ContinentalGatorskin 700c Road Tire (Folding)(Return to Product Page)

This is the smoothest rolling, most puncture resistant tire you can buy, period. It can be a bit difficult to slip on the wheel, but it stays on the rim even when flat ' something that could save your life on a descent. I'm a 8000 mile a year roadie and I normally get 3000 miles on the rear tire and up to 5000 miles on the front. I'm on my 20th set.

These have been so much better than I anticipated or expected. I had heard high praise from friends and fellow cyclists years ago and finally joined the cult a few months ago. I ride to and from my office 4x a week along Chicago streets, which are notoriously littered with debris. Broken glass from lazy sanitation workers to ripped up pavement from constant temperature swings to downed tree branches from spring and summer storms you are bound to run over something. And during this Covid-19 pandemic, you are lucky if street sweepers run down a block once a month. These have taken some lumps and still no punctures nor popped tubes. I cannot be happier with my purchase.

I was looking for alternate tires for my gravel bike since I haven't been riding on gravel much this year. I was looking for something that worked great on paved surfaces as well as local trails with crushed limestone, grass, etc. So far I've ridden a well over five hundred miles and have been very happy with them. They have much less resistance than my gravel tires and because I went with a little wider (32c) tire, they work great on most surfaces. (I'm not a racer...) These tires are extremely difficult to puncture, which is nice. Glad I found the right tires for me!

These have been my go to training tires for years. I recently invested in a set of deep section aero rims (Flo) and went through 6 tire irons and 7 tubes (pinched) before getting feedback from others that Gatorskin is not a good choice for aero wheels. Really tough to get over the rim. I live in Chicago and unfortunately we are resigned to a wide range of rolling surfaces, hence the tendency toward a tough tire. I just purchased a set of Continental 5000s and they are much softer but may require replacement more often. Still loyal to the Gatorskin for my cyclecross bike. Stay tuned ...

I have been using gator skins for the past 5 years, very durable, get great milage out of them, would highly recommend them

I have switched most of my bikes to Gatorskin tires. My first set lasted 10,000 miles. I only had one flat during that time. My only complaint is they are hard to put on and take off. It can take 20 to 30 minutes to change the tire.

The Gatorskins have proven time and time again that a well designed 'tough skinned tire' can keep you riding longer and more often. These tires have the perfect trade-off for weight to strength. Running them for years on 7 different bikes and I would never buy anything else.

I replaced my 25mm with these 28's to get lower pressure and still fit the tires into the frame space. They went on well and are an excellent, softer ride. I went from 100PSI to 80 PSI on the rear, 80/60 on the front, and the bumps are significantly lessened. The rolling resistance is near equivalent. And, I've unfortunately ridden in glass-strewn areas, yet never had a flat, nor anything stuck!

I've rode many miles on many different tires. I bought four gatorskin tires recently, three of which had sidewall failures, the other I'm removing right now because I'm fearful of another failure. With the last failure, the tire still had the Nubs. A sad waste of $110. I was fortunate though, just before the failure I was traveling nearly 40 miles an hour on a 10% grade. When you ride, you need to have confidence in your tires and for that reason I'll never buy a gatorskin again. Please note this is no reflection on Bike Tires Direct.

I run Gatorskins on rear on my Merlin Cielo. Excellent flat protection, good durability and decent ride. Yes, I realize it's heavier than the 5000's, but lets be honest- most of us should loss 10 lbs before worrying about tire weight slowing us down.

I live in an area that has a lot of goatheads and thorns. I tried RhinoDillos but still got a flat, and with all that added extra weight and a very hard ride. So I switched to Gatorskins decent weight and softer, though still pretty hard, ride, due to the belting to make it puncture resistant. I still got another flat, but nothing will completely stop these thorns. I got 5,000 miles out of my Grand Prix 4000's and hope to get similar results from these Gatorskins.

I'm retired, so I usually bicycle when convenient for me, and not with a group. I've owned Continental Gatorskin tires in the past, and they've been very reliable. Having to repair a tire on the road isn't impossible, but it saves a lot of stress not to worry about flats when I ride. I even had an incident where a piece of wire went through the edge of the tire, but was apparently deflected by the Kevlar from getting to the inner tube. I simply pulled out the wire, and continued on my way. The Gatorskin likely isn't the fastest tire available, but speed isn't my highest priority when riding.

Love these tires. Always use them. When they arrived, there was a slight manufacturing defect in one of the tires. I called up bike tires direct and within 2 days had a new tire. Excellent customer service!

These tires are versatile: fine for training, for short triathlons, and for multi-day rides. Speed seems to be okay. Toughness and durability on rough roads is remarkable. Look for periodic discounts.

Like to keep up with training while on vacation but not loose valuable time with the family (fixing flats). No flats so far on roads frequented by many construction-type vehicles hauling tire unfriendly objects.

Go-to tire for training rides. Very rare to get a flat, though it does happen occasionally; particularly with staples and other wire objects. A bit difficult to put on my carbon wheels but a recent purchase of a Kool Stop lever has made it much easier.

I always get Gatorskins or hardshells when they are on sale. They hardly ever get flats compared to other tires i've tried...

Been using Gatorskins close to 20 years now. After 8 flats on the Bicycle Tour of Colorado early 2000 time frame, I was less than 2 miles from finish. I had my 9th flat. By chance, a rider I didnt know, sensing my frustration, told me about Gatorskins. Said he puts a new set on every year b4 that tour. "Very Happy" he stated. Ive been using them ever since.

Gator skins have been on my bike for years, dependable and good ride

Love these tires. Always use them. When they arrived, there was a slight manufacturing defect in one of the tires. I called up bike tires direct and within 2 days had a new tire. Excellent customer service!