Continental Gatorskin BEST everyday tire?
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- Опубликовано: 14 авг 2022
- #continentaltires #continentalgatorskin #comtinentalgp5000
A evaluation of the trusted Continental Gatorskin tire in the Tubular form. How does it ride and how does it fair in poor weather and dirty conditions.
Troll, negative or abusive comments will be removed.
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Purple/Black with Waynos Fotos emblem as displayed in the video.
My size is 2XL and I am 85kg and 185cm tall for an idea of sizing.
Pricing $75.00 USD + shipping(to you) just need to confirm shipping costs to you to get a final TOTAL pricing. Let me know in the comments if interested or DM me on
Sizing in inches;
3XS: 27-29, length front: 17, Length arm: 10 (back order only)
2XS: 30-32, length front: 18, Length arm: 10 (back order only)
XS: 32-34, length front: 18, Length arm: 10 (back order only)
SMALL: chest 34-36, length front: 19, Length arm: 10
MEDIUM: chest 36-38, length front: 20, Length arm: 11
LARGE: chest 38-40, length front: 21, Length arm: 11
Xtra LARGE: chest 40-42, length front: 22, Length arm: 12
2x Xtra LARGE: chest 42-44, length front: 22, Length arm: 12
3x Xtra LARGE: chest 44-46, length front: 22, Length arm: 13 (back order only)
4x Xtra LARGE: chest 46-48, length front: 22, Length arm: 13 (back order only)
5x Xtra LARGE: chest 48-50, length front: 22, Length arm: (back order only)
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I haven't ridden Gatorskins for years and only rode the clincher version, but if the compound is similar, be very careful in wet conditions.
Gatorskins have a major weakness. They don't have any sidewall antipuncture protection. So you can get sidewall tears. The 4 seasons do but cost a great deal more. So if you ride gravel roads Gatorskins probably aren't for you.
I found gators, not good in the wet, when I did a closed road event , around loch Ness, I went over to 4 season's, , so much better
Another rider on gatorskins took me out on a descent that hit some wet patches where coastal fog still hadn't cleared out from morning. Almost zero grip on the tires, could barely even brake to slow down. I had to go to PT after that crash, now I check out other rider's tires before doing a descent with them.
I never rode the tyre in the wet but I do recall some mentioned they had a few scaries in the wet
Wet weather comments like these are why Ive gone with Pirelli Cinturato Velo for my puncture protection
28mm Gatorskin Clinchers were my first tire after the crappy stock tires that came with the bike. They were good, and the only flat I got was a pinch flat after hitting a big pot hole. I switched to GP 5000 for better rolling resistance; its durability is still adequate for where I ride.
Gatorskins are good for training, winter riding, urban riding.. they last a long time and the ride quality isn't bad but it is not nearly as supple like the Conti 4000s or 5000s, or cotton casing tires like veloflex and Vittoria as you mentioned. The one place gatorskins did not give me confidence was cornering, I did not wash out while cornering but I definitely feel the less grip from the harder compound. If you are not trying to rip thru corners than gatorskins are absolutely great.
As my three year old granddaughter said from the back of the tandem on her child seat, "granddaddy, these Victoria's ride much better than the Continentals." Well, enough said!
Smart girl!!!
I trust Continental Tires. When I was in Ohio way back, I have this other tire that comes with the bike I bought, it's a well-known tire manufacturer too, I found those tires unreliable. Then one of my friends gave me a used Continental, and surely you can feel the difference on the rear wheel when braking, thats all I can say.
I run the service department in a LBS, I encounter tubular set ups about 2 to 3 times a year! I raced in the 80's and we ALL rolled on "sew-ups".
We sell only the Continental choices tubular, and I can confirm they are a monster to get mounted....even after the recommended 72hr stretch.
Everyone in my pack back in the day serviced their own tire setup, never paid a shop to do it.
It takes a good part of a week, most of it stretch and cure time, and I charge $90 per wheel. Sometimes doesn't seem like enough.....
My shop is in a very posh neighborhood in Wackofornia. We charge $150 a tire. A very few folks pay that every year, but time is most definately money. Lots of our clients are doctors, dentists and CEOs. I'll always charge what the market will bear.
I remember back in the the '80s as well. Its always been a PITA. But I always found tubs extremely reliable, much more so than road freakin tubeless. For 'cross racing, nothing else even comes close.
Oh, boy, tubulars! What luxury!
Well, I've been commuting on clincher 28 mm Gatorskins and old fashioned butyl inner tubes for a few years in the Washington, DC area, mostly on the bike paths, but also city streets, and don't have any cuts yet. Unprecedented! The tires are a bit harsher riding than cotton sidewall race tires and may not have as much grip, but that's a trade off I'm willing to take. Long live Gatorskins! I hate flats.
I can imagine Gatorskins would be considerably less comfortable in a 23 mm size. Seems like skinny's not buying you much. Gave up 23 mm 30 years ago after one too many flats. 25 mm are considerably more flat resistant without any compromise on speed, IME.
Have used conti tyres for years mainly gatorskins tubular and spinters and compution very good wear in some cases cheaper than pressure's
I've had 23mm folding clincher Gators on my old steel Bianchi for over fifteen years and cannot say enough for their durability and longevity. They are not as fast or grippy as the GP4000s but are better wearing than the 4Seasons which offer similar puncture protection to the Gators with better wet weather grip. I'm told the Hardshell variant does not ride as well and I'd steer away from the wire bead variant which is significantly heavier and prone to breaking out of the rubber casing as the tyre gets older. They can be a bit tight to mount when new but the folding bead seems to both stay in the casing and get more pliable with age. The compound is an older one than the Black Chilli used on the GP4000s and does not seem to be as prone to crazing with age but the threads on the sidewalls on both the Gators and 4Seasons do seem to come loose over time without any obvious consequence. The Ultra Sports and Grandsports from Continental's Asian plant both now use the newer Pure Grip compound and are good for rolling resistance but don't have the puncture protection offered by the Gators, 4Seasons or GP4000/5000 variants. The Gransport does have an "Extra" variant that does offer better puncture protection than the Ultra or the Grandsport "Race" but I'm yet to road test one of these. I have one 25mm Grandsport Race on a bike with a 25mm Schwable 1 on the back and, whilst the circumstances that lead to this combination arising were unplanned, the two tyres seem quite similar in ride, grip, wear, and reliability with no complaints to date but they do not look as if they will have the same longevity as the German made Continentals.
For the first USA L'Eroica 2015, I order 3 for my vintage Gp4 rims. I stretch them on unused rims for a month before glueing, easy mount! No problems on rocky Paso Robles roads 100+ miles in that event, Since then another couple centuries still great.
I'm old school, buy sewups year befor usage and 'age' them on rims, back in the old days, I also coated sewups with a latex solution to preserve the sidewalls. Can't find that lotion today.😢
I love the gatorskins they are very durable and fast. Back in the days i rode them on my track bike. At the moment i still ride the GP 5000 tl 32 mm on my allroad bike since 2 years without any problems. I love Contis cause they very good (not perfect there is no perfect tire) in everything.
My last set of non race tyre was a gatorskin hard shell in a 32. I had had a frustrating spree of punctures and on a bike mechanics suggestion I gave them a shot. No flats in their entire life, they really are excellent if it’s puncture protection one is looking for. My next set of tyres after that was a set of Vittoria Corsas in 25. I was stunned to find them way more comfortable! I kind of figured they would grip better and be faster but wow, made the hard shells feel like bricks. Been on cotton casing tyres since.
My gatorskin tubular shot out from the rim side at 8 atm :(
I have a pair that I got used, with lots of life left. I have found them to be a bit more puncture resistant but I use then to ride on a 75km stretch of road with a lot of little gravel bits. I'm not sure if the tire is that much different as a GP 5000, or if it's just whether I happen to nick a sharp rock or not
I love GP 5000’s. They’ve been amazing and damn they’re fast. I recently bought a pair of Vittoria Corsas 2.0. I haven’t put them on yet because they GP’s still have a tonne of life left but definitely looking forward to giving the Vittoria’s a go.
Have you tried vittoria Corsa? What did you notice after gp5000
I've got a set of gatorz on a bike that I don't ride much. They were grippy from memory but i did find the ride a bit hard even with latex tubes.
The Conti's are very good as an everyday tyre. I put sealant in mine to avoid any road side repair. The best is to pump up the tyre to about 100 psi so it can stretch for a couple of days before fitting. I use Effetto Mariposa tape and it is nice and easy to fit. A 25mm tubular rides very similar to a 28mm clincher.
Conti recommends 143psi for 72 hours.
gator skins are great, after they're broke in. takes about 100 miles to break in. brand new, they feel like a solid peice of plasic. after 100 miles, they're ok. NOT A RACE TIRE!! where i live, gator skins are a must. a flat in my neighborhood may get you robbed, or killed. not kidding. good job on the content 👍
Hey thanks for the kudos 🙏🙏🙏🙏
I had tubulars many decades ago. There were only crap tires in my price range. Today I use clincher Gatorskins. Ever cut open a tubular and patch it? I never looked back!
I have 28mm Gatorskin Clincher tires and they last a longer than stock tires that came with my gravel bike. Ran over some sharp broken glass and no flat.
Conti GP 4 Seasons. I was on Gators for a few years, and switched to the G4S, and haven't looked back. Everyone will have their two cents, and what they swear by etc, but for me it's the 4 Seasons. Grip in all conditions, faster (to my feeling) than the Gators, and far superior puncture resistance. Give em a roll 👌
I ride the regular Conti Grand Prix. Same black chili compound as the 5000 and casing of the Gatorskin plus handmade in Germany...
Still run the Continental 4000 on my steel bike,but on my fast bike i have Vredestein tyres,and i really like the performance
That's what I'm using. Actually, I changed them recently for Continental gator hardshell. They are even more durable. I never punctured either of them.
I average about 8000kms out of my Conti 5000's the best being the latest STR tubeless, easy to install and very fast rolling, much better than the previous TL models.
Continental Gatorskin Tubular have a different rubber compound & tread pattern to Gatorskin Clincher. Its true the clincher version is not great in the wet, also rolling resistance is not the best but has great puncher protection.
The Tubular version are very good in the wet with slightly better puncher protection than Continental Competition & a similar rolling resistance.
Another Tubular tyre with even better puncher protection is "Continental Giro" much cheaper a little harsh ride but you can adjust psi.
As far as fitting on your wheels, its better to dry fit on some spare rims without the glue or tape. I have rims with no hubs or spokes specific for this job. It requires a bit of strength but if you warm tyres to +20°c (room temp) its very easy.
At the moment I'm using Pirelli Cinturato clinchers because the area where I live is full of road works with grit and bits of glass everywhere. After 300km they are going ok with no punctures or serious damage. A new pair of Vittoria Corsa Sped tyres managed 10km before the first puncture. Grip is good but the ride is harsher than Pirelli P Zero which I prefer.
Corsa Speeds must be for velodromes because the standard Corsa flatted way too much for me. I went to the Corsa control for that happy balance I needed.
I like gatorskins and prefer them to Schwalbe duanos. The only thing I have experienced is both tyres can gave sidewall problems if you don’t stop immediately if you get a puncture. If you ride with low pressures the puncture protection layer can damage the side wall.
That said I personally haven’t had a puncture in my last two sets approx 15k miles.
I stretch Continental Gatorskins tubulars (25mm) for several days (or sometimes months) at 120-130 psi on old bare tubular rims and they install easily on DuraAce WH-7900-C35-TU wheels and Tufo tape. I have not experienced any difficulty installing these tires. I use an inexpensive tubular as a spare, such as Conti Giro.
Good news, i always had trouble with them
I quite like Continental Ultra Sports (I use 23 and 25mm) for every day and club riding. I'm not a racer, so that means I like them, period.
I notice these tyres are 22mm. GCN told us last week that we should be riding 32mm. They are away with the fairies.
Yeah there said a lot, you need to believe them because they were wearing white coats 🧥😮
@@waynosfotos I mean they at least don't say that helmets ain't worth sht, like some boomer poms downunda.
I lost the front wheel in a dampish bend on28mm Gatorskins in about 4c temperature. Broke my hip, not the best end to a ride! Spent 4 months horizontal on a hospital bed in my living room. During this time I was in contact via online forums with dozens of of other riders who all had similar cold weather loss of grip crashes on Gatorskins . One comment said so many riders in his club had come to grief that they are now known as skatorskins! I accept not a scientific survey but I will never ride them again given UK winters. That said only punctured once in quite a high mileage. Since I've been riding again using Continental 4 seasons been impressed with the grip offered in colder weather but they are a softer tyre. Currently have a pair of 25mm and 28mm skatorskins gathering dust in my shed, loathe to give them away as I don't want anyone else to join the broken hip club. Safe riding and stay upright!
Steve
Nasty, doesn't get that cold here. 😮
Grip is very important in a bike. I prefer the Contact Urban tyres they are more of a commuter/touring tyre but have way better qualities over the gators. For pure road tyres the Pirelli Cinturato Velo TLR are amazing.
Grip is highly underrated in the cycling community.
Well... my experience with tubulars
Had many tubby wheel sets in the past and many of this particular Gatorskin tubular tires on them
Foe me they were the worst tubby in terms of ride feel of all.
Sprinters on the other hand is my favorite
They roll forever
Guess it's is a matter of preference 😅
On race day I still prefer my tubbies over normal clinchers👌
Use an old rim to mount leave on rim for a few weeks if you can then they mount easy
This is the best all rounder: Michelin Pro4 Endurance v2 is an old tyre, just like the gatorskin, but it's better having tried both. Just as puncture proof as gatorskin (only had 2 flats in 3.5 years... and one of those was a huge nail) and they are decently fast tyres, it sits low at around 14w rolling resistance which is about the same as a Continental Ultra sport III tyre. They are also a bit lighter than gatorskins. I also want to add the grip is *slightly* better on the Michelin's. The sidewalls also seem to flex a bit more giving a more supple ride.
I can't speak wonders about the newer Michelin Power line, as I haven't tried it, but many people don't like the compound.
The pro with the gatorskins is how long they last, they do last a very long time
Michelin lithions or the pro4 service course are good tyres. I've had both before and had no punctures
@@glennoc8585 I've used lithion and had a plethora of punctures, never again.
Gatorskins are great and all but terrible but when you get a bad batch tire, the rubber debonds from the carcass, apparently they're not good for sprinting. One brand new tire did this to me after 3 rides and the last one at 1500 kms. After the 3rd pair I swapped them to Maxxis Re-fuse, it ain't pricey as conti's offers the same endurance & protection as gatorskins & it feels a lot better in the bike too.
I remember durianrider recommending them in one of his touring vids to the Philippines & SEA a few years back. Stuck to them ever since.
What is it with these cuts you mentioned being typical for Continental tyres (5:45-5:55min)? I took those cuts for damages caused by debris I rolled over on the road, so I replaced the tyres, didn‘t want to risk a flat on my next ride. Please, can you comment?
Yeah, I don't know why but continental do seem to get these when other brands i have used don't. It is like the rubber is on tight and it splits. I have even tried to super glue them but they split back. Maybe it is the manufacturing process i don't no, but it is normal.
10000kms and still running with one or two punctures. Tread indicators still remain. New tyres collecting dust in storage. One disadvange though, slightly increased rolling resistance on 700 25.
I kind of went backwards. Went from a 30c tubeless vittoria set up to a 25mm continental gp5000 tube set up. I feel soooo much faster and confident in corners with the 25mm gp5000s.
Me too, went from 25mm back to 23mm, I don’t like the feel of the bigger tyres, kind of feel mushy, and that is the point, to run wider tyres at lower pressures.
@@waynosfotos I always felt cornering with 60psi fat tyres was squishy, and although the grip was nice, It seemed as if under so much deformation, they would decelerate the bike. I might be wrong.
I’m not a fan. I rode Gatorskins on a 1500km ride (LEJOG), but experienced several punctures and one sidewall gash. When I subsequently changed to GP4000s the ride and rolling resistance improvement was astonishing. My full-gas Strava times on a known 10km segment gave me hard evidence. Btw, I did not suffer any increase in punctures. Now I ride Conti5000s everywhere, 99% asphalt and 1% gravel.....no problems.
In my experience gatorskins are "fine" but they don't really offer more puncture protection than any other conti tire.
Good tire, but sluggish. I switched to Michelin Pro4 Endurance, slightly less puncture resistance but significantly lower rolling resistance, a happy medium, on my clinchers. But now you've got be Tubbie curious.
And they smell nice when new. Or is that just me?
Why do non racers attach those sails to their bikes?
I'll preface this by saying I buy and sell a decent chunk of second hand bikes so get the chance to test a lot of different tyres.
My preference is gp5000s/pzeros clinchers with gatorskin being the tyre i hate the most.
They are so damn slow, to me it reminds me of cycling with glue on my tyres. The watts lost when comparing it go a good tyre is astronomical. I very rarely get punctures, last one was over 15,000km ago so that might also be why I don't rate them.
I don't get why people spend $2k on a pair of carbon wheels to go fast, and then put gatorskins on them 🤣
its true, they are slow. lots better after they're broke in. at first they feel like a chunk of rubber, but they do get better with age. still slower than race tires. but u get used to it 🤦♂️
i ride alum. rims mostly. dont like it but the area i live in is ROUGH! so no sense in riding $2k rims. they'll just get messed up. i'll take the $2k and put it towards a whole new bike👍
I have been riding these Vittoria Corsa‘s G+ tires for years hoping I will get a puncture to put on the new ones they have today. I had valve leak took it to the shop to get it repaired and they replaced it with 22 competition tires from Continental. I don’t see the point in those budgets tubulars especially with how difficult the process to glue them on are. Get the fastest tires to train and race. I only ride them in dry conditions. Which looks like it will be a lot more with this climate change.
You train on tubulars????
Always on tubulars, i have no clincher rims.
They are a solid tire, but ride like concrete, but I would not hesitate to put them on a commuter. I rode over 4K miles on my commuter bike with these tires in a 32 and never had a flat, but they have such a hard ride. I would never use them on a road bike unless I it was all could could fine and there was glass and other crap on the road.
I thought those cuts were just broken glass. Now I know.
In the Caribbean we only have Island Tyres, not Continental.🤣
😄🤣😅
5000,s are the best I've ever used
Great tire, but I flat them every 400 miles.
Gatorskins ride like concrete boots…and have terrible wet weather grip.
I never touch Continental Tires. Remember that add in the magazines with that mean old German woman that looked like she could kick your butt with ease, well that just didn't work for me. German products that are sold to the rest of the World are way over priced and I feel those tires are probably the same deal. Just because most people will say they are the best I don't believe it and I don't care. I just jump around to different brands that I find at a price I'm willing to pay, and I won't pay $50 for a bicycle tire. Cyclists who pay $70 $80 and up for bike tires are idiots. I've used those Veloflex tires years ago and loved them when they were new but they never lasted me very long mostly because the roads here would destroy them. For a 23C tire they offered a really good ride.
As a German I can understand you very well. A lot of the 'Made in Germany' labelled products are too expensive overseas and even in other parts of Europe. Here, Schwalbe and Conti tyres are around 30 € cheaper than MSRP and if you look for sales even more.
Dreadful road feel on gatorskins. Sorry ill stick to Corsa's
I lost the front wheel in a dampish bend on28mm Gatorskins in about 4c temperature. Broke my hip, not the best end to a ride! Spent 4 months horizontal on a hospital bed in my living room. During this time I was in contact via online forums with dozens of of other riders who all had similar cold weather loss of grip crashes on Gatorskins . One comment said so many riders in his club had come to grief that they are now known as skatorskins! I accept not a scientific survey but I will never ride them again given UK winters. That said only punctured once in quite a high mileage. Since I've been riding again using Continental 4 seasons been impressed with the grip offered in colder weather but they are a softer tyre. Currently have a pair of 25mm and 28mm skatorskins gathering dust in my shed, loathe to give them away as I don't want anyone else to join the broken hip club. Safe riding and stay upright!
Steve
JFC, Gatorskins are like riding wagon wheels. No thanks.
Most overrated tire ever. Ride them for decades and got more flats than I can remember. Made the switch to tubeless 2 yrs ago and have only got one puncture that didn't seal. Tried Conti's tubeless 5000 and wasn't impressed.