User submitted reviews
Review by Grab
Replaced worn out Conti Ultra Sport III. Rolling resistance higher than Ultra Sport. Noticed a 1 mph drop in average speed over 10 mile daily course that I ride, but I expected this. Otherwise happy with the tire so far. Seems durable and holds pressure well. Good lateral grip going around corners and cul-de-sacs.
This is the most difficult tire to mount - compared to my experience with other Continental tires previously. it took all of my patience and 30+ minutes per tire to get them on. Extremely stiff and tight tire bead.
Expensive, but time will tell if the durability enhances value. I ride 2000+ miles a year, so I won't know for a while about cost/longevity trade off. I expect it to be good.
Review by wah
i've been riding on these tires... it seems like forever. best road tires out there in a world of choices! i rode 246 days in 2020.... that's another story for another time... great handling, traction,cornering, very few flats. great value for the money, and bike tires direct has the best price retail to the end consumer, so what's not to love. for pure road riding, best tire on the market IMHO..... i've got more at my house than most bike shops have in stock. hurry up and read this and get out there and ride... well what are you waiting for... i'm outta here...
Review by Mogg
Training rides, city, suburb, good roads but lots of puncture/cut material. Gatorskins roll very nicely and corner well. High pressure makes for fast acceleration. Cuts are not a problem but thorns, metal wire and other hazards will flat your Gatorskins. This is not unusual even with quality tires like those from Continental but kind of refutes Continental's claim that materials and design in Gatorskins give superior protection from flats. In nearly 1000 miles I've had 3 flats, one from a thorn and two from wire shards (like from a wire brush) that worked their way past Gatorskin's "protections'. Overall I recommend Continental Gatorskins despite my luck on the road versus any other rider's luck with road hazards.
Review by mph66
I got these when they went on sale, and I bought more than I needed at the time because they were on sale. The purchase was vetted by years of using these tires. If I put these on my bike (I'm in the Northeast US and I get in about 4-5k miles/season) I don't get flats. Period. If I use other tires (and I did- one season) it doesn't go well. The year I didn't use CGS, I ended up with 7 flats and had to purchase two [cheap] tires. You get what you pay for. I'll be using these Gatorskins again next year. I won't use anything else.
Review by Randy
I ride 2-3 times a week on a paved bike trail it is generally closed to traffic. I chose these tires because I need durability and reliability for long rides while training for full distance Iron Man races. Knock on wood, I have yet to have a flat tire while using these tires over the course of three Iron Man training seasons. They are a bit heavier and thicker than standard racing tires, however the durability and reliability are more important to me. Highly recommend !!
Review by TDough
Bombproof. No flats for you!!
Yes, they are hard to mount. Yes, they are a little heavy. However, you will not get flats and they ride and grip very well. I am a fan.
Review by mph66
I've been using these tires for years, and they never let me down. I'm over 4k miles this season, and they're still in great shape. I'm 5' 10" and 165. They grip the road well and you can count on them on turns. The only thing that might be a bit of a disadvantage is seating the wire-bead tires on my rim-brake Aksium wheels. Other than that, these tires are basically bomb-proof. I've bought other tires and have gone through ridiculous money spent on tubes. As soon as you put these on, you stop shelling out money. TCO is an important factor for me, in this regard. You pay a little more for these tires, but they'll pay off in the long run.
Review by Millie J
I love this store! I ordered these exact same tires on Amazon and had a flat immediately. In a search for a triathlon suit and I stumbled on the BikeTiresDirect website so I ordered another set of Continental Gatorskin tires from them. Not only was the price better but I immediately saw the difference in product. The Continentals from BikeTiresDirect were made in Germany and the exact tires from Amazon were made in China. The new tires are great! No flats! Thanks For selling quality products.
Review by Rocco
Tough and smooth riding. Perfect for crummy NJ roads
Review by Maj229
I�ve been riding these tires on my tandem and my road bikes ??? for years. They wear extremely well and have great puncture resistance. I would highly recommend them.
Review by Cycling_Gent
After 52,022 miles in 11 years this is the only tire I will ride with. Here in Texas, we have a lot of things that cause flats. Gatorskins have made my rides almost flat free.
Review by HobieOne
I purchased a set of 28mm Continental Gatorskin 700c Road Tire to replace 32mm on my Trek FX4. I replaced the stock Schwalbe tires which I had a puncture the second time out. This is my second set. I had purchased a set of 32mm for a hybrid bike and have ridden on them for two years without an issue. I highly recommend Gatorskins and I have converted two of my fellow riders. Great product and Biketiresdirect.com have been more than helpful.
Review by Anonymous
We've used these for two decades on our tandem and we finds them to be great for that use.
Review by Thee Mig Jants
I live in Wisconsin and ride year-round-about 3k miles annually. Normally I run 28mm or 32mm Conti TouringContact because I like the extra grip on the loose terrains, but the Gatorskins were on special so I went with them for the SpringSummer season and so far no punctures (and the higher PSI makes for faster riding). Smooth and tank-like! I have been through many pools of broken glass, countless construction sites littered with garbage, infinite potholes. No flats! The one consolation with a tire like this for a commuter is that they feel shaky and a little frightening on gravel and other non-solid surfaces. But on a smooth road they are a delight.
Review by Anonymous
I have a tire jack so installing these isn't the issue for me that it is for some folks, they are difficult to get that last bit of bead up and over. I've got these on all the bikes in the house now and between these great tires and our pre-ride inspection to remove any little bits that might work their way to the tube, we're happily flat-free.
Review by Anonymous
As older stubborn cyclist I am reluctant to move to tubeless from tubes, and really why when I run Gatorskins. For me I haven't had any punctures in 2800km with them and I travel on all kinds of surfaces. Not the fastest nor the most comfortable tire, but for me there is no better training tire.
Review by Anonymous
I rarely get flats when I am riding on these tire and normally get five thousand miles.
Review by Anonymous
No flats for years.
Review by Cycling-Gent
After 10 years of cycling totaling over 48,000 miles the Gatorskin is the only tire I use. I live in rural Texas on many rough roads. My first year or two I had weekly flats with sometimes 2 in a day. I was running though tires and money.
After I moved to Gatorskins my flats are almost non-existent. I have run over broken bottles cutting the tire yet still make it home. I normally get about 3,500 miles on my tires. I may change out a tube for a nail, sticker or other puncture YET still use the tire.
Best Road Tire Anywhere! Wait I said that already.
Review by Bandier
Continental Gatorskins are your best bang for the buck. They aren't the cheapest but you definitely get loooong life and very good road hazard protection. They are built with a tougher interior to prevent that intrusive thorn or glass bit that may stall the ride. Yet still give an excellent road control and comfort. Two thumbs for these babies!!!