Continental 4000 grand prix - possible side wall problem - Page 2

I have not had this problem.

But how do you tell when they need to be replaced? There are supposed to be "tread wear indicators" on the tires, but I can't seem to figure out where or what they are.

+1. I bought a pair of Michelin Pro2 Races 'cause the LBS was out of Specialized tires except in gaudy colors. I'm amazed by how well the Mich's ride, and they seem just as flat-resistant and long-wearing as lesser tires. I've already bought a second pair to have on standby.

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Specialized Roubaix Pro
Specialized Sequoia Elite

li rider.. if you have the GP4000 there is a wear indicator on the tire surface, there are a few little holes/ dimples in the tread and when the tread wears out to these its gone.. no to find them have a look around the tire right in the middle and see if can see them (about 1.5 - 2mm across) otherwise on the side of the tire there are the letters TWI and an arrow to where they should be

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When I started steel sucked! Then Alloy rocked! Then Alloy sucked! Then carbon rocked! Then carbon sucked! Then Steel rocked! now i ride carbon????

i'm here coz i ride...

I ride on Pro 2, and my cycling buddy uses the GP4000, we rarely go through flat tires, however the GP seems to resist punctures a whole lot better than the Pro2. In our experiences, during an undetermine amount of time, the Pro 2 puntucres three times as much as the GP4000.

I would rather replace the tires after 2K miles, than having to fix flats That's why I am switching to GP4000

IME, GP4000 puncture resistance is great for the tread, but the sidewalls are pretty thin. I just replaced a rear GP4000 today that had a sidewall cut from riding through some gravel on the shoulder of the road. Booted the tire about a month ago, hoping to be able to get more wear out of it, but the cut opened up anyway and caused the tube to fail.

In three years and over 15K miles of using GP's, this is the second sidewall cut-through I've had which caused me to replace the tire. I've never had a cut or puncture through the tread in all those miles.

And how much mileage\time are you expecting from other tires?

My tires don't last that long

I've been getting 2800-3000 miles with the Conti's on the rear, except when I cut a sidewall of course. As you know, the front tread wears really slowly compared to the rear. Have started the practice of putting the new tire on the front and rotating the old one to the back. Would think tire life depends a lot on where and how you ride. I don't race or hammer big gear sprints too often, and do most climbing seated.

Didn't get as much mileage with the old ProRace I used to run, but that was before ProRace 2 came out. Got away from Michelins due to problems with cuts through the tread; they would pick up small stone chips or glass shards and cut through. Maybe the ProRace 2 have improved puncture resistance, but haven't tried them yet. Have read the Kryliums deliver more mileage at the expense of a slight increase in rolling resistance and perhaps less grip.

What I'm looking for are low RR race tires with great ride that are puncture-proof and last 5K miles....that doesn't seem so difficult

I purchased a pair of 4000's during the winter and was excited to try them out this year. I only had them on for 2 months until the rear tire had a severe sidewall blowout (the hole was about 3/4 inch). I inspect my tires after every ride and did not notice anything peculiar. I did, however, notice the "fraying" that other people were talking about of the sidewall (I believe that this has nothing to do with the blowout). Also, the day of the blowout, I never noticed running anything over and was careful like usual. Before the blowout, in the 2 months of riding on the 4ooo's, I had 3 flats. All but one were caused by tiny glass shard that got imbedded in the tire. Every one punctured the lining and into the tubes. When I finally threw them out, they looked like they have been through a war. In my opinion, not what you want out of a tire in 2 months. Just to let everyone know, I have been riding on Michelin Krylion Carbons since and have not had a single nick in them (it has been about 3 weeks so knock on wood for me!) Thanks for listening....

I rotate the same tires every couple of months, I adopted the automobile tire rotation theory. I've been able to save quite some money this way


I never used the Pro Race, however you are describing the actual conditions of my Pro Race 2

I haven't seen this blowout problem on my buddys GP4000, I hope I don't experience it on my awaiting to be install GP4000

BTW - My Buddy is a firm believer of inflating his tires to the max recommended PSI, so his GP4000 are always set to 120psi, even though he tips the scale at 175lbs

High pressures make tires more vunerable to cuts and punctures. Believe Conti quotes max puncture resistance for their tires at 95 psi, although their recommended pressure on the box is 110 (max rating is 120 psi).

Max pressure is great if you ride on velodromes or glass-smooth roads, but not so good on the roads most of us ride where all you get is reduced grip and a harsh ride.

That the second time I've heard of a blow out on a relatively new GP4000. The first I heard of it was from a guy that worked at the lbs I bought my set of GP4000's at. Kinda scary when blow outs happen, especially if your doing 40+ mph.

thanks, i will look and see

+1 on the Conti 4000 - love the ride but the sidewall cuts rather than wear terminate the tyre. Giving the new black chilli's a go before I change brands or drop down to a Gatorskin which have much tougher sidewalls.

This is true, however I was stating it because there might be a relation between "recommended" PSI and sidewall problems?