I am a retired 77 year old 'club rider". I ride with the group 25 - 50 miles, 3 days a week. This is over various terrain. I use the Gatorskin Black on the rear of my bike. I have not had a flat in about a year now.
I like to have a fresh set of tires every year when I do the Seattle to Portland ride. This was my 35th year and I have used Gators for many of them.
They have been flawless and it's one more thing I don't have to worry about when I ride from Seattle.
I leave them on for training the following year, them change out again. However there would be no problem leaving them on for several years I'm sure.
I now have a lot of spares.
Gator Skins have been my go to tires for a number of years now. These black version of the tires are not only cheaper than the gold label version but I was also able to get the bigger size for my e-bike. Just like the version I have used on my regular carbon fiber road bike, I expect to get many miles on these tires without flats.
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 run these things on my road bike all the time now, because there's a lotta glass on the roads and paths (Portland, Or) these days. These things are heavier than race or training tires, yes they are, but I do like getting about 80% fewer flats. I stretched a pair of these to 4000 miles once, not one flat, but that was in Europe where there's far less glass & crap on the bikeways. I usually retire them at about 2000 miles, which is about 3 times longer than the training tires I used to use.
I ride the rough rides of Southern California for exercise. These tires hold up very well, although not completely bullet proof. I've had one flat over several hundred miles, which is remarkable considered some of the road conditions, which include glass, palm fronds, rocks, tree nuts, potholes, cracks in the pavement, goat heads, and every other piece of detritus one can imagine. While I'm not a super fast rider, they hold the corners well and provide a stable and secure ride. I'm 185 lbs. with a 24 lb. Bike and inflate the tires to 73 psi rear and 71 psi front. (Per the Silca professional tire pressure recommendation). I ride the 700x28 size on my Trek 3009 7.7 FX. These are a great reliable tire that keeps you on the road safely without having to fix many flats. I heartily recommend them for any one commuting or training on your bike.
This tire will give you confidence to ride through most road debris. Goat heads,glass and most garbage!!! I ride So Cal desert and mountain roads which can have a lot of goatheads. Had a piece of glass make its way into tire which is rare. Black version looks better than old version. These tires have noticeable resistance and weight but overall well worth it. Great protection and longevity!!!
I race on other tires but I train on Gator Skins. They are puncture resistant and long lasting. The larger sizes of 28 and above are easier to put on and off wheels which is a huge benefit. I highly recommend these for training purposes.
Basically this tire performs well to prevent road type issues. Wears well, only challange is they are tight and difficult to put on rims on the road. The same thing that makes them wear well.
Continental Gatorskin are my go to tires these days. I like the puncture resistant focus and the build quality. I have noticed over the last few years that I have fewer punctures for longer period of times as compared to Michelin Pro Endurance which were at one time my tire of choice until they were no longer available. The Gatorskins are a bit heavier but a good trade off for peace of mind. I especially like the Black Edition as it complements the titanium color of my bike. I ride daily for pleasure and appreciate a dependable tire. I change my tires at about 2500 miles even though the Gatorskins probably have some life left. I prefer to do so in order to minimize potential punctures as the tire tread starts to wear down. I rotate my tires at around 1200 miles to balance the wear between the front and back as the back usually wears faster.
It's a toss-up between Continental Gatorskins and Vittoria Randonneur (old style, original 110 (?) PSI casing) for everything except the number of miles I can will out of the Gatorskins seems to be a bit lower. My first set of Gatorskins came to a premature demise when I ran through a day-old automobile accident site and sliced the casings on some plastic debris. I didn't get full life out of that set, so it remains to be seen if my lower mileage predictions are correct. The positive tradeoff is in wet road grip. The Gatorskins are much safer in the rain. As I'm an all-weather cyclist, that is a trade I'll gladly make if it costs a few extra dollars a month to replace the tires more frequently.
I�ve been buying Gatorskins for awhile now and really like them. They are durable and well made. Knock on wood, I have not had any flats with these. These are the first Blackwall versions I�ve owned and they go well with my Cannondale Bad Boy Disc.
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.
I replace my Bontrager R3 tires that are crazy speedy but often flat so tried Gatorskin and only one thing they feel like they are connected with magnet to the ground super safe hope flat would be less with them but only disadvantage is speed, they are totally lazy comparing with R3 if you can compare those two tires. Very happy with my purchase traded speed for comfort.
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
I am averaging about 3,000 miles on these tires riding on rough Montana roads. The tires are responsive and comfortable at the same time. Although you pay a little more up front, they last longer and give you a great value!
The Gatorskins offer good durability and reliability with reasonably good road feel. I don't race, so I am more concerned with avoiding flats when I might be 10 to 25 miles away from home or where my car is parked.
Tire wear well and are an excellent choice for training especially for the value conscious rider.
