# Grand Prix 4000s okay for everyday?



## Dcmkx2000 (Mar 18, 2010)

Vittoria Rubino Pro Slicks with only 300 miles on them and I got two little cuts/chunks out of the tire, one on the front and one on the rear. I am afraid to ride them now. I liked the ride, but am leery of getting them again.

Would Grand Prix 4000s be okay for everyday riding? I try not to ride on bad roads or through any debris. They just seem so expensive. I borrowed some used Gatorskins off a friend for the time being and I hate the ride.


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## dookie (Oct 1, 2007)

if they are anything at all, the gp4k are durable!


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## mariomal99 (Mar 4, 2012)

gp4k are fine but mine also got cuts on them. You can't avoid getting cuts from vrap on the roads.


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## bayAreaDude (Apr 13, 2012)

They're awesome for everyday riding. They're tied for being my favorite tire with Hutchinson Fusion 3 tubeless. I can't stand Vittoria Rubino Pro Slicks - they feel like they're coated with hard plastic or something - not grippy at all.


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## icsloppl (Aug 25, 2009)

The Rubino slick is a great training / general purpose tire. It has their PRB belting for puncture resistance. Any tire can cut. As long as the cut stops at the belt (which is extremely likely what happened) you have little to fear about further problems at that spot.

The 4000s constuction is similar. It has a vectran belt. Given the same circumstances it likely would have been affected the same.

Kind of depends on what you're doing every day, what your ride feel quality tollerance is and how long you expect them to last. If you want a race tire that is also somewhat flat-resistant with good milage life the 4000s is about the best. If you think the 4000s is going to be tougher and outlast the Rubino slicks I don't think that's going to happen.


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## Dcmkx2000 (Mar 18, 2010)

What about the rubino pro III's (not slicks)?


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## OldChipper (May 15, 2011)

GP4000s are my everyday tire. They wear fairly fast as a "daily driver" but I know they'll stick in hard corners and in the rain. Worth the price for me. Though you might not like the ride of the Gatorskins, they do last for-freakin-ever. My wife was well over 2000 miles on hers and they still look like new.


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## bvber (Apr 23, 2011)

I've used Vittoria Zaffiro and when it wore out, got GP4000S for my commuter bike. Rubber is rubber when it comes to cuts. It's what's behind that makes the difference. GP has given me less flats than VZ so far. Yes, GP4000S isn't puncture proof.


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## Dcmkx2000 (Mar 18, 2010)

I can get rubino pro IIIs for less than 60 shipped.....thats quite a bit cheaper than the GP 4000s


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Fast wear?*



OldChipper said:


> They wear fairly fast as a "daily driver"


While there are a lot of variables in tire wear, my experience is that the GP4000 and GP4000S are quite durable. Others report the same thing on this site. Not durable compared to a 350 gm tire for hybrids, but durable for a 220 gm lightweight tire. Conti tires have thinner sidewalls and thicker tread than Michelin so if you ride on a lot of debris-strewn roads that may be an issue, but tread wear is quite good IME.


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## edzwa (Sep 2, 2011)

Can you post a photo of the cuts/chunks.
If it is just the tread that is damaged and the casing is not cut then you have nothing to worry about, I have dozens of small cuts in my tires and they are fine.


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## Dcmkx2000 (Mar 18, 2010)

This is the worst one:










It looks worse when it is mounted and inflated. It is spread open. The other one isn't as bad and you would probably laugh, but once again it looks worse when its mounted and inflated. I am just worried that something will get stuck in the cut and puncture the tire when I am flying. I had the sidewall fail on some Hutchinsons and I was super lucky it didn't happen two minutes earlier.


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## morgan1819 (Nov 22, 2005)

I don't think that cut is going to be an issue.

If you want some 'peace of mind', you could put some Goop adhesive in the cut, and let it dry for a couple of days (while off the rim). Goop is similar to Shoe Goo, but seems a bit stronger while still being flexible.


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## mariw810 (Aug 10, 2012)

Dude tell that lazy


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

I've been riding many years and basically don't concern myself with cuts or small missing chunks as long as the cords aren't compromised. If they are compromised, you'll see that the cords are cut or that the tire is bulging a little. Worst case is the tube starts to protrude. That cut in your photo looks inconsequential, but I can't really tell from the photo if the cords are OK or not. 

Some may be a bit more durable than others, but any tire will get cuts from road debris.


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## edzwa (Sep 2, 2011)

I agree with morgan1819 that is not worth worrying about. I would just put some Shoe goo or something similar on it and not think about it again. don't use super glue though as it dries hard and brittle and can cause you problems.


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

Small cuts in the rubber are normal. You will know you have a problem if the tire bulges as that would mean the cords are damaged.


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

Kerry Irons said:


> While there are a lot of variables in tire wear, my experience is that the GP4000 and GP4000S are quite durable.


same here.

after going thru many sets of Gatorskins, I switched to 4000s.

they have much better ride quality and last as long (or longer) than the Gators. 

the pair I'm currently riding are approaching 4,000 miles of use and still have tread left.


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## steviej (Aug 15, 2012)

i love mine for everyday riding and they seem very durable.


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## vuong05 (Aug 23, 2010)

Another vote for GP4000s for everyday riding. Lately I've been using some Pro 4 Service Course and they have a better ride overall than the GP4000s. Durability seems about the same with no flats yet, this is after 1000km on them.


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## MTBMaven (Dec 17, 2005)

I've been riding Gatorskins then GP4K and not a single flat since summer of 2007. I've gone through 2 pairs of Gatorskins and I think 3 pairs of GP4Ks. Just ordered my 4th set of GP4Ks a few hours ago. Going back to 23s after using 25s for a while.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

I'm a big fan of my GP 4000s. FWIW, they have some cuts on them that look like your photo. Like another poster, I don't worry about it unless the casing is compromised. The rubber is essential, but it's not structural. So as long as it's not coming away in giant chunks. it's fine.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

My experiment with using GP4000s as everyday tires ended with three tires in the trash can due to sidewall slices in about 100 miles. I'm not talking about nicks like in the picture but boot requiring pray it holds until I get home slices. Could be a coincidence but with a grand total of 0 tire destroying sidewall cuts on other brands/models I doubt it.

I actually had pretty good luck with a pair GP4000 (no S) a couple years prior.


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## EuroSVT (Sep 15, 2011)

Dcmkx2000 said:


> What about the rubino pro III's (not slicks)?


I didn't get 1K miles out of mine before they started getting sliced up really bad. I know the pricing of that tire makes it attractive, and their performance is really good, but their durability is a ? to me.

Decided to go with he GP 4Ks and so far love them. Only have 200 miles on them so far so it's yet to be seen if they are more durable.

* But you do get free stickers with the Vittoria


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## Pitts Pilot (Dec 5, 2011)

That cut would cause me little/no concern.

I've been a long-time fan of the GP4000s. Definitely a good choice. That said, I've just switched to the Michelin Pro4 and prefer it slightly. I don't have nearly as many slices/cuts as I would expect from a GP4000s at this point.


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## fredbiker (Sep 14, 2010)

Went from Rubinos to the GP4000s and haven't looked back. Not that the Rubinos were bad mind you, but I've found the Contis to be more durable. Far less wear and tear after same amount of usage. YMMV, but definitely give them a try!


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## Eretz (Jul 21, 2012)

Dcmkx2000 said:


> This is the worst one:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Gorilla Glue [super glue] would seal that up for you in a minute. I use Gorilla Super Glue on my tires all the time.

You may want to rethink a wider tire, 700 x 25mm instead of 700 x 23 or 700 x 20. The GP4000's in a 700 x 25mm are just a tiny bit heavier but almost zero difference in rolling resistance compared to the 700 x 23mm. You can run lower tire pressure with a 700 x 25mm GP4000's [85-90psi] and buffer some of those hits. I can get almost 4,000 miles out of a set of GP4000's.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

Any tire will get cuts like that when you hit stones and other debris. I've got Michelin ProRace, Conti GP 4000s and 4 Seasons, Vittoria Rubino IIs on various bikes -- and they all have cuts like that. Personally I think Rubinos are great tires and the best value right now. I bought my last two pairs for less than $30/tire. Try to find any Conti GPs for that cheap, and I think the Rubinos roll just as nice.


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## Red Brixton (Apr 4, 2012)

"Gatorskins then GP4K and not a single flat..."

Ditto here. I use both gatorskins and GP4K and never have flats.

Someone gave me a pair of expensive, grippy Hutchinsons so I had to try them. Had 7 flats in about 3 months/3k miles on the Hutchinsons. After the 7th (I'm a slow learner), I ordered another pair of GP4Ks, and no flats since.

Love Conti!


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## Nugger (Apr 16, 2012)

Over 1200 miles on my current set of GP 4000s. Not a cut, not a flat, not one problem...which is a lot to say consistently riding chipsealed country roads. I think these ride a lot more comfortably than the Gatorskins they replaced (those were good tires too!)


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## Elpimpo (Jan 16, 2012)

Depends,
Avoid bad roads/debris, and check your tires after every ride.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

You are way more paranoid about your tires than I am.

Let's look at a few things about GP 4000s.

They're not tubulars.

They have a thread count below 300 TPI.

They have a puncture resistant belt.

Kinda sounds like a daily use racing/training tire to me.


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## jamesdak (Aug 22, 2010)

I am with the others. They GP 4000s are my daily tires on all of my road bikes. Easily over 10,000 miles the past two years on them with maybe 1/2 dozen flats. Two of which came in one incidence where I got ran off the road and picked up goatheads in both tires. I honestly don't worry about the little cuts and such. In fact I can be bad about checking the tires and really run the rear into the ground. IMHO they are very tough tires.


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## Wines of WA (Jan 10, 2005)

Ditto here: I have used Conti 4000S 23c for three years as my every day dry weather tires (have a rain bike for the other days with Schwalbe Durano Plus 25c...harsh tires). The 4000S tires have been the best balance between performance and durability that I've yet experienced, and I did my first race in 1989, so I have a little experience on this. 

As other have said, those little cuts are nothing to worry about. However, I do one thing before nearly every ride the greatly helps stop punctures: Inspect both tires before or after every ride and use a sharp knife to pick out any embedded glass or metal bits. That will prevent those sharps from working their way through your casing. It's an extra 2-3 minutes, but is worth it.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

The Pro4 comes in a varieties.

The Pro4 Service Course is not really a daily/commuting tires. Excellent for training and club rides though.

The Pro4 Endurance is meant for daily. Same carcass as the Pro4 Service Course, but the tread has a higher carbon content, making this tire that is long lasting AND more resistant to cuts. On the flip side, because Pro4 Endurance rides just a little rougher, has just a little more rolling resistance.. but it won't affect you much if you're just droning at <22-23 mph. I use the Michelin Krylion (which is now discontinued with Pro4 Endurance as the successor),, and I regular keep up with guys hammering 25-28 mph rides, and I don't use aero wheels.

GP4000 are ok, but they do cut easier than the Krylion, but GP4000 are also a bit smoother.

I guess when it comes to tires (assuming the same diameter), there's alawys a tradeoff between "performance" (fast & smooth rolling) vs. cut & longevity. If you want cut & longevity, get a tire with a high carbon content (eg, Krylion, Gatorskin, Armadillo).


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## digita6 (Sep 29, 2012)

GP4Ks is my everyday tire as well. I've not had any problem with cuts--the tires have a kevlar belt that ensures that they keep from being punctured. The above suggestion to use Gorilla Glue has worked for me as well...


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## natedg200202 (Sep 2, 2008)

The Conti 4000s is the most durable clincher tire I have used, in terms of milage. If I hadn't switched to tubeless, they would be my tire of choice.


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## cyclepath78 (Oct 4, 2012)

I've got a pair that I am currently on and I love them for everyday riding. 2,500ish miles on them with at least another 2k to go. I am 210lbs and ride the 25mm version. Great great tire!


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## Cat 3 boy (Aug 20, 2002)

Re that cut: superglue it

And ride


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## did291 (Sep 12, 2011)

2700 km done on 4000s 700x25, no flat, some cuts( fix with superglue) and the back one is getting square, probably less then 1000km left on it. The front one is looking good. And this is on very normal road in Canada(Quebec) that goes to 6 months of hard winter(-30c in jan).
But i do use my gatorskin in the spring.


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