I must declare that; I'm a massive Continental fan so all opinions expressed in this article are bias. But Continental have released some great fact on there range on their site, which confirms some of my love for the brand and it's product. Interestingly the facts and figures confirm some of my beliefs. To really cut along story sort:
http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/bicycle/general/home/index_en.html
Buy black tyres - they grip better and the compounds will last longer. Some part of the colouring process degrades the quality of the rubber from it's maximum. Conti being German and precise; will not award it's coveted "black Chili" label to any of its coloured compounds.
Buy black chili - the advantages in grip and rolling resistance are quite significant. You can only get black!
Buy GP4000 s - 's' for black chilli: For the types of riding Bastardi's do this is one of the best tyre's out their. These tyres are a measure of puncture resistance over rolling resistance and are good enough to race on yet reliable enough to ride all year. These tyres grip like no man's business.
Buy GP4000 s - 's' for black chilli: For the types of riding Bastardi's do this is one of the best tyre's out their. These tyres are a measure of puncture resistance over rolling resistance and are good enough to race on yet reliable enough to ride all year. These tyres grip like no man's business.
Don't buy gatorskins - except for a commuter bike. These are as puncture resistant as hell and can be ridden on the canvas but the grip level is a serious compromise.
Note: i can compare these to Vitoria Rubio Pro's Slicks, which came on my TCR, which are top of the range Vittoria race tyres and i much prefer the feedback and ride of the GP. I can also compare to Specialized Mondo tyre which is a good tyre in it's own right but not a scratch on the GP4000 s.
Some general tips on tyres:
Always buy a foldable tyre, these are much easier to fit then beaded tyres - also easier to store.
Replace tyres regularly - it's the difference between being up right and sliding down the road.
Don't be tight arse when buying them - for the same reason as above.
Getting regular punctures - time for a new tyre.
Never patch a tyre - you should be pumping it up to a round 100-120psi, a patch is not going to cut it spring $12 you tight arse! patching a tyre changes the regularity in which inflates creating bulges in the tyre which will create a wobble or bump through the bike and compromise handling and may damage your rims.
A interesting brochure with some great literature on Continentals range.
Over view of Continentals tyre range.
