Continental Gatorskins have been my go-to winter tire for years now. I still consider these the gold standard in flat protection. I'm always glad to be running these on miserable, cold winter training rides where stopping for flat repairs would be a miserable, hypothermic experience.
Pro
Flat protection while riding unswept winter roadsshoulders in foul weather. The FEW punctures I've had with these were always wire pieces, not glass or sharp gravel.
Cons
Wet pavement grip lacking. Not terrible, but I'll spin the rear occasionally on a steep, wet hill if riding out of the saddle. I've had the rear slip out a bit going through roundabouts, although nothing that caused a spill. If I'm on a group ride I'll occasionally run a Conti 4-Season on the front for slightly better grip. Solo, I run Gatorskins FR.
Can be tough to mount, but that depends on the wheelset.
Slightly heavy, but that's the nature of this type of tire. Worth the trade off.
Overall, my favorite off-season training tire.
I never get flats with these tires. They're so reliable, I run them all year no matter what the road conditions are.
I decide to buy the Gatorskins because I was getting too many flats on my Turbo Pro tires in my Specialized Roubaix. I'm very happy with my decision. The Gators perform great on the road plus I have peace of mind of not getting flats. Is still early days as I have only about 350 miles on them but very happy thus far.
With the wet cold weather it just feels safer to have good tires on my bike.
I have been using Gatorskin's for the passed 5 years or so and ride on average 4 days a week, 5-7,000 miles annually. These are my Go To tires and the only ones I use since the first time I put them on my bike. Now all 4 of my bikes have them. I have had only one flat and that was a nail that would have flatted any tire. They weigh a little more, but I'm not a racer (but do group rides at good pace) , I hate flats and love mileage and dependability of these tires to keep me rolling. Would I recommend them? Hll yes!
I have been using Gatorskin's for the passed 5 years or so and ride on average 4 days a week, 5-7,000 miles annually. These are my Go To tires and the only ones I use since the first time I put them on my bike. Now all 4 of my bikes have them. I have had only one flat and that was a nail that would have flatted any tire. They weigh a little more, but I'm not a racer (but do group rides at good pace) , I hate flats and love mileage and dependability of these tires to keep me rolling. Would I recommend them? Hll yes!
I wrote that I was disappointed with these tire when I had a flat on my first ride. Since then I have installed Mr. Tuffy tire liners, and now I am happy with these tire. They handle well and feel secure, except riding through puddles at an angle, and they sip out I approach water straight on and they are ok. Overall these are food tires, and I fell confident riding them as they are configured
I have used these tires in the past but got away from them. These have always been dependable but a bit on the heavy side. I have a newer bike that I originally fitted with 32mm tires which were a bit bounce on downhills. I moved to a 28 mm and I seem to be getting less bounce with out sacrificing comfort.
I had these same tires on my urban bike for 3 years, with zero flats and little wear showing (from the pattern engraved into the surface).
If the bike hadn't been stolen, I probably could've ridden on those tires another 5-7 years (guessing).
I'm sure these new ones will wear as well. I bike 15-20 miles a week, in a fairly urban area with some thorns and debris on the roads.
The surface of the tires looks fairly smooth, but they felt normal when gripping the road.
I think the quality of gatorskin tires is very consistent.
I commute to work year round in Wisconsin. My round trip is 26 miles. Mostly on paved bike paths. Getting a flat, especially in winter, is a real hastle on the way to work. I have used these tires for about 7 years. I haven't found a tire that combines the flat protection and rolling for anywhere near the price of the Gatorskins. They are a little heavy but you have to expect that with a tire that rarely goes flat.
I live in Colorado and don't ride anything but Gatorskins. First most roads here are pretty rough and these are the only tires that I have found that hold up to the pounding I give them. Second I ride Mt. Evans every year, descending at 40 mph on the very rough road with shear drop offs, I wouldn't trust anything else with my life. I get a good 6000 mile year out of these tires. About the only thing that they can't stop are goat heads (puncture vine thorns.)
I replaced the stock Bontragers on my 2010 Trek FX 7.5 with these Gatorskins and they're freakin' awesome! I love the handling on turns and am not afraid to plow through the occasional stretch of gravel. They were pretty easy to put on, even for a relative noob mechanic like me. The price wasn't the cheapest but you get what you pay for. Time will tell how well they hold up in the long run, but for now, I'm very happy with them.
I ride a Trek about 1,500 miles a year. I asked some of my riding friends about which tyre they recommended. For the most part they all said get the Continental GaterSkins 700c Road. I did so and haven't looked at the Bontrager tyre's since. Great tyre I will purchase again..
Michigan's road and trail surfaces are often in rough condition (ruts, ridges, & potholes) and strewn with debris damaging to bike tires. Since switching to Gatorskins two years ago, I have had no flats. They live up to their name!
Use the 700c x 28mm for fitness riding on all sorts of paved surfaces. Easy to mount with the wire bead and pump to 100 psi. The casing and tread have held up better than some of the other Conti Ultra tires. Probably have 500 miles and am very happy. I am 6'3" 285lbs.
I have gone to 70X32 and dropped my pressure 10 PSI. The ride is a little softer and I don't notice any difference in rolling resistance. I try to check my tires every few weeks for cuts and dig out anything hidden in the cuts. I've been running gatorskins for about five years and have fewer flats than my friends with tubeless tires.
They feel great on the bike. I love the traction and the feeling of confidence I have when their on my wheels.
Kudos to Continental Gator Skins!!
I use this on my city bike and it's been perfectly fine so far. No flats and decent traction
Very durable and reliable, yet still rolls reasonably well
