for the same price. Especially the Force. When I ran them a few years ago the Force wore almost to the canvas before the mould centreline wore off the Attack :unbelievable: So much for front and rear specific :lol: If I was going back to Conti maybe I'd put an Attack on the front with a GP4k on the back. At least you'd still make a bit of a weight saving on the front but without having to buy a new rear tyre every month!

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pdlpsher1
Posts: 4016
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2012 6:09 pm
Location: CO

by pdlpsher1

I buy the Supersonics in bulk (10) at a time. This works out to be $10 a tube. Yes, I agree it's totally worth it.

I said less durable as sometimes I get a flat with no apparent puncture through the tire. The holes are always in-line with the mounding line on the tube. Me thinks it's because the tube is stretched too thin by the wide tire/rim combo. I run narrower tire up front and this has never happened to the front. When I start to get unexplained flats I throw the tube away instead of patching it.


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petromyzon
Posts: 781
Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 4:14 pm

by petromyzon

it's a matter of personal preference whether you run more or less rubber. There is a third option - Grand Prix TT, which is even thinner but still not ridiculously fragile. I would say that if you have good roads and good weather you can make a bigger difference to ride quality by running thin, supple tyres than by almost any other means. You just have to budget for more replacements.

The GP4000 is especially aero in the wind tunnel though, and this may be related to the thick centre tread and the shape it gives the tyre.

I don't rate SuperSonics. Cheap way to lose weight, but I had a lot of slow punctures with them that I then couldn't find and fix. Personally I would run latex - save yourself 3-4 W in rolling resistance and they are a bit more puncture resistant.

As a general observation, and just my opinion, it is unbelievable how many people will spend 3 month's salary on a bike and then baulk at the cost of consumables. Running decent tyres, and replacing tyres and chains often, will save you Watts, make your bike feel better and give you a lower risk of an in-ride mechanical.

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