Originally Posted by sarals

I just put a pair of 700X25 Continental Gatorskins on my Look, and then rode it 50 miles over some pretty rotten roads. Oh, there was 5000 feet of climbing on that ride, too. I had switched the Look from Kenda Kaliente Pro L3Rs, 700X23. My main reason for doing that was that I needed to replace the tires on the Giant CFR Team I just acquired, and I decided that new tires should go on the Look. I went to my LBS, and they told me that two of our local race teams ride Conti's, the GP4000s, 700X25, not 23, because they felt the 25s give a better ride, last longer, and are JUST AS fast as 23s. The LBS believed that the difference between the Gatorskins and GP4000s was slight enough to where I wouldn't notice, but they did feel the Gatorskins would last me longer. So, I conducted an impromptu poll after getting that advice. I walked around at coffee after a group ride last week looking at the tires other people had on their bikes. More than half were Continentals, and many of those were 25s. So, I bought a pair, the Gatorskins. On the 50 mile ride I spoke of, I found them quite smooth, apparently free-er rolling than the Kenda's, and as for the 25 vs 23 argument - I didn't notice anything - I guess that's good, right?