Continental Gatorskin 700Cx23mm Road Bike Tire Review

I live in sunny Phoenix Arizona and ride my fixed-gear road bike as my sole means of transportation. On an average day me and my friend who commutes with me ride between 30 and 40 miles with some days when we ride for pleasure ending up with over 100 miles put on our bikes; that’s a lot of wear and tear on our tires especially when the pavement here can get to nearly 200 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer.

I used to buy cheap Chinese tires from companies like Cheng Shin Tire but found that they don’t last very long, they don’t hold up to thorns, glass, and other hazards to be found in the desert/urban environment in which I ride, and they have flimsy sidewalls that provide what I call a “mushy” riding experience.

After reading about the Continental Gatorskin tires for months, seeing a few people ride around on them, and getting over the high price per tire I finally grabbed one today to replace a failing Cheng Shin rear tire that I had with a gash in the sidewall and am absolutely amazed at how much better they are.

To start with the contact surface is twice as thick as a cheap tire is which makes for a tire that will last for many more miles. Also, the kevlar-reinforced sidewalls make for a stiffer ride which I like and resist cutting and tearing. There’s glass all over the place here in Phoenix and this is really going to help since my other tires all ended up with gashes from glass in the sidewalls.

These tires are hands down the best that I’ve seen and I’ve been through quite a few sets. I would highly recommend buying at least one Gatorskin and putting it on your rear wheel or if you can afford it to buy a set.