A really good trainingfast touring tire. I converted a Titanium racing bike into a cafevillage runabout and mounted these for durability. It's a bit stiff and uncomfortable at 110 PSI but if you don't mind the added rolling resistance of lower pressures, at 85 PSI, it's OK. I've put on about 200 miles on the pair without any flats, and generally happy with these tires. Grip is outstanding around fast corners. They look good, too.
Best training and light touring tire around.
Excellent ride quality. Ride harshness is quite acceptable for high pressure skins. They stick very well. Some of the pricier Vittoria and Michelin full on race tires and Conti may be stickier, but this tire really hangs in the big sweepers and the tight stuff. Rolling resistance is also very low subjectively, with not much discernable difference from full on slicks and much better than similar sized touring tires.
Contis are long wearing, and tough as nails. I am getting about 3000 miles on a rotated set and I am 200 lb. The only thing that has defeated one in my experience is a 3 inch piece of sharp steel that went lenghtwise into the tire. Glass, goatheads, rocks, never a problem. When they start flatting, they are worn out.
I run these just below 120 psi in the hope that this provides a bit of margin for impact and heat buildup.
I use Gatorskins on all my bikes including the tandem. Great for training and Ultra distance events, the only problem I have ever seen is cuts in the side wall when hitting a really sharp rock, but any tire would have had a problem with that - and I still finished the Heartbreak double century.
I commute every day on these tires and can't say enough good things about them. They are slightly tacky when you first mount them, so you should ride them a little in an area where you won't hit glass to remove the tackiness. I have seen others complain about the cornering, but my guess is that those folks have them pumped up to 120psi in the rain. You should really run them 90-100 when it's wet -- I have no problem cornering with them in the wet if they're at the right pressure. I run the 25s and they give a more comfortable ride with no discernible difference in rolling resistance.
I have used these now for more than a year. After the first 1000 miles or so, the rear showed just a bit of squaring off, but the front hardly any wear. I got 2500 miles out of the first set before I sliced through the sidewall after hitting a large glass bottle it was dark!. They roll fairly easy and spin up quickly, and have OK traction in light rain.
The only issue I have with them is they are tough to mount the first time, until they get stretched out. It could be that the rims I use don't have a deep enough center section for the bead to sit down in Shimano Ultegra and FSA RD600. Pinched 2 tubes getting the first one mounted!
I bought my bike at the end of last summer with Kenda Kryteriums stock. Good tires for racing, I guess, but I had 9 flats in 420 miles on the roads around upstate NY. Replaced them with the foldable Continental Gatorskins and I've done that many miles this spring already on very bad springearly post winter roads and have not had a flat yet. My confidence in my tires is back and I'm super happy with this purchase.
I had been using Michelin Transworld City on my good weather commutertouring bike and was basically happy. Came time to replace and I couldn't get them anywhere so I got the Ultra Gatorskins and I'm ecstatic. I haven't had a flat in almost two years on my commutertouring which gets 28 miles a day every day. I got a set for my road bike's training wheels and haven't flatted in a year of 100 mile weekends. They are faster than the Michelins, they don't flat, they ride nice. The only negative is the wire 28mm's are a little hard to get on, but once they're on you don't have to take them off. I can't say enough good. I'll not have anything else on my road bikes!
I purchased a set of these tires after a recommendation from a friend. These tires are 1.5 to 2 MPH faster than the Hardcase tires that were on my bike. I have had little trouble with flats. With over 2500 miles on them, they look like they will go at least 2500 more-not bad for a 250lb. guy riding a steel bike.
I ride between 5 & 6 K miles a year, all on Southern Indiana country roads that are not the best in the world. I actually got 6K miles two years ago on a set of these ultra gator skins. I must admit they were really worn out but up until they started to flat frequently, they preformed great. Only complaint is the wire bead makes it difficult for a senior citizen like me aga 67 to mount them. My hands just aren't as strong as they used to be. I switched to the continental grand prix last yeat and really like it although it is more prone to flat. Its a nice smooth ride. Only have 3k on this set. I did ride 7,901 miles last year so comfort is important and these tires deliver.
I ride only gator skins I have put 25,000 miles on them getting 3,000 miles on a rear tire the front never wears out I change it every two years anyway, I live in Napa California the roads are in very bad condition I have not had a flat tire yet knock on wood I have a 28 on the front and the rear of my Colnago I was surprised that it did not slow me down I ride just as fast on bigger tires and it is much safer, most riders I see are 20 pounds overweight so dont think a bigger tire will slow you down, I put a kick stand and a rack on my bike too and I still ride just as fast.
These are the best tires i have used, i am on my second set in an 8 yr. period, almost impossible to wear out. I have never had a puncture through these tires.
I have probably about 500 miles on these and no flats no tires are perfect but if you try to stay out of the road debris and inspect them for particles after or before each ride they will do you a fine job.
Good tires if your not riding over glass and nails I put on 3,800 miles on the rear tire without a flat before being replaced due to a wheel problem. Still had some tread left could have put an extra 1,000 miles on it.
I just started riding these tires about a year ago and they have saved my butt many of times. My route takes me through many of the 'not so nice sections' of the city at 530 in the morning. I've only suffered one flat from a large piece of glass which punctured my tube, but not the tire itself. They provide a very grippy ride with acceptably low rolling resistance. The only downside with the grip is the amount of small stones and pieces of glass which get absorbed into the outer layer of the tire...pluck about 10 a week out with a razor blade. They leave puncture marks in the outer layer, but do not seem to affect performance. Besides the 20 miles a day to work I go on 4 - 60 milers a month and are just fine for training. I do agree the side walls are flimsy, but luckily have not had any issues with them. Overall they are are very durable tire for commuting with a low enough rolling resistance and grip for training.
These have been excellent tires. My wife and I are touring riders and have found using these tires we see less flats and more miles! I use to use a inner tuff skin to protect my tubes from punctures, but with the Conti Gatorskins I have removed them and their associated weight. One of our annual rides is in Eastern Washington in the Yakima Valley. There they have a nasty plant called Goatsheads. This is the only road hazard, other than an Broken Corona beer bottle that have defeated the Gatorskins.
These are the best tires I've ever had for recreational riding. They're lively, stick well to the road, and are reasonably fast.
In the two years and 4000 miles I have ridden on these tires I have not had a single flat from any cause. Previously, my tires, especially the one on the rear wheel, and sometimes also the one on the front wheel, would frequently be "snakebite" flatted by potholes which often also would ruin the tires.
These tires last a long time and are reasonably flat resistant. No tire is impervious to glass and wires, but these do as well or better than any similar tire I've tried. The sidewalls aren't quite as tough as I'd like - I had a 1/4" cut on one from hitting a sharp rock - but I don't know of a tire with similar ride quality that is much tougher. Perhaps the Vittoria Rubino Pro Tech although ride quality is not quite as good here.
They are durable too - I've been able to get 2500 miles or more from a set. The only reasonably high performance tires that compare are the Michelin Krylion Carbon and Rubino Pro Tech.
There's nothing worse than buying new tires and getting a flat on the first ride. To mitigate this, what I do is wash thoroughly whatever is on the surface of these tires when they are new. Wash several times if you have to to get rid of the sticky surface. Then make sure you inflate them at 95 lbs, minimum, around 100 is a good compromise. I do this every time with new Continentals and almost never flat knock wood! on my commute.
Replaced oe tires on my touring bike with folding bead 700x23c Ultra Gatorskins. Good compromise between light weight and durability, 1k miles and no flats on typical suburban roads.
I have installed the folding version of this tire on all three of my wife's bikes. She rides far and wide several hundred miles a week and I did not want her getting flats out in the middle of nowhere. These tires on stout Campy Nucleon rims have never let her down. Peace of mind for a far price and weight.
