These tires can be difficult to mount on certain rims, but once installed, they roll fast and last for miles and miles. I ride 3000 miles per year and one pair lasts me the entire season. Flats are possible, but I don't recall ever having one with these tires.

Good luck putting these on a tubeless-compatible carbon wheel with a wide rim. It takes a lot of forceful persuasion to get this seated on the rim. Once on the rim, the tire rides beautifully.

Dec 2021 Update:
It has been a couple of years since I started using the Conti 5000 tires and I feel it is time to update this review and rating. I originally gave the 5000 tires a three star rating when they came out because the were about "one size" narrower than the 4000s tires I had been running for a number years (both the original and " 4000s II" versions).

I still run Conti tires (Grand Prix 5000 "standard"...not TR or TL) on all three road bikes. I like the ride quality as well as the low rolling resistance based on some testing results available on the web. I also feel the tires have very good grip for the typical road surfaces I ride on (asphalt roads, cement bike trails). I can't speak to the wet road performance since I live in a dry climate.

As for flat resistance, I can't say I notice any stark improvement in flat resistance -- but this is a tough one to accurately quantify based on real world experience. I still get flats occasionally, but don't feel they are any worse than any high performance other tire would be.

The only downside to these tires is that they can be very expensive. If you rarely ride or budget is a concern, you might check around for a different tire.

In a nutshell, I'm still a Conti fan and love the tires, so I've bumped the rating up to five stars. As for what widths I personally use, I'm running the 28mm 5000 tires on my Specialized Roubaix Pro. For the much heavier Co-motion Carrera tandem (Rolf Carbon Tandem wheels) I stick with the wider 32mm tires.

Take note that the maximum tire pressure on the 5000 version is lower than the older 4000 tires, so check your sidewalls so you don't over inflate the tires.

---- Original Three Star Review ----
I'm a seasoned rider and a long time fan of Conti's 4000s tires, using them exclusively on my road bikes and and a Co-Motion tandem. I have run various widths from 23 to 28mm, with the tandem using the 28mm tires. I had ordered the new Conti 5000 (non tubeless) tires for the front/back of the tandem in a 28mm size, to replace the 28mm 4000s II tires already on there.

Much to my disappointment, the new 5000 is much narrower than the old 4000s. I didn't realize it until I mounted the front tire and saw it was noticeably more narrow than the old tire on the rear. I have included two photos - the first is holding the two tires flat on top of each other to compare the width of the carcass itself (unmounted). The second shows the Conti 5000 mounted on a Rolf Carbon Tandem wheel. The caliper is set to the mounted width of the old 4000s tire so you can see the difference. At the time the photos were taken, all tires had 95 psi in them. In the end, the psi and rims won't make a difference, as the carcass is noticeably narrower than the old 4000s.

The ride feels the same as the 4000s tires. However, I may pull these off the tandem (heavier bike) and use them on the road bikes. In the end, I may be looking for alternatives, although it might be hard to find something with a low rolling resistance and good grip.

I think the Conti quality is still there. For some of you the width won't matter, for others, just be aware of the narrower profile over the old 4000s tires.

These tires can be difficult to mount on certain rims, but once installed, they roll fast and last for miles and miles. I ride 3000 miles per year and one pair lasts me the entire season. Flats are possible, but I don't recall ever having one with these tires.

Dec 2021 Update:
It has been a couple of years since I started using the Conti 5000 tires and I feel it is time to update this review and rating. I originally gave the 5000 tires a three star rating when they came out because the were about "one size" narrower than the 4000s tires I had been running for a number years (both the original and " 4000s II" versions).

I still run Conti tires (Grand Prix 5000 "standard"...not TR or TL) on all three road bikes. I like the ride quality as well as the low rolling resistance based on some testing results available on the web. I also feel the tires have very good grip for the typical road surfaces I ride on (asphalt roads, cement bike trails). I can't speak to the wet road performance since I live in a dry climate.

As for flat resistance, I can't say I notice any stark improvement in flat resistance -- but this is a tough one to accurately quantify based on real world experience. I still get flats occasionally, but don't feel they are any worse than any high performance other tire would be.

The only downside to these tires is that they can be very expensive. If you rarely ride or budget is a concern, you might check around for a different tire.

In a nutshell, I'm still a Conti fan and love the tires, so I've bumped the rating up to five stars. As for what widths I personally use, I'm running the 28mm 5000 tires on my Specialized Roubaix Pro. For the much heavier Co-motion Carrera tandem (Rolf Carbon Tandem wheels) I stick with the wider 32mm tires.

Take note that the maximum tire pressure on the 5000 version is lower than the older 4000 tires, so check your sidewalls so you don't over inflate the tires.

---- Original Three Star Review ----
I'm a seasoned rider and a long time fan of Conti's 4000s tires, using them exclusively on my road bikes and and a Co-Motion tandem. I have run various widths from 23 to 28mm, with the tandem using the 28mm tires. I had ordered the new Conti 5000 (non tubeless) tires for the front/back of the tandem in a 28mm size, to replace the 28mm 4000s II tires already on there.

Much to my disappointment, the new 5000 is much narrower than the old 4000s. I didn't realize it until I mounted the front tire and saw it was noticeably more narrow than the old tire on the rear. I have included two photos - the first is holding the two tires flat on top of each other to compare the width of the carcass itself (unmounted). The second shows the Conti 5000 mounted on a Rolf Carbon Tandem wheel. The caliper is set to the mounted width of the old 4000s tire so you can see the difference. At the time the photos were taken, all tires had 95 psi in them. In the end, the psi and rims won't make a difference, as the carcass is noticeably narrower than the old 4000s.

The ride feels the same as the 4000s tires. However, I may pull these off the tandem (heavier bike) and use them on the road bikes. In the end, I may be looking for alternatives, although it might be hard to find something with a low rolling resistance and good grip.

I think the Conti quality is still there. For some of you the width won't matter, for others, just be aware of the narrower profile over the old 4000s tires.