Originally Posted by
NJRoadBike
Ok so I been riding this bike for past 20 years and always used cheap Kenda 27x1-1/4 tires. But last time I upgraded to Kenda k-shields which are double the price at $37 and glad I did because they roll noticably better although they're 2mm less wide even though both are sold as 27x1-1/4. Since I'm delighted by the better rolling characteristics now I'm thinking how would $60 continental gators roll and feel on the road in comparison? Because if the $37 tire was an upgrade how much more improvement would I get with gatorskins, right? But not sure if i should entertain putting a $60 tire on a 50 yr old UO-8 or not? Bike is upgraded to alloy wheels and cottered crank is no more etc. I do like taking 20+ mile rides and good rolling tires do make longer trips easier but would it be worth it?
Continental Gatorskins are designed to be more puncture-resistant/high-mileage tires vice being supple/low-rolling-resistance tires. You will likely notice that if you try them, and may not get what you're looking for.
I live in an area where near-invisible road debris from construction and other activities (i.e., small wire fragments, rusted tacks/small nails, galvanized nails that blend in with greyish pavement, etc . . . ) are all too common. Since I'd rather pedal a bit harder than change flats roadside, I use Gatorskins. I also "pay the piper" for that choice through some extra effort to overcome the higher rolling resistance; plus, the ride may be a bit harsher. I'm OK with that trade-off.
Paselas seem to be highly regarded here. (I've not tried them myself - yet - but likely will at some point.) If your area doesn't have a lot of tire- and tube-killing stuff on the roads, they might hit that proverbial "sweet spot" of reasonable cost/decent rolling resistance/decent mileage before wearout.