I went from a 38 to 28 to get the feeling of a bit for finesse on the road but still able to ride on light trails if I wanted. And these tires did just that. Plus, delivery was super fast with great customer service.
I have been using Gatorskins for many years mainly because I get very few flats. I have worn through the rubber to the fiber/cored and still no flats. FYI - I'm weigh over 230 pounds and ride 3 to 4 times a week. I basically wear the tire out.
I have been using gator skins for the past 5 years, very durable, get great milage out of them, would highly recommend them
I have switched most of my bikes to Gatorskin tires. My first set lasted 10,000 miles. I only had one flat during that time. My only complaint is they are hard to put on and take off. It can take 20 to 30 minutes to change the tire.
This is my second set of these tires. Got a good season and a half out of the last set and probably could have squeezed the remaining half season but I never like to push road tires too far for safety reasons. Awesome tires and great cornering as well.
I have been using the Continental Gatorskin road tires for several and have them to be reliable and a durable tire.
I live in an area that has a lot of goatheads and thorns. I tried RhinoDillos but still got a flat, and with all that added extra weight and a very hard ride. So I switched to Gatorskins decent weight and softer, though still pretty hard, ride, due to the belting to make it puncture resistant. I still got another flat, but nothing will completely stop these thorns. I got 5,000 miles out of my Grand Prix 4000's and hope to get similar results from these Gatorskins.
I'm retired, so I usually bicycle when convenient for me, and not with a group. I've owned Continental Gatorskin tires in the past, and they've been very reliable. Having to repair a tire on the road isn't impossible, but it saves a lot of stress not to worry about flats when I ride. I even had an incident where a piece of wire went through the edge of the tire, but was apparently deflected by the Kevlar from getting to the inner tube. I simply pulled out the wire, and continued on my way. The Gatorskin likely isn't the fastest tire available, but speed isn't my highest priority when riding.
Comfortable, rolls well, durable.
The Gatorskins have proven time and time again that a well designed 'tough skinned tire' can keep you riding longer and more often. These tires have the perfect trade-off for weight to strength. Running them for years on 7 different bikes and I would never buy anything else.
I replaced my 25mm with these 28's to get lower pressure and still fit the tires into the frame space. They went on well and are an excellent, softer ride. I went from 100PSI to 80 PSI on the rear, 80/60 on the front, and the bumps are significantly lessened. The rolling resistance is near equivalent. And, I've unfortunately ridden in glass-strewn areas, yet never had a flat, nor anything stuck!
I run Gatorskins on rear on my Merlin Cielo. Excellent flat protection, good durability and decent ride. Yes, I realize it's heavier than the 5000's, but lets be honest- most of us should loss 10 lbs before worrying about tire weight slowing us down.
These tires are versatile: fine for training, for short triathlons, and for multi-day rides. Speed seems to be okay. Toughness and durability on rough roads is remarkable. Look for periodic discounts.
Like to keep up with training while on vacation but not loose valuable time with the family (fixing flats). No flats so far on roads frequented by many construction-type vehicles hauling tire unfriendly objects.
Go-to tire for training rides. Very rare to get a flat, though it does happen occasionally; particularly with staples and other wire objects. A bit difficult to put on my carbon wheels but a recent purchase of a Kool Stop lever has made it much easier.
Been using Gatorskins close to 20 years now. After 8 flats on the Bicycle Tour of Colorado early 2000 time frame, I was less than 2 miles from finish. I had my 9th flat. By chance, a rider I didnt know, sensing my frustration, told me about Gatorskins. Said he puts a new set on every year b4 that tour. "Very Happy" he stated. Ive been using them ever since.
Since I see that this tire is rated as 5 stars by 90% of users, what more is there to say? One thing I didn't notice in the reviews but experienced is they are very easy to mount on my rims. I have been used to having to use soap and tire levers for the last bit when installing my Vittoria tires. These folding Gatorskins go on with no effort. I've only used them for a month, so can't vouch for the miles or flat resistance yet, but so far I'm impressed. I'm ordering more right now.
Since I see that this tire is rated as 5 stars by 90% of users, what more is there to say? One thing I didn't notice in the reviews but experienced is they are very easy to mount on my rims. I have been used to having to use soap and tire levers for the last bit when installing my Vittoria tires. These folding Gatorskins go on with no effort. I've only used them for a month, so can't vouch for the miles or flat resistance yet, but so far I'm impressed. I'm ordering more right now.
I use these on my road bike. I have been very lucky using them. I think they hold up to what they are about, few if any flats.
You can trust these - good for 6,000 miles of road riding, equivalent to Michelin Pro-4's. Perhaps not as tough as Armadillo's, but I'm getting 80% of the ride for 50% of the price.
