I've been riding Conti's for about 10 years now; clinchers with tubes. I got occasional flats but, and it may be luck, haven't had a flat now for almost 3 years and 7K miles. It may be that going to wider tires (I'm now on 30's) and lower tire pressures (now at 60 & 65) result in fewer flats? Conti's have a reputation for being hard to mount. This was true on my 21mm internal alloy wheels. But, I am able to mount the 30's on Vision carbon wheels using only my hands. So, it seems the right combination of wheel and tire make a difference. I got about 3K on size 25mm but am getting more than that since upsizing. They roll nicely on the Vision wheels with Silca TPU tubes; low rolling resistance and reliable combo.
I commute regularly between Ashland and Medford on my trusty 80's-era Eddy Merckx. I hate having to deal with flats, especially if I have a time deadline. I've used the Gatorskins for years, and have found
them to be fairly sturdy, even if not bombproof. Also, I've noticed a couple of minI-pits developing on one of my newer tires, something I haven't seen before. I'll have to see if these become a problem.
Any tire can get a puncture. However, these tires wear well, and are resistant to punctures.
A few years ago a group of us rode from Delaware to Florida, a three week trip. The people in the group running these tires had few flats than the rest of us. That was in 2017, ever since i been running these, and haven't had many flats. Some seasons (avg 5000 miles a year) none.
I'm 76, 190, and currently ride an Orbea Gain e-bike about 90-100 miles a week. I use the the 4-Season 32mm with tubes around 90-95 psi. These tires feel absolutely correct. The weather is usually dry in Nevada so I can't speak about serious rain riding. A little hard pack or light gravel is no problem at reasonable speed. For me, the 4-seasons are a step up in feel from Gatorskins and seem to wear about the same. They are comfortable in corners with a heavy bike. Heck, they're comfortable all the time.
