Originally Posted by
mgurtzweiler
I love my Gatorskins, they ride great and never give me any problems... Except after about 2k miles I'll get a flat, usually some slow leak that I don't find until the next day. Its all downhill from there, the tires seem to actively seek out little glass shards, wires, and bits of metal. For me that means a new pair of tires every 2 months. Sorry little bit of a rant, 3 flats on my last 3 commutes.
The Ultra gatorskins were designated as racing training tires when they came out. At the time they had lower rolling resistance than many dedicated racing tires. 2K miles isn't so bad for such a low rolling resistance tire, and the sudden increase in punctures show how effective the tires puncture protection was when they where new. You simply get used to riding through glass without any problems, so when the rubber layer gets too thin, you suddenly see an increase in punctures, but the glass/ radial tire steel wires/tacks /nails /flints were there all along.
The Gatorskins are no longer being made. The new tire is called Gator Hardshell and is no longer a fast racing training tire, but is now designated as a commuter bike tire. They have improved sidewalls and much more rubber so they ought to last longer and have improved puncture protection. But they also weigh more and their rolling resistance are probably higher than the old Gatorskins.
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Regards