Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!

[drubie]

Only now I've worked out why after a series of "mystery flats".

When they cut, they cut all the way through. When they've done that, the edges of the cuts curl inwards like little teeth to chew on your tube. This chewing means that I now have 3 tubes hanging on my shed wall awaiting repair. I nspected the three other brands of tyre in the shed (a Vittoria Rubino Pro, a Maxxis Fuse and a Michelin Carbon) - none of them exhibited the amount of cutting through the gatorskin does.

Well, enough is enough. The tyre still has plenty of tread but i'm going to bin it and it's useless brother on the back won't be too far off. A rubbish old Rubino Pro (no cuts inside that one) holds up the front now.

A $15 Cheng Shin is a superior tyre in every way.

Never again Mr Continental.

[Mulger bill]

Guess I'll have to wait until I get a cut...

[drubie]

Guess I'll have to wait until I get a cut...

Wait? Just ride in the rain within 500m of a bit of glass, it will be magnetically attracted, slice through the gatorskin unimpeded by the egg noodles the casing is made of, cut your tube and leave a shard embedded in the casing that will slowly but surely saw it's way down j-u-s-t enough that every time you go to the shed, you'll have a flat.

If you do this in the dark, you will be walking home.

Did I mention I hate gatorskins?

[Mulger bill]

Tried that Drubie. Were your the German made or the other kind? What width?

Shaun

[drubie]

Made in Germany?

HANDMADE IN GERMANY!!!!eleventy!!

700x23 Ultra Gatorskin

Constructed entirely from woven human hair, belly button lint from an enormously fat sausage maker called Klaus, the left over shortening from a strudel factory and recycled rubber from an adult toys found by the side of the strasse by an improverished turkish illegal immigrant with 8 thumbs, two fingers and myopia so severe that his glasses are thicker than they are wide.

Guaranteed for life, as long as you carry your bike everywhere. Did I mention I hate them?

[Mulger bill]

Man you got it bad...

I've got the 700x28, let's hope it makes a difference. I better pop out to the shed...

Shaun

[familyguy]

And I just ordered two 27's for the runabout...bugger. I'll ride slow.

Jim

[Nobody]

700 X 23, made in Germany. 1800 Km. Not a single flat.

[rolandp]

I put two of these Continental Ultra Gator Duraskin Road Tyres (700x25) on Wednesday night. Friday afternoon (less than 100ks), flat front wheel. Hopeful this was a once off as I thought these guys are meant to be tough.

[Ant.]

Gatorskin 700x23.

3 flats in 13,000km. I know many other people I ride with have similar reports (km:puncture) as me. I think they're great.

[silkishuge]

Gatorskin 700x23.

3 flats in 13,000km. I know many other people I ride with have similar reports (km:puncture) as me. I think they're great.

+1. No problems for me. I use them and I think they are a good set of tyres.

J

[foo on patrol]

Unless I am missing something in your posts Drubie, I would say you are telling us you don't like Gatorskins.

[Missy24]

Only now I've worked out why after a series of "mystery flats".

When they cut, they cut all the way through. When they've done that, the edges of the cuts curl inwards like little teeth to chew on your tube. This chewing means that I now have 3 tubes hanging on my shed wall awaiting repair. I nspected the three other brands of tyre in the shed (a Vittoria Rubino Pro, a Maxxis Fuse and a Michelin Carbon) - none of them exhibited the amount of cutting through the gatorskin does.

Well, enough is enough. The tyre still has plenty of tread but i'm going to bin it and it's useless brother on the back won't be too far off. A rubbish old Rubino Pro (no cuts inside that one) holds up the front now.

A $15 Cheng Shin is a superior tyre in every way.

Never again Mr Continental.

+1 I hate Gators

I'll stick with my GP's

[brockie2]

Constructed entirely from woven human hair

Therein lies the problem. Obviously pubic hair, hence the curl. Try the straight hair version. I sliced through mine 12 months ago, glued them back together with tarzan grip and am still using them.

[drubie]

I'm afraid to the ride front one - the cuts are slowly joining up!

13,000km and three flats? Where are you people riding, on velodromes? It's impossible to get more than 4,000km out of a tyre in rural NSW (hello, chip sealed roads). IMPOSSIBLE!

However, the tarzan grip is a good idea. I will cut the gatorskin into pieces and glue it back together into a little sign that says "where the sun don't shine shove this" and send it back to continental.

[brockie2]

where the sun don't shine shove this

That would be Germany or anywhere else in Europe at the moment. Have you tried a patch on the inside of the tyre?

[drubie]

where the sun don't shine shove this

That would be Germany or anywhere else in Europe at the moment. Have you tried a patch on the inside of the tyre?

I tried a patch. I tried blobs of glue ranging from contact cement to super glue. None of them are particularly satisfactory because as soon as the inside of the tyre isn't smooth, the tube gets cut up/chewed up at that spot and you get a slow leak/mystery flat.

As far as I'm concerned, that kind of tyre booting is temporary getcha home hackery, not something that should need to be done on any regular basis. The casing is just too easy to cut on the gatorskin despite its name. If an alligator had skins that soft, they'd be made extinct by frogs.

[biker jk]

My experience is that the Gatorskins offer no better (and likely are worse) puncture protection than Rubino Pros. I've picked shards of glass out of the Rubino Pros they haven't led to a puncture thanks to a protective belt but would more than likely have gone straight through the Gatorskins. I've also had the threads peelong off the sidewalls of the Gatorskins.

[rustychisel]

+ 1 for Rubino Pro.

Drubie, this is funny stuff for us readers, bad luck for you

[drubie]

Those aren't threads biker jk - it's human hair.

IT'S PEOPLE! GATORSKIN IS PEOPLE!

madmen blew it all up, it' a madhouse etc.

...and yes, I forgot to complain about the constant hair shedding behaviour down the side, partly caused by running the bastards flat, partly by having to remove them so often.

stinkin paws off my bike yer damn dirty continentals

[kukamunga]

Drubie - you obviously need Gator Hardshells

[Mulger bill]

Still solid when I dragged the Kona outta the shed for the work run, survived a 60m stretch of temporary repair gravel and ten minutes medium rain on the trip too.

You sure you don't use rimstrips made outta Tally Ho Drubie?

Shaun

Now go away or I will taunt you again!

[Boognoss]

Those aren't threads biker jk - it's human hair.

IT'S PEOPLE! GATORSKIN IS PEOPLE!

madmen blew it all up, it' a madhouse etc.

...and yes, I forgot to complain about the constant hair shedding behaviour down the side, partly caused by running the bastards flat, partly by having to remove them so often.

stinkin paws off my bike yer damn dirty continentals

Mmmmm Soylent Gatorskins.

Apart from that can't contribute to this thread because I haven't ever used Gators.

Have GP4000S on the roadie, Sport Contacts on the commuter and Contacts on the SS. Continental on all 3 bikes which is weird . Happy with all so far.

[drubie]

You sure you don't use rimstrips made outta Tally Ho Drubie?

I wish it was that simple. i triple checked the rim tape, changed the tube Friday night, did a little 15km TT yesterday and a 70km Sunday club run this morning - tyre was already starting to flat on the hill home

Now go away or I will taunt you again!

You are so screwed Mulger Bill, the puncture fairy is a harsh mistress

[Pushy]

Got 2 bnwt still hanging in the shed, will probably never use them going cheap. Found Schwalbe Durano Plus. A bit heavier and a fraction slower but run them at 130-140psi and they roll pretty nicely. So far over 2000km no flats (now I've done it!) and wearing well.