I DO A LOT OF BIKE TOURING AND LONG ENDURANCE RIDES AND GATORSKINS GIVE ME THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. THEIR REALLY STRONG YET LIGHT ENOUGH FOR GROUP RIDES WITH MY FRIENDS. I'M A 300 MILE A WEEK RIDER SO RACING TIRES AREN'T AN OPTION BECAUSE OF THE LOW FLAT PROTECTION AND LOW SERVICE LIFE. I RAN GATORSKINS ALL LAST YEAR AND ALL THIS YEAR AND I ONLY GOT ONE FLAT WHICH IN ALL HONESTY I CAN'T BLAME ON THE TIRE. I WAS RIDING DOWN THE HIGHWAY ON THE SHOULDER AND RAN OVER SOME WICKED METAL RE-BAR THING THAT FELL OFF A SEMI. I SAW IT BUT DIDN'T BOTHER GOING AROUND IT. IT PUT A BIG SLICE IN THE TIRE BUT ONLY A PIN-HEAD METAL SPIKE GOT THROUGH. THEY'RE MY GO TO SKINNY TIRE FOR THE FOR SEEABLE FUTURE. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A GATORSKIN 35C IN THE FUTURE THOUGH FOR GRAVEL RIDES.
Ive used Gatorskins on my road bike for the past 3 years. Besides mounting them on the rims because they are a tough tire is worth it. I ride roads and paved trails that are seldom cleaned and they take pretty much everything. Only a direct hit of a nail or screw can get through these things and they last a long time. About 2k on my last one. Highly recommend for commuters that need security in a tire.
Ive ridden with these for over 11 years. Only had 2 sidewall failures. Typically, I get up to 1000 miles on the rear and up to 4000 miles on the front before I change them out. The foldable tires go on and off of the rims much easier than the wire beads. I use them on all of my bikes.
Just passed 5000 miles with a set of Gatorskins. Got a slight flat spot at about 2700 miles, so I flipped back to front. Had one flat so far, a steel belt shard after a Houston rain. I weigh about 205. My training rides are 40 miles, just came in from a 50 miles ride with club from bike shop. I inflate to 90 psi on front, 100 psi rear wheel. I'm sure I could go at least another 1500 miles on these, but a couple of months ago I bought some Four Season on half price sale. I know Gatorskins are a little heavier, a little stiffer, but they are exactly what I wanted.
I was getting flats on a weekly basis so I started shopping for tires. Since I got these about 6 weeks ago, I have ridden probably 600 miles without a flat. They handle well enough as far as I can tell, although I live in the desert so I can't comment on how well they handle in the rain.
I have used these tires in the past but got away from them. These have always been dependable but a bit on the heavy side. I have a newer bike that I originally fitted with 32mm tires which were a bit bounce on downhills. I moved to a 28 mm and I seem to be getting less bounce with out sacrificing comfort.
I had these same tires on my urban bike for 3 years, with zero flats and little wear showing (from the pattern engraved into the surface).
If the bike hadn't been stolen, I probably could've ridden on those tires another 5-7 years (guessing).
I'm sure these new ones will wear as well. I bike 15-20 miles a week, in a fairly urban area with some thorns and debris on the roads.
The surface of the tires looks fairly smooth, but they felt normal when gripping the road.
I commute to work year round in Wisconsin. My round trip is 26 miles. Mostly on paved bike paths. Getting a flat, especially in winter, is a real hastle on the way to work. I have used these tires for about 7 years. I haven't found a tire that combines the flat protection and rolling for anywhere near the price of the Gatorskins. They are a little heavy but you have to expect that with a tire that rarely goes flat.
I live in Colorado and don't ride anything but Gatorskins. First most roads here are pretty rough and these are the only tires that I have found that hold up to the pounding I give them. Second I ride Mt. Evans every year, descending at 40 mph on the very rough road with shear drop offs, I wouldn't trust anything else with my life. I get a good 6000 mile year out of these tires. About the only thing that they can't stop are goat heads (puncture vine thorns.)
I replaced the stock Bontragers on my 2010 Trek FX 7.5 with these Gatorskins and they're freakin' awesome! I love the handling on turns and am not afraid to plow through the occasional stretch of gravel. They were pretty easy to put on, even for a relative noob mechanic like me. The price wasn't the cheapest but you get what you pay for. Time will tell how well they hold up in the long run, but for now, I'm very happy with them.
I put these tires on my Canondale hybrid. They replaced a pair of Avocet Cross tires that were 700x38. The Gatorskins are 700x35. It is a pleasure to ride these tires because they are less rolling resistance and they grip quite well on pavement and also stand up to dirt and gravel. To be fair, I must state that I also replaced the old rims. New tires, new rims right? They went on quite easily and my favorite part is when I roll my bike out of the garage for a ride, the tires squeak on the cement like a finger against a taught balloon. They also look nice on the bike which is a light blue frame, tan leather seat and black rims. I've only got about a hundred miles on them so far and I know I'll be rolling down the road for several more judging by many other cyclists who use them.
I have always been extremely satisfied with Continental tires. This particular style (Gatorskin) is such a great tire. I just completed around 1000 miles in two weeks circling my home state, Montana on a solo tour. Many of the roads had a lot of debris. In addition, I found myself on numerous sections of gravel roads. I had absolutely no issues or flats which is saying something considering some of the roads I was on. While these tires wouldn't be my choice for road racing and such, touring, training rides, and durability are where they shine.
We ride a tandem and average 6K miles per year on Gatorskin 28C tires. Besides significantly improving the ride and handling of our tandem, we've had only one flat for the last four pairs of these tires (and that was due to a broken bottle in the middle of the road on a fast downhill). We get about 2k miles per tire, which is incredible for our 290 lb combined rider weight. We will continue to mount these durable and supple tires as long as Continental keeps making them.
