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First look: Continental GP 4 Seasons Winter Race Tyres

A month or two back I started considering winter tyres. Sadly this year my budget won’t extend to a winter bike having sold last years to fund my Stoemper (unless I see a real eBay bargain), I’ll be riding my best bikes through the winter …. Something I’m not as excited about as you might imagine.

At the very least, my summer tyres would need to come off and I began to search for something more durable and comfortable but still fast to use during the winter months. I asked on Twitter and one candidate started to emerge as the preferred option – the Continental GP 4Seasons. I’d also been researching the web and for many years some of my best riding friends have sworn by the GP 4 Seasons and not necessarily just for winter. This combination of positive endorsements enhanced by my cycling twitter community convinced me the GP 4 Seasons is my 2012 winter winner.

This also seemed the perfect moment to move to 25mm tyres – something I’ve been toying with for the last couple of years. I’m all for performance and comfort on the bike and 25mm tyres seem to promise a compelling combination of both of these factors.

The GP 4 Seasons is Continental highest performance winter tyre and they described it to me in a way that suggests it is effectively a GP4000s battle hardened for the winter. More puncture protection, stronger sidewalls, revised rubber compound for cold and wet roads but still a race tyre adapted for the conditions.

Interestingly I’ve put them on my Stoemper first and have switched that bike from 23mm Continental GP4000s, which I’ve already found to be a great tyre. The 25mm GP 4 Seasons are going onto both my Stoemper and my Alize to enable me to test them across both of my bikes. There can’t be many people running 25mm winter tyres on an aero bike – but needs must if I want to keep riding.

On the weekend just gone, I took one last ride on my old winter tyres – the Vittoria Open Pave CGs that I’ve loved – but for the rest of the coming winter – all riding will be on the Continental GP 4 Seasons. I’ll update on how I get on with them once some miles are completed as yet, the bike hasn’t left my dining room but it will very soon.

In the meantime, you can read more here:

http://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/conticycle/ti%20grand%20prix%204%20season.shtml

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/components/tyres/road/product/review-continental-grand-prix-4-season-tyres-11-33555

http://www.bicycling.com/gearfinderproductdetail?gfid=56559

Thanks for reading