Continental just released a Special Edition Tour de France 2020 version of their Grand Prix 5000 tires. What’s different about them? Well, really only two things: cream sidewalls and a Tour de France logo. That’s pretty much it.
Frankly, this is an odd release. I still have a set of GP 5000 clinchers that I use on my trainer wheelset. So, when I heard about these I was curious about what made them so special. Apparently, not a whole lot.
For starters, they only come in a 25C tire and they’re not even tubeless. What’s more, when compared to a standard GP 5000 in the same size, they’re actually a bit heavier: 255g vs 225g. Granted, they’re still lighter than the GP 5000 TL tires (295g) in the same size but I digress. I’m just failing to understand appeal I guess.
Honestly, I think this is a missed opportunity. Continental could have taken the GP 5000 TL version and done the same thing but make them even better. With a true tan sidewall, they could have had a tire that offered a bit more suppleness to them, giving even the 25C tire a chance to be even faster.
Instead, they went for asthetics, creating a clincher-only tire that might look good but does nothing else better than what’s already there. And at $79 a tire, unless you really, really, really want tan sidewalls, you’re better off just getting the standard GP 5000 which, at current market rates, you can get two for the price of just one Special Edition tire.
Post a comment!
Comments
Be the first to leave a reply!