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I am currently riding Conti GP4000S tyres, in 700x23mm version, inflated at 115 psi.

The grip is great, the (light)weight is amazing. I have punctured twice with them (in 1500 km) which is more that I would hope, but I can live with that.

Still, when I look at my tyres, I see minor cuts on the tread. Nothing major but let's just say that any time I am stopped at traffic lights, and I look down, I can see at least a "wound".

Do I run the risk of increasing the number of punctures? are those tires really too road-training-oriented to use them for commuting?

I like Continental, I like the 23mm format, I like this (lack of) weight. So I was considering 4Seasons which are a few grams heavier but offer an extra layer of protection against puncture.

I have plans for a long ride (~150 km) and would want to avoid more than 1 puncture in the day.

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    It looks like maybe you have two questions here. Would it be possible to separate them out? Also, there might be more answers if you can generalize the question--there are more people that are familiar with puncture-resistant tires in general than with any one model of tire.
    – amcnabb
    Commented Apr 9, 2013 at 20:29

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Tyre management is tricky. I also notice the gashes and cuts in the tyre. Also if you take your tyre off and look really closely (while bending the rubber back and forth) you'll find heaps of glass and metal embedded in the tyre. If you were really keen to extend the life of your tyres you can go through and pick out all the junk you can find.

I personally replace my tyres when the frequency of punctures gets too high. Over time it happens more regularly until I get sick of it and buy new ones.

If you want a longer lasting tyre, I've had good experience with Continental Gatorskins. I generally run 4000S's on the front for the amazing grip, and Gatorskins on the back for longer life.

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GP4Seasons are excellent tyres. 230g for the 23c tyre and I had no punctures in 8 months of cycling a road bike in & around Nairobi with very dodgy roads! I was riding around with "wounds" without even realising it. A fellow rider picked one out once and said "this'll give you a puncture", but I never had one. Grip is also very good, there's a German cycling article

I've not ridden the 4000s, mind.

See an excellent comparison here, by a cycling magazine. http://www.conti-online.com/www/download/bicycle_de_en/general/downloads/download/tourtest_gp4000s_en.pdf

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