Tire Talk...
 

So, I bought my bike used last fall (2004ish Litespeed Tuscany). After 12 years of being off a bike, I have managed to put just over 1,000 miles on it since April. The bike came with Continental Gatorskins. I have been running them about 115 psi, front and rear. I don't know if they are just worn, but I have very little faith in the grip of these tires. If it's wet, forget it. Even dry, they seem to be all over the road. I am not sure if they are over-inflated, or worn, or just crappy to begin with. They are mounted on Rolf Prima wheels.

I totally get tires are subjective, just like tires are for cars and trucks. Just curious as to what is out there that is solid and dependable. I ride in east Tennessee, I do a bit of climbing with some speed coming down, 35-45 mph).
What do you have, and why do you like it?

Gatorskins do not have the best reputation unless puncture resistance is far and away the highest priority. Staying within the Conti line-up, the GP5000 are seen as an excellent all-arounder. That said, I don't have experience with either because I'm running tubeless.

My tire of choice, Schwalbe Pro One Addix TLE is pretty fantastic - supple feel, great grip, seem to roll very easily, and more than adequate in terms of wear/mileage - and they do make a tube-type version; assuming that it's similar to the TLE, it would be worth checking out.

Might also try lowering your tire pressure a bit, or running one size wider if your frame can support it. I'm 185-190 lbs, and I run a 25c Continental GP4000 SII at around 90-95 PSI, and some say you can run lower - much lower, depending on your size.

On my other bike, I have 25c Vittoria Rubino Pros, which I run at about 95-100 PSI, as they're actually skinnier than my Continentals. Between the two tires, I find the Rubinos slightly stickier - I feel like I have a bit more confidence on them in descents, but maybe a tiny bit "draggier" on some pavement. However, the Rubino tread squares off pretty quickly, whereas I've put about 1k miles on my Continental rear tire and you can barely tell.

(Also, my impressions of the Rubinos are from this past February, as the bike that they're on is on the other side of the country...)

I've never ridden Gatorskins, but I've heard they definitely aren't the tire for you if performance is a priority. Next time it comes to getting tires, I'd probably try out Vittoria Corsas or stick with the Continental GranPrix series. Also, check to see if you have the ability to run one size wider than you have now - if you're running 23c, would be worth trying 25c (or even 28c). Going from a 23c @ 115 PSI to a 28c @ 80 PSI could make a big difference in ride and handling.

What size tires are they? 23? 25? It would help to know that, as any recommended pressure should account for the tire size (and your size). As another poster suggested, maybe go for something wider (at least a 25mm width) and try reducing the pressure. I would start with a 10% reduction in tire pressure and see if that helps. When those Gatorskins wear out, go for a bigger tire and target <100 psi to start with; 95 psi is probably a good starting point. Try experimenting with different pressures (+/- 10% from wherever you start) to find what feels best.

The previous owner didn't put ridiculously wide tires on very narrow rims did they? Probably not, just supposing.

Other things might be that the tire bead isn't uniformly seated all the way around the rim. The previous owner stuck a way too big a tube in the tire and wrinkles in the tube don't let it support the tire properly. Or your tire pressure gauge is way off.

And not to cast doubts on your cycling prowess, but you might be a little too confident and aggressive for your current skill set since you've been out of it for 12 years.

I too wouldn't use Gatorskins unless you find that you get a flat every ride with other tires. Continental GP 5000's are what I currently use and Vittoria Rubino Pro's are what I also rode and liked very well in recent times.

I use Vittoria Rubino Pro tires a lot of years. Now my bike has Rubino Pro III 700x23 on front and Rubino Pro G2.0 700x25 on rear wheel. Waiting the 2nd season in row without any success when my front tire will be worn to replace in to another Pro G2.0 700x25. In my opinion they are very good if you consider everything (puncture resistance, rolling resistance, ..., and price).

Another option in the Conti line is the GP 4 Season almost as much puncture protection as the Gatorskins but with a better ride feel, 2200 miles and 2 punctures.

I am running GP5000 TL tubeless on both my solo road bike and on our tandem. Solo is 25 mm, tandem is 32 mm. I like them because they seem to last a fairly long time, zero flats, and the traction is excellent.

I will get one season (3,000 miles) on a rear on the road bike, and probably 2 seasons (about the same mileage) on the tandem. Fronts will last two seasons, or can be rotated to the rear and still get two seasons, so three tires for two seasons.

On the solo bike I like that I have not had any flats in two seasons. I previously ran the Schwalbe Pro One and had a couple of large sidewall cuts with them. Probably not the tires fault, but I switched anyway. Both the Schwalbe and the Conti tires seem good on the solo bike.

On the tandem, tire grip is much more noticeable. I switched from Schwalbe Marathon, which are a very good touring tire, to the GP5000 tubeless mostly because we could feel the bike slipping on sweeping corners with the touring tires. We have had zero flats with the GP5000 TL on the tandem, and the bike feels much more stable on high speed corners. I ran the Schwalbe with a tube, and I have had a couple of flats with them. I accept responsibility for both the flats with the Marathons (pinch flats from hitting large potholes at speed), but the GP5000 tires have not had any pinch flats with the same two riders on the bike.

How old are those Rolf wheels? Their newer wheels can run tubeless and are wide enough to easily run a 25 mm or a 28 mm tire.

I'm a fan of Conti GP 5000, and was previously on the GP 4000S2 bandwagon. They have good grip and enough puncture resistance for the potholed roads and occasional fresh chipseal that I ride on. I run them with tubes, and do not flat frequently enough for it to be a concern.

Depending on your weight, 115PSI is likely too high, even with 23s. As others have mentioned, a wider tire will let you run even lower PSI, which makes for better grip. I'd definitely check frame clearance before going with a wider tire, though - some of the older non-vintage road bikes (including my 2010) don't have the clearance for anything over 23 or 25, if you're lucky.

The GP5000 is a great tire, but if you want one that is more flat-resistant but much better than the Gatorskin, try the Michelin Power Protection+. They have full Kevlar bead-to-bead, but 110TPI instead of the 60-ish normal for such tires. They grip well and I haven't flatted one yet (knock on wood).

I guess I'll throw in my usual recommendation for durable tires that ride OK: the Conti GP 4 Season. I ride these in the colder months when fixing a flat would be areal pain. They ride well, moderate rolling resistance, and they stick really well in all conditions. I've never flatted one.

Drop your over-inflated pressure to 85F 90R and see how you like it.

Gatorskins will last something like 3000-4000 miles and race tires like the Vittoria Corsa will last closer to 1000 miles. Part of that is that the Gators have more rubber, but also the Gator rubber is just super hard. Not good for grip, especially in the cold and wet.

You’re not crazy for overinflating the gators. They’re so insanely slow that they force you to overinflate if you want to feel like you’re going anywhere.

Do yourself a favor. Get tubeless 28mm (if you can fit those) Corsas, Pirellis or Pro Ones. Inflate as low as you’re willing to go. Check pressure recommendations from ENVE, Sram/Zipp and Silca for reference. See the rainbow. Taste the rainbow.

I ride Conti GP 5000’s. Very minimal rolling resistance; tacky on the road in cornering; have not had flat issues and they track well on straights.

Tires have wear indicators.....I am sure Gators would too. If you don’t see them, that may be why they are not sticking well to the road in any condition.

Like another poster stated, lower the psi slightly. I run 700x23’s < I am old school...LOL. I run them at 90-95 psi which is on the low side for that size tire. I have forgotten to check the air one ride and when I got back they were around 70 psi but rode great!