Why so much hate for Gatorskins?
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#203
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Durable
And yes Gators are not race tires so you wouldn’t put them on a race bike. They are light touring tires. For commuting, especially through industrial areas they work fine and still not as heavy as a Schwalbe Marathon. I like them because they last. I don’t think they are worth the money though.
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I sometimes wonder if there is an automated forum widget that alerts them to certain "trigger words". They get a popup if someone is dissing their favorite product!
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Now, wait a minute, buddy! Hopefully you're joking, but don't ya think that a good share of tandems are actually road bikes, too? And, don't ya think we ride solo bikes as well? We're talkin' Gatorskins here for any type of road bikes, and many of us tandem guys have also used these tires on our solo bikes. I personally don't care for them much for solo rides, but for tandems or for anyone who needs a durable tire that's capable of handling heavy loads, they're a pretty decent tire.
#206
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Are tandems those bikes with two people on them? Weird!
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Since we are talking tandems (with twice the weight) and gatorskins, what PSI do you keep?
#209
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My GrandPrix 4 Seasons do this as well, I'm constantly trimming threads off of the sidewall near the bead they have ~2,500 miles on them.
#210
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And yes Gators are not race tires so you wouldn’t put them on a race bike. They are light touring tires. For commuting, especially through industrial areas they work fine and still not as heavy as a Schwalbe Marathon. I like them because they last. I don’t think they are worth the money though.
My race team did a Continental group buy last season and we bought tons of Gatorskins because a lot of us love them for training and commuting. They're heavy and not very supple, but bombproof and last a long time.
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Flats?
My experience with flats. I’ve been riding Continental 4000s with HED wheels since May 2015. Since that combination, I’ve had ZERO, yes ZERO flats. i attribute that to the HED wheel design & 4000 tire. I ride that bike over 5,000 mi per year on roads often having “garbage in the gutter”. I use 23 mm tires which maintain the aerodynamic effect of the wide HED wheels.
Regarding tubeless.... I bought a new bike in 2018 with 28 mm tubeless wheels & tires. Within 6 months, I picked up a Tiny piece of glass that punctured the front tire. I was flat within 1/2 mile. 6 months later, I had a front TIRE BURP. Fortunately, I was still in my neighborhood and making a turn at only 14 mph. Still, I had a concussion, 3 stitches on my brow and road rash. After studying and learning about TUBELESS TIRE BURPS on road bikes, high pressure (80 psi) & little volume of air on a road tire is a BAD combination. NEVER again will I ride on tubeless road tires. They now have a set of Continental 5000s which are fast. BTW, I did regular additions of Stans sealant.
Jim Parks
#212
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Long time Gator rider .... but thought I would try the GP 5000's.
I ride the same route, (just longer or shorter). I know every bump, depression, utility cover and gouge in an otherwise smooth surface and thought the route would be easy enough on the GP 5000's. My route is along the coast and is due north then due south, so wind is equally in my face and at my back during the ride and it is flat.
My normal ride is 16 miles and takes 60 minutes +/- 1:15 (15.8 mph to 16.2 mph). Obviously, some human variability here and was :58 flat yesterday on Gatorskins (16.6 mph). This normal speed/time/distance estimates watts at 120 - 130 to the road, over the hour. (so weak)
Anyway, riding today on the GP 5000's with similar effort as measured by HR and perceived effort, (no power meter), time was 55:50 and avg of 17.2 mph. Using rolling resistance calculator, I should have picked up 18 to 20 watts (+/-9 x 2) for Gators v GP 5000's and that is exactly the speed I picked up. Speed/time/distance estimates 148 watts to the road, at 17.2 mph. The GP 5000's are stealing less watts due to lower rr.
So, will wait to see on durability, but the pickup in speed due to lower rr is for real.
I ride the same route, (just longer or shorter). I know every bump, depression, utility cover and gouge in an otherwise smooth surface and thought the route would be easy enough on the GP 5000's. My route is along the coast and is due north then due south, so wind is equally in my face and at my back during the ride and it is flat.
My normal ride is 16 miles and takes 60 minutes +/- 1:15 (15.8 mph to 16.2 mph). Obviously, some human variability here and was :58 flat yesterday on Gatorskins (16.6 mph). This normal speed/time/distance estimates watts at 120 - 130 to the road, over the hour. (so weak)
Anyway, riding today on the GP 5000's with similar effort as measured by HR and perceived effort, (no power meter), time was 55:50 and avg of 17.2 mph. Using rolling resistance calculator, I should have picked up 18 to 20 watts (+/-9 x 2) for Gators v GP 5000's and that is exactly the speed I picked up. Speed/time/distance estimates 148 watts to the road, at 17.2 mph. The GP 5000's are stealing less watts due to lower rr.
So, will wait to see on durability, but the pickup in speed due to lower rr is for real.
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Lots of interesting observations in this thread. My experience with Gatorskins began in 2007-ish, when I tired of so many flats. Nothing could be more anecdotal than my remarks. I've ridden roughly 30,000km on them, beginning with 23mm, then 25mm, now 28mm. They are on my Ti commuter/road bike (my commute is 53km each way, so I commute on a road bike). In addition to the commute, I do lots of 120km+ rides, much of that in the Rockies, so plenty of descents at speeds of 70km/h+. So far I have not found them to be unpleasantly rough riding, nor hair-raising in the high speed bends. Like many things in life, I think that your perspective will be influenced by what else you have tried.
I run Conti GP5000s on my tri bike (carbon Kestrel), and used to run Vittoria Corsa whatevers. Convinced that the rolling resistance difference was noticeable, I've tried swapping wheels between bikes (which is another variable not controlled for, of course), and it was apparent that the Gatorskins don't provide the same road feel, and are higher resistance. I can't speak to the grip, since I haven't ever found myself skidding out of control on either.
I've only had a couple of flats since I began using them, but I also haven't had any flats on my tri bike/wheels/tires. My tri bike sees only 2000 road km/year, and much of that during races, where the road is at least somewhat swept.
All this to say that I've been happy with mine, but I also had a pretty good idea what to expect, and understood the pros and cons before I started using them. I also have never tried any other variety of puncture resistant tires. I would say that they are exactly as advertised; high puncture resistance and high mileage. Maybe it's a case of low expectations being exceeded.
I run Conti GP5000s on my tri bike (carbon Kestrel), and used to run Vittoria Corsa whatevers. Convinced that the rolling resistance difference was noticeable, I've tried swapping wheels between bikes (which is another variable not controlled for, of course), and it was apparent that the Gatorskins don't provide the same road feel, and are higher resistance. I can't speak to the grip, since I haven't ever found myself skidding out of control on either.
I've only had a couple of flats since I began using them, but I also haven't had any flats on my tri bike/wheels/tires. My tri bike sees only 2000 road km/year, and much of that during races, where the road is at least somewhat swept.
All this to say that I've been happy with mine, but I also had a pretty good idea what to expect, and understood the pros and cons before I started using them. I also have never tried any other variety of puncture resistant tires. I would say that they are exactly as advertised; high puncture resistance and high mileage. Maybe it's a case of low expectations being exceeded.
#215
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I run Conti GP5000s on my tri bike (carbon Kestrel), and used to run Vittoria Corsa whatevers. Convinced that the rolling resistance difference was noticeable, I've tried swapping wheels between bikes (which is another variable not controlled for, of course), and it was apparent that the Gatorskins don't provide the same road feel, and are higher resistance. I can't speak to the grip, since I haven't ever found myself skidding out of control on either.
.
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Regarding traction: if the theory is that Gators have reasonably sticky tread to start, but eventually turn to "garden hoses," then your experience may be impacted by your mileage. At 300 mi/week, I can't imagine you last a whole lot more than 3-4 months on a pair of Gators, maybe 6 months on the outside? If that's the case, then your tires might not have enough time to "age" and harden, allowing you to ride with decent traction for the duration. Maybe the poor traction comes along past the 12-18 month period? Just a guess.
#217
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I've seen so many derogatory comments on these. What are the qualities that they exhibit that are so horrible? Not saying they're good or not, just curious.
I put a 700x28c Gatorskin on rear of my cyclocross bike and a 28 Vittoria Ziffiro IV on the front to turn it into a road bike this year. The Ziffiro was a little more than half the price of the Gator, and has lower rolling resistance in reference charts. My flats are almost always on the rear, so I wanted something tough back there.
I like that the Gator doesn't pick up grit; a quick wipe with a paper towel after a ride to look for cuts or embedded objects and it looks like new. The Ziffiro has enough tread that it picks up enough grit that I have to scrape bad spots with a plastic tool to make sure there's no glass or metal in there.
I realize I'm running inexpensive tires (the Gator is the most expensive tire I've ever bought), but what's so bad about the Gatorskins that they inspire so much hate?
I put a 700x28c Gatorskin on rear of my cyclocross bike and a 28 Vittoria Ziffiro IV on the front to turn it into a road bike this year. The Ziffiro was a little more than half the price of the Gator, and has lower rolling resistance in reference charts. My flats are almost always on the rear, so I wanted something tough back there.
I like that the Gator doesn't pick up grit; a quick wipe with a paper towel after a ride to look for cuts or embedded objects and it looks like new. The Ziffiro has enough tread that it picks up enough grit that I have to scrape bad spots with a plastic tool to make sure there's no glass or metal in there.
I realize I'm running inexpensive tires (the Gator is the most expensive tire I've ever bought), but what's so bad about the Gatorskins that they inspire so much hate?
https://www.biketiresdirect.com/prod...g?fltr=&sg=503
#219
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No, harder would generally be worse traction. Just saying that he may run through his tires fast enough that they haven’t hardened yet due to UV and other environmental factors.
#220
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I stopped using gatorskins years ago and switched over to the 4 Season.
I never liked the way gatorskins handled.
Frankly I think a lot of people that like gatorskins just can't tell the difference in ride quality between different tires, and their only yardstick is the amount of flats they get.
I never liked the way gatorskins handled.
Frankly I think a lot of people that like gatorskins just can't tell the difference in ride quality between different tires, and their only yardstick is the amount of flats they get.
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Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
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Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
#221
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I have been using gator skins on the rear for a long time, they handle bad in rain but the puncture resistance is neat.
I put 4 seasons on the front for less oh **** moments on bad weather.
Yes, i am riding it like this and 0 flats...(i have a new conti hardshell ready to switch)
I put 4 seasons on the front for less oh **** moments on bad weather.
Yes, i am riding it like this and 0 flats...(i have a new conti hardshell ready to switch)
#224
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I just switched from 25mm Gatorskins to 25mm 5000s for clearance reasons (the 5000s are MUCH smaller) and I can feel the difference. The 5000s feel more supple and silky, but it's not as earth shattering as some people here describe. I'm assuming I'll see my average speeds and Strava calculated wattage go up when I do some familiar routes.
Last edited by audiomagnate; 09-14-20 at 05:03 AM.
#225
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I stopped using gatorskins years ago and switched over to the 4 Season.
I never liked the way gatorskins handled.
Frankly I think a lot of people that like gatorskins just can't tell the difference in ride quality between different tires, and their only yardstick is the amount of flats they get.
I never liked the way gatorskins handled.
Frankly I think a lot of people that like gatorskins just can't tell the difference in ride quality between different tires, and their only yardstick is the amount of flats they get.