Continental Gatorskins
 

What is the opinion of these tires?

i'm looking to speed up a little from the 70 PSI touring tires that came with my bike, and I have my eye on the Continental Gatorskins (actually, I already bought them, but can still return them if y'all scare me). What do you all think?

Also, any advice on recommended inflation pressure vs. Max PSI? is it a ride quality issue, or is there an actual durability concern with pumping it to the max all the time? (the Gatorskins have a "recommended" inflation of 95 PSI and max is 116 PSI for the 28's)....

I used to ride 28mm Gatorskins at 112 - 115psi and they were pretty comfortable and reasonably flat resistant under my 235 pounds. If you already own them, keep them. They're good tires.

I only switched after deciding to move up to 32mm tires with higher flat resistance based on a series of flats I got over the winter. Gatorskins tend to pick up more pointy crap when it's wet out, and those little shards can sneak through the belting layer and cause slow leaker flats.
Just one guy's opinion though; and I still give them a 95% approval. They were more good for me than bad, definitely.

I am using 700x23 Gatorskins to replace the more aggressive tread that came with my Fuji Cross Comp. Minus one pinch flat (very low pressure in my wheels) I have not gotten a flat yet and I ride over all sorts of sharp materials including broken glass.

If I had to rebuy the tires, I'd probably go with 25s or 27s, but 23s are just fine for me.

Just put 700x25's on my cross bike (which I ride in the street 99% of the time). I like them so far. Seems to be faster than 30mm cross tires and ride smoother. Only have about 50 miles on them so far so can't say how durable but so far so good

I got 700x23 gatorskin on my CF Scott CR1 non commute weekend road bike. Originally I wanted Ultremo on it but cannot resist the sale price. So far so good. They ride soft but cornering is ok but not the best. Speed wise, they are just as fast as the Hutchinson that came along with the Scott. As for mounting, they are a little in the tuff side as I get to the last 3 inch if bead, but they are still easier to get on the rims as compare to the 700x25 All Condition Elite Armadillo that are on my commute bike.

I have a pair that I used for about 2200 miles. For the first 2000 miles or so I was very happy with them, but then all of a sudden I started getting flats left and right. They still had enough tread left that I kept them, and just yesterday (after letting them sit in the garage for a year) I mounted them on my single speed wheelset. A survey of feedback on this site over the years indicates that the biggest problem people have is with sidewall damage. The sidewall on one of mine has a few broken threads sticking out, but it never seemed to cause any problems.

I've had good results with the 23 and 25mm versions on my road bike and on various commuting cross/hybrids/fixies. Not too many problems with flats, although certain items (staples, nails) are going to go through almost anything. Tread wear has been very good. The tires feel a bit heavier than I prefer on the road bike, but more rugged IMO than the lighter tires. I have had some problems mounting them when new, although the beads seem to soften/loosen enough that when I have needed to fix a flat, it hasn't been too much of a hassle. I know a number of roadies who use the gatorskins as their winter training tire and have been happy with their results.

awesome. Thanks for all the responses. I'm going to mount them up tonight.

Probably one of the more reviewed tires on the web, so be sure to check out Amazon, REI and Buzzillions. I have the 28 Ultra Gatorskins that you are interested in and like them a lot. I've had Bontrager Race Lite Hard-Case, and Serfas Survivor Series as well. All good puncture resistant tires. The Gatorskins are a softer tire as compared to the others and rides a bit smoother. It may be this aspect that some experience the tire "picking up" little pieces of glass, etc. But it is good practice to regularly inspect your tires before riding anyway, and with a simple razor, pull out the suspecting culprit.

As far as tire pressure I admit I go above the 116 rating. PSI is not absolute and there are many articles written about that. I'm not abusing the tire and raised the psi incrementally. I weigh 250 too, so that has some influence as to why I go above, but mostly it's preference. I'm wondering what others that go above the stated PSI pump their tires up to?

Scott

Good tires...i put 2000 miles+ on a set of 700x28 wire-bead since last summer...i had my rear suffer one flat during that, but had to replace it this year since unwillingly being forced into a "rumble strip" by an idiotic, uncaring motorist on her cellphone, the dividing "safety" line that separated the road from the bike lane in a local town (shepherdstown, wv, if anyone reading is familiar.) That rumble-strip is hardcore roughness at 18MPH and put my wellworn gatorskin into its final coffin...but in the past 2 weeks, i had my LBS hook me up with a 700x28 Gator Hardshell, which is about 70grams heavier than the ultra it replaced, but much more suitable for my rear wheel....time will tell how much better it wears than the regular gatorskin, but i must say, i can't tell the difference in weight, and i feel a little more secure if i ever am unfortunate enough to be put into the situation of the severe vibration of another road-related inconvenience like that...the front gatorskin i put on last summer is still looking good...btw i currently weigh 220lbs on a 30lb Trek hybrid...IMHO, Continental has got a good balance of lightweight and ruggedness for a commuter/training tire with the gatorskin/hardshell...and they ARE smoooooth riding with 95-100lbs PSI in them , too :thumb:

I've had mine up to 110psi, but ride was a little too harsh...i always worry about puncture resistance from gravel and glass with pressure that high, plus the rear-wheel problems i was having when i was 260lbs+, but thats' another story :rolleyes:

I just bought a pair of 700x25's for my commuter. I've been reasonably happy with them on another bike that has a Conti Gatorskin on the front and a Specialized Armadillo on the rear. No doubt from my experience that the Armadillo is a superior tire, but I got a good deal in these Conti's so I'm going with it.

I have had a love/hate relationship with gatorskins. Currently love. Last summer it was hate - tried some other brands including Armadillos (did not liek them), Specialized Marathon Supremes (awesome tire, but too high rolling resistance for my taste) and a Vittoria tire (cannot remember which one) and they all have their +/-. When I built a new commuter in February I got a smoking deal on a pair of 25c gatorskins, so I mounted them up. ~2000 miles later I am still happy and flat-free. A couple of words of advice:

1. As others have noted, the rubber surface is soft and they will pick up stuff. I go over my tires at least weekly and pick out anything that may have become embedded in the tire. Only takes a few minutes...

2. The 25's are rated 120psi max. If you run them there, they will beat the hell out of you. I tend to run the front between 90-100 and the back between 100-110. They still ride harsh (especially compared to the Marathon Supremes!) but the ride is tolerable.

I used gatorskins for a long time, but lately I'm replacing them with other tires as they wear out. I found them to have pretty good flat protection and a decent ride, but I had a lot of problems with sidewall failures. Almost every gatorskin that I owned developed a hole in the sidewall well before the tread was worn down. A few times they manage to sneak up on me and the tire blew out suddenly, which is never fun.

I only put about 50 miles a week on them. If you ride more, maybe the tread wears down before the sidewall (or maybe not).

Currently I'm trying my luck with cheaper tires ($20-25 range), but it's too soon to tell how that will work out.

REI has a 25% off Conti sale going through 5/31. My one bike is set up for summer dry riding and decided to drop for the 35's that were on it down to a 28. I'm a cheap skate but at $32 a tire after discount I decided to give them a try instead of the Conti Ultra sports I was considering going with. I have run the 23 Ultra sports on a different bike and was happy with them as well but I knew they offered less flat protection but they are often caught on sale for $15.

Today was day Three...I am loving them. The bike feels so much more lively and the hills are noticeably easier (320grams for the Gators verses the 700grams on the tires they replaced). I have a new set of 32 Vittoria Randonneur Pro's RFX (420 grams) for the other bike that I am about to rebuild the wheels on that I hope I will not be disappointed in now LOL.

I've been buying the Gatorskins from Pro Bike Kit. They are out of stock right now but they sell the folding bead tires in 23 and 25 for under $30 with free S+H.

Love them, only tire I have used for the last 2+ yrs. Although I just picked up a conti 4 grand prix 4 seasons. Same sidewall/flat protection but with more alleged grip.

I ride 700x28 Gatorskins at about 110PSI. But I'm only 140lbs. These are the thinnest tires I've ever ridden on so they feel very fast to me :)

they used to be the only tires i put on my bikes until about a year ago. was always very satisfied with the flat protection, with the biggest problems being small sharp objects as stated earlier in the thread. i would normally experience 1 flat per 1500 miles, which is totally acceptable to me.

unfortunately (AFAIK) the largest gatorskin you can buy in 700 is a 28c. I moved over to the vittoria randonneur double shield 700x40c for the past year and have had zero flats. absolutely love the tire, though it's major downfall is weight.

just switched over to a 700x35c Panaracer Pasela TG about a week ago and love the feel of this tire. not as light as the gatorskins, but possibly a better ride than both the GS and the Vittoria. time will tell re: flat protection

I've been using 700x25 gatorskins for about a year now at 115-120psi and only had one flat from a gnarly goat-head. I found out just how good these tires are when I went further east than I had before on a particular bike path and didn't know it ended at some train tracks in the toxic waste part of town. I rode through the loose gravel, broken glass and sharp rocks for a mile like a mtb at full-speed and had no problems whatsoever, and that was on year old tires.

That's where i got mine. I saw 25% off $44 and decided I couldn't pass it up.

I haven't tried my gatorskin in the wet road yet. Does stuff really stick on the rubber that bad? Reason for inquiries is that on my Scott bike I notice only about 3mmof clearance on the frame that connect between the two seatstay at top. That is with the tire at 110 psi. I notice my Hutchinson with the same size had better clearance. I think the gatorskin might be just slightly having a larger OD size. I'm afraid it might pick up debris and ends up rubbing that part of the frame eating away at the carbon. Oh well, at worst maybe I won't used that bike in winter time.

I have been riding 700 X 28 for a year with no flats.and like them, but I thinks the Panaracer Pasela TG 28 foldables had a slightly better ride.

28 Gator isn't that much faster than 32 Michelin City with Protek Plus. Perhaps 1 mph edge on very smooth road with the Continental product. I run 32 City front, and 28 City rear @ 60/65 psi (150 lbs rider) for comfort. A larger contact patch improves handling around town. Too high of a pressure results in a very small contact patch, which may increase the chance of a flat.

The Michelin should outlast the Gator in mileage. It also excels in the puncture resistance department.

I expect more from a 45 dollar tire. Rear tire only lasted a dozen or so rides before the sidewall got a rip from some glass. Not a deal breaker- any tire would have suffered the same fate. Installed a boot(piece of Mr. tuffy) and two rides later the 1/4 inch cut was now 1/2 inch, so tire is shot. Front tire is still ok, but this morning I noticed loose thread hanging off one side. I doubt I will ever buy gatorskins again.

Yeah, that's the Achilles tendon of the Gatorskin....less than stellar sidewalls...i'm hoping my Gator Hardshell fares better in that department!