Continental Gatorskin 700c Road Tire (Folding)

I have been riding on Gatorskins for about 15 years. I live in Wisconsin and bike three to four thousand miles a year. I have never had a flat. Good rolling resistance with a life expectancy of four to five thousand miles.

Tuns out REI sells the tires for the same price and members get dividends with purchases. Previously, Bike Tires Direct were less expensive but not now.

This tire (and the "Hardshell" version are my tried and true favorites for long recreational and endurance rides. I have thousands of miles on these tires and still don't worry about punctures, which are a big issue where I typically ride. Even tho they are slightly heavier and stiffer than some other rubber, it is way more than worth it... they ride smoothly and efficiently, and are durable enough that I save a lot of dirty/wasted time on a ride when I get a flat. Great buy!

The gatorskins are great all around tire. Good grip, pretty quick and tough as nails. They're not as light as Conti's race products (which are awesome as well) but for everyday riding these tires can't be beat. When Bike Tires Direct runs a special, they're even more attractive. Buy three because the rear wears about two to one, and always but a new set of Conti tubes. Because you don't want to be "that guy" who is always holding up your buds fixing your stuff!

Mounted a 27 x 1 1/4 on an old, but in good condition steel wheel. Inflated it to about 90 or so. I guess the capacity is 85 or so? Blammo as I rode like my first or second ride. The ex;plosion hurt my ears! I'll put the review at 3 stars because the Gatorskin enjoys such a good reputation and the other tire is working fine. I don't run a tire liner with it like I do all the rest of my tires. No flats yet. Also not reviewed higher because the tire is so big! It's kind of balloon like despite being labeled the size I ordered.

I live in New Mexico - so tumbleweeds / thorns / goat heads are everywhere I ride. The Continental Gatorskins have made significant difference. With regular tires I was constantly getting leaks, hoping the sealant would plug it up and get me home. The thicker, tougher Gatorskin tires have made a difference - I have over 700 miles since purchasing (so far), no punctures or leaks.

I am very happy with the price and speed of service from Bike Tires Direct... I've made several purchases from them and every one has been great.

Gatorskins are my go-to tire for training rides. After 50 years of biking I've been through a lot of tires and have learned that cheap is not better. Gatorskins wear well, give very good flat protection, are good in all weather conditions. They handle very well and give the rider one less thing to worry about. Comparing the folding Gatorskin to the wire bead model doesn't leave much to say. The weight difference is no issue and road performance is the same for both. Mounting the folding vs. the wire bead is another non-issue. So, the only thing I see in difference is the ability to fold one Gatorskin smaller than you can fold the other which means if you ever need a spare TIRE for a long ride the folding has an advantage.

I would recommend either Gatorskin to any rider from the Casual Cyclist to the Racer. It's intended use and best application is every ride except where your level of competition demands ultra-lightweight gear.

I have a lot of goat heads on and around the roads and landscape that I ride through. These tires are one of the few that I have found to reduce the number of flats that I get.

When using other tire brands I was constantly having flat tires. These Gatorskins have sharply reduced the flats.

Folds to compact size, easy to take on road trips. Long lasting.

It's the only tire that I have on my 2 bikes. Over the years I have learned that this is the best flat protection that you can have. i encounter a lot of broken glass in our city bike routes and this tire is just the best for that.

Ive used Gatorskins on my road bike for the past 3 years. Besides mounting them on the rims because they are a tough tire is worth it. I ride roads and paved trails that are seldom cleaned and they take pretty much everything. Only a direct hit of a nail or screw can get through these things and they last a long time. About 2k on my last one. Highly recommend for commuters that need security in a tire.

Ive ridden with these for over 11 years. Only had 2 sidewall failures. Typically, I get up to 1000 miles on the rear and up to 4000 miles on the front before I change them out. The foldable tires go on and off of the rims much easier than the wire beads. I use them on all of my bikes.

I DO A LOT OF BIKE TOURING AND LONG ENDURANCE RIDES AND GATORSKINS GIVE ME THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. THEIR REALLY STRONG YET LIGHT ENOUGH FOR GROUP RIDES WITH MY FRIENDS. I'M A 300 MILE A WEEK RIDER SO RACING TIRES AREN'T AN OPTION BECAUSE OF THE LOW FLAT PROTECTION AND LOW SERVICE LIFE. I RAN GATORSKINS ALL LAST YEAR AND ALL THIS YEAR AND I ONLY GOT ONE FLAT WHICH IN ALL HONESTY I CAN'T BLAME ON THE TIRE. I WAS RIDING DOWN THE HIGHWAY ON THE SHOULDER AND RAN OVER SOME WICKED METAL RE-BAR THING THAT FELL OFF A SEMI. I SAW IT BUT DIDN'T BOTHER GOING AROUND IT. IT PUT A BIG SLICE IN THE TIRE BUT ONLY A PIN-HEAD METAL SPIKE GOT THROUGH. THEY'RE MY GO TO SKINNY TIRE FOR THE FOR SEEABLE FUTURE. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A GATORSKIN 35C IN THE FUTURE THOUGH FOR GRAVEL RIDES.

I use the tire on a Easy Racer Goldrush. It rides great with lots of grip even on wet streets, but also lasts a long time, about 6000 miles. I am very happy that it nearly never gets a flat and areas I ride can have all kinds of road hazards like glass, thorns etc.

I received the tires in only a few days with free shipping. Bike tires direct is a good company, I did receive 1 tire that was defective, sent a picture as requested and a new replacement was received 2 days later! Can't ask for better then that.

fast delivery, great price, great product

I live in live in goat head country and need protection against flats or I will flat with every ride. Gatorskins offer a decrease in flats without a large loss of feel of the bike.

I was getting flats on a weekly basis so I started shopping for tires. Since I got these about 6 weeks ago, I have ridden probably 600 miles without a flat. They handle well enough as far as I can tell, although I live in the desert so I can't comment on how well they handle in the rain.

I have been using the Continental Gatorskin road tires for several and have them to be reliable and a durable tire.

I would categorize these tires as training tires. They don't roll as nicely as a race tire, but they provide better than average protection from flats. I've been using this model tire for over 10 years and they have a pretty good track record for resisting flats. If you are reading this and think like I do and want pretty good protection, I recommend buying these tires. I do keep a built up carbon fiber wheel set with Pirelli tires for going fast and I put Continental Gaterskins on the aluminum wheelset for my training and long distance rides