Replaced worn out Conti Ultra Sport III. Rolling resistance higher than Ultra Sport. Noticed a 1 mph drop in average speed over 10 mile daily course that I ride, but I expected this. Otherwise happy with the tire so far. Seems durable and holds pressure well. Good lateral grip going around corners and cul-de-sacs.
This is the most difficult tire to mount - compared to my experience with other Continental tires previously. it took all of my patience and 30+ minutes per tire to get them on. Extremely stiff and tight tire bead.
Expensive, but time will tell if the durability enhances value. I ride 2000+ miles a year, so I won't know for a while about cost/longevity trade off. I expect it to be good.
Great tire for riding the roads and Virginia Capital Trail. I�ve been riding on the brand for 8 years now. Love them.
Love these, I can usually wear out the tread before I ever get a flat
The roads where I live aren't always smooth and the Gatorskin's have proven themselves. My only complaint is that they are hard to get onto a rim, especially when new. I always have to use a Tire Bead Jack.
I just road 330 miles on the GAP and C&O trails with every kind of surface from paved to crushed limestone to dirt and coarse gravel. For this trip I used 32mm tires and they were great.
Training rides, city, suburb, good roads but lots of puncture/cut material. Gatorskins roll very nicely and corner well. High pressure makes for fast acceleration. Cuts are not a problem but thorns, metal wire and other hazards will flat your Gatorskins. This is not unusual even with quality tires like those from Continental but kind of refutes Continental's claim that materials and design in Gatorskins give superior protection from flats. In nearly 1000 miles I've had 3 flats, one from a thorn and two from wire shards (like from a wire brush) that worked their way past Gatorskin's "protections'. Overall I recommend Continental Gatorskins despite my luck on the road versus any other rider's luck with road hazards.
I got these when they went on sale, and I bought more than I needed at the time because they were on sale. The purchase was vetted by years of using these tires. If I put these on my bike (I'm in the Northeast US and I get in about 4-5k miles/season) I don't get flats. Period. If I use other tires (and I did- one season) it doesn't go well. The year I didn't use CGS, I ended up with 7 flats and had to purchase two [cheap] tires. You get what you pay for. I'll be using these Gatorskins again next year. I won't use anything else.
I ride 2-3 times a week on a paved bike trail it is generally closed to traffic. I chose these tires because I need durability and reliability for long rides while training for full distance Iron Man races. Knock on wood, I have yet to have a flat tire while using these tires over the course of three Iron Man training seasons. They are a bit heavier and thicker than standard racing tires, however the durability and reliability are more important to me. Highly recommend !!
Bombproof. No flats for you!!
Yes, they are hard to mount. Yes, they are a little heavy. However, you will not get flats and they ride and grip very well. I am a fan.
I've been using these tires for years, and they never let me down. I'm over 4k miles this season, and they're still in great shape. I'm 5' 10" and 165. They grip the road well and you can count on them on turns. The only thing that might be a bit of a disadvantage is seating the wire-bead tires on my rim-brake Aksium wheels. Other than that, these tires are basically bomb-proof. I've bought other tires and have gone through ridiculous money spent on tubes. As soon as you put these on, you stop shelling out money. TCO is an important factor for me, in this regard. You pay a little more for these tires, but they'll pay off in the long run.
Tough and smooth riding. Perfect for crummy NJ roads
After 52,022 miles in 11 years this is the only tire I will ride with. Here in Texas, we have a lot of things that cause flats. Gatorskins have made my rides almost flat free.
I�ve been riding these tires on my tandem and my road bikes ??? for years. They wear extremely well and have great puncture resistance. I would highly recommend them.
I live in Wisconsin and ride year-round-about 3k miles annually. Normally I run 28mm or 32mm Conti TouringContact because I like the extra grip on the loose terrains, but the Gatorskins were on special so I went with them for the SpringSummer season and so far no punctures (and the higher PSI makes for faster riding). Smooth and tank-like! I have been through many pools of broken glass, countless construction sites littered with garbage, infinite potholes. No flats! The one consolation with a tire like this for a commuter is that they feel shaky and a little frightening on gravel and other non-solid surfaces. But on a smooth road they are a delight.
I have a tire jack so installing these isn't the issue for me that it is for some folks, they are difficult to get that last bit of bead up and over. I've got these on all the bikes in the house now and between these great tires and our pre-ride inspection to remove any little bits that might work their way to the tube, we're happily flat-free.
We've used these for two decades on our tandem and we finds them to be great for that use.
I rarely get flats when I am riding on these tire and normally get five thousand miles.
As older stubborn cyclist I am reluctant to move to tubeless from tubes, and really why when I run Gatorskins. For me I haven't had any punctures in 2800km with them and I travel on all kinds of surfaces. Not the fastest nor the most comfortable tire, but for me there is no better training tire.
I use these tires in Eastern Washington. Most of our rural roads are chip seals. These tires wear better than most on chip seals. A bit heavy for racing but very reliable and durable for training.
No flats for years.
After 10 years of cycling totaling over 48,000 miles the Gatorskin is the only tire I use. I live in rural Texas on many rough roads. My first year or two I had weekly flats with sometimes 2 in a day. I was running though tires and money.
After I moved to Gatorskins my flats are almost non-existent. I have run over broken bottles cutting the tire yet still make it home. I normally get about 3,500 miles on my tires. I may change out a tube for a nail, sticker or other puncture YET still use the tire.
Best Road Tire Anywhere! Wait I said that already.
