Initial impressions..
After break-in, I thought I'd update my initial impressions of the Road 5 (R5). This is obviously subjective, but wanted to share my thoughts:
I was part of a couple of group mountain rides yesterday in western NC. Did around 100 miles, dry conditions, 65F. Ride was fast with locals so I was able to push the bike a bit.
Front: Great feedback and grip on the edge. I've been a long-time Angel GT user because grip, but on its edge there isn't a lot of feedback and you just have to trust the front. The R5 gave me a lot of feedback/feel on the edge of the tire and gave me more confidence on what the front was doing. The front worked so well that I was more concerned about ground clearance than worrying about the front. Profile is pretty round, so it has a neutral steering feel; it will tend to go a little wide accelerating on really tight radius turns. It's nothing alarming, but something that you have to adjust to. The front just felt planted. For a sport touring tire, I'll give it a 5/5.
Rear: Feedback is better than the GT on its edge, but not as pronounced as the front. As I mentioned with the front, I forgot about grip and was concerned about clearance. The rear did nothing but hook up and do its job.
Concerns: Nearly all my wear is on the tire shoulders, so I don't know how much mileage I'll get out of the R5's, especially with the carbon black edges on the rear. Of course with a new tire, grip usually isn't an issue, so it remains to be seen if they continue to perform after 2-3000 miles. Also, it was a cool day on tight roads; will the tire wear prematurely on a 90F day on sweeping corners? This is where I get tire temps up and accelerated wear.
Verdict: Still too early, but if I get similar mileage (3000 mi) as my GTs, AND they don't fall off when I get some miles in them, The R5s will be my go-to tire going forward. I believe the 2CT technology (stiffened sidewalls/edge) provides a tangible difference in cornering feedback that is noticeable.