Continental GP5000 AS TR evaluation: Race day efficiency with four-season safety

The Continental GP5000 AS TR sits within the model’s highest tier of tyre choices on the street, the GP5000 line. Launched in early 2023, the AS TR was designed to supply higher moist climate efficiency and sturdiness than the GP5000 S TR. The AS stands for ‘All-Season’ to focus on the improved efficiency in any climate circumstances.

The tyres function a brand new tread materials which claims to be grippier within the moist, longer lasting, and have higher sidewall safety. This tread is a reformulation of its now well-known BlackChili compound, tailor-made to create extra moist grip. A thicker tread provides to the sturdiness and longevity however does come at round a 50g penalty per tyre in accordance with Continental, though the distinction was 88g per tyre on our scales. The tread is paired with ‘Lazer Grip’, laser profiled tread grooves designed to additional increase grip, in addition to a Vectran breaker for added puncture safety. There are additionally two color choices in addition to a wholesome vary of sizes.

Value-wise it’s £5 costlier than the GP5000 S TR at £84.95. This definitely makes them premium-level tyres that outprice most all-season choices. Nonetheless, the rolling resistance efficiency places them past even some manufacturers’ high race tyres. For that efficiency and enhanced sturdiness, the steep value begins to look extra justified.

Design and specs

The principle constructing block of the GP5000 AS TR tyres is the BlackChili compound. This has lengthy been utilized by Continental in top-tier street tyres, however over time has been refined and reformulated. This newest model has been particularly tailor-made for improved moist climate grip and cornering, an space that the model’s choices have historically carried out nicely in.

Tread depth has been elevated, to extend the general tyre lifespan, but additionally to cut back the probabilities of objects penetrating the tyre and puncturing. This additional tread materials has come at a weight penalty, including a claimed 50 grams. Nonetheless, when evaluating the GP5000 S TR to the AS TR, we discovered the 28mm S TR tyres to be 88 grams lighter.

On the outside of the tread is the model’s ‘Lazer Grip’. A sample that’s lasered into the tread, geared toward enhancing cornering grip and stability within the moist and dry. We do not know precisely how the model does this although. Internally a Vectran Breaker has been used to additional increase puncture safety. It is a synthetically manufactured high-tech fibre, much like spider silk apparently, and is a liquid-crystalline polymer. It’s then spun from this liquid kind right into a multi-strand thread, creating one thing light-weight that has a really excessive tear resistance, much like Kevlar in a bullet-proof vest. Versatile, however very troublesome to penetrate. Continental additionally declare that it has zero antagonistic impact on rolling resistance, which might clarify why it’s used of their GP5000 S TT, whereas some TT tyres forgo safety belts altogether. The GP5000 AS TR tyres additionally function a four-ply sidewall slightly than the three-ply of the GP5000 S TR for additional safety.

When it comes to specs, the GP5000 AS TR is on the market in two color choices. The primary is a tan wall choice for many who like that fashion, nevertheless, it comes with a small weight penalty. The opposite is a black sidewalled choice, however with a Black-Reflex reflective coating to enhance visibility from the aspect. 

Sizes can be found from 25-35c, nevertheless, there isn’t any 30c choice. All tyres, save for the 25 which has a 21mm inner width most, can be utilized with as much as 25mm inner width rims as tubeless, hookless, or clincher (with an interior tube). The precise measured width when fitted to our check Hunt 54 Aerodynamicist wheelset got here out at 28.5mm for the 28mm variant.

Efficiency

Impressively, the GP5000 AS TR had been comparatively simple to suit to my wheels. I’ve discovered that the GP5000 line might be an absolute nightmare to suit, requiring tyre levers, grippy gloves, and a crimson face blurting profanities. The AS TR in contrast had been impressively simple to suit, nonetheless requiring a superb quantity of wrist energy to get the ultimate push over the rim however nothing extreme. Seating them was additionally a breeze, with no manipulation required across the rim to get them to seat correctly and utilizing only a monitor pump. When it comes to set up, they’ve been one of many best tyres to suit and seat. The pair of wheels I used admittedly was a narrower one, Shimano RS170 alloy wheels which measure 23mm exterior and 17mm inner on the rim. Generally a wider rim can show harder, however given these are my normal check wheels, the GP5000 AS TR examine favourably to the competitors.

When it comes to how the tyres measure, the GP5000 AS TR got here out fairly true to dimension at 27.9mm on these admittedly narrower rims. On our check rims for our rolling resistance check, a pair of Hunt 54 Aerodynamicist Disc wheels with 20mm inner width, the tyres got here out at 28.5mm.

For testing the tyres out on the street, it’s been fairly good climate to place an ‘all seasons’ tyre by means of its paces. A mixture of moist and dry rides, muddy lanes, hedge trimmings, and varied glass shards and particles along side busy roads has thrown just about something that could possibly be thrown at these tyres. The thicker tread and puncture safety belt each appear to do their job very properly, with even intentional detours down lanes with contemporary reduce hedges within the rain having but to end in any punctures and even the necessity to select bits of thorns from the tyre tread. Moreover, a number of hundred kilometres have made almost zero impression on the wear and tear dots across the tyre, indicating that the tread does have a reasonably first rate lifespan. Even the rear tyre, which on account of having extra weight over it tends to put on down quicker, remains to be properly spherical with put on dots absolutely intact.

In comparison with the usual GP5000 S TR, the primary distinction within the AS TR is the tread thickness, and apparently the tread sample however evaluating the 2 there’s a very minimal distinction other than doubtlessly deeper tread indents. This extra tread has seemingly been the trigger for the AS TR weighing in at 335g in comparison with the 247g of the S TR. That thicker tread will virtually definitely contribute to an extended tyre lifespan, in addition to making it a bit harder for overseas objects to get by means of and puncture the tyre.

Curiously the extra weight, even on the fringe of the rim leading to larger rotational mass, doesn’t make the wheels really feel sluggish by comparability. Sure, the wheels are maybe rather less sprightly on steeper inclines to speed up, however my check wheels are nearing 2kg themselves. For race day tyres, lighter is probably going going to be that little bit simpler to rise up to hurry. However to complete first, first, you will need to end, and notably for grotty climate and poor street surfaces, staples of the British Highway Racing scene, the GP5000 AS TR are doubtlessly much less more likely to endure from a race-ending puncture.

It was spectacular to see that the GP5000 AS TR don’t hand over a lot when it comes to rolling resistance to the GP5000 S TR. Throughout our pedalling effectivity group check on the Silverstone Sports activities Engineering Hub, we used the GP5000 S TR as our benchmark tyre. At 9m/s (32.4kph) the AS TR had been solely 3.3w per tyre slower, and at 11m/s (39.6km/h) 5.2w slower. Out of 24 tyres, this put them simply 5 locations behind the race-specific GP5000 S TR, mightily spectacular given the AS TR is an ’all seasons’ tyre slightly than a race day one.

Using out on the street myself, with adjustments in climate, atmospheric, and terrain circumstances it’s unattainable to quantifiably say if the GP5000 AS TR are quicker than different tyres. However our testing does present them to be up there in rolling efficiency phrases with a few of the greatest race-day tyres. One other key ingredient after all is cornering and grip, which had been equally spectacular. I’ve had points beforehand with GP5000 (first technology) tyres slipping on moist, out-of-the-saddle climbs. With the AS TR there have been no such points, and moist climate cornering was an space the place they felt extra planted than most different tyres I’ve used. Most likely the Pirelli P Zero Race TLR 4S got here the closest, however that didn’t carry out as nicely in rolling resistance testing. As for dry climate cornering, banking these tyres over round tight and twisty downhills I by no means felt like I used to be nearing the restrict of the tyre’s grip, extra my confidence in myself. I did set a brand new private greatest down a notoriously steep and twisty descent regionally although which I experience usually, so the tyres definitely don’t maintain again on the subject of cornering efficiency.

A facet that I like is the 2 obtainable variations. I like a tan wall, I believe they appear nice more often than not. Not a lot once they get coated in street filth and chain oil throughout winter rides, however the choice to have them is sweet. The black sidewalls will look the identical all by means of the winter, however the GP5000 AS TR have a enjoyable little showpiece. The sidewalls are reflective, and lightweight up when gentle hits them. It’s not as efficient as a flashing gentle, however for including a bit extra visibility, particularly from the aspect, it’s a good security function that does nothing to detract from the efficiency.

Worth

£84.95 / $110 is just not low-cost for a tyre, particularly for a four-season tyre that’s advised as a quick coaching tyre. In reality, a number of tyres outperformed the GP5000 AS TR in our rolling resistance check in addition to being on common £20 cheaper per tyre.

These different tyres nevertheless are race day-specific tyres, with much less puncture safety, they don’t seem to be considerably quicker, and are additionally obtainable in fewer widths. The GP5000 AS TR has numerous issues going for it, being each an impressively quick tyre with a considerably longer lifespan than most race day-specific tyres. This seemingly means not needing the shell out almost £90 a tyre as usually. Over the long term, the GP5000 AS TR is probably going going to show higher worth than equally fast-rolling, cheaper race day tyres. Particularly if you’d like one thing that is hardy however quick. 

Having the choice for 32 and 35c sizes additionally makes these a improbable choice for these wanting quick rolling and resilient tyres, however with the grip and luxury advantages that bigger quantity rubber gives.

Given the flexibility, lengthy projected lifespan, and spectacular rolling efficiency, I might be inclined to go for these over the GP5000 S TR for UK racing or fast-paced using. I’m keen to sacrifice ~6w in pace for a diminished probability of punctures and a diminished fee of shopping for alternative tyres.

Verdict

The Continental GP5000 AS TR tyres are a superb pair of race day tyres, in addition to being a mightily spectacular all-season coaching tyre. The 2 shouldn’t be statements which might be appropriate collectively, like saying a Land Rover Defender is a good race automotive or a Ferrari a fantastic household off-road car. But in some way the GP5000 AS TR does each issues and does them very nicely.

Lab testing confirms that it’s a quick tyre. Rigorous subject testing reveals that the tyres grip nicely and are immune to punctures even when being thrown into filthy, moist, potholed, cutting-laden lanes. Weight is greater, however is critical for puncture safety and elevated lifespan. They don’t seem to be low-cost, however you’re not possible to seek out one other tyre that will likely be this quick, grippy, and rugged multi functional package deal.