Road Bike Tire Test: Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR (tanwall) 25
Contents and Test Summary
- Introduction
- Manufacturer Specifications
- Size, Weight, Thickness
- Rolling Resistance: 9.6 Watts
- Puncture Resistance: 38 Points
- Static Wet Grip: 69 Points
- Conclusion: 4.3 / 5 Highly Recommended
- Comments
- Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR (tanwall) 25
(100% is best)
Natural colored sidewalls have become quite popular because of the classic / cotton tire look they provide, and we believe, a general feeling that natural sidewalls offer better performance. It seems like Continental didn't want to be left behind when it comes to the looks of their tires, and they've made all sizes of the Grand Prix 5000 S TR available in both a black-black and black-transparent version.
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In the past, the standard vulcanized tires with a nylon casing always were entirely black as the sidewalls also were part of the vulcanization process resulting in the sidewalls getting filled/covered with a thin layer of rubber. There are many ways to retain the natural-looking sidewalls during manufacturing, ranging from not vulcanizing the sidewalls to filling them with a transparent filler or even painting the sidewalls with some yellow paint :/.
We're not sure how it's done with the GP 5000 S TR, but the sidewalls do have that classic natural look. We must add that the 25-622 version on test here is maybe not the best size for the classic sidewall look as a small part of the sidewalls that runs along the edge of the tread is still vulcanized, and the "natural looking" part is quite slim on this tire.
When purely looking at the specifications on Continental's website, we can't spot any differences between the black-black and black-transparent versions as all sizes have the same specified weight, casing specifications, and maximum air pressures. While there are no differences on paper, our tests indicate a substantial difference between the black-black version we tested last year (read our review) and the black-transparent we tested this week...
Manufacturer Specifications
| Manufacturer Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Brand | Continental |
| Model | Grand Prix 5000 S TR (tanwall) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Tire Type | Tubeless |
| Supplied By | Bought in store |
| New or Used | New |
| Mileage | 0 km |
| Price Range | Very High |
| Buy At | Ad Amazon.com |
| Manufacturer part number | 0101873 |
| EAN | 4019238055559 |
| TPI | 2/220 |
| Compound | Black Chili |
| Bead | Folding |
| ETRTO | 25-622 |
| Size Inch | 28" |
| Specified Width (mm) | 25 |
| Specified Weight | 250 grams |
| Max Air Pressure (psi) | 109 |
| 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 (tanwall) 25 Test Results
Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
| Size, Weight and Thickness Measurements | |
|---|---|
| Specified Weight | 250 grams |
| Measured Weight | 252 grams |
| System Adjusted Weight (tire + valve + rim seal) |
272 grams |
| Measured Width | 25 mm (un-round) |
| Measured Height | 22 mm (un-round) |
| Total Tire Thickness Center | 2.3 mm |
| Total Tire Thickness Sidewall | Members Only |
| Unmounted Casing Width | 64 mm |
| Unmounted Tread Width | Members Only |
| Tread Cover (Tread / Casing Ratio) | Members Only |
| All size measurements are taken at an air pressure of 100 psi / 6.9 bars on a 17.8 mm inner width rim. | |
Rolling Resistance Test Results
| Rolling Resistance Test Results | |
|---|---|
| Inner Tube | None (20 ml sealant) |
| Measured Width | 25 mm (un-round) |
| Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 22-24 = 132 psi/9.1 bar 25-27 = 120 psi/8.3 bar 28-29 = 108 psi/7.4 barUltra High Air Pressure (120 psi / 8.3 bar) |
9.6 Watts CRR: 0.00288 |
| Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 22-24 = 110 psi/7.6bar 25-27 = 100 psi/6.9 bar 28-29 = 90 psi/6.2 barExtra High Air Pressure (100 psi / 6.9 bar) |
10.3 Watts CRR: 0.00309 |
| Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 22-24 = 88 psi/6.1 bar 25-27 = 80 psi/5.5 bar 28-29 = 72 psi/5.0 barHigh Air Pressure (80 psi / 5.5 bar) |
Members Only |
| Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 22-24 = 66 psi/4.6 bar 25-27 = 60 psi/4.1 bar 28-29 = 54 psi/3.7 barMedium Air Pressure (60 psi / 4.1 bar) |
Members Only |
| The Road Bike 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 | 2.3 mm |
| Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle | Members Only |
| Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle | Members Only |
| Sidewall Total Tire Thickness | Members Only |
Static Grip Test Results
| Static Grip Test Results | |
|---|---|
| Wet Grip Average | 69 Points |
| Wet Grip Center | Members Only |
| Wet Grip Edge | Members Only |
| Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 Road bike grip test rim width = 19.0 mm |
|
Conclusion
- Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR (tanwall) 25
(100% is best)
We're a bit puzzled by the transparent version of the Grand Prix 5000 S TR as our rolling resistance test indicates it rolls quite a bit slower than the black-black version. Also surprising is the smaller size when inflated (24.9 mm vs 25.5 mm wide), while the unmounted casing width and tread width are the same for both tires. The smaller size indicates the transparent version doesn't stretch as much under pressure.
Puncture resistance is pretty much the same for both versions, although we expected the sidewalls to be slightly less puncture resistant on the transparent version. Another surprise is the wet grip that comes in higher for the transparent version, which might indicate the casing is more flexible or the rubber compound is slightly different.
To sum things up, there is a difference between the 25-622 Grand Prix 5000 S TR with transparent sidewalls tested in 2022 and the 25-622 Grand Prix 5000 S TR with black sidewalls that we tested in 2021 (read our review). We can think of 2 reasons why that is the case:
1. There is a difference in the casing by use of a different material or an extra layer somewhere which is likely because of the smaller size when inflated.
2. The compound mixing is off, or Continental changed the compound specifications for the entire Grand Prix 5000 S TR range in the past 6 months to offer better wet grip.
Move over to our comparison section to compare the GP 5000 S TR (black sidewalls) to the GP 5000 S TR (transparent sidewalls) side by side.
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RATING:
4.3
/ 5
TEST VERDICT:
Highly Recommended