Continental’s Grand Prix 4000S II tyres are a benchmark for quality.
Included in the inaugural RCUK 100 back in 2015, we chose them again last year and now, having scoured the market for the best road cycling tyres out there once again, we still can’t look far beyond them.
Light enough to race on, but durable enough to clock the miles on a training ride, Continental have stuck with that winning formula for more than a decade now; if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
The 4000S II is, as the name suggests, the second iteration of Continental’s market-leading tyre and blends the low rolling resistance and increased grip of Conti’s BlackChili tread compound with a Vectran Breaker for excellent puncture protection.
The Vectran Breaker in particular is a smart bit of tech, with Continental taking inspiration from the arachnid world of all places. Similar to a spider’s web, which is remarkably resistant to tears despite the unfathomably low weight, Vectran is a synthetically manufactured fibre, spun from melted liquid polymer Vectra.
Without affecting the rolling resistance provided by the BlackChili compound, you get an extra layer of protection against punctures that’s not only lighter and more supple than many rivals, but protects more effectively, too.
As for the compound, BlackChili is Continental’s blend of synthetic rubber, natural rubber and nanometric carbon soot particles, and together it helps deliver a potent mix of super-tacky grip and ultra-low rolling resistance.
Last year’s RCUK 100 celebrated the 28mm tyre, with Continental joining the trend for wider rubber, but we’ve picked out the 25mm option here, which offers the same superb rolling resistance without the 35g weight penalty. As an all-round, road-specific tyre, it’s hard to beat.
Continental have hit the mark with the Grand Prix 4000S II tyre – it was a great tyre when it first launched, it was a great tyre when we first included it in the RCUK 100, and it remains a great tyre now.
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