Gatorskins

dinyull

Hoping someone can help.

Trying to get a hold of some 700 x 25mm Gatorskins, but ususal suspects (CRC, Merlin, Wiggle) are all sold out in that size.

Can you point me in the direction of someone in stock?

drlodge

Horrid tyres, slippery as hell in the wet. Get some GP 4 Seasons instead.

whoof

Merlin
http://www.merlincycles.com/continental ... 51176.html
Also be prepared for people telling you you don't want those you want something else.

whoof

Beaten to it by 2 minutes

Alpina007

I can confirm that they are slippy in the wet. Had a real fright whilst riding down a hill at the weekend and traction just went completely! Must admit I have never had a puncture though

dinyull

Haha, was expecting it too.

Been riding them for a few years in all conditions and no punctures yet. I'm sure other tyres are lighter and offer more grip in the corners but I value not stopping every few hundred miles to repair a puncture over an extra mph through a corner.

drlodge

Touch wood, I've not had a puncture on my GP4S except for a pinch flat when I went over a pot hole. Same experience as with Gatorskins, but just better grip and ride.

dayvidj

Dinyull wrote:

Hoping someone can help.

Trying to get a hold of some 700 x 25mm Gatorskins, but ususal suspects (CRC, Merlin, Wiggle) are all sold out in that size.

Can you point me in the direction of someone in stock?

Evans appear to have some in stock and I had a pair delivered last week

redvee

drlodge wrote:

Touch wood, I've not had a puncture on my GP4S except for a pinch flat when I went over a pot hole. Same experience as with Gatorskins, but just better grip and ride.

Pretty much the same here, snakebites have been my only let down with GP4S's usually when I'm thinking I'll check the tyres when I get home then within a mile I find a pothole etc to remind me I should have done the tyres before I left for work.

overlord2

A God awful tyre. As someone has just said grip in the wet is non-existent and they are not even puncture proof.

Vittoria Zaffiro is 3 times cheaper with the same crap grip but 3 times more puncture resistance than the Gators.

I can't understand why people think they are good? :?

hypster

Overlord2 wrote:

A God awful tyre. As someone has just said grip in the wet is non-existent and they are not even puncture proof.

Vittoria Zaffiro is 3 times cheaper with the same crap grip but 3 times more puncture resistance than the Gators.

I can't understand why people think they are good? :?

I agree. I can't for the life of me understand why so many people seem to love them. I suppose if you fit any tyre and don't suffer any punctures then you are going to rate them but sometimes that's just down to luck rather than any inherent ability of the tyre.

Without exaggerating I wouldn't fit Gatorskins to my bike if Continental supplied them to me free of charge for life! (which wouldn't be very long on wet roads )

pippi_langsamer-2

Worst tyre I've ever had the misfortune of wasting my money on- this was about a decade ago, and if sounds like they've gotten no better :shock:

If people buy these and think they're a good tyre, they're either deluded or new to cycling or both. I'd go as far as to say they're bloody dangerous.

Do yourself a favour and get some Pro4 Endurance

cycleclinic

I don't like gator skin hate. I ride veloflex's and Vittoria Pave's and GP4000s and gatorskins. I used to like the GP 4 seasons but last year those tyres kept on puncturing. I only got 1000 miles out of those tyres for winter duties. Gatrorskins may not be the most confidence inspiring there is but I have never lost grip and I do push my bike hard in the bends, even in the dark. I use the hardshell tyres as well. They are low cost and reliable which is what many want. Many fellow riders in WSW use them and many of them are not slow. So please stop the hate, there are better handling tyres out there and more comfy ones but I have found they are all more fragile on East Anglian roads. Then again I do ride no matter what the weather is doing which means on those days I need something tough and the gatorskin is that tyre.

The is one really quick chap locally who on the winter training rides rolls up on his winter trainer shod with Schwable marathon plus tyres and proceed to rip all our legs off. Now that is a horrible tyre but hey it does not slow him down.

So pick a tyre that suits your riding needs, for some that will be the gator skin and for others it will be something else. telling people what they should be using does not help at all.

Oh I am not new to cycling far from it.

Anonymous

I always thought people bought them because they are cheap.
Then lots of people have them, and people love recommending what they have, so more people buy them, and so on.

I have not had any puncture issues and only ever use quality tyres.
Puncture thing is a red herring to justify buying a cheap tyre IMO.

Its your contact with the road so why compromise for the sake of a few quid.
Better Contis can be had at good prices these days too.

mfin

drlodge wrote:

Touch wood, I've not had a puncture on my GP4S except for a pinch flat when I went over a pot hole. Same experience as with Gatorskins, but just better grip and ride.

Punctures do depend where you ride though, I was discussing this with a friend who rides GP4000s' in a different place in the UK to me. We worked out in a few mins that he gets about 8 times as many punctures as me for a given mileage and that includes his summer riding whereas I only ride them in winter. (We're close on the same weight and same tyre pressures too)... this means he keeps considering swapping to something with more puncture protection whereas I am just enjoying what for me is a really good and long lasting tyre for the winter.

4000s do have good grip though in most conditions, I don't know about Gatorskins but I've had some Schwalbes that put me on the deck in the wet twice before I took them off and gave them away to someone who had a face that wasn't worth protecting.

ugo.santalucia

If you can't prevent, then cure...

http://paolocoppo.drupalgardens.com/con ... hat-doesnt

meanredspider

Apart from some people questioning the grip (get the "Tech" version if you're in this camp), I think Vittoria Rubino Pros are hard to beat. As fast as GP4000Ss but many times more puncture resistant (especially as soon as it gets damp when the Contis seem to be made of paper). I trust them enough to have fitted them to my son's road bike.

Bordersroadie

GP4S are expensive and as soft as sh1te, cut up and puncture far more regularly than Gators.

Slippy in wet? All tyres are if you corner fast enough.

I'll let you in on an astonishing solution: corner a bit slower in the wet if you're on Gators.

BigLights

I'm a Gator lover - on both my bikes. Amazingly, I've ridden through mounds of shattered glass before, though uh oh, stopped, picked out some rather large shards from the wheel and continued riding. From my perspective, that's pretty cool.

86inch

I'd much rather put up with a few punctures per year than ride god-awful Gatorskins... The miles in between are so much nicer....

drlodge

Bordersroadie wrote:

GP4S are expensive and as soft as sh1te, cut up and puncture far more regularly than Gators.

Slippy in wet? All tyres are if you corner fast enough.

I'll let you in on an astonishing solution: corner a bit slower in the wet if you're on Gators.

Its not about cornering, try going up a steep hill in the wet and having to stand on the pedals. The back wheel will spin.

ai_1

I rode gatorskins for about a year and a half before switching to Conti GP 4 Seasons.
I thought the Gatorskins were fine when I had them and was delighted with the fact I only ever got two punctures (one pinch, one thorn). I occasionally lost traction on steep hills in the wet but nothing that concerned me too much. When these wore out I changed to 4 Seasons, not because I was unhappy with Gatorskins but because I was curious to see if there was any noticeable difference. I've seen no significant difference in puncture performance. Basically I still don't get them - Just one puncture in 15 months with the 4 Seasons (shard of glass). I think the rear tyre may have worn a little quicker than the Gatorskin it replaced but nothing dramatic.
I don't know if 4 Seasons are the best tyre for me but I definitely prefer them to Gatorskins except for the price. I've just ordered a set of GP4000S tyres for my new bike (considered Michelin Pro4 but the 25mm tyres are apparently more like 28mm) and will again see if there's any noticeable difference. Worst case I will stay with 4 Seasons which I know I like or maybe I'll discover I like the GP4000S even more.

Sure, Gatorskins work. However, why stick with something that works when you have the option to try alternatives with a good probability of working better?

jezzasnr

After caving in to pretty much universal recommendations from lads i ride with, I've put some on my winter bike. Probably 1000 or so miles. So far, so good. no punctures, and whilst not as grippy or lively as other tyres i've ridden, they do seem to do all that i want from them. I'm running them at a lower, 15-20 psi than i would normally and they seem fine. Using the 25's up from 23's michelin Pro4.

ai_1

Bordersroadie wrote:

GP4S are expensive and as soft as sh1te, cut up and puncture far more regularly than Gators.

Slippy in wet? All tyres are if you corner fast enough.

I'll let you in on an astonishing solution: corner a bit slower in the wet if you're on Gators.

Yes GP4 Seasons are expensive, I agree with you there. However, I disagree about them being overly soft, easily cut up or puncturing more regularly than Gatorskins. I've had so few punctures with either (3 in just under 3 years, 2 on Gatorskins and 1 on 4 Seasons IIRC with similar mileage on each) that statistically you couldn't say which was better but both are good enough that it's unlikely to be relevant. I ride on a lot of poor roads and in a lot of bad weather although I don't do much riding in urban areas so may get less glass and metal debris than some.

As for your comments about grip. These seem silly to me.
What does your comment mean "All tyres are if you corner fast enough"?
Of course all tyres will lose traction at some point. The whole issue is when that point arrives and if you are conceding it arrives sooner with Gatorskins then you're agreeing with the argument against them whether you realise it or not. "Slippy" is relative.
It's nonsense to say going slower is a solution to poorer grip. It's a workaround, not a solution. Workarounds should only be accepted if you can't find a proper solution or if that solution brings other compromises. In this case the only compromise I've seen with a tyre like the GP4S is some extra cost.

Your proposed "solution" to just go slower is ridiculous. You could make a similar argument about every component on the bike. In fact the same logic could be stretched to the point of absurdity to suggest the solution to all bike problems is to walk. Sure, if you walk you won't have any problems with your bike. Does that make it a rational solution? No, it doesn't.

paul_mck

run gatorskins on both my bikes (good bike + commuter). zero issues with grip and certainly dont spin up in the wet.

folding ones arent too heavy either.

wouldnt feel the need to buy anything else. Ive had expensive tyres and dont see what the fuss is about especially on sportive/commuting runs. Maybe if you are racing or something then it makes more of a difference.

Essex Rouleur

Ive used loads of different tyres, Scwalbe, Vittorias, Michelin, Contis and they have all been good. Ive settled on Gatorskins for my commuter bike purely because they hardly ever puncture and going into London thats a godsend. Ive had one puncture in two years on a set, whereas ive had four or five per year on Schwalbe Zxs, Vittoria pros and Michelin 4 pros. So it depends what you want from them.

In terms of grip ive never had a problem with them, although i would say they arent super grippy or roll quite so easily as say the ZX's or Pro4s but then they arent a balls out race tyre like those either.

If youre going uphill and spinning the back wheel, thats nothing to do with the tyre, thats about weight distribution and putting too much weight forward over the front tyre. Ive spun all my tyres doing this so its not specific to Gatorskins, most tyres will have traction problems with too much power going through them in wet conditions.

drlodge

Essex Rouleur wrote:

If youre going uphill and spinning the back wheel, thats nothing to do with the tyre, thats about weight distribution and putting too much weight forward over the front tyre. Ive spun all my tyres doing this so its not specific to Gatorskins, most tyres will have traction problems with too much power going through them in wet conditions.

Er, its got everything to do with the tyre, since the tyre is the interface with the ground.

I take your point that every tyre will "spin out" at some point, but the Gatorskins spin out alot more easily in the wet than other tyres I've used (GP4S, Pro4 SC, Vittoria Pave). It is also about weight distribution - standing on the pedals puts more weight forwards and so less on the rear, and this is what makes the rear wheel spin. But more grip = less chance of spinning.

brettjmcc

Essex Rouleur wrote:

If youre going uphill and spinning the back wheel, thats nothing to do with the tyre, thats about weight distribution and putting too much weight forward over the front tyre. Ive spun all my tyres doing this so its not specific to Gatorskins, most tyres will have traction problems with too much power going through them in wet conditions.

Disagree, sorry. As with DrLodge. I think Gatorskins are slippery. They lose traction quicker on my training wheels than when I have my Grand Prix (just the normal not the 4000) on the bike with Kysriums on - even when it is not wet! I admit I bought them as they were cheap. As others have said though, learn about your bike and it's components and adjust accordingly. when they go though I may just stick with normal Grand Prix all year round going forward.

ai_1

Essex Rouleur wrote:

....If youre going uphill and spinning the back wheel, thats nothing to do with the tyre, thats about weight distribution and putting too much weight forward over the front tyre. Ive spun all my tyres doing this so its not specific to Gatorskins, most tyres will have traction problems with too much power going through them in wet conditions.

It can happen with any tyre but will happen more easily with a less grippy tyre. If you are agreeing that the Gatorskin is less grippy then surely you must accept that this makes weight distribution more critical on steep climbs. So, it does have something to do with the tyres.
I don't think anyone is claiming Gatorskins are the source of all cycling woes! More grip simply means you can get away with more before things go wrong. If you're convinced Gatorskins are more puncture resistant than others and don't find grip to be an issue that's great. As I said I used them for a long while without complaint. However, I believe there are better options for general purpose riding.

passout

andymcallan wrote:

I can confirm that they are slippy in the wet. Had a real fright whilst riding down a hill at the weekend and traction just went completely! Must admit I have never had a puncture though

Same for me about 4 or 5 yrs ago - perhaps they've changed? Not going to buy any more though.

I like Michelin Pro Race 4 Endurance.

Essex Rouleur

drlodge wrote:

Essex Rouleur wrote:

If youre going uphill and spinning the back wheel, thats nothing to do with the tyre, thats about weight distribution and putting too much weight forward over the front tyre. Ive spun all my tyres doing this so its not specific to Gatorskins, most tyres will have traction problems with too much power going through them in wet conditions.

Er, its got everything to do with the tyre, since the tyre is the interface with the ground.

I take your point that every tyre will "spin out" at some point, but the Gatorskins spin out alot more easily in the wet than other tyres I've used (GP4S, Pro4 SC, Vittoria Pave). It is also about weight distribution - standing on the pedals puts more weight forwards and so less on the rear, and this is what makes the rear wheel spin. But more grip = less chance of spinning.

Then you need to put more weight on the tyre, it only spins if no weight is pushing it down, hence why cars have rear spoilers!
Judging by your profile pic i would say i was right