[Closed] Winter road tyres

One of them is horrid, wooden and slippery in the wet and the other is a GP 4 Season.

Gp4 season - go round corners but will give you more practise at changing tubes
Gatorskins are like riding on "Lego" tyres in terms of cornering and feel but you won't go through anywhere near as many tubes.

Both have their reasons for existing - I can change a tube pretty quick even in the dark and like going round corners

[i]Edit: aP got there first [/i]

I found the puncture protection on the 4 seasons to be adequate

I think the main difference is that they use a different rubber compound. Gatorskins are adequate tyres, but not the grippiest. GP 4 seasons will cost you more, and likely last less long.

I can highly recommend Vittoria Hyper tyres. They're light, grippy, cheap, will tubeless quite easily, and they have a reflective sidewall.

I've not had a single puncture in 15000 miles. One set have done 11000, the other 4000, both still going.

GP 4 season feel great and are very grippy - but unfortunately are by far and away my most punctured tyre. At one point last winter I was puncturing every ride (different causes). I put a cheap vittoria tyre on, can't remember what, and it seems just as grippy but so far so good ref punctures. It's a bit heavier and doesn't feel quite as sprightly as the gp4 season.

Gatorskins are scary in the wet. Probably fine on flat/controlled conditions, but not for me on hilly twisty local rides.

Currently have Vittoria Voyager Hyper tyres on. Really like them but have found them a bit lacking in grip on steep greasy climbs. Swapping them back over tonight to Marathon pluses on the commuter for the winter months.

Gatorskins are horrible IMO. Poor grip, average puncture resistance, slow, vague, just plain nasty. They're the worst kind of winter tyre offering neither good grip and feel or any noticeable puncture resistance.

GP4's are generally better in every part bar puncture resistance and, for what I use are a better tyre.

However, and I say this as someone who's yet to find a Conti tyre he likes, there are better options out there.
Vittoria Open Pave are fast, grippy and my favourite winter tyre.
Vredestein Senso Xtreme are damn fine too, a bit tougher and heavier but very good in the wet.
And Schwalbe Marathon are for when you care not about weight or feel and only about not getting punctures.

excellent summary from lunge there!

I've run 28mm GP4s for a few years now.
Initially for training and riding the LEL in 2013, and as 50-mile round trip commuters since then. Strava tells me that's over 8,100km recorded, plus a fair bit more.

I've only ever had 2 actual punctures, and one of those was because I'd worn the rear right down.

Brill tyres.

I can highly recommend Vittoria Hyper tyres. They're light, grippy, cheap, will tubeless quite easily, and they have a reflective sidewall.

I've used them for commuting for two years and have had one puncture. Impressive stuff!

Didn't like gatorskins. I think I've got Swalbe Durano Plus on the road commuter now. Quite soft so wear relatively quickly but grip well and I don't recall getting a puncture last winter commuting on them.

Schwalbe Durano Double Defense are the logical answer. All the grip and speed of the normal Durano (it's a good tyre!) with Schwalbe'a Snakeskin casing (basically their own take on a Gatorskin, but it actually grips!).

Gatorskins are horrid tyres. It's a success in marketing and choosing the right name if ever there was one! I know people that have gone down the road (because of these tyres) yet still won't choose anything else because they'd rather crash occasionally than fix a puncture!

Just fitted a pair of 25c Vee Tire (sic) Rain Runners to my "winter" bike. Only 100 miles or so so far on them, but they're fast, grippy, I've had no punctures yet, and they're cheap enough not to worry if they don't last all that long.

Schwalbe Durano Double Defense are the logical answer.

Yes, excellent tyres.

Looks like the Schwalbes then!!

We use Veloflex Open Corsas (2 for £54 from Ribble) all through the year and find the rate of puncturing acceptable and the grip absolutely superb as they have a softish compound and a file pattern tread. Best of all they are light and ride superbly, for which I'm quite happy to exchange reduced durability.

Been using 32mn Gatorskins with duraskin for training.

Just don't use the max pressures, they get too hard and have little friction and lock up.

I use these on dirt trails and road 30/70 on a loop and it's nice that they are harder than softer racing tyres.
I've used Marathons/plus for commuting - great puncture resistance but shoddy ride and dog slow. Would not have them on a fast bike.