I live in downtown Las Vegas, and there's a lot of debris in these streets. I used to get a puncture flat almost every ride (I was on Schwalbe Marathons). I hated it, made me want to stop cycling. I wanted the absolute best puncture protection, and the Continental Gator Hardshell tire delivered. Since installing these, I haven't had any flat tires (7 rides so far). I got the 32mm width, 70psi helps avoid punctures too. Some say these tires don't have good road feel since they're thicker and heavier. I say a tire that holds air feels better than one that doesn't.
I usually try to ride on Continentals for my road bike. I like the look of the blacks and had to replace my usual Gatorskins due to the tire was worn down flat on the riding surface. I was going to change it after my ride anyway and had a rear spontaneous sidewall blow out for the first time with Gatorskins. I have had tire chunks disappear on top of a Conti before noticed after a ride too. I purchased these to go with my replacement after the blowout. I feel they are smooth and hold in the corners with speed. I also like how they look an it's about confidence in the product. So far so good!
Perfect size gravel tire for my Canyon Grail. Had been running 38mm (great rolling/speed, but a lot of roughness on rides); tried 45mm and 47mm ( too much rolling resistance offset the comfort on long rides). These Conti 40mm are perfect blend of roll and comfort. Have had several awesome gravel rides 50-100 mi on these tires with great results. They also roll well on tarmac sections. Highly recommend these tires and continental tires in general!
First, I love these tires and I've been using them for several years. I purchased a set last August, 2024 and have approximately 2,500 miles on them, but the side walls are dry rotted... the date code for last year's purchase is ("0622" = week of Feb 6, 2022).
I just received a new set today and see that these tires are date coded ("2822" = week of July 11, 2022)!
Is this set going to dry rot too before they wear out?! They're already 3 years old. Love these tires, but I don't see the value when the side walls dry rot before the tire wear down.
