Continental Grand Prix TR

The Continental Grand Prix TR is a very good ‘all-rounder’ road tyre. It takes performance cues from the GP5000 range and marries that with durability, puncture protection and low rolling resistance. Speed and grip are impressive, only just below that of the phenomenal GP5000s, which makes them easy to recommend if you want a performance tyre that can cope with a bit of rough and tumble.

I regard Continental’s GP5000 tyres as one of the best offerings on the market when it comes to ride feel, grip and low rolling resistance. They’re ideal for your summer road or race bike, but the high replacement cost (around £85 RRP) and lightweight construction mean they probably aren’t the best option for general riding, especially if you tend not to restrict your rides to the best roads or weather.

That’s not to say that the GP5000s aren’t durable – for a performance tyre they are very reliable – but these TRs are intended to be a bit more ‘UK roads friendly’.

The Grand Prix TRs use a new four-ply construction, so four layers basically, which is intended to increase puncture protection over lighter, race-orientated tyres. I can’t vouch for certain on how puncture resistant these tyres are, but I’ve ridden them down as many rough back lanes as I could, searching out gravel and stones at the side of the road and trying to get some kind of response, but nothing. They are still looking as nick free and as uncut as they were when I fitted them.

In my bike shed I happened to have a set of wheels with a pair of GP5000s fitted, and a ride comparison between the two showed these Grand Prix TRs aren’t quite as supple feeling as the GP5000s, but not to the point that they give a poor ride. In fact, they roll smoothly over rough tarmac with a quality reminiscent of many brands’ high-end tyres.

The Grand Prix TRs use Continental’s BlackChili compound which, to sum it up quickly, is excellent. It has a kind of tacky feel to it, and the grip levels it provides boost rider confidence at speed. Continental has added some tread patterns on the shoulders, the same as that used on the GP5000s in fact, but tread is pretty much irrelevant on road bike tyres.

Wear on the BlackChili compound is usually pretty good in my experience. I’ve ridden about 400 miles on these so far and the front still looks brand new, while the rear has lost that out-of-the-box strip around the middle where it’s been prised from the mould, but other than that it still looks fresh.

As the TR part of the name suggests, these are tubeless ready, so you can either run them with tubeless valves and tape or as clinchers with an inner tube – the choice is yours. They’ll also work with both hooked and hookless rims.

When it comes to fitting, I had no issues whatsoever. In fact, I found it all went rather easily, which isn’t always the case.

I have the 30mm option here and the Grand Prix TRs are also available in 25mm, 28mm and 32mm. I’d like to see them available in larger sizes, like 35mm and 38mm, exploiting the clearances on offer with many allroad bikes. With their blend of durability and performance the Grand Prix TRs seem an ideal tyre for those sorts of bikes.

Anyway, back to the fitting. I mounted these on a pair of Scribe’s Core Superlight 60-D wheels which have a 21mm internal width, and a set of Scope’s R5.A wheels which are slightly wider at 23mm internally.

On both wheelsets these Conti tyres had enough stretch in them that I could push them over the rim of the wheels. The first side went on with just thumb pressure while getting the second side on required a bit of help from a tyre lever to ease the last segment over.

The fit was snug enough that they popped onto both rims with just a track pump, and I didn’t need to resort to my Airshot. With sealant added and tyres inflated, the sidewalls showed no weeping or porousness and after a first ride to coat the inside of the tyres they held onto their pressure well, with only a top-up required once a week.

Value

I think the Continentals are priced competitively at £54.95 each. That’s the same price as the Goodyear Vector Sport Tubeless tyres which Josh thought were good, though they aren’t as grippy or as fast as a summer tyre; the Continentals are, while being tough enough for off-season use too.

Pirelli’s P Zero Road TLR Black costs £59.99, and is also designed to be a performance all-rounder. I thought they were good on the whole when I reviewed them back in 2023, although they weren’t the easiest to fit. In a 30mm size they are practically the same weight as the Continentals at 377g vs 362g. They are also available in a 35mm option.

I’m currently in the middle of testing Michelin’s new Pro 5 tyre which is performance based with an increased focus on durability, and I’ve been very impressed so far. They are available in 28mm, 30mm, 32mm and 35mm sizes, and cost £59.99.

For more options, check out our guide to the best road bike tyres.

Conclusion

Overall, the Grand Prix TR is a very good tyre, ideal if you want something fast rolling and grippy, but don’t really want to sacrifice durability and puncture proofing. That they are priced well against the competition and easy to fit adds to their appeal.

Verdict

Very good all-round road tyre balancing rolling resistance, grip, comfort and durability, at a decent price

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