cholly

Assuming this tire, from what I've read, will do fine for both road duties (winter/rough) and hard pack gravel.... Any tips, suggestions, or anything else to consider -- or better options? Planning to go either 28 or 30mm.

Thanks!

Iride01 

Sort of depends on what's a priority for you. Flat protection, rolling resistance and ride comfort. Rolling resistance and ride comfort sort of go hand in hand. But flat protection goes the other way. The more flat protection the more effort it takes to get the bike rolling and the harsher the perceived ride.

So don't buy flat protection if you don't need it. I think Gatorskins and other tires that give large amounts of flat protection are now starting to benefit from some newer tech and are able to give somewhat better ride qualities. But in my area, I don't flat often at all. In fact I've worn out the last three GP5000 tires to the bare threads before flatting. I don't do much gravel though, but I do have some stretches that have a little gravel. But I'd still apply the same thoughts. And that is if I'm not flatting due to tread punctures from road hazards, then I wouldn't need to put up with the harsher ride and more energy it takes to roll on puncture resistant tires.

All of this is IMO of course. You don't have to have the same opinion.


Welcome to BF.

mstateglfr 

Anything better? Yeah...not much worse.
Get some gravel king slicks. Less expensive, rolls faster, plenty good protection in general.

Atlas Shrugged

If your rims are compatible go tubeless. The best of both worlds, excellent flat resistance and supple ride. Life is to short to ride Gatorskins or their equivalents. Nothing kills a bikes ride more than harsh tires.

One Wheel

I had a Gatorskin on the rear of my bike, I rode it far longer than I should have, and that's the only tire I've had blow out so badly that it ended the ride. I've put some previously-used Teravail Rampart tires on, and put about 1600 miles on them without a single flat. Roughly 80% pavement/ 20% gravel. Much better tires than the Gatorskin.

ScottCommutes

I'm not offering any opinion on the virtues of the tires, but Gatorskin is one heck of a brand name for a bike tire. Memorable. I almost want some just because I remember the name.

LarrySellerz

I remember my coworker talking up gatorskins so much and he was very upset when he finally got a set and flatted soon after. When I first put a gatorskin on my back wheel, I stopped when going fast down a hill to check if something was wrong with the bike, but no it was just the gatorskin being weird. It got better as it wore in.

I think they aren’t as bad as people make them out to be, but they’re still pretty bad.

rsbob 

When I used to run Gatorskins I sure didn’t notice any super flat protection. Couple that with a lousy ride and increased rolling resistance, they wouldn’t be my first choice. Do an internet search on best puncture resistant bicycle tires and you should get several recommendations. Then cross reference them against Rollingresistance.com

Sierra_rider

Don't buy Gatorskins. They're aren't as bad as some people make them out to be, but they are far from good. According to the rolling resistance site, the race tires on my XC mtb have less measured rolling resistance than Gatorskins. There are plenty of gravel options that will offer good puncture resistance along with more efficiency...also most road options will be better, if you go tubeless. Since going tubeless with gp5000 on my road bike, any sort of pressure-losing event during the ride, is exceedingly rare.

Jughed

Personally I don’t like any road tires for gravel. I like gravel tires with a smooth center section for the road.

Been running Pathfinder Pro’s on my CX bike for a few years now. They work well in mild gravel, are fairly fast on the roads, even work on single track. It’s almost a go anywhere bike.

Sierra_rider

I'll second this recommendation for Pathfinder Pros. I'm running the S-works version and am really happy with performance, longevity, and the puncture protection. I'd say that traction in loose conditions is their weak link, but they're going to still kill any smooth tire in those conditions. On the road, they aren't much slower than road tires.

veganbikes

Gatorskins are fine tires if puncture protection is the goal. I wouldn't want such a skinny tire for gravel and certainly not a Gatorskin but the tire is a decent tire. For gravel my skinny road tire equivalent is like a 32 and I don't run that on anything currently. 36s are generally my narrowest gravel tires at the moment. Wider has so many benefits and up to a point has so few drawbacks that are not specific more to someone racing.

My favorite gravel tires are Challenge Gravel Grinders I think the handmade open tubulars come in at 700x36 or 700x40 for the newer tubeless ready stuff but the vulcanized version can be gotten in 700x38 and 42. However the open tubulars are soft and supple so they really do improve the ride quite a bit and so far no flats. The vulcanized ones I have on my touring bike for a little extra protection and width but truth be told I haven't been riding that bike in a while.

cholly

Thanks all for the input, very much appreciated. Suprised that Gatorskins are not highly regarded here, and will take that into consideration for sure.... Guess I'm looking for a unicorn -- cushy ride, fast on the road, fast and rugged on gravel, and very puncture resistant! Thanks again for the info.

Dino_Sore

My definition of gravel tire is nothing smaller than 32mm and tubeless. If you're limited to 28 or 30, don't expect to convert a road bike to a gravel bike. However, if you just want to occasionally traverse some well maintained dirt roads, that should work.

I looked hard at the Gatorskins for my road bike, but decided against them for a number of reasons. I saw a lot of complaints about (1) difficulty mounting them, (2) weight, (3) stiffness, and (4) not as much flat-protection as promised. My road bike is limited to tubed 28mm so I decided to try the Continental Four Seasons in that size. I have to say that I am quite pleased with them. Yes they are a bit heavier and slower than the GP5000 they replaced, but they are very robust and can easily handle hard-packed and maintained dirt roads. However, I wouldn't really take them on anything rougher than that.

Another option is the Panaracer Gravel King slick (either the regular or plus version). I used the 32mm version on one of my gravel bikes and they rolled really well on the road. However, I was a little disappointed with their flat protection. I ran them tubeless and was able to fix flats with the Stan's Dart tool, so that mitigates the flat issue a bit. I did try the 26mm tubed version on my road bike many years ago, but found them very prone to pinch flats on gravel roads.

RH Clark

I've used Schwalbe CX pro's before on a road bike that wouldn't accept larger tires for gravel. They come on 30mm and seemed surprisingly good on the road and gravel for just $27.

nathand

I don't share the dislike for Gatorskins. I used to commute 30-40 miles to work, at least three mornings per week (took the train home, though). I dealt with frequent flats on other road tires until I switched to Gatorskins, and I don't remember feeling a change in ride quality - although at 90psi any tire is pretty firm. I did destroy a Gatorskin running over a piece of wire (tread from a big-rig tire I think) but no road tire would have survived that.

t2p

Panaracer GK SS (Gravel King Semi Slick) might be a good option

more durable and flat resistant than the regular GK slick - but still relatively lightweight and roll fairly well

currently have them on one bike - at one time had them on three bikes

t2p

agree about the GP4S and the GK slick - have used both and still have GP4S on one bike (as do some friends in our riding group)

GK SS is a better option than the GK slick for dirt roads, gravel, and where durability and puncture resistance is concerned

Yan 

Just this week I got two flats back to back an hour apart on the Panaracer GravelKing SS. I'm running it with a tube. First flat was a wire so I can let that one slide. Second flat was a small stone, and not even a particularly sharp one. In all my years of riding I've never seen a stubby stone like this cause a puncture. I'm sure sealant would have stopped these flats, but the tire is far from puncture resistant. It's a tubeless tire and I'm not running it that way, so I can't really blame it. It rolls well because it's actually just a slick. There's no tread in the center of the tire.

I saw a video on YouTube of a guy who built a plywood board of nails sticking straight up, and rode over that repeatedly on tubeless tires. The sealant worked every time. He probably had a hundred nail holes on those tires. So puncture resistance on tubeless tires is really just irrelevant. The tire only needs to resist large tears and gashes.

I wouldn't go narrower than 35mm for off pavement unless you have a frame clearance limitation. It's not a good experience when your tires are sinking and sliding around on loose surfaces.

mirfi

Cholly,

I am a fat old guy who does an occasional 25-30 mile rides with the seniors. Slow rides. Half trail, half street. I've had Gatorskins 28mm on my bike since 2013. Never had a flat. (and better knock on wood). Keep the pressure at 110. I did have a tube stem fail once. And ran over a freshly busted liquor bottle once and stopped to pull the glass out of the tread.

Not a high mileage speed guy, but those Gatorskins have been good to me.

pdlamb

I also don't have problems with Gatorskins (except one, noted later), though my flat experience is less salutary. 1/3-1/2 of my riding is commuting on 32s, pumped up to 80-90 psi. I'll usually ride until the tires are squared off and a bit beyond, until I have a couple flats in a week. That usually indicates the tread is worn out, sometimes to the point I can see threads or a softer layer of rubber underneath (depending on tire). I'd guess I average one or two flats per tire before that happens, usually glass or wires. Flats are dominated by urban riding IME; it's pretty rare I have a flat in the country on weekends.

The ride is similar to most everything else I've tried, and dominated by how bad the roads are. (I re-routed for a couple years for a half mile of freshly repaved street -- heaven!) They're slightly harsher than Panaracer Pasela or Gravelkings, and feel about the same to my butt as Conti Grand Prix whatevers.

Gatorskins are a little better for tread life IME than the Panaracers or Grand Prix, but the difference is minor. They're not in the same ballpark as a Schwalbe Marathon or Specialized Armadillo, but those are noticeably harsher riding and heavy enough I notice the difference.

My one complaint is that the last couple orders of Gatorskins the "gator" mesh has detached from the tire. As far as I can tell it's decorative, not structural, as I've cut it off with scissors and the tire keeps on going. But it's startling and annoying when it starts to detach and you can hear the loose part brushing the fork or stays while riding.

RB1-luvr

I did not like Gatorskins on lightweight training bikes, but I do like them on my heavy Windsor Touring bike. They work well on the road and for loaded trips on unpaved rail trails.

blacknbluebikes 

I think the Gators deliver exactly on their design goal, and I don't find "discomfort" at 65psi. I certainly enjoyed the velvety ride of the Vittoria Corsas that came on one of my bike as original equipment, but they flatted over and over. I run GP 5k's on that bike now, Gators on the other. When I get on the second bike, I don't notice that much difference - but some folks are much more sensitive down there, I guess.

jaxgtr

I found the Gatorskins pretty good but such a harsh ride. Concrete like, but I can say that I only had 1 flat in 3 years on my commuter with them. Lucky? Maybe, but that the harshness of the ride was really overwhelming.

mikeoverly

Gatorskins seem to buy me about 1/3 the flats of other tires. They are good at keeping small road debris out (go over your tires after each ride to make sure you don't have embedded stuff). They will not prevent large punctures (a giant shard of glass blew a brand new one of mine recently).