I ride over 90 miles a week on rough roads in and around Naples, Italy and have NEVER had a problem with my tires. Continental Gatorskin tires are the best tires I've ever purchased. In about three years I'll buy another set for sure.
I ride just about between 100 - 150 miles a week. Just enough that I can't afford to be stranded. The roads don't get cleaned and most of the rides are in rural areas and build up gravel on turns and the edges of the road where we ride. My old tires had a number of flats and two blowouts. I've had these for about 3-4 weeks and have about 500 miles on them and no flats. Confidence is returning.
This may not be the hottest racing tire available, but when you do triathlons over roads in New England, the sturdy Gatorskins have never failed us!
I'm a daily NYC cyclist (100- milesweek) and I go through one set of Gatorskins a year. I don't want to say flat-proof, but my incidence of flats on the road decreased greatly once I slapped these on two years ago. The occasional perfectly placed nail or pothole-pinchflat still get me once in a while, but I ride through glass and debris every day with no issue. I tried the other virtually indestructible tiresSpecialized, etc and I gotta say slow slow SLOW. The Gatorskins will keep you rolling at top speed with many fewer flats, period.
I've used Continental tires for many years. In the old days, Ultra Super Sport and Grand Prix were my favorites. After taking a 15 year hiatus from biking, I recently retired from work and am back on the road again. The Gatorskins were recommended by my local bike shop for their durability and puncture resistance... redeeming traits when it comes to riding in urban areas. I bought a dozen tubes a year ago and still have nine on the shelf with weekly mileage totals of 150-200 miles!
I had been running Vittoria Randonneur's on my commutertouring bike, and switched to these for lighter weight and slightly smaller size. The Vittoria's have a more square profile, but these are round. I noticed right off they are more maneuverable, easier to turn. I believe they are also slightly faster (I go faster) than the Rando's, though I don't have any actual measurements to prove it. I rode them down a fast descent on a wet road, and it seemed to me (and they were pretty new at this point) that at speeds of 30 or higher, they were a bit squirrely, like they weren't grabbing the pavement quite as well as the Vittoria's. I've ridden them less than 1000 miles, but a cycling friend who does 1000 miles a month swears by them for flat resistance.
i use this tire for the winter months because I do not want to get flats in the cold. Works well for me
After doing tons of research and getting opinions from riders who actually ride these tires, I pulled the trigger (I got the 700 x 25 folding type). I put them on Velocity Deep V's and they look and perform great. It was also not too difficult to put on which was a pleasant surprise. I only have 50 miles on them but so far I find them smooth, fast rolling and grippy. Only time will tell on durability but I'm confident they'll last a good while. So whether you're a roadie or fixed gear (I'm both) if you're looking for tough tires that ride well, I'd highly recommend the Gatorskins.
I put this tyres on my son 's bike. He did not have any flats yet. Seems to grop good around the bends.
I use these tires on my road bike and I love them. They are not racing tires but they roll well and are very puncture resistant. They are good bargain.
It's now been three months since I put them on my roadie. I ride 4-5 days a week and do a 42 mile circuit that involves 19 miles of U.S. 95 in the Northwest of Las Vegas. I love the climb to the Lee Canyon turnoff and back...but the real turnoff was spending 15-20 minutes changing a flat with absolutely no shade. Four flats in the last three rides, made me call it quits with the very nice Michelin ultras that I had on. Great racers, but failed miserably on this brutal stretch of road. The largest culprit on this stretch of road is the no-see-um wire strands from the 18 wheeler retreads that unravel under high pressure for up to a half mile before the trucks realize they have lost one. Not one flat through May through today, the 10th of July. Another reviewer had given great advice on buying one size up on the tires, so I got the 25mm instead of sticking with 23's. About sprained my wrist on getting them mounted until I let them sit out in the sun to soften a little. Can't tell you yet what it is like to change one on the side of the road...because it hasn't happened yet!
I am sure others who are weight weenies would say that these tires are too heavy. I liver in a rural area of Texas where some of the roads would make Paris-Roubaix look like a super highway. I have had these tires on various bikes for over 10 years and up until recently the only flats I had were essentially my fault. About a month ago I had my first puncture blow out with these tires. Not really sure was caused it rolled over a patched section of road and boom I heard the tire whistling. If you are a weight weenie you will probably not like these tires but if you want literally thousands of mile without a flat these are your tires.
This is the best tough tire out there. Got allotta miles on them.... smooth ride
I like the toughness of these tires after putting over 500 miles on them. The only characteristic that concerned me was the weakness of the sidewalls. I had a blowout on the side of the rear at 30mph! That put me on a cautionary note from then on. Would I buy them again, probably not due to the apparent weakness of the sidewalls. They are good for speed and tough as nails on the road facing. The only reason for four stars instead of five. Be cautious on loose gravel.
So far, so good! Gives a good ride and good grip. Haven't gotten a flat from those darn star thistles yet and I had 4 in 4 consecutive rides last summer. I ran over a chunk of metal, got a flat and was pleasantly surprised to find not a dent, ding or chunk out of my tire....just a pinch flat. Don't have that many miles on them yet, but I would definitely buy them again unless something drastic changes in the next few months.
I put a 700x25 on the rear and it lasts a good long time. Performance is pretty good - I really can't tell I don't have a GP 4000 back there. These hold up well on the chip-sealed roads of Benton County, Oregon!
Been using a 23mm on my rear wheel for about 6 mos and 1500 mi. of commuting in the inner suburbs with one presumted puncture so small I never found it. The Slime tube healed spontaneously and permanently, which tells you what a minor wound it was. Not a huge sample, but I think this is better performance than the cheapo kevlars I've used in the past. Handling is about what you'd expect for a hard, stiff clincher, but not as bad as some I've used. Overall, a very good tire, which I will buy again.
I commute to work 4-5 miles each way and used to get a lot of flats - about one a month over the last six months of my old tires. Since switching to these tires, no more flats.
I ride about 10,000 miles a year. I have been riding on Continental Gatorskin tires for years. Several pairs of tires take me through the year. These tires are very durable and have good handling characteristics for the variety of road condition that prevail in the Pacific Northwest. I have converted some of my other club riders to Gatorskins. Definitely a thumbs up for these tires.
After using Michelin Dynamics and Schwalbe Blizzards for the past few years I bought some 700 x 23 Gatorskins last summer. I've got over 2500 miles on them and the rear tire is just now beginning to show a slight bit of wear. They look like they will be good for at least another 1000 miles or more. I inflate to 120 psi before every ride and I have not had any crimp flats even though I hit a lot of rocks and holes. I've only had 2 punctures from pieces of broken glass. I will buy this tire again when I need new ones.
