Southern California - Any negative aspects on gatorskins?

Never had them and was just curious.Also,what your favorite tire and why?I know its a loaded question.Thanks all.

The negative aspects are:
Slightly heavier - maybe 20 grams each.
They'll cost you about 30 seconds over 25 miles(40km) vs GP4000s. (23mm vs 23mm)
The grip is said to be slightly worse than GP4000s's.

Those may or may not matter to you. None are huge issues.

I've gone 5000 miles without a single flat on my GP4000s's, so given how awesome they have tested for rolling resistance and grip, that's what I'll be staying with for a while.

Thanks

GP4000s. 1 flat, 3500 miles. Prior to that I was flatting all the time.

The grip is said to be slightly worse than GP4000s's.
I've used both and prefer the GP4000 for its grip. However, they're hard to put on my rims so I went back to 25mm Gatorskins. I've also tried Rubino Pros, Diamantes and a couple Michelins. When I switched from 23mm to 25 mm last year, the shop I go to had 25mm Gatorskins so I got them. I've used 3-4 sets of 25s so far. They're not the best but they're good enough.

I think gatorskins offer quantity of miles vs. quality. the tread is meant to last, not be bulletproof. gp 4k's do have a better feel but I had one blowout the sidewall with only 80 miles on it with 115 psi. the tube was still intact.

I think gatorskins offer quantity of miles vs. quality. the tread is meant to last, not be bulletproof. gp 4k's do have a better feel but I had one blowout the sidewall with only 80 miles on it with 115 psi. the tube was still intact.

I'm really torn. I'm on rubios now and leaning towards the conti 4000s but gatorskins are appealing.I must admit, i do like the colors on the 4000s to choose from.2500 miles on the rubios and its almost time but who am kidding...i just want to spend money on my bike. Isn't that what money is for?

i do like the colors on the 4000s to choose from

It sounds like you're confusing GP4000's as the GP4000S specifically. There's a tire line called GP4000, and it comes in multiple colors. This is the same tire, but it's not the one everybody raves about. The GP4000S is black only (I think that's what the S means in german?), and it uses the famous rubber compound which has conti beating all the other brands right now. The GP4000 in black is probably also the exact same tire as the GP4000S, but the various colored versions will handle slightly worse and roll less efficiently than the black version.

Yep thanks ..i just realized that on the conti web site so the color thing is out.Gp4000s is what i should be posting and thanks..This is why this forum is so good.

I realize data is not the plural of anecdote, but in the group I ride with, there are four or five of us riding Gatorskins for a collective total of at least 12,000 miles/year, and in the last twelve months we've collectively experienced one or two flats, at most. I don't ask folks for a flat tally, but people do occasionally remark, in effect "no flats in the last X months," stuff like that. Three of the riders just did a San Francisco to the Mexican border ride on Gatorskins without a single flat, for example.

My rear tire (700x25C) is at 3300 miles right now and seems to be doing just fine. I have no immediate plans to change it. Works for me.

I keep reading about sidewall blowouts on the 4000s .Anyone know about this? I'm really not aggressive enough to worry about it but thought i would ask.

I've heard the conti's 4 season are a good cross between the 4ks and gators, but I heard this from the guy trying to sell them, soooo.

when my sidewall blew out I was going 2 mph and didn't roll over anything. I have no idea why this happened.

Negatives with wire bead version - had a real tough time installing on my wheels, the wire bead version is very tight. Eventually, plastic tire lever shredded the rubber off wire, tire in trash-can after 500 miles and 2 flats. The rear tire started to wear bad after 500 miles, developed a big flat spot, I no longer trust this tire and it sits in my spare parts bin.

I won't recommend but maybe I got a bad batch. I went to gp4000s (foldable this time), 1000+ miles with no ill effects or flats.

I always ran my 28c Gatorskins and Gator Hardshells at 90-95psi (the 28's are closer to 26mm wide.) Any more than that and the ride gets pretty rough. I've only had one puncture flat since running them and that was a goat head at night that may have been sticking in the tire for a while before it punctured. Before that I was average one flat every 125 miles on unprotected tires. And yes, the wire bead versions can be tough to mount so go with the folding version if you can.

Funny thing is I switched to Schwalbe Durano Plus tires about a month ago to try something different. Today I had a puncture right through the 3mm thick Smartguard belt (same belt as in the Marathon Plus but half as thick). I'm thinking that was also caused by a goat head but I'm not sure.

I rode Gatorskins for 3k+ miles, zero flats. Got some new rims (Boyds) and put GP4000s on them - 300 miles or so now, 3 flats. Don't know if it's bad luck or the tires - but I'm about ready to put the Gators back on.

Getting them off is the challenge.

Getting them off is the challenge.

Pedro's levers (http://www.pedros.com/levers_yellow.htm) work great. The technique shown in this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XUFVrl0UT4) is helpful, too (pushing the bead into the well of the rim, not the stuff with the toe straps), when you need to put them back on.

I am a girl and have never had problems with changing a Gatorskin... I think it has more to do with the rim then the tire.

I am a fan... used to ride much more expensive and lighter tires but frankly I can't tell the difference in performance. Plus they are practically bullet proof... I seldom have flats. In fact, I usually change out the tire and tubes due to wear than the tubes due to flats.

Change them out - if you don't like them keep them as a touring option/backups.

The negative aspects are:
Slightly heavier - maybe 20 grams each.
They'll cost you about 30 seconds over 25 miles(40km) vs GP4000s. (23mm vs 23mm)
The grip is said to be slightly worse than GP4000s's.

Those may or may not matter to you. None are huge issues.

I've gone 5000 miles without a single flat on my GP4000s's, so given how awesome they have tested for rolling resistance and grip, that's what I'll be staying with for a while.
Agreed plus+
The Gatorskins are a slower tire, but will get you more mileage, good if you plan to commute. The GP4000 are faster, but get you less mileage, good if you plan to race. The GP's will cost you slightly more shekels. But really the most important thing is..... the variety of colors the GP's come in! They are much more fashionable and faster looking then those boring Gatorskins!

Using them off and on, I don't know what the big deal is. A lot of people swear by them but I've found the tire to be no more flat resistant than any other tire. They feel slow and need a lower pressure to ride nice, but they do last forever, which I would attribute to the harder rubber. Although I do have 28mm Gatorskins on my single speed for commuting, but will switch them out for anything else.

So far my all time favorite tire is the 26mm Grand Bois Cerf. I've been using these for years and find them to be durable, they roll fast, corner nicely, and feel good. They have a more supple casing so at 95 psi on the rear they are plenty comfy. I just changed out the tires on my club bike to 25mm GP4000 S. So far I like them. If I need a wider tire with some tread that I don't have to worry about, the 28mm Pasela are the way to go. IMO, that's the nicest tire available for the price.

I always have trouble installing Gatorskins and they are not the softest ride, but I think I have had one flat in five sets.

To me the only downside is the "dead" feel which is really a moot point on this type of tire (utilitarian/high mileage) when compared with high end racing tires.

Sidewalls have layers of (silk?) threads that work themselves loose overtime, which require some trimming otherwise these get wrapped around hubs. No sure how this can affect tire structural stability but I never had a side blown.