Continental Grand Prix tires

How durable are the Continental Grand Prix tires? I ride on back country roads that are anything but
smooth. The roads are black top but not smooth. Can the tires hold up to such roads on a daily
basis. I have heard that the sidewalls are weak and the tire in general is prone to flats.

I am looking for a fast durable tire for a TE.

Thanks

 

Be careful about what you hear about tires. I have had Primo Comets which "they" say are flat prone on my Canto in which I have run over all sorts of glass and such. Of course for me, the $45 price of a Grand Prix gives me a flat.

Derek

 

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> How durable are the Continental Grand Prix tires? I ride on back country roads that are anything
> but smooth. The roads are black top but not smooth. Can the tires hold up to such roads on a daily
> basis. I have heard that the sidewalls are weak and the tire in general is prone to flats.
>
> I am looking for a fast durable tire for a TE.

The sidewall is the weakest component. I've not experienced an inordinent number of flats but I have
retired one tire for sidewall cuts.

Currently I am running Schwalbe Stelvios and they seem to exhibit the same strengths and weaknesses.

If you are looking for fast AND durable, you may have a tough time fnding an optimum tire.

--
Cletus D. Lee Bacchetta Giro Lightning Voyager http://www.clee.org
- Bellaire, TX USA -

 

I'm using them on my VR-42 and after about 500 miles they've been fine. If you treat them like the
road tire they are (avoid obvious hazards, keep them inflated properly etc.), they'll be fine. I
like the ride they give, too... "Pete" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> How durable are the Continental Grand Prix tires? I ride on back country roads that are anything
> but smooth. The roads are black top but not smooth. Can the tires hold up to such roads on a daily
> basis. I have heard that the sidewalls are weak and the tire in general is prone to flats.
>
> I am looking for a fast durable tire for a TE.
>
> Thanks

 

I love Conti's in general. I used to run the Ultra Sport on my upright, and had Grand Prix on my
Linear LWB for the last year I owned it. They are high pressure, strong, last long, ride and handle
great. Rolf thought they might be a little thin for my Phantom when I bought it, so I have Primo
Comet/Racer. I like them, but will probably go to the Conti's when it's time anyway. Chas

 

FWIW, I ride a Conti 26 X 1.0 wire bead on the rear of my Zak. It has >4600 miles and still has lots
more to go by the looks of it. Remember, a 559 goes around more times/mile than a 700. One flat so
far. That was from a burr around the spoke hole that pushed through the rim strip and bit the tube.
I do not ride the road with it very much. Mostly on the 35 mile lovely paved bike trail along the
river. If it ever wears out, I am putting the same thing back on. Hope that helps. Don

 

[email protected] (Pete) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> How durable are the Continental Grand Prix tires? I ride on back country roads that are anything
> but smooth. The roads are black top but not smooth. Can the tires hold up to such roads on a daily
> basis. I have heard that the sidewalls are weak and the tire in general is prone to flats.
>
> I am looking for a fast durable tire for a TE.
>
> Thanks

I rode Conti Grand Prixs on my V-Rex and found them to be a durable, tough tire. For a virtually
bulletproof nice performing road tire it fills the bill. However, with your road conditions I'm not
sure a narrow tire is a good option. I find that any narrow tire works best on a smooth road
surface. With the surface you describe I think a wider tire would be better. We rode Vredestein
S-Licks on our tandem on all surfaces and found them to be a nice all around tire, not as fast as
the Contis but durable and nice performing. We have Comp Pools on the tandem (I think they only come
in 406 size) now and they are faster than the S-Licks but don't handle as well. Good luck.

Mike S.

 

>I am looking for a fast durable tire for a TE.

Hi Pete, Sounds like the Avocet cross K (700x32) would be a great tire for your needs. I put about
7,000 miles on 2 without a flat, and my friend Ed runs the same one "forever" on the back of his
T.E. and I don't think he's had a flat either. This year I've been running the Conti gator skin on
the back of the Ti-Rush, and it's a much harsher ride, would drive you nuts (comparitively) on a
gravel country road...good luck,Mark C.

 

They held up OK for me commuting in central London, though the sidewalls can be a bit iffy. Note
that the only small GP available is a 28-406, though, so if your TE has a 451 front wheel, you might
wish to consider a Schwalbe Stelvio instead.

Dave Larrington - http://legslarry.crosswinds.net/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

 

"Dave Larrington" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> They held up OK for me commuting in central London, though the sidewalls can be a bit iffy. Note
> that the only small GP available is a 28-406, though, so if your TE has a 451 front wheel, you
> might wish to consider a Schwalbe Stelvio instead.
>
> Dave Larrington - http://legslarry.crosswinds.net/
> ===========================================================
> Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
> http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
> ===========================================================

I posted my reply in the wrong thread.

Thanks for all of the information that everyone is sending about the Continental tires. The
Grand Prix is suppose to be a fast tire and that is what I am looking for. I have a Primo Comet
on the front
(406)and a Michelin(28)on the rear. When it comes time to change I want something a little bit
faster without sacrificing durability.

 

Hey Pete,

You may have seen from some of my previous posts that I think the Contis are the greatest tires in the world. The others are probably getting pretty tired of hearing me expound their virtues!

I did a direct switch from Primo Comets to the GP, and added about 1 1/2 MPH to my average cruising speed. The GP is very fast, handles extremely well, and I've never flatted one. Professional racers have held them in high esteem for a long time.

The sidewalls do get a little frayed, but I've never had one give me any trouble.

Give them a try. See if the footprint is large enough to handle your rockin' roads.
R2

 

Dave, was that the wire bead or the folding version?

"Dave Larrington" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> They held up OK for me commuting in central London, though the sidewalls can be a bit iffy.

 

> Thanks for all of the information that everyone is sending about the Continental tires. The
> Grand Prix is suppose to be a fast tire and that is what I am looking for. I have a Primo Comet
> on the front
> (406)and a Michelin(28)on the rear. When it comes time to change I want something a little bit
> faster without sacrificing durability.

My experience with Continental Grand Prix tires was that thorns punctured them as if they were made
of butter.

Frank Calloway

 

Asked Don:

> Dave, was that the wire bead or the folding version

The wire bead - 406 front and 559 rear.

Dave Larrington - http://legslarry.crosswinds.net/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

 

Cletus Lee <[email protected]> wrote:
: Currently I am running Schwalbe Stelvios and they seem to exhibit the same strengths and
: weaknesses.

: If you are looking for fast AND durable, you may have a tough time fnding an optimum tire.

How about those 100 PSI grooved semi-slicks? Like Vredestein S-Licks, Schwalbe City Marathons and
Marathon Slicks, etc. Would the material/construction give any durability advantage? At least they'd
be a bit wider... Or is the only reason for their existence that they make the common folks believe
they have better hold in wet conditions?

--
Risto Varanka | http://www.helsinki.fi/~rvaranka/ varis at no spam please iki fi

 

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> Cletus Lee <[email protected]> wrote:
> : Currently I am running Schwalbe Stelvios and they seem to exhibit the same strengths and
> : weaknesses.
>
> : If you are looking for fast AND durable, you may have a tough time fnding an optimum tire.
>
> How about those 100 PSI grooved semi-slicks? Like Vredestein S-Licks, Schwalbe City Marathons and
> Marathon Slicks, etc. Would the material/construction give any durability advantage? At least
> they'd be a bit wider... Or is the only reason for their existence that they make the common folks
> believe they have better hold in wet conditions?

I prefer Vredesteins SLicks on my commuter. I do find them durable (and fast) They might just be the
optimal tire. I'm not convinced however that they are as fast as the 25mm tires.
--
Cletus D. Lee Bacchetta Giro Lightning Voyager http://www.clee.org
- Bellaire, TX USA -

 

I, on the other hand, didn't find much in the way of difference between S-Licks and GP's when it
came to fending off visits from the P*nct*r* Fairy, but *did* find S-Licks to be a bit slower. I've
not got Stelvios, which are holding up well, though natch on the first wet day for six weeks the
P*nct*r* Fairy pushed a big lump of glass through the front one, chiz.

Dave Larrington - http://legslarry.crosswinds.net/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

 

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> I've not got Stelvios, which are holding up well, though natch on the first wet day for six weeks
> the P*nct*r* Fairy pushed a big lump of glass through the front one, chiz.
>

Your P*nct*r* Fairy is kinder than mine. My P*nct*r* Fairy always goes for the rear tire.

--

Cletus D. Lee Bacchetta Giro Lightning Voyager http://www.clee.org
- Bellaire, TX USA -