Gatorskins for the winter?

[BobScarle]

On my audax bike I have 25mm Gatorskins which seem to have been ok throughout the summer months. I have heard a fair bit about the lack of grip in the wet of these tyres so I was wondering if anybody else uses them and what their experience is like. I am happy to buy a pair of 28mm Panaracers or GP 4 seasons if they would be better than the Gatorskins.

[Charlie Polecat]

I ride Gatorskins year round, we don't have winters here - just a hurricane or two.

[Thing2]

When we were in the UK, we used gatorskin year round on the tandem. No real problems, except when they start to wear they can suddenly become very prone to flats from flints. We did have comments from people following us  who were surprised by the amount the  rear wheel would drift though. While in California we've switched to using GP4000s in summer, 4 seasons during the rainy season (yes, it rains and rains *hard*). If you are happy with the gatorskins I'd stick with them, there's no need to proactively change them.

[The French Tandem]

Another happy gatorskin tandem here! Honestly, we don't ride on the maybe two or three really icy days we have every winter in central France, but for the rest of the year, gatorskins are all we need.

Alain

[Duckfoot1606]

Personally I use Schwalbe Marathon in winter, weighty I know but I figure the extra effort is good exercise during the winter  and it makes the bike basically puncture proof. Grip seems good, although I’m a plodder not a racer 

A

[quixoticgeek]

Personally I use Schwalbe Marathon in winter, weighty I know but I figure the extra effort is good exercise during the winter  and it makes the bike basically puncture proof. Grip seems good, although I’m a plodder not a racer 

I use Schwalbe Marathon Winters in the winter... I find the spikes very useful when it comes to dealing with the ice on the bits of fietspad that aren't heated here.

J

[psyclist]

I find the spikes very useful when it comes to dealing with the ice on the bits of fietspad that aren't heated here.

Now that is a first world problem if ever I saw one. Heated cycle paths, whatever next. Love it.

[quixoticgeek]

I find the spikes very useful when it comes to dealing with the ice on the bits of fietspad that aren't heated here.

Now that is a first world problem if ever I saw one. Heated cycle paths, whatever next. Love it.

It's a bonus side effect rather than intentional design feature. Many places in the Netherlands have city heat, where hot water is pumped from power stations to domestic and business premises to use as heating. Even with 100mm+ of insulation on the pipes, buried 500mm under the ground, there is some heat loss, which is sufficient to keep the ground above the pipe just above zero in all but the worst cold snap.

It's a nice bonus.

J

[sojournermike]

I find the spikes very useful when it comes to dealing with the ice on the bits of fietspad that aren't heated here.

Now that is a first world problem if ever I saw one. Heated cycle paths, whatever next. Love it.

It's a bonus side effect rather than intentional design feature. Many places in the Netherlands have city heat, where hot water is pumped from power stations to domestic and business premises to use as heating. Even with 100mm+ of insulation on the pipes, buried 500mm under the ground, there is some heat loss, which is sufficient to keep the ground above the pipe just above zero in all but the worst cold snap.

It's a nice bonus.

J

I'm actually relieved it's a side effect of a lossy green energy scheme, rather than deliberate policy. If it helps to maintain cycling through the winter that's even better.

[grams]

I ride Gatorksins in horrible wet conditions and I can't say I've experienced any problems.

The "slippery in the wet" thing has always seemed like a bit of a myth that's impossible to prove or disprove, or perhaps only applies to people really pushing the limit.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Slippery in the wet will only ever apply to somebody pushing the limit. The relevant question is always "Where is that limit?" There are plenty of tyres that reduce rolling resistance and increase durability by using hard rubber. Unless something very clever is occurring, that approach unquestionably significantly reduces wet traction, relative to dry. Other softer rubbers have a smaller friction differential.

HK likes Gatorskins but she is quite tentative on wet corners. I prefer the same speeds as in the dry and accordingly prefer tyres that don't slip so much in the wet.

[dim]

I'm using Vittoria Open Pave CGIII as my autumn/early winter tire on my commute bike.

It's the first time that I am trying these (I think Vittoria stopped making these now, but Wiggle still sells them) .... 320Tpi, roll pretty fast, grip like glue and no punctures so far . I prefer these to Conti 4 Seasons..... and I actually prefer these to Conti GP4000 SII

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vittoria-pave-cg-open-clincher-road-tyre/

I bought them from Wiggle a few weeks ago for just over £25 each, but I see they have raised the price now

[Kim]

Personally I use Schwalbe Marathon in winter, weighty I know but I figure the extra effort is good exercise during the winter  and it makes the bike basically puncture proof. Grip seems good, although I’m a plodder not a racer 

Marathon grip's an interesting one.  I wouldn't describe the compound as particularly grippy (unlike the Marathon Winter, which is), but the tread pattern does help in the skoggy conditions of real-world winter riding, so they're a net win over summer slicks.

I'm also a plodder and would generally rather put in a bit more effort than puncture in the cold.

It's easier to find the limit of grip on the back of a recumbent - you tend to struggle to get moving uphill rather than wiping out on corners.

(Can't speak for Gatorskins either way - my big-wheeled bike plods on Marathons year round.)

[BobScarle]

I too am very much of a plodder so I am not concerned with the "racing" grip. What concerns me, as an example, is coming across a wet area on a decent. I am quite tentative anyway in the wet as long as I know about it.

Just seemed a lot of people have said the grip of Gatorskins is questionable at best in the wet. Maybe they're are not as bad as I have heard.

[Si S]

I'm one of those who thinks they are appalling in the wet. When the rear finally blew out I was quite pleased, less so the poor old dear waiting for a bus who nearly had a coronary.

Do I push the limits? Well I'd say no, but then again I do seem to have spent a lot of time bouncing down the road over the last few years.

[dim]

I too am very much of a plodder so I am not concerned with the "racing" grip. What concerns me, as an example, is coming across a wet area on a decent. I am quite tentative anyway in the wet as long as I know about it.

Just seemed a lot of people have said the grip of Gatorskins is questionable at best in the wet. Maybe they're are not as bad as I have heard.

I found Gator hardshell slippy at times in the wet .... if you are not worried about speed, get the Durano Plus .... grip OK, last long and seldom get punctures

[Hot Flatus]

As above. They are crap in wet and slippery conditions.

Durano Plus are better in terms of grip and puncture resistance but the ride is a bit lumpy.

[Charlie Polecat]

I try to avoid riding in the rain, if it starts while I am on the road, I'll get by, but never start off in the rain. But then, if you live where it rains a lot and you have to get out and ride I suppose you'd want to find the tyre that provides the most grip yet is still smooth enough for the non rain days. Is there such a thing, and is it worth the cost for a few slippery days?

Once I switched to Gatorskins I very rarely get punctures, and then only if I am riding in the rain. 

[dim]

I try to avoid riding in the rain, if it starts while I am on the road, I'll get by, but never start off in the rain. But then, if you live where it rains a lot and you have to get out and ride I suppose you'd want to find the tyre that provides the most grip yet is still smooth enough for the non rain days. Is there such a thing, and is it worth the cost for a few slippery days?

Once I switched to Gatorskins I very rarely get punctures, and then only if I am riding in the rain. 

it's not just the rain ....

this time of year, the leaves are falling ... can be slippery if the leaves are damp

in a few weeks time, frosts start ....

[Veloman]

in a few weeks time, frosts start ....

So don't risk it!

The cracked pelvis arising from a fellow club mate riding when frosty persuaded the rest of us not to take risks with the road and tarmac when frosty.  Time for the turbo or spinning me thinks when the frost is around.

If you have to ride to commute, then I assume you will be looking for something other than Gatorskins.

[Samuel D]

We all push the limits of traction from time to time, whether overcooking an unfamiliar corner or doing an emergency stop. Good wet grip can save your bacon in those moments.

I think the Gatorskin is too expensive for a low-thread-count tyre with high rolling resistance. Admittedly it has great puncture resistance and durability, but the Grand Prix 4-Season is probably a better tyre in every way.

Continental has other tyres that could be pressed into winter service if you’re happy with 60 TPI. I’m thinking especially of the Grand Prix (sans suffix), which is cheap if you get the wired version (which you should since there’s hardly any downside if you don’t need to pack it small; I wish Continental offered its high-end tyres with wire beads). This tyre has the same BlackChili compound as the Grand Prix 4000 S II, which reputedly grips well in the wet.

[rogerzilla]

HamsterSkins?  Just say no if your rides touch cyclepaths.

[dim]

I suppose you'd want to find the tyre that provides the most grip yet is still smooth enough for the non rain days. Is there such a thing, and is it worth the cost for a few slippery days?

 Michelin Pro 4's?? ... I've read very good reviews of these on forums .... on my 'wish list' and will be my next set of tyres on my commuter bike

[Veloman]

Gave up on them as they 'cut-up' too quickly (although better life than Pro-Race 3s) and moved to Conti 4 Seasons for audax and general riding.

I even have some brand new Race 4s sitting in a cupboard and never fitted them.

[BobScarle]

There is certainly a difference of opinion, which is only to be expected as this was largely a subjective question. However, there are enough people on here saying about poor grip to re-enforce my concerns. I have a pair of 25mm Vittoria Rubino Pro's on the shelf. I think that I may well be changing the Gatorskins for them.