I hate my new tires!
#26
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When I saw the title of this thread, I just KNEW that the OP had bought Gatorskins before I even opened the thread to read it.
#27
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Good news! Since JensonUSA has a nice return policy, I'll be able to return them and start my search for another set of tires.
#28
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Is the max pressure actually 95psi? The site for Gatorskins showed 85PSI as the minimum and 102PSI as the max. Just curious. Glad to hear you can return them if you aren't happy with them. To me it sounds like they are simply underinflated.
#29
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I went to the site and saw the same thing you did; however, the sidewalls of the tires say 95 psi, so who knows...
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I had Gatorskins on my older road bike. 25mm width. My new road bike came with Schwalbe Duranos (also 25mm) and these lasted 5000 miles and I had relatively few flats. I now have about 500 miles on Continental GP4000s and I like them. The roads here are paved, smooth and in good condition overall. YMMV.
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No issues here with G-skins at high speed. I ride with 28 mm wides. I like them, mostly due to fact that I have not had a flat tire with them since 2009. I'm on my third or fourth set.
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One of the problem people forget about new tires be the bike, motorcycle, or auto tires is there is like a hundred mile before they work properly and grip. Friend was killed about 30 minutes after putting new tire on his crock rocket, he rode like a crazy man tring to die all the time. His fatel mistake was doing crazy stuff on a freeway circular road at 95, when the tire started to skid it was all over.
BTW a little rubbing with 600-800 grit sandpaper on a new tire surface breaks that new film, and the tire work better.
BTW a little rubbing with 600-800 grit sandpaper on a new tire surface breaks that new film, and the tire work better.
#33
Pedalin' Erry Day
I'd agree with the previous posters who point out that Gatorskins are not for everyone. I have a friend who swears by them and thinks they are fast tires, but I'm with the OP and can't stand them, to me they feel stiff and roll slower than almost any other road tire. And I'm pretty sure I know why this is so: I'm a lightweight rider but my Gatorskin-loving friend is deep in Clyde territory, his extra weight is enough to force the Gatorskin's stiff sidewall into compliance, allowing the tire to flex and absorb road variations, while under my 150 pounds the tires are nearly rigid, regardless of inflation pressure.
OP, if you're a lighter rider and like me are not especially flat-prone as a rule, try the GP4000s. I have those on my main commuter (and on a couple of road bikes too), and I cannot recommend them highly enough - they roll very fast and comfortably, have moderate flat protection, and a very good lifespan for such a soft, fast tire.
OP, if you're a lighter rider and like me are not especially flat-prone as a rule, try the GP4000s. I have those on my main commuter (and on a couple of road bikes too), and I cannot recommend them highly enough - they roll very fast and comfortably, have moderate flat protection, and a very good lifespan for such a soft, fast tire.
#34
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OP, if you're a lighter rider and like me are not especially flat-prone as a rule, try the GP4000s. I have those on my main commuter (and on a couple of road bikes too), and I cannot recommend them highly enough - they roll very fast and comfortably, have moderate flat protection, and a very good lifespan for such a soft, fast tire.
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I dislike Gatorskins as well. Put some 25s on my commuter bike and removed after a couple of months because I just did not like the ride. They have lots of wear left on the tread but I don't know if I could stand riding them long enough to wear them out. I don't recall them being squirrelly, but stiff and unforgiving.
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I had the same experience with my Gatorskins (700x28, 145lb rider). Give it couple hundred miles and they'll calm down.
#37
glorified 5954
Yeah, sounds like the gatorskins are not much enjoyed. If you want to stick with the 32 width and try to achieve your original goal of lower pressure and a more comfortable ride, I would do some research into good tires at that width. I love my Maxxis tires. But in 700c their largest is 28mm.
#38
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Gatorskins ride like truck tires... very stiff and hard. I doubt the tires are flexing on your rims. Maybe the high speed "wander" is due to minor loss of traction?
How much do you weigh? I'd try LESS pressure. This will give you a wider contact patch, more traction, and the more comfortable ride you are looking for.
How much do you weigh? I'd try LESS pressure. This will give you a wider contact patch, more traction, and the more comfortable ride you are looking for.
F=muN, where mu is the proportionality constant (coefficient of friction) and N is the apparent force of the surfaces pressing together (or W for weight, in this case).
Last edited by jfowler85; 08-03-15 at 07:51 AM.
#39
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Ok. What I find is too high of a pressure causes the tire to lose (some) contact over road imperfections. Lower pressure (which gives a larger contact patch) maintains better grip / road contact. So if it's not the contact patch, what's the science here?
#40
The Left Coast, USA
The beads certainly seem to be seated. I've actually had a couple of flats (old/bad rim tape, since fixed, not the tire's fault), so they have been reset a couple of times in front. I've run them as low as 65 (in the front) and as high as 85...still seems to be the same issue. I was hoping that I'd be able to run them around 70-75 psi.
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It's not exactly that simple, but that's the gist. You may then ask "why are dragster tires so wide then...?" That is just a matter of applying forces over a larger area so that the tires can actually be used, because the tires themselves are soft and sticky.
Last edited by jfowler85; 08-03-15 at 08:23 AM.
#42
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The max pressure on the Gatorskins is 95. I ran the 28s at 80-85 with no issues. The reason I wanted to go with a wider tire was to run a lower pressure and smooth out the ride. I'll give it a shot, but running these at 95 would likely negate the point of the wider tires...
It sounds like I should just go back to the 28s and call it a day...
It sounds like I should just go back to the 28s and call it a day...
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If you are looking for recommendations for a nicer riding 32 mm tire, I have had excellent experiences with Vittoria Voyager Hypers and Panaracer Pasela PTs. The Hypers roll nicer, but the Paselas are less expensive and have a little bit of tread that is better for unpaved surfaces..
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I'm on my second set of Gatorskins. First set were 28mm, second set is 25mm. I've never had a flat with either, which is important to me and why I use them. And I've never any stability issues, at speeds up to 50 mph on downhills. It could be due to my weighing around 200 lbs.
Anyway, I like them!
Mark
Anyway, I like them!
Mark
#45
Prefers Cicero
The max pressure on the Gatorskins is 95. I ran the 28s at 80-85 with no issues. The reason I wanted to go with a wider tire was to run a lower pressure and smooth out the ride. I'll give it a shot, but running these at 95 would likely negate the point of the wider tires...
It sounds like I should just go back to the 28s and call it a day...
It sounds like I should just go back to the 28s and call it a day...
#46
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What about folding vs. wire bead Gatorskins? Is there a difference ride wise? I have folding Gators in 23mm size and like them a lot more than the wire bead Armadillo's that they replaced.
#47
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#48
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Just thought I'd give an update. I threw my old 28s back on for a while and finally got around to trying 32s again. This time I picked up 700x32 Panaracer T-Servs. Good news - They ride great even on descents...nice and stable. Very happy with the ride. The bad news (which isn't directly the tires fault) - I got 2 spoke side flats on the way into work this morning. Time for new rim tape. This happened on the front tire last time I switched tires, but I was lazy and only replaced the rim tape up front. Weird how it happens right after putting on new tires. I guess everything worked in concert with the old tires and the new ones just rub differently.
#50
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i bought a used coda elite that the guy had put on 32 gatorskins. Didn't like them. Switched to my previous favorite Panaracer T-serv 28's and couldn't be happier.