CX/Gravel Tire Test: Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR 32

NOTE: This Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR 32 was tested as a CX-Gravel tire at low air pressures and with a butyl inner tube (CX-Gravel standard protocol). You can also find a test of the 25 mm Grand Prix 5000 S TR in the road bike section.

Like its predecessor, the Grand Prix 5000 TL, the brand new Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR in the 32 mm size might be an exciting option as a semi-offroad tire. We already tested the 25 mm version of the Grand Prix 5000 S TR a couple of weeks back, and while it's as fast as the Grand Prix 5000 TL, puncture resistance of the tread had gone down by about 30%.

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Luckily, we recently also tested the now discontinued 32 mm version of the Grand Prix 5000 TL (read our review), and we'll be able to compare the 32 mm versions of the Grand Prix 5000 TL / S TR under the exact same conditions once again. If you're interested in how the 5000 S TR is different from the older 5000 TL from a construction standpoint, please read our review of the 25 mm version of the 5000 S TR as it contains more information about what's changed.

Continental claims the new Grand Prix 5000 S TR is 20% faster, 50 grams lighter, has 28% stronger sidewalls, and is much easier to mount tubeless when compared to the older 5000 TL. We couldn't find the 20% reduction in rolling resistance in our test of the 25 mm version, but we did find it to be much lighter, easier to mount, and also found the sidewalls to be a bit stronger.

Let's take a look at the 32 mm versions as we're curious how Continental's claims stack up for the bigger sizes.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Continental
Model	Grand Prix 5000 S TR
Year	2021
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	Very High
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	0101869
EAN	4019238054408
TPI	2/220
Compound	BlackChili
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	32-622
Specified Weight	320 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	73
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	25-622 (700x25c) 28-622 (700x28c) 30-622 (700x30c) 32-622 (700x32c) 30-584 (650x30b) 32-584 (650x32b)

Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR 32 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	320 grams
Measured Weight	310 grams
Measured Width Casing	30 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	30 mm
Measured Height	28 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	0.0 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2.20 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall	Members Only
All size measurements are taken at low air pressure on a 17.8 mm inner width rim.

Rolling Resistance Test Results

Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube	None (30 ml sealant) (current protocol)	Conti Cross28 (160 gr) (test protocol)
Measured Width	30 mm	30 mm
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 66 psi/4.6 bar 33-35 = 60 psi/4.1 bar 36-38 = 54 psi/3.7 bar 39-42 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 43-46 = 46 psi/3.2 bar 47-50 = 42 psi/2.9 barHigh Air Pressure (66 psi / 4.6 bar)	Members Only	Members Only
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 55 psi/3.8 bar 33-35 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 36-38 = 45 psi/3.1 bar 39-42 = 42 psi/2.9 bar 43-46 = 38 psi/2.6 bar 47-50 = 35 psi/2.4 barMedium Air Pressure (55 psi / 3.8 bar)	Members Only	Members Only
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 44 psi/3.0 bar 33-35 = 40 psi/2.8 bar 36-38 = 36 psi/2.6 bar 39-42 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 43-46 = 31 psi/2.1 bar 47-50 = 28 psi/1.9 barLow Air Pressure (44 psi / 3.0 bar)	12.8 Watts CRR: 0.00384	16.6 Watts CRR: 0.00498
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 33-35 = 30 psi/2.1 bar 36-38 = 27 psi/1.9 bar 39-42 = 25 psi/1.7 bar 43-46 = 23 psi/1.6 bar 47-50 = 21 psi/1.4 barExtra Low Air Pressure (33 psi / 2.3 bar)	16.4 Watts CRR: 0.00492	21.4 Watts CRR: 0.00641
The CX/Gravel section is a multi tire size section, air pressures have been adjusted to the measured casing width. All numbers are for a single tire at a speed of 29 km/h / 18 mph and a load of 42.5 kg / 94 lbs. Use the formula: RR (Watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread	38 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Tread Total Tire Thickness	2.20 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Members Only
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness	Members Only

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	72 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	0.0 mm
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 CX/Gravel grip test rim width = 23.0 mm
Wet Grip Test and Off-Road Tires (info)

Conclusion

When tested under CX/Gravel conditions, the 32 mm version of the Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR rolls much faster than the 32 mm version of the Grand Prix 5000 TL. The difference is much more significant when compared to the 25 mm versions of these tires, and we attribute this to the lower air pressures, differences in the samples we tested, and the possibility that the newer design of the Grand Prix 5000 S TR works out better for the bigger sizes.

Our version of the 32 mm Grand Prix 5000 TL, manufactured in 2021, seems to be heavier, thicker, and slower than the 25 mm version that we tested back in 2018 (corrections made for the increase in volume). On the other hand, the 32 mm version of the Grand Prix 5000 S TR is lighter, thinner, and faster than our 25 mm S TR sample after the same corrections for the increased volume.

Because of these slight differences, we also see an even further reduction in the puncture resistance of the tread. Puncture resistance of the tread came in 30% lower for the 25 mm 5000 S TR when compared to the 25 mm version of the 5000 TL, and this has gone up to 40% for the 32 mm version.

Puncture resistance of the tread is also the main problem we see with the newer 5000 S TR series, and we're not sure yet about how this will work out in real-life and especially under harsher off-road conditions.

Continental probably didn't lie when they claimed a 20% reduction in rolling resistance, but it's perhaps only valid when hand-picking the worst GP 5000 TL and the best GP 5000 S TR.

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RATING: 5.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Highly Recommended

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