ContinentalGator Hardshell 700c Road Tire (Wire Bead)(Return to Product Page)

Using the tire for daily commuting tofrom work. I purchased the 28mm so it would be a little softer and hopefully tougher with rough roads and potholes. I think that paid off. These are comfy to ride and feel great. They're not light but I got them hoping that they were tough against puncures and mostly glass. So far they are functioning well after 6-8 con mutes.

Best tire I have ever had. I have 2500 miles on the set I'm running now and I probably will get at least another 1000 miles. Plus I ride on a lot of bad roads and I have only had 2 or 3 flats.

Very good tire for road cycling. I get anywhere from 3500 to 4000 miles on these tires. No flats.

I use hardshell exclusively these days for 1 primary reason, a lot less punctures. Around central MA many of the roads get beaten up with the winter snow and plowing. There's also lots of wood splinters and sharp things on the road. With other tires, I used to get 4-5 punctures each season, which really sucks. It especially sucks on a group ride. Even when I roll over broken glass and the tire gets a nasty cut it's fine. The only time I've had to change hardshell is when the tread wears out. Whereas lighter tires I've had major gashes that destroyed the tire.

I love these tires, they hold up well and resist puncture. I'm glad Continental finally put some thread gauges in a couple locations so you know when it's time to replace, instead of seeing threads!

I think these will be the only tires I will ride on, they're that good.

I use the Gator Hardshells on a Cyclo Cross bike I convert for use on the road. I have not had a flat in about 3000 miles even thought the roads here in California are poor.

I did have a sidewall blowout on one tire when I first bought the tires. It was kind of amazing since the labels proudly state Handmade in Germany! The staff at Bike Tires Direct were a pleasure to work with and replaced the tire with no hassle.

Gatorskins have become my favorite tire. I have over two thousand miles on them and they really don't show much wear. They're easy to mount, handle all road conditions.

Great grip for a bullet proof tire! Did a ride in the rain the other day with some steep descents and I never locked the back tire once. Even when I tried to!

Here in Soggy Western Oregon, all-year riders endure many months of cold & wet conditions. Changing a flat on the roadside, when the weather is 40 degrees, and solid rain, is especially bad. This tire sees me through an entire Winter season with minimal or zero flats. Several years ago, used on a narrow rim, the Gator Hardshell seemed to lack traction-I didn't like it much. But now, using it on 24mm wide rims, the traction is quite fine. Have ridden these tires on many gravel roads with no issues, as well. Plus, the rolling resistance is certainly acceptable for a training tire. The combination of durability and performance make this an excellent all-condition training tire. Note that the 25c Gator Hardshell will measure 27 mm in width, when mounted on a wide 24mm rim.

I ride a daily, short loop on some pretty choppy roads here in this old copper mining town in southern Arizona,... to keep my mild arthritic knee healthier. An employee of Bike Tires Direct recommended the Continental Gator Hardshell tire after I described conditions here. I have not had any buyer's remorse at all.

Not long after mounting the 700 C's the front tire picked up 2 of those nasty goat head thorns. After reading reviews here, I had learned to wipe the tires down with a rag, inspecting them after each ride, to prevent any road hazards from embedding into the tire. Well, the tires took the two thorns, side by side on the top tread and I easily removed them with tweezers. Much to my delight, the tires renowned puncture resistance kept the thorns from reaching the Kenda inner tubes, which I also had purchased from BTD. No flat!!

I have now been riding the GatorSkins for 6 months or more, and haven't picked up any more goat head thorns, but I am confident that of I do, these babies (which ride remarkably smooth, BTW) will resist flats.

I have a 16 mile round trip commute through town. 2700 miles in 2013 with only one flat because I went through a road construction area one too many times. My route includes pot holes, small stones & pieces of asphalt, railroad tracks, and plenty of other misc bike lane debris. Temps varied from 13-95 degrees. [$] per tire for this performance is a steal.

I should have taken heed of previous reviews emphasizing that these hardshells are impossible to mount. I assumed that the reviewers simply didn't have enough experience in changing hardshell cases...wrong assumption. I have been an avid road cyclist for 20+ years and have changed hundreds of tire tubes, and these Continental Gator Hardshell 700c road tires are the worst I have ever encountered. I broke 4 tire levers and ruined 3 tubes trying to mount these; they clearly were not worth the discounted price that I paid for them. And no, I am not riding on them...they went in the trash.

If you are having problems with recurring flats, then this tire is the one you need. Have had one on my back wheel since September and not one flat...ride about 75-100 milesweek...the ride is a bit harder, but well worth the comfort of knowing you won't get a flat. We have had a nasty winter here on Long Island and the roads are full of asphalt, rock salt, glass, etc., and these tires are standing up to the test.

I commuted 6300 miles last year over rough roads with only three punctures. I normally get 6000 miles out of the front tire and 3000 miles out of the back tire. I have picked up several thorns in the fall, stopped and pulled them out without a puncture. The side wall seems to be the most vulnerable.

I have used this tire on multiple bikes. I always feel confident on long rides that they will perform well without issue.

I hate flat tires and will gladly trade a bit more weight for highly flat resistant tires. That is exactly what these are. They have stood up to two Seattle winters, a full riding season, and just keep going. I have already purchased a spare set.

Great wearing tire. Hardly ever have flats and I train all winter on these in dirty, rocky and rainy conditions. Great tire for gravel as well.

I used to put on Gator tires for winter only, but now use them year round. I pay extra for the folding tires since I have Mavic clincher rims. The wire bead tires are tough to get off and on, especially in winter. I will only buy folding tires from now on. I have a normal Gatorskin (not Hardshell) with 3,200 miles and most of those miles were on the back wheel. So you pay extra but they last a long time.

I am all about NO, flats then roll and grip. I replaced a set of Bontrager hard case tires after 2700 plus miles.

After 500 plus miles on these hardshell tires the roll and grip are much better plus no flats.

I had read other reviews about this tires being hard to install. I found them very easy to install on both rims.

I plan on ordering a back up set in the near future. Plus a replacement set for the wife's bike.

These are great training tire or all around road tires if you would rather be riding than fixing flats. I've gone through several sets of these with zero(!) flats. I've even used them in some longer TT races. Sure can't win if I'm sitting on the side of the road.