Originally Posted by
walksomemore
I am doing the Florida Loop (Augustine to Lauderdale to Ft Myers and back to Augustine) in two weeks. I have Gatorskin 28c tires front and back on my Trek 520, and have been riding them for a few weeks while I dial in my bike. They seem very adequate for the job -- robust on rocks and bumps, not too hard, and good rolling. But I also have a B17 seat which is a pretty great ride.
This is a pavement ride but will go through several coastal cities and some smaller towns (and across the Everglades). So, I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who has experience with these on a long ride and who can advise me as well!
They are very popular tires for good reason. They are a great balance between a good ride and puncture protection. They aren't even close to Marathon Plus in terms of their protection or life. You WILL get punctures with them here and there but they will give you a much nicer roll. Many people use them unloaded for road riding on a daily basis. For touring they are on the light side and I'd only use them on decent roads where one would not expect too much horrible trash in the road. If that's the case they will be a nice rolling tire but punctures may still occur more frequently than with HardShell, Armadillo or Marathon Plus tires.