Just switched the tires on my tandem from a 28c gator to a 32c GP5000. Flat resistance aside, the ride is so much smoother & really felt faster. But bikes always feel faster when we put on something fun and new;-)
Like you, I value puncture resistant tyres over weight. I have an even more puncture resistant Conti tyre than the one you use: the Gatorskin Hardshell. I've never had a puncture since I fitted them in 2020! As an Aussie, I appreciate that you talk in metric (with US conversions). Too many American RU-vidrs don't appreciate or consider that their audience includes people using the metric system outside of USA.
I used the 23mm Gatorskins for almost 10 years, then a great guy at Perry Rubber Bike Shop in Savannah convinced me to try 26mm S-Works and I was reborn. Freed from the tyranny of tires stuck in maple syrup… now am using 28mm GP 5000 because that’s the biggest I can fit. They seem to be best performance v cost v puncture resistance for me around the Beaufort, South Carolina area.
I’m moving from gp5000 to gatorskins. Utah has truckloads of goat heads. The bane of cycling here. 5000 sidewalls are weak. Gatorskins walls are stiffer. I used to buy 5000s for all my bikes. Not now. Gatorskins are much less expensive but more resilient to goat heads. I still get flats but not as many. Besides I’m an older cyclist. Hands are getting weaker to try to mount the tires. I use hand sanitizer to help me get the last part of the tire over the rim. I don’t race. I ride3-5 hrs at a time and prefer riding to changing a tire. Great vids. Keep’em coming
I put in about 200 miles a week and been using GP4000 II’s exclusively. However on south Texas’s chip n seal asphalt roads they get shredded up after 2-3000 miles. I switched to Gatorskins and only had one flat in 6 months. Although I use latex tubes and they made a huge difference over butyl the Gatorskins did slow my average speed down by nearly 1mph. I recently switched to Grand Prix 4 season after reading up on how they’re the best of both worlds. And well, they are… 😎
Gator skins for me. You do not want to be changing a tube on the side of the road where I live. Especially if your on a nice bike. Good way to get hit in the head with a stick or worse
GP 5000 all day, all year for me. Don't have any problems with flats. I did have a series of pinch flats while I was finding a good pressure to run, but have been great.
@@wagwanyute with 28mm I run 85psi. With 25mm I run 90. Front tire 2 psi less then the rear. Keep in mind your weight. I weigh 145 lbs or 66 kg so you need to adjust accordingly.
Tire Pressure is also dependent on rider weight. Too low a pressure will result in pinch flats. I just switched from the gator 28c to gp5000 32c and the ride quality is significantly better on my tandem. Combined rider weight is 420lb and I run 105psi in the tires.
I'VE just wintered 6000 miles on gatorskins around phoenix, Az, usually about 300 miles between flats - desert thorns and burrs are bike killers; gatorskins or no... I'm swapping next year to a faster tyre just to see if a higher pressure narrower road tyre beats the gators... they are kinda shit in the rain given the low tread, and the side o gatorskins are very sensitive and thin - got several flats from pickers that got through the tyre sidewall.
You're right.. if just going for a workout, go for the more robust tire. I ran the Conti TopContact tires for this reason.. big bulky and heavy, but bulletproof.
I've never known anything but GP4000's and now 5000's because that's all I've ever used. I'm fortunate enough that the roads I ride are pretty clean and I just don't get flats. My only problem with the Conti tires in general is getting them on and off the rim. As far as flat protection, I do get little cuts in the tread sometimes so I probably do replace my tires more often than some people. I don't wait till the tread wear indicators are gone. Another indicator is when the rounded outside diameter of the tire starts to flatten because of missing rubber. I figure the more rubber there is between the inner tube and the road, the better.
If you do get a flat with a Gatorskin you may struggle mightily remounting them on the side of the road. Conti 5000GP are pretty robust. I hardly ever got flats with them. And you are giving up a LOT of watts with Gatorskins. Personally, I run Pirelli Velo Road.
HI! I'm choosing tires now and can't decide. I plan to ride in city, highway and light gravel/light forest trails. I'm choosing between the Continental Grand Prix 5000 All Season TR 32mm and the Continental Grand Prix 4 Season 32mm. What can you recommend? I had experience riding the GP 5000(25mm). Good tires, but I didn’t go on gravel because my weight is 100 kg and at a pressure of 8 bar it was very uncomfortable. And it is very strange that the new GP 5000 AS weighs more than the old, but more durable 4 seasons. Perhaps someone had a similar experience?
The all season version.. it’s the way to go… between the other two. about as tough as gators. Yet rolling resistance is much much less than gators. All seasons are a faster tire, just not as fast as 5000. My previous comment about tpi… tpi is very misleading.. google that when you have some time. Way too complicated to elaborate here.
For the same reason I started to use Conti UltraSport 3 - already made 4500 km and they will last longer for some more mileage. Cost is about 15 EUR (17 USD). The best cost/value ratio by now.
I ride Gatorskins in the winter and GP5000’s in the summer. Punctures are much more likely in winter in the UK, due to wet roads, which have thorns and flints washed onto them, hence the need for greater puncture protection in winter.
I've ridden both, and even a combination of the two, the Gatorskin is one tough tire, the GP5000 is no weakling though... but Gatorskin almost never punctures, for me anyway.
GP5000 is new technology while Gatorskin is old technology. That's is why GP5000 can get away with using less rubber without compromising puncture resistance.
Hrmmm, I switched to Gastorskins and immediately had two flats on two different tires. I learned that keeping my tires at the right pressure for my weight is FAR MORE important to avoiding flats than the type of tire I run.
I'm actually a 23mm convert. I was running hutchingson gold carbon comp. Which actually was a great tire. Almost no rolling resistance. I can't find that specific tire anywhere online. In 500 miles I've gotten 4 flats on the rear and none in the front. Recently I've switched to 28mm Gators. Tbh I don't know exactly the fuss is about. Coming from 23's the biggest difference is my confidence in cornering. They actually roll rather well. I was able to climb to over 30mph without getting out of the saddle. Which was a huge thumbs up because with my 23s I usually would have to sprint. So I think I'm experiencing more of a size difference than the actual tire. I will try out the 5000's later. If I notice a difference in ride quality it'll be a huge plus, because so far I love these tires.
I have ridden 20,000 miles on Gatorskins. I try other tires and keep coming back. I agree with your flat protection summary, but also Gatorskins last almost 3500 miles, where the GP5000s only last 1200 miles.
I head to Tuscon in a couple months, so plan to switch from GP5000 to Gatorskins. Any recommendation: GatorSkins hardshell or regular Gatorskins? Thanks! KB
Good information. However, a bit painful to hear because of the up and down in volume sound, sorry. I'm using the normal Continental Grand Prix (not 4000, not 5000) and they are quite puncture resistant. Their new black chilly compound mixed with PolyX breaker is a very good combo. They are also durable, they look like new after a few hundred miles on mixed tarmac surfaces.
The tpi doesnt mean that there is less or more thread or less or more rubber. It just has to do with how much thread is in a sq in. A high tpi means more threads per sq in. And yes,, finer thread is more supple. But not means the gator skin has more rubber. The gator skin and 5000 have pretty much same amount of rubber rubber in the sidewall,, it judt the gatorskin is less supple due to coarser thread. The rubber contrnt is not due to tpi. But yeah overall the gp5000 is for meant for eacing, not everyday riding. When used for training the gatorskins are a better option between the two. But some people dont mind the extra stops for flat repairs lol. And when running tubeless? Yeah youll still have more ride stopping flats on 5000s. I know. Lol
Like you said, both tires have their use case and I've ridden both. For me, the middle ground Continental Ultra Sport 3 or Goodyear Eagle Race seem perfect. Both deliver a great riding performance and are still puncture resistant enough for my usage. They are also a bit cheaper.
Try a Chaoyang tyre like the Viper Duro they still use kevler rather than a nylon breaker @ 120TPI and way better value. TPI is not always equal as some manufactures count it differently. Its been well documented that 120 tpi is optimal. Gatorskins use 3x 60tpi clothes to achieve 180tpi so its not a true 180tpi tire . A tire with 1 layer 120tpi would be better/stronger.
I have tried both, and the difference is abysmal! Having said that, I stick with Gatorskins because I ride fixed-gear, I need a thicker compound to brake safely without having to worry too much, and just like you said, I am racing no one.
@@cyclinginsoutherncalifornia They're not lying, per se. Conti quotes their TPI as a sum of its layers. So 330 TPI is really 3 layers x 110 TPI. Gators are 3 x 60 to come up with 180. Other manufacturers quote their TPI for a single layer, so a 120, 220, or whatever would have much finer threads than Conti's 330, all else being equal.
I rode gatorskins on my commute for years they're ok but past a certain point you can't walk out the door without getting a puncture. Once you get half a dozen cuts they're done.
I had the conti gator skin on my fourth ride yesterday and the side wall blew out on the most perfect smooth straight away only lasted a month good thing my buddy had a spare on him conti 4000 my favorite and it was a better ride than the gator skin now I’m waiting for the conti 5000 to arrive any day
I used to ride the Conti GP5000's and they only got a flat after the tire was worn down and it took more than a year. I think they are always neck and neck with how the reviews go with gatorskins. I have seen more torn Gatorskins where the rubber almost slides off in pictures. I did notice that the gp5000's are not very good on snow or ice, rain is not bad. I just ride fixed gear though and I use skidding to stop. The people from the pictures with torn tires also skid. also worth looking into lighter tubes for weight. This way you can even go for the Hardshells.
Honestly, I use GP5000. I love them. I learned I cannot ride with my lock when using my gp5000 due to the roll resistance being so low, I prefer to ride my gator skins when carrying my lock.
For the past 14 yrs or so I've ridden mostly Gatorskins. One thing I don't like about them is that near the bead of the tire threads break and start peeling off the tire. Sometimes those threads get caught up in other parts, such as the quick release skewers, rear derailleur, and cassettes. I don't know if that weakens the tire or not. I noticed the same thing for Conti 4000. I've never run 5000s so I can't say if they have this issue.
Im using Gp5000 and GrandSport Race(same rubber with ultra sports,almost no protection); Gp5000 is definiteley more puncture protective and solid than GrandSports. But my last ride very big glass cut Gp5000 deeply. It bring me home with new inner tube but gp5000 has a big cut and it need fix before use again. I didnt use any Gator, they will be good training tyre.
I rode Gskins for years. Yes, they are durable but for me they always felt rough and grip was suspect when wet. I upgraded my wheelset and went tubeless. Never going back.
I loved the GP 5000s, well until one winter ride when I slashed side of tyre going through a creek on glass. Hands were too cold to fix the tyre so walked 1km to a nearby cafe to warm up then change the tube. After that day I decided I’d be faster if I didn’t have to fix flats & changed to more puncture resistant tyres. Gator skin hardshells would come back even with chunks of glass in them and never flat.
Just purchased a Canyon Aeroad which comes with GP5000’s , Ive covered 300 miles and had 4 punctures so have purchased some gator skins and will stick with these until the condition of our roads improves. Can’t really blame the 5000’s as our roads are terrible at the moment.
I had a Ultrasport III and GP 5000, both of them was broken during the city ride, that all... From now I planning to use gatorshell tires... Thanks for your video!
@@cyclinginsoutherncalifornia didn't really expect a rhetorical question to get a bite! 🤣 Ended up in A&E with a broken arm due to a fall caused by sliding on a wet metal grate in poor conditions. The gatorskins definitely didn't have my back, moved to contact urbans now I fear no weather!
In theory, a 120 TPI fabric is twice as dense as a 60 TPI fabric, but in reality, however, the treads used for a 60 TPI casing are much thicker than on a 120 TPI casing which means that it is a lot less fragile and more resistant to cuts. The wider spacing on 60TPI treads, however, need a much higher rubber penetration in production to be air tight for tubeless setups. This adds additional weight to the tire, but also higher puncture protection due to the thicker rubber coating compared to 120TPI fabrics. There are many factors that contribute to the durability of a tire, and casing TPI is certainly one of those factors. However, when considering a tire, TPI must be viewed along with tread thickness, compound, aspect ratio, etc., which all work together to prevent punctures. If you are simply comparing a higher TPI material (such as 120) to a standard TPI (such as 60) material, the higher TPI does provide less protection, particularly in terms of impact resistance. This is due to the cord thickness being smaller (more threads fit into one inch), which typically sacrifices a bit of abrasion resistance for higher flexibility and lower weight. In applications where lower rolling resistance and weight are the key goals, higher TPI will typically be used. In applications where durability comes first, lower TPI may be used. It all comes down to the intended use of the tire, and what the project goals are. Often times you will see a higher TPI used with additional sidewall protection, which offers a balance of both traits.
I have been a dedicated Conti Gatorskin user for many years and it has been 100% about the durability and flat protection. Generally they have never let me down. After hearing more and more about rolling resistance for the past season I decided to run Gatorskins on a set of aluminum wheels and then GP 5000 on my set of carbon wheels. I split my riding between highway/street riding and then a lot of riding on a very nice paved bike path. Whenever my route was more suspect on conditions I would opt for the Gatorskins. I could definitely feel the difference between the two rides, however, I did not try to do any type of testing between the two since the wheelsets were so different. I was very pleased with the durability of the GP 5000 tires as they had no flats across the season. For this next year I am doing a bike (and wheelset) upgrade, however, I will be using the same setup. The only change I will be making is to go from standard butyl tubes to trying the setup with latex tubes to see if I can notice a difference.
Curious if you will be able to tell the difference. Back in the day when this first became an option I could not tell a huge difference but I was also using a low tpi avocation tire. Will likely make a difference with a higher quality tire like the gp5000.
I've been using GP5000 for the last three years and am absolutely satisfied with the puncture resistance. They're not ideal tires, the sidewalls being quite weak, but they roll very well, have ample puncture resistance and are quite grippy. I don't know how they compare to the Gatorskins but what I do know is that the only puncture I suffered these last three years was done by the sharpest nail ever to pierce a tire and nothing could have survived that.
I’ve had great puncture resistance using GP5000s. My wife uses them as well. We’ve had one flat between us in three years. I use the gatorskins when doing endurance rides with my wife to slow me down. I use under inflated 32mm gators instead of 28mm gp5000s to generate an extra 40w on my average ride with her.
Nice informative video! I've had the Gatorskins 700x25 for 3 years. Replaced with Pirelli P-zero 700x26. Instant regret. The Pirelli's are far skinnier than the gatorskins and lack comfort. I am going back to gatorskins.
Continental 4 Seasons gives you the best of both worlds, at least in my view. I got punctures with the 5000 every other week (or it felt that way), worse than the 4000. The 4 Seasons are NOT for gravel, and if you have really bad roads, you'd better with Gatorskins. But if you are looking for a reliable training tire, you shoud try the 4 Seasons.
I dunno, I never had fast rolling tires. That's exactly why I'm here, I want informations. I'm still tempted to go with GP 5000 just to see how it feels for once. Also, I dunno if you're looking for feedback but your audio is all over the place and the lady talking being way louder than you which is annoying. Thanks for the video.
Put a 35c removable core tube with sealant inside the 28c 5000 tire, get the smooth ride quality, and sacrifice some weight. The reliability is worth it to me. gator skins are pretty good to, it is nice to just go ride and not have to worry about flats.
I have two road bikes: Spesh Creo SL and Spesh Roubaix. I really liked the color on your Roubaix. However, I have noticed some differences. My Roubaix is carbon and non-electric. But I've noticed I get more watts and speed on the Roubaix even though I may be faster on the e-bike. That one has Gators. True. I do fix more flats on the Roubaix with the 5000. But they are a nicer tire. I ride the Creo in the winter. Snow, rain. Doesn't matter. So, BLUF: I like both kinds of tires. And will probably keep them that way.
Arizona rider - almost 100% Gatorskins. I usually get a 3:1 rear to front ratio for replacements. Sometimes I can get the rear to last a little longer if I use a hardshell. The Gators are really nice and I get ton of miles on them. I still get flats from time to time, but it's not bad. I needed to replace both a few days ago, which led me to this page. I had a GP4k2s laying around and put that on the rear and bought a GP5k for the front. I thought I would switch it up for fun. No doubt about it - the racing tires are great! They feel better on the road. They corner better. They stick better. They roll faster. It's just a better tire all around in every regard but durability, which is why I'll probably go back to Gators after this little experiment.
In theory, if there was less crap on the road, we could all use silk tires, but the GP4ks are still decent protection, so I guess you'd have to see how you do over time. Thanks for watching and subscribing!
I have lived this dilemma since moving to the Bay Area in 1996. The two-lanes around here are great for cycling - all the commuters and shoppers use the freeways. And the roads have decent shoulders. But they are NEVER cleaned, with the result the shoulders are covered with shards of broken glass, metallic debris, even goat’s head thorns. I had one flat after another until I switched to Gatorskins. Though my Specialized Tarmac SL2 is very light, I did not notice a lot of added weight or rolling resistance with the Gatorskins Late last fall it was time for a new set of tires. I hadn’t had a flat for years spent, so like an idiot I ordered GP5000s and I installed them after Christmas. My SECOND ride with these 5000s, summiting a crest of immaculate asphalt, against all reason I experienced a rear puncture. Once home I could not find the source of the puncture. The new Michelin latex tube had a tiny penetration in the middle of the tire’s contact area with the road. I used all the old cyclists’ tricks but could not find a puncture in the tire. Nevertheless I have no doubt it happened during the ride. I installed the 5000s myself and was certain there was no debris between the tire and tube. And when that tire gave way during the ride, it was a dramatic deflation. I’m retired and 73 years old so despite being in decent shape, changing a rear flat, as the sun is setting and a cold wind is coming in from the Bay, is quite a bit more disruptive than it used to be. I pondered the situation and knew a set of Gators that if I stuck with the 5000s, even if I never had another flat, I’d be WAITING for one with every bit of debris I encountered. So I took a deep breath and ordered a replacement set of Gatorskin Hardshells, which I’ve had before so know they are by racebike standards they are fairly massive. After the 5000s the Gatorskins felt fine. I did not notice a tangible increase in drag or rotational mass. When I was switching the tires, I noticed the Hardshells were so much thicker and harder in the road-contacting region than the 5000s. It cost me $100, and my situation won’t apply to everybody, but for my purposes the Gatorskins are more than worthy of the trade-off in performance over the 5000s.
I live in the Bay as well so I know all about those road shoulders. This video and your story just convinced me to get some gatorskins after dealing with a curse of flats on a set of continental 4 seasons thanks John keep shredding ✊
Totally agree, I rate puncture resistance over other criteria any day. During Winter, the Norfolk roads where I ride are so full of soil with small stones and thorns from hedge cutting. Summer is better for lightweight fast tyres, but if you're riding in a group, consider the impact of folks waiting on you to replace a tube. Although I've tried many other tyres, GatorSkins are the best, all things considered.
Gators are like riding on a garden hose Adam. Nope. Tubeless for me. Do people still have bicycles with rim brakes on them? Kidding Adam. The Conti 4ks worked for me but the Conti 5ks too many flats for me. Hope that you are recovering. - Bill
@@cyclinginsoutherncalifornia I was thinking about this option to have more grip on the front wheel and to skid more rear wheel, is this correct? I may be wrong , what do you think? Thank you for your reply
@@cyclinginsoutherncalifornia yes I do , how about the front wheel with grand prix, is this a good idea for an extra grip at wet days? Thank you so much
I had Gatorskins and switched to Pirelli Cinturato Velo 32's and love them..Far better tire.. smooth, quiet and surprisingly fast(at max tire pressure)..
