My favourite tyre of all time was the Continental GP 4000 S2 but I found it very difficult to mount on the rims I was using at the time. So when it came to replacing my current tyres (Bontrager R4 Classic), I was undecided between the Conti GP 5000 and the Pirelli P Zero Race but decided to go with the Pirelli’s having run their predecessor, the P Zero Velo, on my previous bike. I’ve now put about 150 miles on the tyres and they remind me of everything I loved about the GP 4000s - they roll well and feel fast, have excellent dry weather grip giving me bags of confidence when cornering (I haven’t ridden them in the wet so can’t vouch for their wet weather performance) and they are much more comfortable than the Bontrager R4s, noticeably muting vibration and buzz when riding on rough and choppy roads. Like the P Zero Velo they were also a doddle to mount on my current wheels (Bontrager Aeolus RSL 37) without the need for levers, and touch wood I haven’t had any issues with punctures. As for tyre pressures I’ve got the 28s and am running them at 65 psi (21mm internal rim width on the wheels). I’m already loving the tyres and would definitely buy them again.

For a long time I used tyres from other manufacturers without paying attention to exact specifications. I was mainly concerned with puncture protection. This time I took a gamble and I am very satisfied! In combination with the TPU inner tubes, the bike behaves completely differently! Very good control, great speed, beautiful, classic look and so far no punctures! A very successful purchase that I can confidently recommend to anyone!