Continental GP5000 TT TR

[BigBoyND]

Bummer. My S TR are so dark you can barely tell from a distance they're the transparent version. I assumed the AS TR sidewall coloring was like Vittoria and Michelin.

[da123]

Can they please just launch the TT TR and S TR with the cream sidewall of the AS TR?

Amen!

Though possibly Conti know that a tan wall version will have circa 1.5w worse RR, which will effectively make it the same as the black S TR if BRR's tests on tan wall STRs are to be believed...

[BigBoyND]

Can they please just launch the TT TR and S TR with the cream sidewall of the AS TR?

Amen!

Though possibly Conti know that a tan wall version will have circa 1.5w worse RR, which will effectively make it the same as the black S TR if BRR's tests on tan wall STRs are to be believed...

Tan and transparent are not the same thing

[TobinHatesYou]

Tan and transparent are not the same thing

I think the official name for the alternate color S TR is "coffee."

Either way a cream colored tire will almost surely have the same issues as the coffee ones.

[satanas]

Black sidewalls stay black.

[BigBoyND]

Tan and transparent are not the same thing

I think the official name for the alternate color S TR is "coffee."

Either way a cream colored tire will almost surely have the same issues as the coffee ones.

No.

Per Continental site and all resellers:
S TR is "black-transparent"
AS TR is "black-cream"

Their construction (the way they achieve the alternate color) is completely different.

[da123]

Tan and transparent are not the same thing

I think the official name for the alternate color S TR is "coffee."

Either way a cream colored tire will almost surely have the same issues as the coffee ones.

No.

Per Continental site and all resellers:
S TR is "black-transparent"
AS TR is "black-cream"

Their construction (the way they achieve the alternate color) is completely different.

But that doesn't change the possiblity that 'black-cream' will also be slower than standard black however? I just think it is interesting that Conti have not to date released a version of the TT with either transparent or cream sidewalls, as demand would no doubt be very high. Hence my thought that a RR penalty which makes the tire no faster than the S TR might be the reason. BRR's testing also identified a weight penalty with the transparent walled tire vs the black. A slightly heavier, slightly slower version is (I'm speculating of course) possibly more palatable in the 'all round race' version of the GP5000 as opposed to the 'fastest and lightest tire we can make' TT version.

[Mocs123]

I know on the regular (clincher) GP5000's the transparant (tan wall) tires really do use a differnt rubber compound as you can see light through the transparant sidewall. The cream colored sidewalls are painted on I'm pretty sure, though I don't have a pair to look at.

I'm pretty sure on my coffee GP5000S-TR's the inside of the tire was still black and it looked to me like the coffee- copper color was just painted on the outside, so I assumed the tire was the same as the black.

That being said, I'm about 1,100km in on my GP5000TT-TR's and have been really happy with them. They've been fast and (knocks on wood) durable with no punctures or visible cuts in the tire. I hope I get decent life out of them, but I'm sure they'll wear out before regular S-TR's would.

[da123]

I know on the regular (clincher) GP5000's the transparant (tan wall) tires really do use a differnt rubber compound as you can see light through the transparant sidewall. The cream colored sidewalls are painted on I'm pretty sure, though I don't have a pair to look at.

I'm pretty sure on my coffee GP5000S-TR's the inside of the tire was still black and it looked to me like the coffee- copper color was just painted on the outside, so I assumed the tire was the same as the black.

That being said, I'm about 1,100km in on my GP5000TT-TR's and have been really happy with them. They've been fast and (knocks on wood) durable with no punctures or visible cuts in the tire. I hope I get decent life out of them, but I'm sure they'll wear out before regular S-TR's would.

I seem to recall that the version of the GP5000 clincher with cream sidewalls and (as you say) a painted on finish was materially heavier than the standard version (circa 50g per tire I think). Never seen any RR data for that version, but if that's how they achieve the cream finish, I can also see why they wouldn't introduce it for the TT TLR, as it would make that tire heavier than the S TR (even if the RR stayed the same).

[TobinHatesYou]

Tan and transparent are not the same thing

I think the official name for the alternate color S TR is "coffee."

Either way a cream colored tire will almost surely have the same issues as the coffee ones.

No.

Per Continental site and all resellers:
S TR is "black-transparent"
AS TR is "black-cream"

Their construction (the way they achieve the alternate color) is completely different.

Can you link the Continental page where you see this? I can’t find it.

The first time I saw the term “transparent” was with the Schwalbe Pro One Addix/Superrace.

Anyway an either method of coloration indicates an absence or reduction of carbon black in the vulcanized casing.

[BigBoyND]

Tan and transparent are not the same thing

I think the official name for the alternate color S TR is "coffee."

Either way a cream colored tire will almost surely have the same issues as the coffee ones.

No.

Per Continental site and all resellers:
S TR is "black-transparent"
AS TR is "black-cream"

Their construction (the way they achieve the alternate color) is completely different.

Can you link the Continental page where you see this? I can’t find it.

The first time I saw the term “transparent” was with the Schwalbe Pro One Addix/Superrace.

Anyway an either method of coloration indicates an absence or reduction of carbon black in the vulcanized casing.

You can't find the continental website? Right under product range, click on the tire diameter:

https://www.continental-tires.com/produ ... season-tr/

https://www.continental-tires.com/produ ... 035b293ba7

Retailers like Bike24 list it the same way.

And no, one can have a reduction in vulcanization while another can have a thin coat on top. The manufacturing method is different and that matters. Unless we see it tested, there is no reason to think the cream finish is slower just because the transparent is.

[BigBoyND]

But that doesn't change the possiblity that 'black-cream' will also be slower than standard black however? I just think it is interesting that Conti have not to date released a version of the TT with either transparent or cream sidewalls, as demand would no doubt be very high. Hence my thought that a RR penalty which makes the tire no faster than the S TR might be the reason. BRR's testing also identified a weight penalty with the transparent walled tire vs the black. A slightly heavier, slightly slower version is (I'm speculating of course) possibly more palatable in the 'all round race' version of the GP5000 as opposed to the 'fastest and lightest tire we can make' TT version.

It doesn't change the possibility but there's zero reason to jump to the conclusion.

Demand for the TT TR is a tiny fraction of the S TR and a tan sidewalls wouldn't change that. No brands offer their TT tires in as many configuration as their all-rounders.

[TobinHatesYou]

You can't find the continental website? Right under product range, click on the tire diameter:

https://www.continental-tires.com/produ ... season-tr/

https://www.continental-tires.com/produ ... 035b293ba7

Retailers like Bike24 list it the same way.

And no, one can have a reduction in vulcanization while another can have a thin coat on top. The manufacturing method is different and that matters. Unless we see it tested, there is no reason to think the cream finish is slower just because the transparent is.

Here's what I see when I click on the tire diameter. And if I look up the SKUs, the transparent sidewall version is heavier than the black. Both the transparent and cream versions likely use less or almost zero carbon black in order for the dyes to come through, and the dyes themselves add weight. Almost all US-based retailers refer to the sidewall as coffee so there is likely a translation or linguistics issue. Makes sense since the sidewall isn’t actually transparent.

[yinzerniner]

Here's what I see when I click on the tire diameter. And if I look up the SKUs, the transparent sidewall version is heavier than the black. Both the transparent and cream versions likely use less or almost zero carbon black in order for the dyes to come through, and the dyes themselves add weight. Almost all US-based retailers refer to the sidewall as coffee so there is likely a translation or linguistics issue. Makes sense since the sidewall isn’t actually transparent.

The Terra speed page is the easiest to see the distinction between black, cream and transparent

https://www.continental-tires.com/produ ... rotection/

The black and tan sidewalls of the conti ranges are basically the same with exception of the color. Dyes don't add any measurable weight to the tire. The only real difference is the color - black is black, while the cream is an eggnog color that gradually darkens/stains when it's exposed to dirt/oil/soil/etc. They are both rubber, and the tires feel and weight the same.

The transparent sidewall is a totally different beast. They weigh more than the black and cream sidewalls, the color is more of a caramel brown. The feel is completely different as well - they are rubbery to the touch, but rather slicker/more plasticky, more like sailcloth or a tarp although somewhat softer than those examples.

As for the difference of inner color between the transparent sidewall clincher and tubeless GP5k, most likely this is because the tubeless models need a thin layer of black air retention rubber, while the clinchers do not.

[6fu]

Cream sidewall on contis are imitation of real cotton tires (think vittoria, veloflex etc). The cream color is painted on, and they are heavier (and probably slower rolling) than black sidewall.

Transparent sidewall uses different compound than the black version. It performs slightly worse than black sidewall version in terms of rolling but weights the same. It's better in performance and weight than painted on cream version and thats why they are moving away from cream sidewalls in high performing tires.

You can compare weighted clincher versions of all 3 types on r2 bike. All 3 in 28 mm are as follows:
- black - 239.7g
- transparent - 240.4g
- cream - 288.4g