Helllo. Any of you keep track of how much wear (by miles) you put on your tires? I have Continental 5000 clinchers which I really like. However, I started keeping track of tire wear (excluding trainer miles) about a year ago and my rears only seem to reach about 2,300 miles (3,700 km) before the wear indicator is barely visible. Wondering if you guys manage to get a lot more out of your tires? Fronts I seem to get about 1,000 miles more. I fancy myself light on the brakes and a relatively good bike handler, but those numbers seem like I’m not being very efficient.
I ride in Florida where the paved roads are fairly decent, so don’t think it’s the surface. I also like a bit firmer tire, so I run about 95 psi on the back and 90 on the front.
Best.
Those mileages seems fine.
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I get about 2000-2500 miles on GP 4000 and 5000. One thing you might try is swapping front and back at 1000-1500 miles. The back tire always wears faster, from what I’ve read the rear tire is supporting about 70% of your bodyweight.
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Also to expand a bit…
It’s pretty normal of course to run a tire like the GP5000 on a daily road bike, but strictly speaking they are a ~racing tire. Hence a lifespan like you are seeing isn’t unusual.
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Thanks, @Pottery . I actually didn’t know they were considered that. I thought them more training/all around type of tires. Thanks for the confirm on the mileage.
They are a fast racing tire. Tire engineers make tradeoffs on suppleness vs puncture resistance, and the Conti has a very fast rubber compound along with very good puncture resistance. That makes the GP 5000 a good overall tire.
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Yes, agreed. I have been very satisfied with their quality for years.
Anyone use any other means to determine when to change their tires besides the built in tire wear indicators on the rubber?
Nothing scientific about this but I have run Conti 4000 and 5000 tires for years. I used to swap the rear to the front as suggested, but over time came to the conclusion that front flats are so much more scary than rear flats that I always have the newest tire on the front, and don’t swap them in pairs. Once the rear tire gets near the wear limit, I put a new front tire on and rotate the front to the rear. I think the mileage you are getting is similar to my experience.
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Ive got 4200+ miles on a set of Conti GP 5000 clinchers right now. Many of those miles are over roughly surfaced rural roads. Only one flat was a big cut in the rear which I patched from the inside for reinforcement. Still fairly grippy 
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Impressive @BlueHeron . These are the types of anecdotes that lead me to think I’m doing something wrong or taking them off too soon. Do you use the wear indicators on the tire to tell you when to change them, or what method do you use. I’m a fan of Mr. Tuffy tire liners to help minimize my flats.
Have you thought about using different tires?
I’m a bit perplexed by the combo of the GP5000s and a liner like that. I’d def say thats an atypical setup, that may have impact on ride quality/performance.
Something like a GP 4 Season, or even a gatorskin (they don’t ride well, but are tough and durable) may be a good choice if you don’t need outright performance.
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or something like continental bicycle Gator Hardshell
Still marked by conti as a “race” tire, but tbh i don’t think anyone really uses them for racing. more of a commuter/training tire.
@LiveSimply
I change them when they start getting squared off looking, or I start having a lot of flats. Ive ridden tires until the threads appear. Not saying this is a good idea, i am probably riding on much less than optimum grip at that point.
Basically I’m just cheap.
Maybe I’m the one who is wrong and I’m keeping them on too long?
This is my first pair of GP5000s and they seem to be holding up particularly well, though.
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I got 2417 miles out of my last set of GP 5000’s. Could have probably pushed them further but I tend to get more flats as the tires wear and I have an extra set so I swapped them out.
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@biberg Ahh I see. I tend to hit a lot of group rides and wouldn’t feel comfortable with that sort of wear on the tires for fear of getting a blow out that may cause me to take others out. Yes, in general I think the GP 5000s are great overall tires. Thx for the reply.
@Pottery The liner was recommended by my LBS owner who runs the combo himself. Haven’t seen a flat since I started running them and personally have not noticed any negative effects on handling. Seems to be working well for me at the moment.
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Out of curiosity, do any of you see differences in wear between tubeless tires vs clinchers. I still ride clinchers but overheard someone in my group ride say that he sees less wear from his tubeless. Wondering if that is general consensus or just a one off.
