Jahanzaib The Road Racers ChoiceThis is a front specific tyre and companion to the rear specific Grand Prix Force II (also available separately or as part of the Grand Prix Attack II & Force II set).
Our premium race tyres are continually developed via our relationship with professional race teams. This feedback and advances made in our technology mean our serial production tyres are constantly improved. The 22mm Grand Prix Attack puts its face to the wind. The aerodynamic form of the tyre gives a faster ride and the lower tyre profile more agility. Our premium race tyre gets the full build treatment consisting of the renowned BlackChili compound and a Vectran anti-puncture breaker.
Continental Grand Prix Classic Review:
The tyre is designed by Shimano and Continental. It is sold in fitted wheels by various online vendors on behalf of Shimano. There are some very decent reviews of this tyre on the internet. I did not want to ride winter tyres on my CX bike over the summer months, so after seeing these on the new bike my thoughts were that they should be a perfect fit for the CX bike. I have tried a few other tyres such as Michelin Pro 3 Race, Schwalbe Ultremo ZX, Continental Grand Prix Force 2 and the original Schwalbe One.
The CX Bike The CX bike is an ideal bike for riding on summer tracks or mixed spaces. It has 650B “Tubeless” wheels. It has wide tyre clearance to allow this combination of tyres or just for it to be “Fast”. The tyre I normally use on the bike is the Schwalbe One tyre. This is a very fast tyre in the right conditions. It is also the tyre I recommend for most cyclists. It is an excellent tyre. I have not been able to find anything that matches it so I tend not to try many others. The one thing this tyre has taught me is that there are some very good tyres out there from the smaller manufacturers that I would not normally consider for my own bikes. The great thing is that these tyres do not cost the earth. I have tried some excellent tyres from Schmidt as well as Schwalbe now. The Schmidt Arch One being my current daily rider.
So the Schwalbe One tyre has been amazingly fast but you have to be exceptionally careful with it to get even half decent puncture resistance. It just does not have any. This is the best fast tyre that I have used but it is still not good enough for Manchester. So I wanted to find a tyre that was fast but also reliable.
The Continental Grand Prix tyre is one that I had seen used on quite a few of the CX bikes in Manchester but I had never tried it. These tyres look really good on a bike. I noticed quite a bit of “Ultra Lite” branding on the new bike when I saw it. I thought it might have been a “sub” brand of Continental. However, I was relieved to find that it was a “new”, expensive Continental tyre.
The tyre is a full Continental Grand Prix Classic tyre. The Ultra Lite branding is just to tell you it is a lighter weight tyre with a lower quality tread compound. The Ultra Lite tyres will come in many of the same models that you will find with the full Grand Prix range and price points. They have a weight reduction on the sidewalls, Kevlar puncture belt and also a softer rubber compound. They will also be numbered with the same series numbers. For example: the Ultra Lite GP4000 is the lighter version of the GP4000S.
The very first thing that struck me about these tyres was how light they are compared to most road tyres. Road tyres are generally a lot heavier so I was very surprised to see that they weigh almost the same as the 25 mm Schwalbe One. They have a good weight for a CX tyre and I was very happy to see they were not much heavier than the one I normally use on the CX bike. The other thing that is noticeable is the weight of the wheel set that is being marketed with them. This is a set of Mavic Aksium One rims with a Grand Prix Force II tyre. A rim that is designed to save weight.
For the purpose of this review all I have done is use these tyres for around three months on the CX bike. The bike is mainly used at the weekend for the local tracks but I have done an 80 mile ride out into the Yorkshire dales and a few other rides of around 40 miles.
I started out with the Continentals (my One tyres were in need of a re-seal) on the front of the CX bike. I used the One tyres at the back. Both of these tyres were used on the local park tracks. I could not believe how fast the Continentals where compared to the Schwalbes. They really are a faster tyre. The speed increase was noticeable straight away. I have since used the Continentals on the front and back of the bike and I much prefer to use them together. It’s a good combination. The tyres do feel better on the road. I think they must be lower profile although it is impossible to know for sure.
I have always been a fan of Continental tyres. I have had some really good ones tha really impressed me. The Grand Prix Classic is one of these tyres. I remember having some really good Conti GP4000 S quick tyres that really took me by surprise when I first got them. They fitted to my bike amazingly well. They just fitted and behaved. They had the grip and provided the feedback that I have always expected from Continental. I like the tyres to provide good feedback when cornering and road feel at speed. I have been stopped a number of times and asked what tyres I have on my bike. I have just replied Grand Prix Classic and the response is quick “I Want Them”. I have to say that this is not the most expensive or the best looking tyre in the range. It is the tried and trusted tyre that is considered to be the best race tyre from Continental. Only time will tell if it is the best for everyday use. However, so far I have to say that I think it is an excellent road tyre. The road holding is excellent and they are quick compared to many other tyres.
On the track the tyres perform well also. They are not the fastest tyre on the track but they are very good. They provide a good stable ride and have a good level of grip. The same comments for the road apply here. They are not the fastest tyre I have used. They are not fast in corners. However, anything is better on the track than the Schwalbe 29X2.00 tyre that I also have on my CX bike. I have to say that I do not understand why any “Track” or “CX” rider would use such a tyre. The Schwalbe One will be the tyre that most people will buy but most of the “Track” riders and racers I have seen have used the Continentals. This is the tyre to use on the track in my opinion as I have found most “Track” tyres to be far too slick and slow for my liking. The Continentals are a decent compromise but they still lack a great deal in grip compared to any of the others I have used.
