Conti Ultra Gator Skins

[Allen Foster]

I'm running a pair of 700x23s on my road bike at the moment and am inquiring what sort of life
people are getting from them. I put them on the bike mid November and have since done around 2300
miles and have been pretty pleased. The rear has started to wear out pretty quickly though and the
front and rear have developed smallish side wall tears. Is this normal wear?, I'm normal weight
(12st) and keep them at the correct pressures. I'm gonna replace them soon and am dunno whether to
go for the gatorskins again or something else. They're only used for road training and nothing else,
i.e. speed isn't too important, puncture resistance and grip are.

Thanks,

Allen

 

[Stuart Stebbing]

Allen Foster <[email protected]_THISnewtownbreda.demANDTHISon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> I'm running a pair of 700x23s on my road bike at the moment and am inquiring what sort of life
> people are getting from them. I put them on the bike mid November and have since done around 2300
> miles and have been pretty pleased. The rear has started to wear out pretty quickly though and the
> front and rear have developed smallish side wall tears. Is this normal wear?, I'm normal weight
> (12st) and keep them at the correct pressures. I'm gonna replace them soon and am dunno whether to
> go for the gatorskins again or something else. They're only used for road training and nothing
> else, i.e. speed isn't too important, puncture resistance and grip are.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Allen

I have always found that Conti's get sidewall tears more easily that any other brand. But little
nicks and cuts are normal for winter riding.

I have used gatorskins, but the 28mm version. They appear narrow for there size. But after a massive
sidewall blow out, caused by glass I might add, I have gone back to Vredestein Forezza ROAD 25c. Not
the black tri-comp

They have a rather thick rubber tread and last very very well.

 

[...Who Cares]

I too have recently had a side wall blow-out with my GatorSkins, I've lost confidence in them after
that "Stuart Stebbings" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Allen Foster <[email protected]_THISnewtownbreda.demANDTHISon.co.uk> wrote in
message news:<[email protected]>...
> > I'm running a pair of 700x23s on my road bike at the moment and am inquiring what sort of life
> > people are getting from them. I put them on the bike mid November and have since done around
> > 2300 miles and have been pretty pleased. The rear has started to wear out pretty quickly though
> > and the front and rear have developed smallish side wall tears. Is this normal wear?, I'm normal
> > weight (12st) and keep them at the correct pressures. I'm gonna replace them soon and am dunno
> > whether to go for the gatorskins again or something else. They're only used for road training
> > and nothing else, i.e. speed isn't too important, puncture resistance and grip are.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Allen
>
> I have always found that Conti's get sidewall tears more easily that any other brand. But little
> nicks and cuts are normal for winter riding.
>
> I have used gatorskins, but the 28mm version. They appear narrow for there size. But after a
> massive sidewall blow out, caused by glass I might add, I have gone back to Vredestein Forezza
> ROAD 25c. Not the black tri-comp
>
> They have a rather thick rubber tread and last very very well.

 

[Davep]

Allen Foster wrote:

> I'm running a pair of 700x23s on my road bike at the moment and am inquiring what sort of life
> people are getting from them. I put them on the bike mid November and have since done around 2300
> miles and have been pretty pleased. The rear has started to wear out pretty quickly though and the
> front and rear have developed smallish side wall tears. Is this normal wear?, I'm normal weight
> (12st) and keep them at the correct pressures. I'm gonna replace them soon and am dunno whether to
> go for the gatorskins again or something else. They're only used for road training and nothing
> else, i.e. speed isn't too important, puncture resistance and grip are.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Allen

I have a gatorskin on the rear , fitted 8/1/2003 , about 1600 miles ago. it's showing wear but I
would hope to get another 1600 miles from it. No sidewall problems. I'm 13.5 st , and keep the tires
at 120psi. I'm happy with the gatorskins , the grip is good and they're not too heavy. At 12.99pds
currently from Settle Cycles, www.settlecycles.co.uk , they're good value.

davep

 

[Russell]

davep <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Allen Foster wrote:
>
> > I'm running a pair of 700x23s on my road bike at the moment and am inquiring what sort of life
> > people are getting from them. I put them on the bike mid November and have since done around
> > 2300 miles and have been pretty pleased. The rear has started to wear out pretty quickly though
> > and the front and rear have developed smallish side wall tears. Is this normal wear?, I'm normal
> > weight (12st) and keep them at the correct pressures. I'm gonna replace them soon and am dunno
> > whether to go for the gatorskins again or something else. They're only used for road training
> > and nothing else, i.e. speed isn't too important, puncture resistance and grip are.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Allen
>
> I have a gatorskin on the rear , fitted 8/1/2003 , about 1600 miles ago. it's showing wear but I
> would hope to get another 1600 miles from it. No sidewall problems. I'm 13.5 st , and keep the
> tires at 120psi. I'm happy with the gatorskins , the grip is good and they're not too heavy. At
> 12.99pds currently from Settle Cycles, www.settlecycles.co.uk , they're good value.
>
> davep
>
>
>

I used one bike for almost all my commuting (@100psi) and TTs (@120 psi) last year fitted with 25mm
gatorskins and I think they're brill. Very hard wearing and to be honest they seem just as quick as
the GP3000's I've now fitted - but maybe I was fitter last year

Russell

 

[Andrew Sweetman]

Allen Foster <[email protected]_THISnewtownbreda.demANDTHISon.co.uk wrote
> I'm running a pair of 700x23s on my road bike at the moment and am inquiring what sort of life
> people are getting from them. I put them on the bike mid November and have since done around 2300
> miles and have been pretty pleased. The rear has started to wear out pretty quickly though and the
> front and rear have developed smallish side wall tears. Is this normal wear?, I'm normal weight
> (12st) and keep them at the correct pressures. I'm gonna replace them soon and am dunno whether to
> go for the gatorskins again or something else. They're only used for road training and nothing
> else, i.e. speed isn't too important, puncture resistance and grip are.
>

I've been pleased with my 28s. Went on mid Oct, rear recently came off worn out at 3075 miles, with
only 1 puncture (glass) near the end, front has had 2 puncts in that time, 1 glass 1 thorn. (I'm 13
- 13.5 st, pressures 80-105)

I did find that the rear didn't look too worn until right before the canvas started to show though.

Andrew

 

[Scarlett]

"Andrew Sweetman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Allen Foster <[email protected]_THISnewtownbreda.demANDTHISon.co.uk wrote
> > I'm running a pair of 700x23s on my road bike at the moment and am inquiring what sort of life
> > people are getting from them. I put them on the bike mid November and have since done around
> > 2300 miles and have been pretty pleased. The rear has started to wear out pretty quickly though
> > and the front and rear have developed smallish side wall tears. Is this normal wear?, I'm normal
> > weight (12st) and keep them at the correct pressures. I'm gonna replace them soon and am dunno
> > whether to go for the gatorskins again or something else. They're only used for road training
> > and nothing else, i.e. speed isn't too important, puncture resistance and grip are.
> >
>
> I've been pleased with my 28s. Went on mid Oct, rear recently came off worn out at 3075 miles,
> with only 1 puncture (glass) near the end, front has had 2 puncts in that time, 1 glass 1 thorn.
> (I'm 13 - 13.5 st, pressures 80-105)
>
> I did find that the rear didn't look too worn until right before the canvas started to
> show though.
>
> Andrew

My 25's have done 5000miles usually pumped up to 110psi on the rear and 105psi on the front. About
half that mileage has been done in London on roads littered with broken glass. I'm 10stone. I often
have a lightly loaded pannier on the rack.

I've had 3 punctures in that time - 1 front, 2 rear - although the rear puncture was the same one
twice - I didn't spot the offending bit of glass lodged in the tread.

Judging by the amount of tread left on them, and the small amount of superficial cutting and
tearing, I'm expecting to get at least another 2500 miles out of them, as long as I pick out the
embedded **** from time to time.

I'm definitely getting them again when the time comes. They really do roll very quickly!

Oh yeah, I did swap them over (rear/front) after about 3000 miles.

Regards, Scarlett

 

[Simon Proven]

On the subject of these tyres, I've just got some.

Which way round do they go?

Simon

 

[Alan Moffatt]

Excellent hard wearing tyres, IMHO. I haven't noticed a right way round for them. Oh dear.

"Simon Proven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> On the subject of these tyres, I've just got some.
>
> Which way round do they go?
>
> Simon