On Thursday, June 3, 2021 at 3:05:19 PM UTC-7, Mark cleary wrote:
I have been using Conti GP 5000s regular tube required. I get huge mileage out of them say 5000-6000. I put a new set on today because they seem to be squared pretty good but I could still get a glimpse of the wear indicators. They were wore down to the end but not totally disappeared. I think I could have gotten more miles but the back tire had a small sidewall type mark but nothing drastic or popping out.

Well I road the new ones and I sure could tell my cornering and handling was better. Did I imagine this or should I have gotten more miles out of the other tires. I guess my feeling it they are what meet the road don't be cheap with it?
Deacon mark
I couldn't understand when you said that you were getting 5,000 miles on those tires before since I could barely make 2,500, Using Michelin Pro4 of Vittoria Corsa G+ I get much better wear. I will say that the GP5000's do corner a lot better and if you want very good wear and cornering the Continental 4 Seasons are very good but very expensive. The Pro4's corner very nearly as well as the GP5000.

But yes, new GP5000's do corner remarkably better than worn one's that have had the rubber age hardened. Though it used to be that you age hardened some tires to get them to corner well. (GP4000's?) As soon as the 5000's start getting flats it is time to replace them.

I do a lot of climbing on the tires and descending they get a combination of high speed on lousy California pavement so perhaps this is why I would wear them out so rapidly.

And like Joerg points out, do not use any tires with possible sidewall blowout problems. That can lead to a tire being thrown off of the rim. The reason that tubular tires were so popular in racing was because with the tire glued onto the rim you couldn't throw the tire off.