- Brand: Continental
- Tire Type: Clincher
- Bike Type: BMX Bike
- Material: Blend
- Black Chili – a unique tread compound, produced only in Germany, that’s answered the eternal question of the best balance of grip and Rolling resistance for cycling
- Active comfort technology – Embedded technology in the tire construction that absorbs vibrations and smoothens your ride
- Laser grip – laser Micro profile structure expands over the tireβs shoulder and provides outstanding cornering
- Handmade in Germany – Constructed and tested by skilled craftsman in Cronbach Germany
- Sport type: BMX









Average Customer –
TL;DRIn my opinion, this set of tires is the best balance of durability and speed at a moderate price point among the options I evaluated. Get the Ultra Sport II’s (or Ultra Sport III’s) if you’re low on cash. If you have a race day coming up and want all the speed you can get, go with the Vittoria Corsa Speed G+ 2.0 (TLR) or the GP 5000 TL if you want both high performance and durability.What I Was Previously Using:I ride a 2015 Cannondale CAAD10 Ultegra. Before purchasing these tires, I still had the tires that came on the bike (about 600 miles ago), since they seemed like they had some life left in them at time of purchase. The front tire was a Mavic Yksion and the rear was a Forte Pro +. Both were fine, but not outstanding. I decided to replace them since they were starting too look quite worn.My Riding Style:I generally do medium (20 mi) to long (30-50 mi) rides at an intermediate pace (14-17 mph) on rural roads. I will often ride on rougher pavement surfaces, but typically steer clear of anything with a lot of loose gravel. Sometimes my routes will involve potholes, but I try to steer around these or get out of the saddle to absorb the bump if possible.Comparison to other Similar Tire Options: See bottom for graphical comparisonThis product was compared to several other tires, mostly continentals, but also a few oddball options as well. Amazon doesnβt let you post external URLs in the reviews, but I used a site that provides information on rolling resistance and durability for different tire types. Iβm sure this could be easily found and used as a useful shopping tool with a quick google search.Mavic Yksion Elite: I looked up information on this tire as a baseline for comparison. They actually do not provide very good value per dollar, with performance that is similar to Ultra Sport II and Ultra Sport III for over twice the price point.Continental Gatorskin: This seemed like a good option for bikepacking or very long rides where durability is of paramount importance. According to sources I looked at, these tires come with a tradeoff in rolling resistance in order to have such high durability. I preferred something faster and was willing to use a tire with slightly less durability to accomplish this.Continental Grand Prix 4 Season: These appeared to be a slightly faster and more expensive version of the Gatorskin. They look to be only marginally less durable and appear to be intended for winter weather training. Again, these seem to be a decent option for bikepacking or training in really nasty weather, but at this time of year, Iβm interested in going with something faster.Continental Ultra Sport II: These tires look like a very good value for money. They perform about as well or slightly better than the Mavic Yksion (could not find information on the Forte Pro +) for a much lower price point. These look to be very good value for the price. I strongly considered these over the GP5000 on the basis of value/$ alone. I may grab some to keep in a bag as a backup for flats on longer rides.Continental Ultra Sport III: Very similar to Ultra Sport II. Only marginally more expensive and marginally faster. Likely a somewhat newer rubber compound. Still very good value.Continental Grand Prix 4000S II: These are the precursor to the GP 5000 (this product). They are more expensive and slightly more durable, but they are somewhat slower. I didnβt see the higher price point being worth the durability increase, but many people online really seem to like this tire.Continental Grand Prix 5000 (this product): These tires are a good balance of price, durability, and performance. They are both faster and cheaper than the Grand Prix 4000S II, but they are lighter and have thinner tread and sidewall. Iβve heard some concern about this online, but I was willing to accept the risk, since they offer similar durability to the Mavic, which Iβve been using for some time.Continental Grand Prix 5000 TL: These appear to be even better than the GP 5000 (this product). They are not only more durable; they are even faster. I preferred these from a performance standpoint, but did not see the $30 price difference as worthwhile.Vittoria Corsa Speed G+ 2.0 (TLR): I looked at these just for fun. They have super low rolling resistance and look great for racing shorter courses, but they have thin tread so the risk of flats is higher. You also have to pay a hefty $116 for this level of performance.Installation:Installation of tires is generally a frustrating process. Though these are no exception, they did not seem to be any more frustrating than the average tire. I strongly recommend having tire spatulas/levers on hand for this process. Youβll need at least 2, and 3 is much easier. I installed these with only gloves and creative use of a hex wrench (because I didnβt have tire levers on hand at the time), but I donβt recommend this since you run the risk of puncturing your tube with a tool that isnβt designed for tire replacement. Like most fresh tires, once these are installed, they are tough to get off until they wear in. I strongly recommend checking direction of rotation before installation to ensure the tread is oriented in the right direction.Comfort, Ride Quality:Iβve put about 100 miles into these since time of purchase, and they feel very good. They are grippy and I run them at a somewhat lower pressure than I ran the Mavic and the Forte. I inflated both of those to around 125 psi on a typical ride, while I run these around 110 psi (they have a maximum inflation pressure of about 124 psi). This feels like it allows for a slightly larger contact patch and correspondingly more grip without feeling sluggish. I can corner at speed with a high level of confidence. I donβt know what black chili compound is, but it seems to do a good job of providing a tire that is both grippy and fast.Durability:Having only run these for about 100 miles, I can provide very limited useful information on durability. My initial impression is that while these are not nearly as tough as something like a Gatorskin, for the type of riding I do, I donβt expect issues. Iβll have to check back after a few hundred miles.
J. Carson –
A little hard to put on. REALLY tight fit, but these things are FAST. Compared to my old 32mm slicks, these are so much faster with the same or less effort. Could be the higher PSI mainly. I use 105 psi. Highly recommend if you need some new tires! (on a cannondale quick 3 fitness bike)
Tommy –
I cannot say as to whether this wheel is durable or not. When I can say is that it was easy to put on and I could notice a definite better rolling difference between this and the Continental Gator skins I had on before. So at this point I am happy with these tires!
romano peros –
I bought the 25mm tires and mounted them on a set of Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheels. I measured the width after inflating the tires and they measured at 23mm. I was hoping for at leat 24mm but I can live with 23
JJan –
These are probably the best clincher tires on the market. They roll fast and smooth.
Bryant L. Howard –
I’ve used most of the major tire brands and the Continental GP 5000 are the best in all conditions. Handling, speed, durability and feel is noticeably better.Bite the bullet and pay a bit more…its worth it.
Paine Wu –
Ran over a nail with these tires and it did not puncture my tubes. Great tires.
Lee Harris –
These tires so far have been very fast. Performed well in wet conditions. Not sure as far as longevity or puncture resistance.