These have densest rubber I've used so far, which includes Michelin, Vredestein, etc. The caveat they have stiff sidewalls, consequently little flex for long rides over rough farm roads here in rural Colorado. Any tire's nemesis here must include the abundant goatheads and foxtails, and these tires along with Stan's sealant have made for 10 months without a flat. I've used 7X23 Gatorskins too harsh a ride here. 7X25's run them at 90psi. Great mileage to be expected.
A favorite tire the Vredestein Grand Fondo has forgiving sidewall, corners great, rolls fast, but is more easily punctured by the above mentioned. I ran these with 2 oz Stan's in each tire, made it through winter (off season for goatheads etc) without a flat! Now back to Conti's for growing season. Highly recommended.
FYI, I ride around 7000yr, all year, been riding since the 70s, raced for 8 yrs.
While no tire is immune to punctures, the Gatorskin is about as good as it gets. From past experience, I know this tire will give many miles of training ride hours with few flats from sharps and pinches. The 25 mm width offers a comfortable ride with no sacrifice on speed (compared to more narrow width tires). The Gatorskin does well in wet conditions for both cornering and climbing. The tire may be a bit heavy for racing, but this is not a huge concern for me.
Continental tires are always excellent but I found the Gators a bit hard to fit on the wheels. That being said, they last a long time and I don't have many flats with them despite riding on pretty bad roads.
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.
I use them for roadfitness riding. Smooth riding. A couple hundred miles with no flats. In the past, I always used Maxxis Detonator tires but thought I'd try these due to the great reviews. Happy with both brands. Went from 23's to 25's. The jury is still out but if it continues the way it is I'll probably stick with the gatorskins.
Gatorskins last about 2000 to 2500 miles on my bike. In that distance I seldom get flats. The one negative I have is the rubber begins to de-laminate from the belting near end of life.
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.
My favorite commuter tire is no longer readily available and I needed a replacement. So far so good with these Gators'. My concerns are durability for commuting at a reasonable price and these seemed like a nice option that did not require me to go with a heavier wire bead. People complain that they ride harsh. At over 100psi they were harsh. I am running 32's at about 90-95 psi and they are great! I weigh about 170lbs. and no pinch flat issues or any other flats so far. Price was good and let's see how long they last.
This tire has become my go-to tire for most of my yearly riding. I might have some GP 4000 II ready for race day, but the Gatorskin's are on for everything else! They do not puncture easily and honestly I cannot remember the last time I had a flat with one on these tires. I have 25's on my road bike and have 28's and 32's for my cross/gravel bike for added comfort and coverage.
I ran these for several thousands miles last year in the 32mm size, for training rides, commuting, gravel, and a two week loaded tour. No issues whatsoever, and not a single flat, especially remarkable given that i'm a 200 pound rider. Highly recommended.
These tires are great in all weather conditions, but most importantly, they're very flat resistant. So they are pretty impervious to all the junk you encounter on the side of the road when you're commuting. Probably not the best tire for race-style road riding, but an excellent commuter tire.
Have started using gator skins about 7 years ago and never looked back. Since using them on San Francisco and Bay Area roads they have weathered the street debris and other road issues better than most other tires. It's important to use good inner tubes because the cheep inner tubes fail long before the tires need to be replaced. Buy again? You bet!
Ive used these tires for almost 5 years now. This is only my second pair. Not sure on how many miles. But I do ride 40 to 50 miles a week. Only one flat on these tires. I ride with 110psi in the rear and 100 psi in the front I highly recommend.
