Gatorskin bike tires

[Joe Bob]

Time for new rubber....Anyone use them? I hear they have the best rolling resistance and are durable.....

Edit:
My current rubber is Continental Grand Prix's.....never had a flat and they have been fine. I run about 100psi.

[HardDrive]

I use the Specialized Armadillo's on my road bike. They're great. 1 puncture in 5 years, and that was through the sidewall not the bottom. Downsides? They're heavy, and a PAIN to get on and off. Really stiff.

[jwasbury]

I run conti tires on all my bikes...they are the best IMHO. Have gator skins on my fixed gear. Running conti Kevlar bead grand Prix 4000s on my road bike. Never one puncture on either bike. I rode a century on the grand prixs and it rained...tons of people were flatting tires. My riding partner flatted 3 times that day...I had none.

[mikeferg75]

I've been running the higher end Thick Slick for over a year now, wear has been great, sticky and rolling resistance good. Not the lightest, but certainly cheaper. They are my commute tire on the cross.

http://www.freedombicycle.com/project/thickslick/

[vash]

I love my gators. One flat since switching over.

[look 171]

Joebob, I am not really sure if I can really tell the difference in rolling resistance between them. I like Vittoria and Conti 4000 on all my other bikes. If I had to choose, it would have to be the 4000. I know flats are a big PITA, but that's part of riding. I take a good fast tire any day over durability. Pump it another 5-8 lbs over what you have now and the rolling resistance will be reduce by 10 folds.

[Schrup]

I use them & haven't had a flat (knock on wood). They're heavy, but worth the piece of mind.

[jyl]

No experience with Gatorskins. Using Armadillos on the winter commuter MTB, 1 flat in 2 years.

I've heard tire liners are very effective too, these are the thick rubbery strips you lay between tube and tire. You are supposed to trim the strip's corners to round from square, else the square corners will cause flats.

Running Panaracer Paselas on the summer commuter, they are supposed to be flat resistant but I get a flat every couple of months. On a weekend ride I don't mind a flat but going into work in the dark and rain, I do.

Last week I flatted on the way in. Changed the tube under the light of a bus stop. Flatted again a mile later, in a homeless-infested area of downtown, and no more tube. I walked the bike the rest of the way. Now I carry 2 tubes.

I'm gluing up some tubulars to my speedy bike. I will be really irked when they flat. Tubulars are not cheap! And carrying a spare tub kind of cancels out the weight savings.

I've ordered some flint catchers. These are wire things that lightly brush your tire, hopefully removing that bit of glass before it penetrates. We'll see how they work.

[crb07]

All I run is Gatorskins with tire liners. Only flats i ever get is when a tube splits at the valve connection because it is old.
I think tire liners are the most important for preventing flats. The Gatorskins do last longer but I would run whatever tire you like with liners.

[aigel]

Armadillos on my MTB. No flat in approx 1500 miles - many of them hard trails. I also run very thick tubes.

G

[911-32]

I am only cycle commuting 6 months a year but 14 months on my Gatorskins and no punctures so far. I am on fairly rough country roads so they take a beating from potholes, thorns etc, but not so much glass. I have little to compare them with but the reviews on websites rate them highly for low roll resistance and stick in addition to puncture resistance. Certainly not the lightest tyre and were tough to fit but I like them and would buy again.

My new bike arriving next week is on Vittorias, so I will see what they are like but expect to be ordering Contis before long.

[D911SC]

I swear by the Gatorskins for everyday riding. I cover about 10,000 miles per year and they are the most puncture resistant I've used.

As with all tough tires they are a bit heavier and slower than a performance tire but it's horses for courses. Any fast, race tire is never going to last long.

[greglepore]

I have friends that swear by gatorskins. They don't have lower rolling resistance, although there is a trend toward wider tires, which do when mounted on wider rimbeds designed for them. Gatorskins don't help at all with pinch flats

I do use nothing but tubes with removable cores, and run Stan's sealant in all of my tubes and tubies. It has practically eliminated flats. Messy to install, but works like a charm.

[85eurocarrera]

road = Conti Gatorskin
Mtb = tubeless Maxxis

[intakexhaust]

Originally Posted by jyl

I'm gluing up some tubulars to my speedy bike. I will be really irked when they flat. Tubulars are not cheap! And carrying a spare tub kind of cancels out the weight savings.

I've ordered some flint catchers. These are wire things that lightly brush your tire, hopefully removing that bit of glass before it penetrates. We'll see how they work.

Even though the cost and can be a messy changeout, there's something to be said using tubulars on rough road. No flats from snake-bites. I used to run them on a ridiculous light custom wheel set but have long sold them off. Carrying a spare tubular is sort of cumbersome if riding solo. But back when in club rides, only a few who used them would agree to carry a spare as it was rarely needed.

For on or off road tubes, long gone from using butyl and will use latex type. For off road extreme thorn, rough and or screw studded winter tires, I add the weight of a liner.

[jyl]

I don't get many (any?) snakebite (pinch) flats. My road bike has 25 mm tires, I keep them at 120 psi, unweight the front when coming to bumpy stuff. I have nice-ish wheels that I built myself, so I'm motivated to protect the rims.

Going to look into liners for the daughter's bike. I don't want her flatting in hobo-ville otherwise known as Burnside in downtown. We really need to move the missions and shelters off of Portland's main downtown street. Total eyesore.

[Joe Bob]

Just stopped at the "bend over, full monty, no discount for God" Newport Beach bike shop.....75 a tire.........oi....

[jyl]

Ha ha, I live 1 mile from the physical store/warehouse of big onine bike part retailer Universal Cycle - and no sales tax in OR - I'm spoiled.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by intakexhaust

Even though the cost and can be a messy changeout, there's something to be said using tubulars on rough road. No flats from snake-bites. I used to run them on a ridiculous light custom wheel set but have long sold them off. Carrying a spare tubular is sort of cumbersome if riding solo. But back when in club rides, only a few who used them would agree to carry a spare as it was rarely needed.

For on or off road tubes, long gone from using butyl and will use latex type. For off road extreme thorn, rough and or screw studded winter tires, I add the weight of a liner.

Life's too shore not to ride Tubulars. I build a set laced to a 28hole GEL280 and GL330 in the back with Clement Crti. Seta for race days. Trained on them alone, but never club rides. Tubs can be pumped up to the max and still ride like a regular time under inflated. I love to corner hard on them. No side wall flex. I use to train on GP4s and Wolbers. What rim were your laced up?

[jyl]

My tubular wheelset is Hi-E hubs, Campagnolo Record rims, oval spokes in front but round in back (?).

Came with a bike I bought for cheap. '92 Cannondale R1000 with all Mavic. Only one year. A bit small for me but I guess that is the racy thing to do. Bummer is, the PO was a weight weenie and ditched the Mavic stem, bars, post for lighter but not as cool stuff. I think this bike came with a Mavic wheelset but he ditched that too.

Silly light bike, tho' I've not weighed it.