Sometime in 2009, I found myself stranded on the side of a very busy road with a flat tire while out on my bike and as I counted the cars driving by, I decided that I needed a better commuting tire- something tough, durable, and cost-effective. Hours of online research and YouTube videos later, I chanced upon the Continental Gatorskin; an all-season road tire that promised to deliver serious puncture protection, long service life, and a patented ‘reptilian’ tread pattern which “chomps down the miles. Continental is a known quantity in the tire manufacture industry, they produce handcrafted tires in Germany for the auto and cycling markets.
Once I had the Gatorskins mounted, they immediately felt great- sturdy, tough, and smooth. The Gatorskin uses a Duraskin sidewall protection with a ‘built-up mesh’ and a layer of Kevlar for maximum protection. The tread pattern is largely slick with small side grips and includes wear indicators in the centre of the tread.
If truth be told, it would be 1,815 miles before I’d have another flat, and considering the goatheads and brutally hot 120+ road temps in our AZ summer, these tires were a steal and I’ve never trusted another tire since.