Excellent product. I have use other brands but I always get back to Contis, they are the best tires in my experience. I wish they would last longer and be less expensive but other wise great product.
Finally found a tubular I can trust! Being new to tubulars I went with another brand. Had troubles right off the bat with small punctures but was able to patch with sealant, however that was problematic as it gunked up my valve stems making it hard to put air in the tire eventually. Finally had to walk home about 8 miles and that did it! Replaced with these and several hundred miles later no probs whatsoever! I still carry sealant but haven't had to use it yet. I ride both clinchers and tubulars and will be buying Continentals for both now!
I am 200lb triathlete using these in 25mm for racing 40K. Very nice looking tire. However, at 22-23mph they get noisy and the front one had a vibration un-attributable to the wheel or road. I was only running them at 135psi. Any higher than that and much worse. Avoid these for race speeds.
Excellent shape. Uniform, smooth and round. Superior construction. Sticks well and is fast especially at higher pressure. Can go to 175 psi. Light and Quiet. Not the best for training on American roads which are not well maintained. Punctures fairly easily.
I literally never have flats with these, though I do wear them out especially the back. Best to get a bunch of these when on sale. Get the Tufo tape when on sale also. It's a lot easier install them with the tape, not glue (and tape works well). The easiest is the Tufo tape (removes most easily) but 3M VHB Heavy Duty Mounting Tape (5952 Black, 34 in x 15 yd 45 mil) works great too though harder to remove used 3M tap (I usually get two mounts out of the 3M tape). Be sure to mount them on a rim and bring them up to max pressure overnight to stretch them (don't hand stretch them). Definitely use orange seal and you'll be good to go.
We use these as an everyday/every occasion tire. It hasn't let us down yet. I prefer Conti tires when it comes to mounting. They have a snug fit and the cotton backing isn't coated in wax so it absorbs the glue easily (requiring more glue but at least you know it is good).
Placed them on my Road racing wheels....what a difference in confidence for the tight turns, as well as, the fast descents here in the Colorado mountains..
Definitely will run these...
Especially the 25mm version in combination with new wide rims like ZIPP Firecrest a very comfortable yet fast choice - also for winter rides with bad road conditions and a lot of stonesgravel in your way. Nice all year training tubular - I clearly prefer 25mm over 22mm.
This is the only tubular I buy due to the fact that I am a fast recreation rider that can hold my own and have some KOM on Strava. I ride about 200 miles a week and this is the only tire that holds up for a long time. Love it. Ive tried lighter, but hate the lack of wear of them. I ride these on my daily ride wheels.
I recently decided to take my 1983 Pinarello and it's Mavic GP4 sew up wheels out of mothballs. I was looking for durable tires as well as legendary sewup comfort and handling. These Gatorskins did not disappoint. I have only about 200 miles on them so I can't speak to longevity but so far they have been great. They are very difficult to mount on the rims, though.
Even on an older bike (Peugeot PX-10) they perform quite well, adding plushness to an already comfortable and fast platform. At high pressures (over 150 psig) they accelerate well without giving up too much in the way of compliance. Wish I had these on all my bikes.
