giskard

Rear tyre

Front tyre


I fitted a pair of these in the 700x28 size to my 2010 Kona Jake the Snake for my 11 mile each way commute through north London. I fitted them after I had a puncture after 30 miles on the knobbly tyres that came with the bike.

So far no punctures but I have checked my tyres at the end of each week and found cuts and sharp bits embedded in the tyre, which I've just picked out after deflating the tyre. So it seems that the protective Vectran layer in the tyre is doing it's job.

In the front tyre I found something embedded and when I picked it out, found it had disintegrated - maybe the sharp object got embedded in the tyre, couldn't penetrate through and just got pulverised on the road surface.

The cut in the rear tyre was empty when I checked it.

So overall a good commuting tyre that seems to be working well at keeping punctures at bay (fingers crossed!) so far, but it is important to check the tyres at least every week or better still, every day, as you will need to pick out sharp objects.

Just note that if you are picking out sharp objects from your tyre, deflate it until you squeeze open the cut and pick the offending object out. And be careful not to cut yourself when doing so.

tarwheel 

I installed some GP 4 Season 28s on my commuter/touring bike in January 2010, and I've ridden about 2,600 miles on them since then -- almost entirely commuting on suburban streets. The rear tire flatted soon after I installed them after picking up a large chunk of glass, but I've had no flats since then. The rear tire still has a decent amount of tread, so I am sure that I'll get at least 3,000 miles out of it -- which is great for me. The front tire is in great shape and will probably last 6,000 miles, assuming the sidewalls don't get damaged.

IMHO, these are most excellent tires and I would highly recommend them since there as few tires are as light in 700 x 28 size (less than 300 grams) and they also grip well on wet roads. Conti is now making Gatorskins in 28s, as well, so that is another great choice although I don't think they are as light as the GP 4 Seasons.

BotByte

Make sure you look over and feel, with gloves, the tyres after every ride for sharp shiny things. I ride Nashbar Prima 2 Plus tyres and I LOVE THEM. They are kevlar belted and I ride with mr tuffys and thorn proof tube with slime. I've had things hit and stay in the tire, but after 20 miles or more the liner wasn't even touched. And for around $15 each, their a steal!

BrooklyntoNYC

Here here! I love my Prima 2 as well, very fast tire and haven't flatten yet, just wait until their on sale for $9.99 now thats a steal.

tarwheel 

Rule No. 1 - Don't brag about not getting flats. I went over a year without getting a flat on my GP 4 Seasons, and then got one the day after I posted in this thread! Fortunately, it was a slow leak and didn't stop my commute, but I noted the tire was flat the following morning. I fixed it last night and was impressed how much tread was left on the tires. After 2,700 miles now, they look like they will last at least another 500.

Andy_K 

How many miles?

I've recently put these tires on my Kona Jake, and right now I'm completely in love with them, but I may be on the verge of exiting the honeymoon stage. I was checking them over yesterday morning and found that something has cut a decent size flap (a couple of millimeters) in the rear tire. The roads around here have been attrocious lately from a lot of construction on top of the usual accumulated grit and gravel from 40 days of rain that we've had. Through 335 miles of this I haven't gotten a flat yet, but we're about to enter the time of year when I have historically gotten the most flats, so I'm expecting one any day now.

As for the performance of these tires, that's why I'm in love with them. They feel great on the road. They've been gripping wonderfully in the wet. They're absurdly light for a 700x28. I'm honestly considering putting a pair of these on my recreational wheels when the Ultremos give up the ghost.

sci_femme

Small cuts are a trade-off for stupendous wet grip and fantastic wearability. Soft "chewy" tread compound cuts easily, almost always purely cosmetic. These cuts look scarier than they really are, they do not penetrate Vectran. I put nearly 2K on my current set, three punctures - all back wheel, sllloooooowwwwwww leaks.
One inconvenience - not so common size, I waited for mine nearly 6 weeks. And spendy......

JeffS

I've had a very good experience with Gatorskins in 28. I've considered replacing them with the 4-season, though I don't really have a good reason to spend an extra $20/tire.

Andy_K 

Hey, $20 to save 100 grams is a bargain. You're just not thinking like a weight weenie.

I had 700x25 Gatorskins a couple of years ago. I like the feel of the 4 Seasons much more.

B. Carfree

In the wet months around here, all seven or eight of them, the county puts down grit that is partly composed of what appears to be heat-treated tar. These shards slice tires to ribbons and have made mince-meat of Marathon pluses and Gatorskins after less than 1000 miles. On the indirect recommendation of tsl, I put on a pair of Conti GP 4 seasons a couple months ago. After 2500 miles, the rear tire is still going strong. Sure, there are a few small cuts, but the tire is still in pretty good shape and the Vectran is hanging tough. I'm looking forward to seeing how they last on clean (sort of) dry roads, say around July or August.

tarwheel 

BTW, you can buy GP 4 Seasons for substantially less money from British web sites like probikekit.com and wiggle. I paid between $30-40 each for mine bought at different times, and it was well worth the money for a 28 mm tire that only weighs 260 grams -- particularly considering their long wear and flat resistance.

Hopslam

So no one here must have had the problem I had with these tires. 2 out of 5 tires had bulge spots that thumped as they rolled & rubbed the frame on my race comuter. Told the company about the second time it happened & they sent replacement. I do like the feel of these tires. $$$ tho

Not the Slowest

Using them on my commuter in New York City, Round trip I go about 46 miles.
Using the 700 x 28 and found them just great. The only flat I have had was a valve tear in the tube. However when I reseated the tire it will not sit properly in one section and I have a "HOP" in
the tire that is a bit annoying. I have taken it off and re-seated it several times but found that it could be because:
a) The wheel is a bit wide for it. Of course this doesn't explain why I have had no issues originally.
b) The tire developed a bit of a give and just will not go back in fully at one spot.

In anycase amy bike shop said it is okay and no fear of danger and they were able to MUSCLE it into it's place and now there is no hop, until I get a flat.

of course it's in the rear so I feel like I'm riding a horse... Hippity HOP Hippity Hop

Rob