Continental Grand Prix 4000 Tyres

By tejvan on April 1, 2011 in tyres

Continental Grand Prix 4000 are the successor to the highly popular Grand Prix 3000 series. The new tyre boosts increased performance with lower rolling resistance combined with improved puncture protection.

Continental have made use of Vectran technology to offer the best rolling resistance and puncture protection. I bought a pair for my road bike and having been testing them out. Brand new, the tyres have quite a smooth feel and they looked pretty good in the Gold /black combination.

I rarely punctured using the 3,000 Grand Prix series and so if the new 4000 series offers even better protection I will be happy. The grip to the road felt pretty good, although I struggled to notice a measurable difference with the old series.

I did find them a little difficult to fit (and have a blister to prove it) However, that might just have been my bad technique. When I used the palms rather than thumbs they went on better. But, they do remain a rather stiff tyre..

At £31.46 they are quite expensive. But, I have always felt a good tyre is worth the additional expense.

the weight of the 4000 tyres are 205 grams

Durability of Grand Prix 4000

A problem with Continental Grand Prix 4000 is split sides of tyres. Due to low weight of tyre. Others have reported similar side wall splits. But, it’s still fairly rare.

I’ve now done 3,000 miles using Continental Grand Prix 4000. In those 3,000 miles, I’ve punctured a few times. The tyres last reasonably well, though are prone to glass cuts. The above tyre, is an example of a slit tyre, after riding in the winter months.

One good point of Grand Prix 4000 is that I’ve always found they have had good performance in the wet. They grip pretty well as any tyre in wet conditions.

Manufacturer Description

3 ply with 330 tpi plus Vectran layer
Cool new colours
Activated silica-compound with new antiaging formula
New antislip Nylon rim chaffer
High mileage wear
Tread wear indicator
Highly antipuncture performance tyre
More cut resistance than aramid

Continental Grand Prix 4000 Tyres at Evans £34.99
Continental 4000 Road Tyres at Wiggle

Alternatives to Continental Grand Prix 4000

Schwalbe Ultremo. The Schwalbe Ultramo is similar price at just over £30. It is slightly lighter and even more silky smooth than the Continental Grand Prix 4000. I would probably choose Ultremo over Continental Grand Prix 4000, but there’s not much in it. See: Review Schwalbe Ultremo ZX

If you want a good winter training tyre, I would advise using Continental’s Four Season. They offer much better split tyre resistance, but are still very low weight at 250grams.