mstateglfr 

I ride with some who use Gatorskins and quietly just never understand it. They all say they ride em for the reliability. Meanwhile I use GP5k or GK slicks and flat just as infrequently...which is almost never since its one every couple years.
One guy started using Tannus solid core tires because he so badly didnt want flats. He never flatted on the Gatorskins mind you, but apparently that still wasnt enough peace of mind. The Tannus solid core tires sucked, he finally accepted that they were like riding on melting asphalt, and change his tires to...Gatorskins.

One guy rides 8000mi a year on 32mm Gatorskins. Clearly he knows what works for him, so cool I guess.

Ill continue to stick to tires that dont feel like frozen hoses.

jaxgtr

I used them on my commuter as I hated getting flats. Using concrete tires would provide a better ride quality, but In the 4k in miles I put on them, I never had a flat, so I can't argue that point. I got rid of my commuter bike recently, and I told the guy buying it that he could probably put some more comfortable riding tires on it, he said he already had a new set of Gatorskins to put on when this set was done. There was still 1.5-2k worth of mileage left on them.

mschwett 

foldable gatorskin hardshells are the only tires i've had on my road bike, so i have no frame of reference. i ride them (32mm) on around 60psi and the ride quality doesn't seem rough at all compared to the tires the bike came with when i test rode it.

i have about 1,500 miles on them, no flats, no obvious wear, ride through broken glass, nuts, bolts, rough roads, gravel, dirt, etc. they seem to fulfill the purpose. i don't ride with any tools to fix a flat, which i might feel compelled to do if i switched to something sexier.

spelger

Gaterskins aren't flat proof. Get a patch kit.

bikecrate

Gatorskin Hardshells used to be my "go to" tire since the roads around here are pretty full of glass and other debris. The last couple of rounds of tire purchases I have been disappointed. Even new I was getting frequent punctures. I will probably explore other options in the future.

Chuckles1

Me too. I only use a rear GS, as that's where I used to get flats. Ive had a 700x28c GS on my road bike for the last two years. I'm 155lbs. and pump it to 65psi. I dont notice any bad ride qualities. I take 90 degree corners at 25-30mph and grip feels secure. At about 1000 miles, it looks like new. Because its slick, its extremely easy to check it for imbedded objects after a ride. I suspect harsh ride characteristics would show up at higher pressures, but at 60-65psi, theyre fine.

Chandne

I continue to just use the GP4000s. A ride on the Gatorskins was enough to tell me that they are harsh and take some of the fun out. My roads/paths are quite clean so I have no issues. If I go tubeless again, I'll prob get IRCs, though I have a lot of 4000s to use up.

Racing Dan

I believe pressure is the main determinater of comfort or not comfort. I too ride protected tyres on my commuter and have a hard time recognizing the tales of concrete like ride quality. Lately I have bee riding gravel routes at 28mm/50-60 psi and they are fine. My other road bike has much lighter tyres and can be as harsh or comfortable as I like, depending on pressure. Just like the bike with protected tyres. I'm sure the commuter is 1/2 a mile slower at the same power tho.

I believe its good practice picking imbedded stones and glass from the tyre once in while.

DomaneS5

I have Gatorskins on my old Trek 1.1 that I use for backup to my Domane with Grand Prix 5Ks. I like the Gatorskins better than the original Bontrager tires. I've never had any trouble out of the Gatorskins. Good durable tires, IMO.... plus it's nice not to have to worry about flats. They aren't as fast as the Grand Prix, but I didn't expect them to be.

BobsPoprad

700×32 Gatorskin Hardshells work well for me. Then again, I'm not looking for speed, weight, great handling...or any of those special options other tires might have. I am looking for puncture protection, and these seem to be up to the task.

Fastfwd01

Interesting to see so many haters of the Gatorskins on here. I've been running them (25mm) almost exclusively on both of my bikes for my regular rides around town. I'm often forced into the gutter while on public roads where I ride to attempt to appease the locals who aren't super cyclist friendly. I've still managed to get a few flats with them, but they are pretty incredibly flat resistant. I do have some of that mentioned fraying of the sidewall threads. I run these over 100psi and I probably put too much blame on my aluminum frame Cannondale Synapse for the harshness of the ride, but it can be pretty rough between the two combined. I guess I've just been put off running anything else. We get these little tiny grass burrs here too and when the lawnmower guys are out cutting grass near the bike paths it spews these little bastards all over the place and they will even defeat the Gatorskins on occasion if you hit one the wrong way. I'm not a fan of changing a flat on a ride. I've burned through too many inner tubes already. I don't need to add to my collection of patched tubes.

I do have a set of GrandPrix 4000s II that I put on for any events (century, gran fondos, etc.) that I might participate in and they have actually been pretty flat resistant. I mostly use them because they are a little more lightweight. I haven't even tried the GP5000 I see mentioned in this thread. Maybe it is time to see what else I could be using for my 'training' miles.

I will say that my Cervelo came equipped with a set of the regular Conti GrandPrix and I made the mistake of leaving them on for a big event that I participated in and got two flats over a 100 mile ride on the same day. They were definitely swapped out that evening for the second day of the event. I should have tossed them in the trash.

yashinon

I have 700 x 25 GS on my road bike, while the ride can be rough. They are tough as nails!

Shimagnolo

I ran 28mm Gatorskins for years on one of my bikes.
Only complaint I had was that they would slide out w/o warning on wet pavement.

Then I decided to make a change, and put Schwalbe One's on the bike (also 28mm).
On the first ride, I stopped 3 times to squeeze the rear tire because I thought it was going flat; It felt too soft.
That was when I realized just how rough the Gatorskins rode.

frogman

Its all about the tire pressure. I use 28mm GatorSkins and have 65 PSI in the rear and 60 in the front and they ride very nice. I weigh 170 lbs.
I tried GS with 23mm tires and 100psi and it was very jarring / harsh. Put on 28's with 60/65 psi and much better, softer on the pavement. I like em.

trainsktg

i ran 25mm G’skin and G’skin Hardsheels for my first few years of riding before switching to GP4000II, to now GP5000. I didn’t have a problem with either of the G’skins really other than they were seemingly noticeably slower that the GPs. Few were worn to the point where I had to get rid of them. Most are still hanging from my garage ceiling in case of emergency. I actually replaced a set of gad-awful factory Giant tires on my daughter’s Liv with some of my old G’skins and she is quite happy with them.

Keith

redlude97

Now try GP4000/5000 or even 4 seasons at the same pressure and width. gatorskins are harsh even at those pressures relative to other tires.

bikemig 

Two pages of posts and no pictures. What the heck is up with bikes forum?

Seattle Forrest

​​​​​​What Cervelo are you riding?

dmanthree

I've never ridden them, primarily thanks to threads like this. They are, apparently, the "steel belted radials" of the bike world.

You want durable, get the Conti GP 4 Season tires. Excellent tires.

GhostRider62

I had a set of Gators, they lasted about 90 miles before finding the bottom of a dumpster.

Fastfwd01

R5.

I just put the 4000IIs back on the R5 a few minutes ago. They've got some sidewall scuffs so maybe I'll just run them until they are done and get some of the new Conti 5000. I haven't been keeping up with cycling much in recent years. Rode about 55 miles last year. Just put in my biggest month since June 2016 this past month - 471 miles. I didn't even know they came out with a new Continental tire to replace the 4000IIs.

Bah Humbug

I'm on record as being a big fan of the Michelin Power Protection+, which seems to be almost unheard-of but has a bead-to-bead aramid breaker (instead of just under the tread) but also has a reasonably supple 110tpi casing. It's not as comfy as a GP5K or the like, but it is so, so much better than a Gatorskin. And quite regularly gets me home with glass and flints I just pick out and carry on with.

N2deep

Im not a fan of Gatorskins and or Continental tires. The sidewalls on continental tyres wear out long before the tread. Im looking for a durable, low rolling resistance and lightweight tyre also.. Great discussion..

pgjackson

What's the new norm? I'm getting back into cycling after a 5+ year hiatus. I used to ride skinny Vittoria Rubino slicks at 120psi back then. Just had my bike overhauled at the shop and they put Conti GP 4 Seasons on there 700X23.

They put Gatorskins on my wife's bike. My only knock on them is that they are VERY expensive for what is essentially their "beater" tire.

ksryder

Debates about the definition of the new norm generates 10-page threads around here. In general a lot of people (BUT NOT EVERYONE DON'T COME AT ME) are finding that the widest tire they can fit in their frame at lower pressures is a much more pleasant ride and does not actually negatively affect average speed. High pressure tires just "feel" fast because you're feeling every bump and vibration in the road.

So I run 28mm tires at 70 psi on my road bike and I weigh 200 lbs right now. If I lost weight I'd run them at 60 or 65. If a person wants to experiment with lower pressure, I think a good rule of thumb is start at 80 psi and adjust from there.