damnable

To start out, I don't race, I just like riding around on hard surfaces. I also got my first flat on the road yesterday as a result of a rather large thorn going through my stock tire (Ultra Sport). At least my first on-the-road tube change was successful.

So now I'm looking at replacement tires that are a bit more durable.

I see the 4000S recommended a LOT, but as far as I can tell while it quite flat-resistant it's more of a racing tire. Where the gatorskin is advertised more specifically as a training tire. But it looks like they have different puncture protection features.

Can anyone comment on the comparison between these two to help me choose. The other I've heard of is the Maxxis Refuse which looks a bit cheaper and may be another option.

LOGICK ONE

I've put equal amount of miles on a gatorskins and 4000S, both hold up for a long time, both eventual flat, but when it comes to the ride, I prefer the rolling feel of the 4000s.

banerjek

The tires are totally different. The GS is tougher but it is heavy, has lousy traction, and delivers a miserable ride. The 4000s is less durable, but ride, traction, and speed are better.

If there is a lot of sharp debris on your roads, consider the GS. Otherwise 4000s is a better way to go. Avoiding an extra occasional flat is not worth a crappy ride and bad traction.

johnny99

Gatorskin is not heavy if you get the folding version.

Seattle Forrest

I don't think I could have said it better myself.

jstar1000

I have GP4000 tires and assuming that's what your asking about not sure about the S but the GP4000 tires are light, puncture risistant and blow the wheels off of ultra lights which after coming off a pair of those to the GP4000s then riding another bike with the ultras I took them off and gave them away (the ultra sports that is) I love the 4000's the feel. the grip, the ride everything. They are what a tire should be!

Seattle Forrest

GP4000 come in several colors, like red, drab olive brown, black, etc. GP4000S are almost the same tire, but only come in S. They put something in the black tires (both) but not in the other colors, which apparently makes them grip a little better.

KevinSCo

I've had gatorskins on my bike for about 1,200 miles and got them to avoid what seemed like daily flats. The rear is just starting to square off; I waited too long before rotating. Don't have much rain where I am, so conditions are mostly dry. Many of those miles are on rough roads with lots of debris. Haven't had a single flat. I've never tried the 4000S, so I don't know what I'm missing.

haaseg

I have the 4000s and I run the tuffy liners. I know banerjek said this is a ridiculous idea... but, since I've been doing it I haven't had any flats. I still at least get the grip from the 4000s and the ride is still very smooth to me. I don't care much about the few extra grams the liners weigh.

I came home one day and saw a nail sticking out of the sidewall of my tire. It had hit the liner and deflected out and not punctured the tube. Must have happened in the middle of my ride because the head of the nail was worn clean off.

DScott

What do you mean by rotating the tire?

mynameistaken

I just got some gatorskins and like them so far. I don't have traction problems or feel the ride quality is any worse than the vittoria's I had previously. Can't comment on durability as of yet. They feel very secure when cornering at high speed.

Yaniel

I had 2 sets of gatorskins and probably had about 15 flats on them. Eventually swapped out to gp4000s, 3 sets later i've had maybe 3 flats in total, much better ride, better traction, better everything.

simonaway427

I've been on the same pair of Gatorskins for about 4500kms. I have never experienced a flat with them. I've never ridden on another road tire so I don't have much to compare it to.

grwoolf

I've put quite a few miles on both and agree that the 4000 is a nicer ride, but I noticed more flats and significant cuts vs. the Gators. For my every day wheels, I've been running a 4000 in the front and a gator in the rear for extra flat protection (particularly in the rain). I run them in a 25mm size and the rear gatorskin feels fine. I don't ever get flats or big cuts on the front, so I plan to keep running the mixed set. The only downside is you can't rotate the front to rear. I've probably got over 5000 miles on my front and the wear indicators still look OK, but it's got a lot of micro cracks and some cuts, so it's probably time to replace.

on my other set of wheels, I run 4000's in 23mm size. The ride is rougher that the 4000/Gator combo. At the end of the day, I think the tire size and pressure make more of a difference than the tire selection. If you want a nice ride, try a wider tire. I promise it won't slow you down noticably. I race on my 25's all the time, I'm not good enough for a tire to make a difference.

UC223

I use GS for a winter training tire here in NY mainly because i really don't want to change a flat in 20 degrees. Other than that, they ride like rocks and corner much the same. The rest of the year i train and race on GP4000s' they ride much better and have reasonable durability. properly inflated and checked for glass they do really well resisting flats. it is worth noting that these are not as soft as light race tires which tend to be glass magnets.

UC223

Since tire width was mentioned. @ 190lbs i find a 23 front, 25 rear work well.

dleccord

Just go with the Michelin Pro 3s.

bianchi10

4000s. I am biast because I had bad luck with the GS. this doesn't mean the GS is a bad tire though as many people like them. I can tell you that after 3 sidewall blowouts within 2 months, I will never buy a set again.

oldbobcat

Ah, not a ridiculous idea for the kind of guy who might wear suspenders and a belt.

Our Continental rep (actually Highway 7) told us that the Vectran belt in the GP4000 is superior to what's in the Gatorskin, but the Gatorskin's sidewalls are more durable. To which I can personally attest--I once banged a GP4000 against a low curb and the sidewall blew out completely shortly afterward. But I do like the puncture resistance and ride of the GP4000.

haaseg

See, you say this as if the Vectran belt is the only reason to go with the 4000S. And yet I have pulled at least 4 objects (a nail, a staple, a piece of glass, and a piece of flint) out of my rear 4000S that went all the way through the tread and were stopped by the liner before it punctured the tube. There are other reason to ride the 4000s - the superior ride quality.

So - perhaps the belt is a utility belt with a whole set of tools strapped on - and then maybe the suspenders make sense afterall?

WHOOOSSHHH...

I have not had a flat or worn out my 4000s tires ever since I put them on 5000 miles ago. That is a unreal for me! Of course now that I've posted this.....

banerjek

The GS definitely has superior sidecut resistance. But that contributes directly to the poor ride quality.

I can totally buy that the Vectran belt is a superior technology as it delivers a good ride and durability that's significantly better than other race tires I've tried. But does the rep say it delivers all out better flat resistance than the GS which seems to have a heavier material and more of it?

My anecdotal experience is that the GS will have fewer flats overall than the 4000s, particularly in the wet. However, for roads that are even vaguely normal, the 4000s is a much more fun tire to ride.

con

Gatorskin is a good tire I put a lot of miles on a number of them. The ride is a bit harsh but I got very few flats. That being said I like the 4000s much more for my tire on my light road bike. It feels like it rolls better, is less harsh and flat protection is pretty good.

pdedes

i love a smooth sweet handling race tire. i'll pick suppleness over durability every day.

Matt Gaunt

I'd go GP4000S in your shoes any day. It doesn't sound like you ride on terrible roads so the less protected sidewall issue shouldn't affect you. I really like the feel of them and won't be using anything else for a while (3 years on them exclusively so far).

The 41 loves this tyre for lots of reasons but once you ride them, you will see why for yourself.