Continental’s Grand Prix 5000 range is its flagship road tire. It’s included a tubeless option since launch, the GP 5000 S TR. This is a tire designated for summer use though, while the tube-only Grand Prix 4-Season has been the brand’s winter tire offering.
The Grand Prix 5000 AS TR is Conti’s latest tire, launched in March 2023 and designed to offer the grip and robustness needed for riding in poor weather along with tubeless compatibility. The AS stands for All Seasons and the TR for tubeless ready.
We’ve been riding the GP 5000 AS TR for over three months - read on to find out about our thoughts on the latest addition to the Continental range.
Continental GP 5000 AS TR tire: construction
To prepare the GP 5000 AS TR tire for its intended use, Conti has added a fourth layer of 110 TPI fabric to the tire’s casing, adding an extra layer over the GP5000 S TR. There’s the same Vectran breaker as in the S tire.
It has also reformulated its BlackChili compound to add extra grip, increased the rubber thickness and added extra tread over the S tire. The GP 5000 AS TR tire incorporates other features of the GP5000 S TR: Conti’s Active Comfort tech, which the brand says reduces transmission of road vibrations to the rider, and its LaserGrip tire profile which is designed to increase cornering grip.
The tire is hookless bead compatible, as well as working with normal hooked rims. It comes in 700c size and in 25mm (as tested), 28mm, 32mm and 35mm widths, with Conti suggesting that the tire is a good option for commuters, while the wider sizes would also be suitable for fast gravel riding.
The GP 5000 AS TR tire is available with black or cream sidewalls. The black option has a trick up its sleeve, with a black reflective band on the tire’s sides, which seems like a useful addition to increase visibility in the poor conditions for which the tire is designed.
Continental GP 5000 AS TR tire: Fitting
The GP 5000 AS TR tire feels substantial out of the box, with a stiff construction which makes unfurling it a bit more of an effort than with the best summer road tires.
Despite this, the pair tested seated easily enough on a set of Shimano rims. Although I did use a reservoir pump, it felt as if I could have completed the job with a track pump.
On the now obsolete Shimano Ultegra RS700 C30 wheels, the tires measured up at 23.8mm. The wheel rims are rather narrow by modern standards at 15.8mm though.
I subsequently reinstalled the Grand Prix 5000 AS TR tires on a set of Fulcrum Racing 5 wheels, where the 17mm internal rim width led to the tires filling out to around the stated 25mm width.
Continental GP 5000 AS TR tire: The ride
We first got our hands on our test pair of GP 5000 AS TR in mid-February 2023, a few weeks prior to the official launch in early March. That meant that I was able to ride the tires for some weeks in the damp and cold conditions for which they were designed.
At that time of year, there are plenty of climbs and descents in the Chilterns which offer an ideal testing ground for damp condition grip. Despite searching out roads with climbs on which grip can be a problem, with gradients of up to 12 per cent, I was unable to encourage any slip when riding the tires. I found them sure footed on damp descents as well.
The impressive level of grip isn’t bought at the expense of rolling resistance either. The new tire weighs around 300g, which is 50g more than the GP 5000 S TR, so there’s a bit more weight to spin up, but the GP 5000 AS TR didn’t feel draggy to ride in cold conditions or once the weather warmed up and the roads dried out.
At my normal tire pressure for a 25mm tubeless tire of around 75psi, the tires felt pliant and comfortable to ride as well.
Conti claims increased puncture protection over the GP 5000 S TR. Experience with punctures is very hit-and-miss. You can ride for months without experiencing one, then have a spate in a few days.
That said, I have yet to experience a flat when riding the GP 5000 AS TR tires, or notice any sealant on the tire surface indicating a puncture that the sealant has dealt with. The tires do look like a faster-riding option than many of the best puncture-proof tires available.
Continental GP 5000 AS TR tire: value and conclusion
Continental says that it will sell the GP 5000 AS TR tire alongside its Grand Prix 4 Seasons tire, although at some point it may look to retire the latter. At between $109 / £85 and $114 / £90 at full price, the GP 5000 AS TR is a significantly more expensive purchase than the $83 / £66 Continental Grand Prix 4 Season tire, although the ability to run tubeless is a considerable plus for the GP 5000 AS TR in the damp, dirty conditions for which it’s designed.
Other winter tire options that we’ve recently tested include the Hutchinson Challenger and Schwalbe Durano Plus. Both are considerably cheaper than the GP 5000 AS TR, but neither are tubeless-compatible. We also have a first ride review of the Vittoria Corsa N.EXT, another tubeless tire that promises wet weather grip and puncture protection at a lower price than the GP 5000 AS TR.
The Continental Grand Prix 5000 AS TR offers impressive grip and handling in typical UK winter conditions in a tire that’s not much heavier than the GP 5000 S TR. Rolling resistance doesn’t feel increased by the beefier construction and gripper rubber either.
As such, the GP 5000 AS TR really does feel like a tire that you could happily ride through the summer if you wanted some extra puncture protection, living up to its All Seasons billing.
Specs
- Weight: 304g (25mm)
- Available sizes: 25mm (tested), 28mm, 32mm, 35mm
- SRP: $109 / £85 (cream sidewalls), $114 / £90 (black sidewalls)
