I have put several hundred flat free miles on these tires and they still look almost new! They are a tiny bit heavier for the weenies and maybe a tad less plush, but if you hate changing tires on the roadside (especially in the cold), these are awesome tires.
I switched over to Continental Gators about 7 years ago getting ready for a century ride. Fan for life. Great rolling, smooth and have taken about everything the road can dish out. Now have them on 3 road bikes and only 1 flat in more than 2800 miles. The only flat was a direct hit on a 6 jagged rock at dusk on a canyon road - cracked the sidewall but stayed on the rim. I use the wire bead for most rides, carry the folding version when I am on an extended ride.
This is one of the best puncture-proof tires out there. I live in goathead country, and my conti's do quite well at keeping me on the road. The ride is not as plush as some, but not as stiff as others, works for me.
I rode these tires up Mt. Tam on fire roads 3 times in last month and no issues. 2X Eldridge and 1X Railroad Grade and they performed very well despite being taken over rocky terrain that they were not designed for. Zero punctures or cuts and other than a little scuffing they are doing fine. They held better than I expected on loose rocky terrain with minimal slippage. Swapping on some CX tires and will keep these for pavement.
I use these tires forSaturday rides, training and racing. Corner and handle well but I still have as many of not more flats as riders with standard tires. 21 ratio.
I have used Cont. 4000 II, Verdestein and Michelin Pro 4 and this by far is the best I have found for wear and durability. I teamed them up with puncture resistant tubes and have yet to have a flat. They ride a little stiff but the roll is great. I would not use if racing, but I am a rider who just loves riding. I do about 200-250 a week and all in asphalt roads. I like they have now begun to include the wear indicator dots on the tire. It looks like I will get at least 2500-3000 out of these tires. Very, very satisfied!
Every time I go away from Gators I find myself coming back to them for the best training tire. I'm 185 lbs and ride about 5,000 miles a year with just one or so races. I keep my tires at 100 I ride both DFs and recumbents. Recently I tried the new Michelin Pro 4 Endurance on my bent. On the rear, one week punctured with a wire shard from steel belted auto tire, two weeks later a goats head. I like these tires as they roll well and corner well, but I don't like the flats. I have had a Gator Hardshell on my other bent for over a year with no flats and just one very small cut. I'll still use the Pro 4s on the front but not on the rear of my bents as that's were most of the weight is. It's hard to beat Gators for strong tires. The Hardshell is even better with the thicker sidewalls, that's were I got the goats head on the Pro 4..
Not the lightest, but glad I mounted on the commuter when the November dark arrives. Continentals rock across the lineup!
This tire is the best puncture resistant tire I've used. I have been riding for over 50 years and this tire for it's price point is definitely worth considering. Highly recommend it.
I am not a racer. I just love riding. I ride 180-200 a week and have been doing that for many years now. After trying many combinations I found the Gator hardshell tires combined with a puncture resistant tube helps keep flats to a minimum. I have only had about 4 flats in years since going to this comb. the tires last anywhere from 3000 to 3500 miles depending on the quality of the roads I ride.
Road bikes in south Texas lots of stickers and thorns in the area. Tires have seemed to work very well in this heat and thorns.
Just a great tire, I have been using for years and at 79 yrs old still love to ride. Last year rode 5543 miles, but missed my goal of 6000 mi. Have used this tire for years and 90lbs in the rear and 80 upfront. Cannot remember my last flat
denny
I used hardshell tires for the last five years. No complaints , very few flats, always got a season plus. Before replacing.
Not the most supple tire out there, but if you have goathead (thorns) problems in your area this is your tire. I've been using these for a year now and no flats so far. They are long wearing too. They stand up well to chip sealed roads.
The road in the Bay Area have gotten more problematic. Ive went through two different sets of tires (Michelins and Vittoria) in the last couples months. The tires were destroyed by box cutters and broken glass. No tire would survive these. I do have a piece of mind with the Continental gator hardshell tires. They are also fast for the weight.
switch to the Conti after i kept flatting with the Schwalbe one. This tire provides excellent grip, rolls fast, and is cut resistant.. my new tire of choice
Have been running gator hardshell for years, however, the past tires were 23mm wide, wanted a wider tire, and this tire worked perfectly.
Changed to gator hard shells after a three week tour, the riders with tire had fewer flats than the rest of us using various brands.
Great tires. Long wearing, puncture resistant , okay handling and an overall good value.
This tire gets no flats! The ride quality is okay, though it can sometimes not grip well laterally (slides out a bit)
I gave these 5 stars not because I love them, because I don't, but because they are bomb-proof and you will grow old wearing them out. I have them on for two years now and do 30 mile runs 5 times a week around the outer Central Park loop in Manhattan and they still show very little wear. No cuts anywhere. The loop is well paved and with no debris so these are totally overkill. Yes overkill.
So, would I rather be riding on something more fun, well yes, but I am simply amazed with the durability of these tires. Might try the Pirelli's, will report back.
