Conti Gatorskins vs. 4 Seasons in 28mm
10-14-14, 12:57 PM
#26
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And don't forget to add in a few vertically and horizontally compliant placebos in there for good measure....
10-14-14, 01:02 PM
#27
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I think that the rubber compound on the 4 Season sounds like it's made to grip better in the cold, and I can speculate on a few things, having just switched over from 700x28 gators to 700x28 GP4S tires:
-They're at LEAST 3 placebos more comfortable
-They corner about 5 placebos faster
-They are definitely narrower, though I haven't measured them
-I've gotten 1 flat from a teensy weensy wire staple that worked its way through the 4S, that in a few hundred miles, while I went a looooong time without flatting a gatorskin at all... could be coincidence, though. I used the gatorskins without incident for city riding while the 4S has been used son the shoulders of country roads... which is better or worse I am not sure I can speak to
-The 4S in the time I've used it has gotten a few distinct tire cuts, while my gators didn't get any in the time I had them
-The 4S is definitely about 1 placebo slower, and 2 placebos more "supple" (whatever that means)
-They're at LEAST 3 placebos more comfortable
-They corner about 5 placebos faster
-They are definitely narrower, though I haven't measured them
-I've gotten 1 flat from a teensy weensy wire staple that worked its way through the 4S, that in a few hundred miles, while I went a looooong time without flatting a gatorskin at all... could be coincidence, though. I used the gatorskins without incident for city riding while the 4S has been used son the shoulders of country roads... which is better or worse I am not sure I can speak to
-The 4S in the time I've used it has gotten a few distinct tire cuts, while my gators didn't get any in the time I had them
-The 4S is definitely about 1 placebo slower, and 2 placebos more "supple" (whatever that means)
10-14-14, 02:22 PM
#28
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I used to run the Vittoria Corsa Evo's...those tires ride super plush...but can get more than a few hundred miles before they get cut up.
10-22-14, 08:59 PM
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Just an update. I put the "28mm" Conti 4 Seasons on my winter bike today. It was dumping rain so I didn't ride 'em yet. I'm posting to gripe about how NARROW they are. On the supposedly "aero" rims on my Novara, they measure 24.5mm wide inflated! For context they are almost 2mm narrower than the GP4000's on my Roubaix--- which are nominally 25mm!
Grrr. I wanted a tire at least a little wider than 25mm, not narrower!
I'll give them a run. Worst case I'll put them on the Roubaix and just run them as a faux 25 this spring.
The rubber does feel sticky.
Grrr. I wanted a tire at least a little wider than 25mm, not narrower!
I'll give them a run. Worst case I'll put them on the Roubaix and just run them as a faux 25 this spring.
The rubber does feel sticky.
10-23-14, 04:03 AM
#31
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Give 'em at least a few days at pressure. They do stretch. Then mount them on the same rims that you're measuring your GP4000s on and see how they compare. On 19mm wide DT Swiss 585 my GP 4 Seasons have run very close to 28mm.
What width are your two different rims?
What width are your two different rims?
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10-23-14, 09:29 AM
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Yeah, I'm not taking them off these rims and re-mounting them on my others just to measure.
I don't know how wide these Novara aero rims are. Didn't think to measure. The rims on my Roubaix are Fulcrum Racing 4's; don't know how wide they are either.
It'd be nice if they stretched. Not wanting to be TOO whiny here, and I knew from this thread that they ran a bit narrow.... but to measure out under 25mm?! That's depressing. If they are really pretty much 25's I lose the ability to run them at lower pressures, too.
Just one of those days yesterday. This fit right into the rest of the annoyances.
I don't know how wide these Novara aero rims are. Didn't think to measure. The rims on my Roubaix are Fulcrum Racing 4's; don't know how wide they are either.
It'd be nice if they stretched. Not wanting to be TOO whiny here, and I knew from this thread that they ran a bit narrow.... but to measure out under 25mm?! That's depressing. If they are really pretty much 25's I lose the ability to run them at lower pressures, too.
Just one of those days yesterday. This fit right into the rest of the annoyances.
10-23-14, 11:33 AM
#33
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For what its worth, the 28 gatorskins by my eye measure out to 28 when I've taken a gander using a ruler. I do recall in the touring forum a reliable fellow telling of buying some 32 gatorskins that measured at 28, so perhaps there is truth in the "they stretch out over time" comment.
10-23-14, 12:10 PM
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-I've gotten 1 flat from a teensy weensy wire staple that worked its way through the 4S, that in a few hundred miles, while I went a looooong time without flatting a gatorskin at all... could be coincidence, though. I used the gatorskins without incident for city riding while the 4S has been used son the shoulders of country roads... which is better or worse I am not sure I can speak to
-The 4S in the time I've used it has gotten a few distinct tire cuts, while my gators didn't get any in the time I had them
-The 4S in the time I've used it has gotten a few distinct tire cuts, while my gators didn't get any in the time I had them
11-22-14, 09:28 PM
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Bumping this 'cause I finally rode on the 4 Seasons today. I've ridden several times since putting them on my winter bike, but in decent weather, so I took my other bike...
I could tell I was on a high-quality tire. "Supple" comes to mind. I'm no daredevil on wet roads but they certainly felt grippy.
~rant on~
My only complaint is that they are SO NARROW! They are narrower than the 25mm GP 4000s on my Roubaix. Narrower! I bought 28's because.... wait for it.... I wanted a wider tire! Right?! So, as I'm plowing through the pine needle slurry and hitting twigs and pine cones I was a little frustrated to be on basically a 24 mm tire. That was not the idea here and frankly it sucks.
~rant off~
I'm going to ride them for now, but I think their fate is to go on the Roubaix when I've killed the GP4000's. As a freaking 25mm, they'll be perfect. They sure ride nice.
So I guess I'm still in the market for a 28mm winter tire. Ugh.
I could tell I was on a high-quality tire. "Supple" comes to mind. I'm no daredevil on wet roads but they certainly felt grippy.
~rant on~
My only complaint is that they are SO NARROW! They are narrower than the 25mm GP 4000s on my Roubaix. Narrower! I bought 28's because.... wait for it.... I wanted a wider tire! Right?! So, as I'm plowing through the pine needle slurry and hitting twigs and pine cones I was a little frustrated to be on basically a 24 mm tire. That was not the idea here and frankly it sucks.
~rant off~
I'm going to ride them for now, but I think their fate is to go on the Roubaix when I've killed the GP4000's. As a freaking 25mm, they'll be perfect. They sure ride nice.
So I guess I'm still in the market for a 28mm winter tire. Ugh.
11-23-14, 09:13 AM
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FWIW, my 28mm Gatorskins measure 27.7, same for the 25mm GP4000s (!) and I measure 25.0 for the 23mm 4 Seasons. All on Open Pros. I was surprised by the 4 Seasons, I always thought they ran narrow. Maybe mine are so old they stretched. I want to try the new Panaracer Gravelking in 28.
11-23-14, 11:11 AM
#38
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FYI, you don't have to post in a thread in order to subscribe to it. Just go to the upper right corner, left click on "Thread Tools" and select "Subscribe to thread" from the drop down menu.
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11-24-14, 10:24 AM
#39
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The annoying thing is, I want to buy another set of Speedplay Zero's so I don't have to swap pedals on my two main bikes depending on the weather.... but part of my admittedly OCD psyche feels that hundie needs to go to actual 28mm tires... lol.
11-24-14, 10:54 AM
#40
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I run something similar, Bontrager AW2 and I live in South Florida where it's either raining for 5 minutes OR the knuckleheads water the road as much as they water their lawns. I've noticed the AW2 isn't that steady in wet conditions. I'm still looking for a year round tire that is great in the wet.
