Gator skin tires
03-24-05, 02:52 PM
#3
Professional Lady Killer
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: gville
Posts: 90
Bikes: 77 Raleigh Record, 03 Specialized P2, 05 Bianchi Pista, 05 Pista Concept
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
i have two, front and back. they're great. kinda expensive tho but pretty beefy.
03-24-05, 03:14 PM
#6
Professional Lady Killer
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: gville
Posts: 90
Bikes: 77 Raleigh Record, 03 Specialized P2, 05 Bianchi Pista, 05 Pista Concept
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by na975
who did you order them from ,how much ea. ?
https://www.hedgehog.co.nz/index.php?...product&id=786
i didnt order from that site but i found that to verify the price. i always get a deal since i'm tight with my LBS so i think i got them both for 60.
03-24-05, 03:17 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Absecon, NJ
Posts: 2,947
Bikes: Puch Luzern, Puch Mistral SLE, Bianchi Pista, Motobecane Grand Touring, Austro-Daimler Ultima, Legnano, Raleigh MountainTour, Cannondale SM600
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
03-24-05, 03:22 PM
#8
Professional Lady Killer
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: gville
Posts: 90
Bikes: 77 Raleigh Record, 03 Specialized P2, 05 Bianchi Pista, 05 Pista Concept
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by nick burns
03-24-05, 03:29 PM
#10
Professional Lady Killer
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: gville
Posts: 90
Bikes: 77 Raleigh Record, 03 Specialized P2, 05 Bianchi Pista, 05 Pista Concept
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by ink1373
poor gators.
03-24-05, 03:35 PM
#11
Its already fixed
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Chicago (Rogers & Sheridan)
Posts: 81
Bikes: 1990 Ciocc Pista, 1972 Schwinn Paramount P10, Fuji Track, KHS Flite 100, Cannondale M400, Raleigh Twenty, 2004 Bianchi Pista, 2005 Bianchi Pista
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The best tires I have ever used in reguards to puncture resistance, durablility, and miles (over 3000 miles) before I rotated the front to the back. Well worth every dollar.
03-24-05, 03:54 PM
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: North Central Massachusetts
Posts: 1,281
Bikes: Cannondale R600
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
First street ride on new road bike last season I blew the sidewall out on the rear and got an UltraGatorSkin to replace it. I did get another flat (a large staple) but hey, kevlar can't stop everything. I probably have about 500+ miles on it with no problems otherwise.
Seems expensive, though - I think I paid about 35 at my LBS (might be wrong about that).
The sidewall is black.
Odd thing - I noticed in a chart in Performance catalog that max psi is supposed to be 90 for these tires. Mine are usually 115-120. Looks like other Kevlar belted tires are rated lower as well - but I don't understand why.
Seems expensive, though - I think I paid about 35 at my LBS (might be wrong about that).
The sidewall is black.
Odd thing - I noticed in a chart in Performance catalog that max psi is supposed to be 90 for these tires. Mine are usually 115-120. Looks like other Kevlar belted tires are rated lower as well - but I don't understand why.
03-24-05, 03:55 PM
#14
dances with bicycle
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SF
Posts: 1,683
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The sidewall is a darker brown. Personally I had a lousy experience with the gators. Chunks of tire missing, puncture flats through the sidewalls and in the end I had a 5mm gash in the thread section that quickly expanded to 1.5 inches. Pricey too. Not impressed at all.
If you want bombproof go with 28mm Vittoria randonneurs $23 at the LBS. If you want a nicer ride and still great durability go for Vittoria Rubinos with the wirebead. Come in cool colors too. $23 at the LBS. Seems like a flimsier tire but so far I've had great luck with them.
If you want bombproof go with 28mm Vittoria randonneurs $23 at the LBS. If you want a nicer ride and still great durability go for Vittoria Rubinos with the wirebead. Come in cool colors too. $23 at the LBS. Seems like a flimsier tire but so far I've had great luck with them.
03-24-05, 04:12 PM
#15
THC Freedom Fighter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: OaKsTeRdAm
Posts: 1,112
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
i just picked 3 more pieces of glass out of my 25's while cleaning my bike....25's front & rear...though i will swap out for a 28 in the rear soon....but then again the 25's seem to be performing great....an i have to grab a set for the ladies' bike....
i said it in another thread and i will say it here, gators' are one of the best tires i have rode in the wet , and we have been having quite a bit of that here lately.
i said it in another thread and i will say it here, gators' are one of the best tires i have rode in the wet , and we have been having quite a bit of that here lately.
03-24-05, 04:35 PM
#17
THC Freedom Fighter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: OaKsTeRdAm
Posts: 1,112
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by 46x17
Guess I had two Monday Gators.
03-24-05, 04:45 PM
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 452
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
hey 46x17, where did you get the randonneurs?
after trying out gatorskins, i much much prefer my Vittoria Rubinos...
after trying out gatorskins, i much much prefer my Vittoria Rubinos...
03-24-05, 04:54 PM
#20
dances with bicycle
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SF
Posts: 1,683
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Freewheel on Hayes.
Be advised though, the randonneurs ride kind of tankish (that is why I prefer the rubinos). Tough as hell though. Makes gators look very sissyish.
Be advised though, the randonneurs ride kind of tankish (that is why I prefer the rubinos). Tough as hell though. Makes gators look very sissyish.
03-24-05, 04:57 PM
#21
Slower than you
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: SF, CA
Posts: 1,800
Bikes: IRO Mark V & Don Walker Custom
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I currently have 700x23c ultra gators on my daily ride. They seem to be holding up pretty well compared to the craptastic Panaracer and Soma tires I had on it before. I never had a problem with Armadillos, but the Gatorskins feel like they have much less rolling resistance, and they feel more surefooted in the rain that we've been experiencing here lately. I have had three flats on them, one was very suspicious front flat, which happened on the train home from work, the suspicious part being that every other bike on the rack (three others) mine was on also got a flat, and the flat looked like someone had pushed a needle through the top of the tire, very uniform across all the bikes that were affected. The other two flats happened simultaneously on tuesday as I was riding home through the pouring rain and happened upon a rain-hidden car-killer pothole which resulted in two instant pinch flats and slightly bent deep-v sidewalls 
Doesn't seem fair to blame any of those flats on the tires, so I'm still happy with them. My skidding hasn't gotten the best of them yet, so we'll see....
Doesn't seem fair to blame any of those flats on the tires, so I'm still happy with them. My skidding hasn't gotten the best of them yet, so we'll see....
03-24-05, 05:03 PM
#22
dances with bicycle
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SF
Posts: 1,683
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Yes, definitely less rolling resistance than the armadillos. I liked the gator's ride too. Not bad at all. But I sure got a lot of flats and then they just started falling appart. Could have been a bad batch. Currently superstoked on the rubinos. Very nice ride and much tougher than they look.
03-24-05, 05:05 PM
#23
dances with bicycle
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SF
Posts: 1,683
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Also the dented sidewalls are easy to bend back into shape. Look for some hard metal shims and put them on either side of the dent and then grab them with some vice grips, wrench or pliers and bend them back. Did this twice so far and with great success.