Michelin carbons or conti gators?

[dm69]

I am interested in buying a set of training/racing tires off probikekit and would like your advice on these two tyres. I was interested initially in the specialized armadillo's however they dont seem to be on that site . My LBS recommended a set of carbons and I must admit I liked them but is the continental gatorskins a better option. Any advice or experiences would be great!

 

[gclark8]

I have a Conti Gator Skin on one training wheel. Rough as guts!!

I have Conti GP 4000s on the other 4 wheels, smooooth azzz...

 

[dm69]

I have a Conti Gator Skin on one training wheel. Rough as guts!!

I have Conti GP 4000s on the other 4 wheels, smooooth azzz...

How long do the 4000's last? I doubt they would be more pucture resistant than the gators. Nothing smooth about repairing punctured tubes.

 

[fish156]

I use UltraGatorSkins (700x28) on the two bikes I put the most mileage on and they have been great. They are lightweight, ride very smooth (I run them at 90psi), and get far fewer flats than any tire I have ever used. I'll try anything, but these have really proved to be my favorites. Another tire that I would like to try, but am having a hard time finding, is the Panaracer T-Serv. They are pretty light and reported to be extremely tough. They are marketed as "messenger" tires. My framemaker says he likes them better than the GatorSkins.

 

[serenaslu]

I used to use the Michelin Carbons (formerly labeled Axial Carbons) for winter riding. They provided fairly good puncture protection, but I was always felt that their grip in wet conditions was very iffy.
I switched last season to the Conti Gp 4-Seasons and was very pleased with them, though I felt that they wore very quickly, particuarly in warmer road conditions; and a bit pricey for a training tire. This year I went the Ultra Gatorskins and also switched to 700x25c (from 23c) for the winter because of the debris. Have been very pleased so far. Hard to compare with the width difference, but I would say that the ride is not quite as good as the GP 4-Seasons but smoother. The weight is a bit more with the Gators as the kevlar bead is only available on the 23c version, but I am using them for training, not racing.

 

[StartTday]

I used to use the Michelin Carbons (formerly labeled Axial Carbons) for winter riding. They provided fairly good puncture protection, but I was always felt that their grip in wet conditions was very iffy..

Funny that you say you that... cause I was the opposite. I originally had a set of Contis and never felt comfortable taking fast/hard turns. I switched to the carbons and have stuck with them since. As far as puncture resistance. I never had any with the Contis, and had a major one with my Michelin's, about a 3/4inch long thorn right through the tire.

But since I feel more comfortable riding the Michelins, I stick with those.