But the thin and flexible sidewalls are also why it has such a low rolling resistance(RR) and low weight. I have never in the 6 years I have been riding gatorskins had a sidewall failure, so for me the trade off between good RR and thin sidewalls has been good. The sometimes polarized views on Gatorskins are IMHO because people have different expectations towards it. Some people think it is a tough commuter tire, but strictly speaking it was designated as a racing training tire. And when it first came out it even bested many dedicated racing tires regarding RR and weight, while having great puncture resistance (compared to dedicated racing tires).

The Gatorskins are also excellent commuter tires for those who want really fast tires, but still want relatively good puncture protection, but they shouldn't be used to ride through broken glass.
Interestingly enough, Continental have now re-designated the new Gator Hardshells as a commuter tire, not racing training tire, and also redesigned it accordingly making it tougher all around, adding more rubber for better puncture protection and longer wear etc. It has become somewhat heavier and probably have higher RR due to the stronger sidewalls, but still seems to be a good choice for those that wants fast, easy rolling tires on their commuter bikes.

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Regards

I have ridden gatorskins for a number of years and have also never suffered a sidewall failure. I have had the threads hanging off the side, but it has never manifested into anything further.

I've been riding Gatorskins for years, and will echo other's comments. They have a nice ride, noticeably better than cheaper flat-resistant tires such as Performance brand. However, after around 2000 miles, they do start picking up small sharp pebbles (due to soft rubber?) which causes flats. This happens with greater frequency when its wet. The tires will still look like they have some life to them, but the profile gets a little less round, and the flats start happening. I've never had a sidewall issue with them.

If someone could recommend a tire with a similar ride and better flat protection I'd give it a try. Can anyone compare the new Gatorskin Hardshells to the Gatorskins?

I've been riding 700x23 Ultra Gatorskins for perhaps three years. I'm 250 lbs. (hey, give me a break, I'm also 6'5 so I'm not all that fat!) and run them at 120 psi. The ride is acceptable (partly due to the steel frame and carbon fork on my Jamis Aurora), but if I had a lot of rough roads on my commute I'd run 25 or 28 widths at somewhat lower pressures to take the edge off.

The good things about these tires: They're reasonably flat resistant and they're very fast. I typically flat once ever 2000-3000 miles, although when I do flat it's not uncommon to have to replace the tube because of multiple small holes that have been sealed by the True Goo that I run (I'm morally opposed to putting five patches on a tube at once!). They're not as flat resistant as the Armadillos I used to ride, but they're so much faster and have a road feel that I prefer that I put up with the occasional flat.

The bad: They don't wear as long as Armadillos or Bontrager Hard Cases (I get about 2000 miles out of a rear and perhaps 6000 out of a front). I have had one sidewall failure, but that may have been due to mounting and unmounting it several times - the tread was very thin and I was flatting very often (this spring I managed to flat every day for a week, among other things) and my own foolish effort to eke a bit more life out of the tire. I replaced the front, put the old front on the rear, put in a set of Mr. Tuffys for added reassurance (after the CEO commented on how often I was late to work because of bike problems, I figured I needed it fixed NOW), and I haven't flatted again since. The yellow sidewall gets looking really dirty almost immediately - my Armadillos looked much nicer for much longer. Previous threads on the Contis have suggested that their quality control can be spotty - there seem to be more instances of infant mortality of these tires than with others.

Overall, I've been pleased with the Gatorskins, and when I wear this set out I'll put the same thing back on. I've also had great success with Hard Cases and Armadillos, but neither of them has the feel of the Gatorskins that I'm hooked on.