Alternative continental gp 4000s

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mimason
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Location: Florida

by mimason

I ride Pro4s as an alternative to Conti 4Ks. The reason is that I get them so damn cheap. For under $30US compared to $40+ for 4Ks. I have as many miles on Pro4s as 4Ks so I feel I can give a fair assessment. The Pro4s ride smoother but I experience more cracking in the rubber as well as more cuts. The 4Ks were much less prone to cuts on the tread BUT they are more susceptible to sidewall cuts. I get more flats with Pro4s but I use the extra $10 saving to buy more tubes and I like the ride better. I'd ride 4Ks more if I wanted a slightly more durable tire and I trust them more for descending if I could not run my tubes .

BOTH wear a flat spot on the rear even though I ride 100/105 tire pressure on 23s. I'm 180lbs now but race weight is 172.

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de zwarten
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by de zwarten

Ofcourse Conti are popular: they are the best COMPROMISE.

Where they are a bit worse, they are not much worse. Where they are good, they often are best.

but comparing a 25mm at 85-95PSI with a 23m at 115PSI... c'mon. If you ride supple 23mm tubulars, enjoy the benefit of having a supple tire that absorbs all the unevenness in the road without too much rolling resistance, and ride them well at 100 psi... Or don't compare them like apples and oranges.

Zitter
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by Zitter

I've been riding Panaracer Gravelkings and they're basically cheap Vittoria Paves. I like them a lot more than GP4000s also because they don't cut like cheese.

sawyer
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by sawyer

Yes, I'd agree with that
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FIJIGabe
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by FIJIGabe

de zwarten wrote:but comparing a 25mm at 85-95PSI with a 23m at 115PSI... c'mon.


Wow! Who still rides their 23's at 115psi? No one recommends pressures that high! I'll run 23's at 100psi rear, 90 front, and I'm over 100kg! I'm running 85/80 on my tubeless tires! Nary a pinch flat in the house, BTW!

Irish
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by Irish

I use the pro 4's in 23 and 25, no problems (I superglue the cuts, with no negative effects) they give constant good grip and plenty of warning when they are about to lose traction, which is why I prefer them to conti's as they may have more ultimate grip but let go with very little warning.

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pdlpsher1
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by pdlpsher1

FIJIGabe wrote:
de zwarten wrote:but comparing a 25mm at 85-95PSI with a 23m at 115PSI... c'mon.


Wow! Who still rides their 23's at 115psi? No one recommends pressures that high! I'll run 23's at 100psi rear, 90 front, and I'm over 100kg! I'm running 85/80 on my tubeless tires! Nary a pinch flat in the house, BTW!


I run Conti 4k 25mm at 120psi. I weigh 63kg. Am I crazy? I have heard the really light Spanish Pro Tour riders also run super crazy pressures. Us flyweights have such a huge disadvantage on the flats we have no choice but run high pressure in order to keep up.

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boysa
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by boysa

I think 120psi is insane. You must get bounced all over the place! I'm falling between 63kg-65kg right now, and I run 25's at 90R/80F. If I go much higher, the chatter is what would slow me down, not to mention the harshness of the ride. Let the tire stay connected to the pavement... that is fast.
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Marin
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by Marin

pdlpsher1 wrote:I run Conti 4k 25mm at 120psi. I weigh 63kg. Am I crazy?


YES!!!! :smartass: :smartass: :smartass: :shock: :shock: :shock:

I probably posted this twice in the thread already (since it's my favourite topic besides gear ratios), but I'm 77kg and I run my 25mm Contis 4000s @ 75psi. The whole point of running good tires is that you're able to run them at low pressures while still maintaining low rolling resistance.

Svetty
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by Svetty

pdlpsher1 wrote:I run Conti 4k 25mm at 120psi. I weigh 63kg. Am I crazy? I have heard the really light Spanish Pro Tour riders also run super crazy pressures. Us flyweights have such a huge disadvantage on the flats we have no choice but run high pressure in order to keep up.


Tubs or clinchers? The pros ride tubs mainly.

120 is reasonable for tubs but too high for clinchers unless you're 100Kgs +

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boysa
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by boysa

120 is too high for tubulars, as well! I run them 90R/80F, sometimes even lower. With Vittorias that are 23mm or 24mm, I'm at 95/80... But that's as high as it goes.

I've always been baffled by the general need to run such high pressure.
"Deserve's got nothing to do with it." William Munny

Nejmann
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by Nejmann

Is 120psi to much for a 103kg rider as well? did this on conti 4ks2 (witch is a crappy set of tires and first ride the sidewall died btw) but also on my s-works turbo and vittoria pave?

djaeggi
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by djaeggi

Marin wrote:The whole point of running good tires is that you're able to run them at low pressures while still maintaining low rolling resistance.


???

It's entirely the other way round, surely? In that the whole point of running good tyres is that you're able to run then at higher pressures and reduce rolling resistance.

There are two sources of rolling resistance: casing losses (the casing/rubber flexing); suspension losses (you being bounced up and down). Casing losses increase with lower pressure. Suspension losses increase with higher pressure.

For the same "smoothness" (as measured with your ass-o-meter), i.e. the same approximate level of suspension loss (it's the energy associated with you bouncing up and down that's the source of the loss), you want the tyre with the highest pressure because this will have a lower level of casing loss (assuming a similar starting point, i.e. similar Crr on a smooth drum). That's one of the reasons I ditched GP4000s (which I was having to run at <100psi, me at 70kg) in favour of others, e.g. Vittorias/Veloflexes (which I can run at 110-115psi) and still get a nice ride.

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boysa
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by boysa

Nejmann wrote:Is 120psi to much for a 103kg rider as well?


I was responding to pdlpsher1, who is about the same size as me. I can't speak to what a 103kg rider needs to do.
"Deserve's got nothing to do with it." William Munny

by Weenie


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