I ride about 240-260 miles weekly in South Florida. Since using this brand tire for the past 3 years I can only remember 2 flats (both of them were from very large nails in a construction area). Thousands of miles on each tire. Overall a very smooth ride. Please continue to offer these types of products that have long life.
I used these tires across the Erie Canal path. Most of the trail was stone dust. No flat tires and the tread held up well in those conditions. I'll always buy these tires.
This is my second set of these awesome tires. The first set had over 4000 miles on them, and not a single flat! They were mostly ridden on rural south Arkansas roads and highways, where the roads and shoulders, if there are any shoulders at all, can really be rough on a set of road bike tires. My wife has the same tires on her bike, and she has over 5000 miles on hers with no flats. We went on a 50 mile ride a while back with a friend, and he had three flats. My wfe and I had zero. Now our friend has Conti Hardshells on his bike.
Extra protection seems to come from more rubber on the tread of the tire.i was replacing mich. pro race 4 's which seem to be too flat prone for me.the 3's were excellent. I,ve had such good luck with gatorskin tha I decided to try these. They ride great .
good rolling tire.last set I had I got 3000 mi. out of them.they were still good when I replaced them.
I've used these tires before, never had a flat on them, I live in bull thorn, or goat head central, fresno Ca. they last a good year of riding before you probally should replace them. The ultimate in flat protection.
I have these tires on my Specialized road bike. In Central Illinois I have all kinds of road surfaceses, black top,gravel,concrete, they work well on all.
I got this tire because I needed something a little more durable when riding on the city streets of Buffalo. This tire has come through big when it came to hitting giant potholes or running over some real questionable items on the side of the road. I would recommend this tire, just make sure to inflate it to the suggested psi before riding.
I got a pair of the previous model Gatorskins after going through 2 Maxxis Re-Fuse rears tires in about 2400 miles total.
I would have to assume there are may factors to tire wear so here are some details.
Current Weight 210
Commute Daily 27 Miles Round trip
Carry a back pack that weights between 15 - 20 lbs
Carbon Road Bike
Ride 25mm wide tires
Tire pressure 120 rear, 110 front.
Ride on city streets and paved bike ways consisting of both asphalt an concrete surfaces.
I live in Phoenix AZ and there are lots of sharp pointy plants to go along with the natural occurring road hazards.
With this pair of Gatorskins I've gotten over 3000 miles on my rear and it's time to replace it. A huge improvement over the Maxxis. The front is still in good shape. I would estimate the front will go another 3000 as a front tire maybe more.
I've had a total of 8 - 10 flats with these tires. More at the end of life for the rear. Signs of road abuse like cuts, small holes etc did not show up until I was someplace over 1500 miles, while the Maxxis showed similar abuse within a few hundred miles.
I'm planning on buying another set this time the Gator Hardshells this week in hopes of getting even more miles than the Gatorskins. I'll be putting the GatorSkin front I've currently have on an extra rear wheel I have for our road bikes. My guess is I could get 2K out of this tire as a rear after the 3000 it has already experienced on the front.
The only reason for the 4 stars is I'm hoping to find something with more miles and a little bit better protection and I hope that will come with the new GH's.
As for ride the Gatorskins are far superior to the Maxxis, the ride was softer and at the same time I felt they were a little faster but I have no proof of them rolling easier. Also the handling was far superior.
I commute 3 times a week over roads strewn with broken glass. Never a puncture yet, despite pulling dozens of shards of glass from the outer portion of the tire.
Lighter and faster than my Armadillos, which are the only other tire I've avoided flats from around here.
I've ridden these tires over 3000 miles now and only have had 2 flats. One wasn't even the tire, I broke the valve stem while pumping up the tube. These tires are excellent for touring and great for training. They have stood up to dirt roads, rocky trails, and general rough terrain and have performed flawlessly. I highly recommend these tires. Amazingly after 3000 miles, they only show a little wear. I am very impressed with these tires.
Extra note At times I found the wire bead hard to mount.
I have two of these, both on the rear of the two bikes I alternate as commuters. I have standard Gatorskins on the front. So far, no flats, either front or rear with many miles on glass strewn DC streets. I run 28's at about 90 psi and they ride fine, even in the rougher patches. They were a bit stiff going on but not real issue. I thought they'd be slick in the rain but so far, no problems. I am not an aggressive rider when it is wet so I haven't pushed wet cornering but braking seems to be just fine. For an everyday tire, I value flat resistance and all round traction under a variety of conditions over the ultimate in lightness and these really fit that bill.
I was a huge fan of the Gatorskins, but did not get all that many miles on them. The new Hardshells seem to wear much longer. As of today my rear (700x23 folding) has gone 2400 miles and should make another 3000 or more. The front has gone nearly 5000 miles. Wear is important to me, but time wasted on changing a flat is time I don't have on the bike, and I can't recall changing a flat more than twice since I mounted the Hardshells.
I've already purchased my next set, but likely will not need them for a while.
These are on my daily driver. Only one puncture after first 35 miles, sidewall, tire still serviceable. Never found the offending object. I sure most puncture proof tires would have succumbed to that shot. Other wise still rolling fine after 500 miles. Highly recommend this tire for all the Clydes out there.
Got these for a 79 mile gravel gran fondo in 25 c width where running a sturdy tire was a must. I'm a little bigger rider 6'1 and 175 lb and these tires ran great on paved road and on the many gravel sections. Probably do great for winter training also. They even spin up pretty well for a little bit heavier tire.
We have terrible road surfaces in Santa Barbara. I used to get pinch flats often, even on reinforced tires, where the tire's sidewall would collapse on a downhill pothole and the tube would get pinched at the side. The Gator Hardshell tires are reinforced bead-to-bead, so that hasn't happened since. Get the folding version (kevlar bead I think) as this offsets almost all of the extra weight in the rest of the tire.
These tires feel just fine in the flats - I don't know if others might run faster. Wear is pretty good - I replaced them after about 3,500 miles last fall.
But you'd hardly know it with the hardshells. They aren't the fastest-feeling tires I've had on my 32 pound commuting biketank, but the number of times I've not had to stop and repair tubes makes it worth it. If you're looking for fast and snappy feeling, look elsewhere, but these are as close to the perfect higher-pressure commuting tire as I've used in the last few years and I'm happy with them. The one flat I have had (staples!) I didn't notice at first because the 25s keep their shape well and are so sturdy. I'd give them an A- as a commuting tire.
I commute 3 to 4 days a week, and ride on the weekends. These tires have been the most dependable and durable tires I've ever had. They roll smooth and can take loads of punishment from the differents roads around here ( Marin county to the streets of San Francisco)
I have absolutely no complaints regarding this product.
Riding on a mixed bag of NM roads I was getting a flat every other ride from wires from blown truck tires. Switched to these and no flats in several hundred miles. They ride better than I expected. Tough to mount and pricey, but avoiding flats makes them worth the hassle and the money.
Before using these tires I went through a period of rear tire flats just about every time I got on the bike. Since I started using Gator Hardshells, I've gotten only one flat (which was a sidewall puncture). I am currently on my third tire. They are a little pricey but I figure I've saved at least the cost of the tire in tube replacements.
