"Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire Mileage @ 6000km
A few weeks back I changed over the tires on my Long Haul Trucker and retired the Continental Ultra Gatorskins that were on there. They’d served me for 6000km of commuting, shopping runs and some longer 100+km rides and before I packed them away I thought I’d take some photos and show how they’d held up.
On the front I had a 700×25 size Gatorskin and the rear sported a slightly chunkier 700×28. I hadn’t had much luck with 700×23 tires and punctures so I didn’t bother with the smaller Gatorskin sizes available.
After 6000km of punishment on Melbourne’s streets, here’s a photo of the two most worn bits of the front tire:
Both photos were taken in the same place but I think the sun was out when I took the second shot on the right, I assure you though that it’s the same tire!
As you can see from the tread indicators there’s still plenty of tread left and apart from superficial glass cuts no real damage to the tire. The gash on the right photo goes barely 1mm into the rubber.
The rear 700×28 tire which ordinarily you’d think would be in much worse condition looked remarkably better then the front. Infact I couldn’t find one glass cut in it anywhere.
After 6000km of heavy loads I found this really impressive from a rear tire. As you can see the rear also has plenty of tread left too.
Inspection of the inside of both tires failed to reveal any glass puncture cuts so it appears the kevlar belt did it’s job. I didn’t have a single flat over the 6000km I used the tires but it’s worth noting I used them both with tire liners which might have helped.
They were a bit slippery in the wet and I remember losing traction a few times over some concrete but nothing major. Rolling resistance wise they were great and definitely an easier roll then the 700×37 Continental Contacts I have on the Trucker at the moment.
Unfortunately the Gatorskin’s largest size is a 700×28 and after 6000km of riding with them I found this wasn’t enough protection for my wheel over potholes I’d accidentally run into on the road. Under a full pannier load the rear especially felt quite vulnerable to the bumps in the road.
If I wasn’t primarily using my bike for commuting and load carrying I’d probably have continued to use the Gatorskins until the tread had completely worn. I can’t comment on the 700×23 size but if the damage difference between the 700×28 and 700×25 above is anything to go by I’d probably stick with the 28′s if you’re frame has clearance for it.
February 5th, 2010 at 3:43 pm tj90(Quote)
Its amazing that those photos show a tire with 6000 kms! I love gatorskins too, but I roll the 700x25c on my road bike. After 1200 km, the center rib is completely gone on the back tire. I run the 700x28c on my fixed and get more mileage on the same terrain. Tire width definitely increases tire wear!
Ive ridden mine to the point where you can see the belt “ghosting” through the rubber. You can definitely get flats with these tires, but its less likely to occur.
It really helps to use a pick and fish out glass like the one in your front tire at least once a week. This will prevent debris from working its way thru the casing since some flats are delayed from when the debris first embeds in the rubber.
February 5th, 2010 at 11:06 pm ozsoapbox(Quote)
Wow really? You might be a bit heavier then me or as you say the terrain could be rougher.
I’d love to wear my tyres this thin but I I always worry about getting flats too easy once the tire reaches this point.
Yeah this is something I’ve heard all dedicated tourers do (some once a day!). I’m far to lazy to do this though, especially with the Long Haul Trucker saddled up with full mudguards and a rear rack. It’s just annoying to do anything on the tires.
I’m currently running the stock 700X37Continental Travel Contacts that came with the Trucker and so far so good after 1500km or so. Still plenty of treat left
I had 0 flats in Australia but since moving to Taiwan have had one glass puncture and a nail go through last week.
Still will be going to Schwable Marathon Pluses eventually though.
March 29th, 2010 at 6:26 pm Manni Gee(Quote)
Impressive. Just fitted my 700*28C Gatorskins (onto a Cannondale Bad Boy hybrid) and eager to see how well they hold up.
Not impressed, however, by the longevity of the ‘Schwalbe Kojaks’ of similar dimension the Conti’s are replacing; 1300 Km’s of careful Melbourne city road/trail commuting and, A) 2 recent glass punctures within weeks of each other (dispite regular weekly checks as suggested) and, B) Next-to-null tread remaining ( ‘B’ resulting in ‘A’, presumably).
In all fairness the Shwalbe’s road-holding (wet and dry) was at times almost physics-defying, obviously at the cost of longevity. Saved my neck more than once, there…
Thanks for posts, and keep on riding…
March 30th, 2010 at 1:02 am ozsoapbox(Quote)
They should go ok. I’m a pretty big fan of Continental tyres. I’m still currently running the Continental Travel Contact’s that came with the LHT, they’re almost at 4,000 km now and I’ve had just 2 punctures with them. One was a bit of glass and one was a nail.
The nail was going to get through any tyre but the glass was a bit dissapointing as it was tiny. I’ll do a similar write up with photos once the Travel Contacts reach their end of life or at 6,000km’s whichever comes first (probably 6000kms).
I’m not really a fan of Schwable tyres save for their Marathon Plus tyres. I’ve read so many great things about this tyre I can’t wait to try them on the Trucker. Apparently they are literally bomb proof.
Having said that I’m in two minds about it now due to the trouble free riding the Continental Travel Contact’s have given me. I guess I’ll see how the Contacts go as their tread wears thinner. After 4000km so far I don’t even think they are half worn.
Watch out for the Gatorskin’s lack of grip in the wet, especially on concrete and road lines. I remember regularly spinning the backtire when taking off on concrete or painted lines in the wet. Other then that they were a reliable robust ride.
No worries mate, thanks for reading.