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.
I use Gatorskins on my road bike on paved trails, city streets and sometimes rural roads. I can reliably get 3000+ miles on the rear and 4000+ on the front. I've had an occasional flat tube (generally when I hit a terrible object) but I have never had the tire itself fail. I ride about 3000 miles per year and I've used these tires exclusively for about 6 years.
Great tires for all around commuting. I use them on mostly asphalt surfaces with some gravel/limestone mixed in. I had my first flat using these tires last week after probably close to5-6,000 miles (it wasn't the tires fault; the rim tape wasn't seated properly and caused it). I bought another set to replace the current ones that are 3 years old. Pretty good life out of a set of tires that I use year round commuting in the midwest.
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.
I got these to use on my gravel turned commuter bike as it seemed like everyday I had a flat on my Panaracer slicks. So I got the toughest tire I could think of. Bullet proof to be sure just a bit harsher on the ride but no more flat tires!!! I do commute along an area of road that does not get swept often and they have been awesome!
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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.
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.
I use the tires on my 2019 Trek Domane SLR. Used them on both my previous Madone and Domanes. Not much I dont like about them. Wear well but still pretty grippy. I have very few flats and have pulled out goat head stickers without going flat. I gone over small fragments of glass without significant cuts. I use them for training purposes on asphalt and concrete road surfaces. I typically put at least 1000 -1500 miles on the rear tire before looking at changing it out.
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.
I have a lot of goat heads on and around the roads and landscape that I ride through. These tires are one of the few that I have found to reduce the number of flats that I get.
Continental Gatorskins have been my go-to winter tire for years now. I still consider these the gold standard in flat protection. I'm always glad to be running these on miserable, cold winter training rides where stopping for flat repairs would be a miserable, hypothermic experience.
Pro
Flat protection while riding unswept winter roadsshoulders in foul weather. The FEW punctures I've had with these were always wire pieces, not glass or sharp gravel.
Cons
Wet pavement grip lacking. Not terrible, but I'll spin the rear occasionally on a steep, wet hill if riding out of the saddle. I've had the rear slip out a bit going through roundabouts, although nothing that caused a spill. If I'm on a group ride I'll occasionally run a Conti 4-Season on the front for slightly better grip. Solo, I run Gatorskins FR.
Can be tough to mount, but that depends on the wheelset.
Slightly heavy, but that's the nature of this type of tire. Worth the trade off.
Overall, my favorite off-season training tire.
