Continental GP5000 TL Longevity

I've got a pretty good flat spot across the crown of the tread on my rear 28mm Conti GP500 TL tires now, this after ~ 1,250 miles. The wear dimples are still visible, but by the end of May I will be replacing them (Update: done), as they should have well over 1,500 miles on them.

Note "Chicken Stripe" on cntr tread

I'm perfectly happy to get 1,500 - 1,700 miles on a rear tire, as I have always had a problem with wear on my rear tires, even when running wider tires in the back than in the front. Riding weight for me is 185-190 lbs, which is probably the biggest culprit, as I am only making ~ 120 Strava watts and 225 RWGPS watts on a typical ride.

Had to wipe the dimples with my fingers to find them back

The desert is a very hostile environment for tires, with the usual glass, but also tons of thorns and goat-heads. Heat also wears out tires a lot faster, any kind of tire. Car, truck or bicycle.

Based on historical trends over my last 12 years of riding, I get about half the tire life most people experience, so at least with the 28mm tire in back, expect to get ~ 3,000 miles out of a Conti GP5000 TL.

What I treasure most in a tire here is reliability, and these tires have performed flawlessly. No point pushing a bad bet to save a few bucks and ruin their perfect record. Speaking of bucks, with inner-tubes going for ~ $8-$9 these days, I've now saved enough on inner-tubes to pay for a new tire.

It's worth repeating, I absolutely love these tires now that I have mastered how to put them on and air them up with sealant inside. The ride quality is spectacular, they're very tough, roll better than anything anywhere near their durability, grip extremely well, and have decent wear. Probably going to jinx myself here, but knock on wood, I have yet to have a flat on this tire.

PS: This is how I expected a Conti tire would wear out, with the sidewalls failing. It wasn't until home I noticed the wear dimples were pretty much gone!

Here's a beautiful picture of me taking a break in the shade at Spring Valley Lake yesterday. It's important because it has absolutely no bearing on this post at all, but with all the COVID-19 craziness in our lives, something beautiful and soothing has become as important as social distancing.

High Desert oasis

No ice left in these uninsulated, but smaller, more aero bottles after 1hr. The small one was filled with ice, chilled water, and left in the freezer for an hour before starting. Time for insulated bottles I guess. I have a bit of an obsession with bottles, so I'm sure I can find the perfect pair somewhere in my collection of 30+ bottles. Almost time to break out the big guns - Podium Ice with Aerogel insulation. I bought a pair off-season for $16 each at Amazon.