I have tried SO many different tires over the years and keep coming back to Gatorskins because they last. So much longer than other tires and they are very flat resistant. If you are a weight weenie they probably aren�t for you because they are a little bit heavier but if if you like to mount�em and forget �em, these are awesome!
I was using the Grand Prix 5000 tires and though I loved the smooth and supple quality of the ride they provided, I was getting too many flats. I was concerned that the Gatorskins would be too harsh of a ride. They are heavier and stiffer but, honestly, not that bad. I find the ride to be pretty comfortable and, after many rides, I am still free of flats so definitely worth the switch. I think this is the only tire I'm going to use from now on, year round.
Got a great price for tires and I always start the season with on my road bikes. I love the all black without the orange trim. I've only had one of the Gatorskins had a chunk taken out of it while riding. I was able to fill it with neoprene rubber and use it on my trainer and that's what I do when the tire starts to flatten out. Tough tires for me. I feel more confident in the Gatorskins as opposed to Gran Prix 5000 tires since I've seen a few blow out during an IM. I use to train and do Tri's and now it's for exercise, fun, and just to get out and away.
Mounted these on a Bushnell tandem last month and rode 500km with 12000ft of climbing in Morocco. Tires handle beautifully especially on descents. Only 20 minutes of showers to test road grip but all went well
Outstanding tires� I have ridden Continental tires for over 25 years.
The Gatorskins are an excellent tire for serious training, high mileage, and puncture resistance.
A little more work to mount but worth the effort
After riding Gatorskins on my road bike exclusively for the past seven years, I have had three sidewall blowouts so far this year. The last, which was yesterday, after only 280 miles of use. In each example, I could not find a specific cause. Up until yesterday, I had loved these tires. So I�ll be switching to another brand because I�m tired of being stranded miles from home.
As a guy who is a daily commuter in a busy growing city I love Gatorskins. I have gone years with the tires and had only 1 or 2 punctures ever. They are completely worth it. The one thing I would warn people about it be ready to fight these to be successfully installed. So install these on a hot day or using a hair dryer so loosen these up and make them more workable.
I've used Gatorskins for several years. Since our city (Portland, OR) no longer seems to care to maintain its bikepaths and bikelanes, I need a tougher tire than the Rubino Pros I used to rely on. Only drawback with Gatorskins was that when they were brand new, they often didn't seat in the rims at first, causing unexpected blowouts a few minutes after inflation. Sometimes it took several attempts to get them to seat properly. These new black edition tires -- for whatever reason -- did not have that problem. I've installed several, all perfectly on the first go. They are hard to mount/dismount, especially when new and/or cold, so unless you have hands of Hercules, pack a couple tire levers in your repair kit.
I have run Continental tires on my bikes for over 30 years of racing & training.
Gatorskins are outstanding for training. The hard shells were good but didn't allow for the road feel the Gatorskins still allow with excellent puncture protection
I've been using 25mm tires FOR EVER!!!! (over 20 years); love them. Switched to Conti Gatorskins back in 2008 or 2009. Lots of mileage, very few flats (a handful in all these years), decent ride (combination of compliance and traction), and when they're on sale (like these were), I buy a pair.
I live in an area with a lot of road debris. I found using a Gatorskin on my rear wheel significantly cuts down on flats. It is pair with a thick brutal tube and I really can't tell any difference in rolling resistance for those fast group rides or riding solo. I don't race with it but I prefer the 5000 for that.
If you're a road bike rider used to lightweight all-season or racing tires, these will have a numb road feel initially. But the added protection will give you peace of mind in the fall-winter-early spring commutes or training rides, and without adding excessive weight or rolling resistance. Traction on wet pavement is excellent and puncture resistance is impressive if not bulletproof. These tires cost more, but they're worth the extra cost if you do a lot of riding and need a tough, reliable tire that performs extremely well in all conditions.
Hi - been riding on the Continental Gatorskin Black tires for the last three months after a piece of metal destroyed my 6-month old Vittoria Rubino Pro back tire. I liked the Vittoria, but felt they didn't "roll" as well as other brands that I've used.
The Continental Gatorskin Black's are amazing. There seems to be less resistance than the Vittoria, I like the tread, and the traction is very good, since I've been using these tires in the cold mixed with snow rain soaked Pacific Northwest. Like all of the other "million" reviews, buy with confidence. And like always, Bike Tire Direct is my go to vendor...
Thought these tires would be heavy and stiff but haven't found that to be the case. I love them. The ride is more supple than I thought and I find them comfortable to ride on...so much so that I think I'll be using them year round. So far no flats and I've gone through some really bad road debris. Fingers crossed that I don't get a flat because the one thing I don't like about them is that they are extremely difficult to get on and off the rim.
Mostly a road bike rider averaging 135 miles per week on the typical trash and glass strewn roads in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. My previous tire of choice was the Continental GP5000. If I lived outside of a big city I likely would have stayed with that tire. While the GP5000 had a slightly smoother ride and may have even been slightly faster (emphasis on slightly), I eventually became tired of getting flats. I would estimate that I easily get 60 to 70% fewer flats on the Gatorskins than on the GP5000. The evidence is anecdotal, but that's all got. I went with the black edition strictly based on appearance.
