Dear STW,

I commute on the road 25 miles a day in most conditions. Been using Conti Ultra Gatorskins 700x23c tyres over the last two years. They were fine for the first 18 months but are now puncturing pretty regualarly so I think it’s time for a replacement.

I’m thinking of getting them again, or maybe GP 4 Seasons instead.

Conti Gatorkins v GP 4 Seasons …. are the GP’s worth the extra £10 per tyre?

I’m after a combination of grip (particularly in the wet), fast-rolling speed, and good puncture resistance (wishful thinking :wink:).

Also, would 700x25c be better than 23c? Sorry, i’m an MTB’er!!

Any wisdom much appreciated.

Paceman

TBH I have both and I can pick between them for puncture resistance – TBH I prefer the GP4 Seasons for grip 🙂

GP4’s will offer more grip in the wet. If I had to choose between puncture resistance ‘v’ grip I know which one I’d go for. Fixing a puncture hurts less that losing the front/ rear end at speed.

I’ve had GP4’s on my commuter for three years and I’ve had one puncture and no crashes.

Hmmm a bit more grip would be nice. What width tyres do you run?

Fixing a puncture hurts less that losing the front/ rear end at speed.

Good point Mulletous 😯

Sounds like the GP 4 Season’s might be worth the extra.

I’ve used both and I found the GP4 season to be the best, it’s not light and day but the ride is more supple where the Gatorskins felt a bit wooden plus the GP4s are lighter, puncture protection I found to be the same.

A good compromise between an every day and race tyre IMO.

If you run Crud guards with them you’ll need 23’s. I run 25’s

If you run Crud guards with them you’ll need 23’s. I run 25’s

Ahh… useful words again Mulletous. I do run Crud Raceguards through the winter.

I’ve just put on GP4S in 25c on my winter bike. Fantastic tyres – grip well, and incredibly comfortable.

Previously, I always used Vittoria Pavé (which are 24c). They grip fantastically, but wear out pretty quick (though I did get around 6000 miles out of the last set).

If you run Crud guards with them you’ll need 23’s

I only know that by finding out the hard way. I have a brand new set of crud guards still in their box as I can’t get them to fit. The tyres rub on the inside of the guard.

It doesn’t really matter what, as long as you do get some new ones.

They’re not puncturing because they’re bad tyres, they’re puncturing because they’re old.
There’s no such thing as a puncture proof tyre – fwiw I use michelin pr3 25s and change them when they start puncturing regularly.

Sorry my post was useless up there!

I have both Gator Skins and GP4 S’s – I find the grip on the GP’s much better than the Gators but obviously they wear a little quicker. Neither seems to puncture readily – only one puncture on both (GP’s had a blow out down hill and the Gators I was running a bit too soft and pinched). Both 23c .

I use both and have done for years of gritty, flinty winter riding.

GP4Seasons are nowhere near as punture resistant as Gatorskins, they have tough sidewalls but small bits of flint etc seem to flat them as easily as a GP4000. Gatorskins seem to be flat-proof until they wear to a certain point, ie almost worn to a flat-top, and then you start seeing punctures. Grip-wise, unless you get the black chilli GP4000s which are awesome, the difference isn’t huge unless you’re nailing it in the wet and I’d say pressure makes as much difference for wet winter country lane stuff.

4 Seasons for me, bags of grip, good longevity, decent feel.

Cheers guys.

Ordered a pair of GP 4 Seasons with tubes thrown in for £64 from Wiggle. 😀

Oh and they are fairly easy to get on and off (well on my wheelsets over the years)

Those are fancy tires for a commuter are they not?
I’ve Michelin Pro Race 3’s on my race bike and Panaracer Ribmo’s on my commuter.

The Ribmo is definitely nothing like the prorace for grip but it has more than enough for commuting speeds and cornering. After initial teething problems with it I have never had a puncture due to an external object puncturing the carcass

Those are fancy tires for a commuter are they not?

I spend approx 2 hours a day on workdays on my roadie commuter bikes so i figure it’s worth getting something decent.

I wouldn’t think twice about paying £30 for a performance MTB tyre.

If you’ve been commuting 25 miles a day in most conditions then over 18 months I’d guess you’ve done 5000+ miles on a pair of 23mm tyres. If that’s the case I’d say buy whatever you bought last time – they’ve done extraordinarily well.

I’d also guess you ride more road miles than 95% of the posters on here – when I need new tyres I’m coming to you for advice!

I’ve done well over 5000 miles since I bought the road bike for commuting and fitted the Gatorskins. I’m a teacher and ride into work 3 or 4 times a week throughout the year, covering 75-100 miles per week outside of school holiday time (just ride the MTB in the holidays :D).

As an MTB’er I had no idea how long road tyres are supposed to last, but you may have hit the nail on the head about why i’m now getting regular punctures!!

I’m hoping for similar performance from the GP 4 Seasons but with a bit more grip.

I’m not usually a Conti fan myself but the GP4s are very good tyres IMO. I run a set of 28s on my commuter.

the GPs are great but i currently prefer Vittoria open pave.

totally brilliant performance but longevity can be a bit of an issue.

Apparently 25 will actually roll faster than 23 due to the deformation of the rubber. There was a test performed using some bespoke scientific equipment reported on Bikeradar a while back. So, I’d go wide, comfort AND speed.

FWIW I’ve run Vittoria Rubinos, which have been great in the wet and dry, very good wear too – although I’m now running Schwalbe Ultremo ZXs and they feel a lot more supple.

Bit late to the party but my answer is Michelin Pro 4 grip.

Seriously went off Conti tyres and tubulars about 2 years ago. Utter B’stards to fit and no more puncture proof than anything else.

Plus I had a sidewall go on the bead. – That was a call to Mrs A to pick me up as that tyre wasn’t going anywhere except for the bin.

*touch wood* I’ve never punctured using Bontrager Racelight Hardcases on the winter bike. Great tyres.

They are an absolute pig to get on and off, so it’s just as well I’ve not punctured using them.

‘Wot tyres; threads, gotta love ’em. 🙂

FWIW my commute includes sections of glass strewn shared use path (local yoofs take great delight in smashing their bottles in the underpass especially).

..so puncture resistance became a priority for me.

Even new the Gatorskins still puncture but noticeably less than GP4s which also fractionally less than the ‘race’ tyres (I’ve tried most of them – I’m on Force / Attack, GP4000s and Schwalbe Ultremo R1s currently).

Paceman – Member

I spend approx 2 hours a day on workdays on my roadie commuter bikes so i figure it’s worth getting something decent.

I wouldn’t think twice about paying £30 for a performance MTB tyre.

Fair enough.
I spend at least 2 hours a day on my commuter also, and can get away with race tires if needs be as i have a lot of open road stuff on my 36 mile round trip.
But Its still for a commuting bike, for getting to work on time. The 28c Ribmo’s are certainly a little slower but I like to think of it as resistance training. I save more time by not fixing punctures. After all I am on a Pompino so an 18-19mph average is about as good as it gets without a big old tail wind.

Try a Maxxis Detonator 25c tyres. They are a similar tyre to the Gatorskin but I’ve had less issues with them. 25c is a bit more comfortable on the crappy winter roads as well

mispost

Schwalbe blizzard folding is where it’s at for me for winter/training tyres. Currently on offer at planet x too. Great tyres IMO, I hate gator skins with a passion, hateful tyres…..

I hate gator skins with a passion, hateful tyres….

Why’s that?

GP 4 seasons here. Tried lots of tyres on my commuter and they’re by far the best. Bontrager hardcase tyres are awful, poor puncture protection and feel very wooden.

Been very pleased with 23c Scwalbe Durano Plus (under SKS mudguards). Good grip in the rain, roll well and no punctures in 1000 miles. Yet to be tested in winter conditions though, where the cold may affect compliance, rolling resistance and grip.

Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700×25 on my road bike.

I ran the same brand in 700×35 on my old commuter and didn’t get a puncture in 3 years of 3 days a week commutes.

Been using gator skins for over a year and no punctures and no spills on the hard/greasey roads around Barr/straiton/Patna/Ayr. They work for me 700/25’s