- Online: www.REI.com
- URL for this product:
- From the U.S. and Canada — Call 1-800-426-4840
- Mon. through Sun., 4 a.m. through 11 p.m. PT.
- International — Call 1-253-891-2500
- Mon. through Sun., 4 a.m. through 11 p.m. PT. English language only.
$44.00
Item qualifies for annual
REI Member Refund (typically 10%)
Imported.
Item 671870
Specification | Description |
| Weight | 280/300 grams |
| Dimensions | 700 x 23 / 700 x 25 |
| Recommended pressure | 95 - 125 pounds per square inch |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
Reviewed by 13 customers
Sort by
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
Tire design and choice requires tradeoffs. Do you want grippy or durable? Light weight or puncture resistant? The Continental Ultra Gatorskin tire strikes an excellent balance between these competing goals. It is more durable and puncture resistant than most racing tires, and better handling than most heavy duty tires. It's one of the all-round best tires available for my fast hilly club rides and centuries on roads that unfortunately often contain rough pavement, broken glass, thorns, and other debris.
Also note that the Gatorskin comes in both nonfoldable (wire beaded) and foldable (kevlar beaded) versions. The foldable version offers all the benefits of the nonfoldable version plus it's lighter weight, but it costs a little more. Make sure you're getting the version you want.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
I run a set of 700x25Cs on my road bike. I ride several thousand miles a year, all year. Approximately 4k of my mileage comes from commuting on suburban streets.
For commuting, they're okay. During winter months, I get about 1,200 miles out of a rear tire. In the summer, it's over 2,000. With tire inserts, I have few flats; however, during periodic maintenance, I'll squeeze out the embedded glass fragments. When the tires have a lot of large-ish cuts (or more than a few deep cuts) from road debris, I'll replace them.
The ride is comfortable, relatively quiet with not much apparent rolling resistance. Thus, I do enjoy having them on during brevets or events like Ride Around Washington.
The tires are much much better than Continental's Grand Prix 4000, also known as the "flat magnet." Ride quality is not as supple as Vittoria's Rubino Pro Tech, but close enough.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
This tire was recommended to me by the touring company that ran my Southern Tier cross country ride in 2007. I was reluctant to spend money on new tires but I was the ONLY person who got no flat tires on the entire 3200 mile trip. Although this tire was a bit difficult to change as it was quite tight on the rim,(I had two flats from valve stem leaks in the tube) I would definitely encourage you to try it. I was religious in checking the tires EVERY night for shards, tire wires from the road, and goatheads (thorns in AZ and NM.) In 2008, I rode the Underground Railroad Route using a new set of Gatorskins, although I could have continued with the old ones. I was one of two or three who had no flats at all. This year, I plan to ride another long ride on the Transamerica Route and will put a pair of these on my new bicycle. You will not be sorry to use these tires.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
This is my first set of replacements for my Scott Speedster S50. I started to get flats everyday with my old set (about 1k miles of wear - I'm a heavy rider so that's about the wear limit) and I slapped these puppies on and so far I gone about 150 miles and no flats. I've run over piles of broken glass several times, unintentionally of course and these tires are holding firm. Hoping I'll get to 1k before the flats start coming back.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
I'm on my second set in three years - very durable and no puncture flats. The center portion of tread is fairly thick so these may not be the lightest ties available but they are very reliable.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
Great high mileage tire. I have gone through three sets, all three getting about 4000 miles, and for a rider of 210 lbs, you cannot ask for much more. Also terrific flat protection for the cactus infested Arizona desert.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
These seem to be good gripy tires but they are not as puncture resistant as they are cracked up to be. I got a flat from a goathead on my fist ride with them. I'm going to have to break down and get tire liners.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
These tires are fantastic. I have them on all my bikes. I have never gotten a flat.. I mostly ride on pavement. New Mexico is cursed with goatheads which puncture everything but not these tires. They are fast too, like a porshce. They are hand-made in Germany
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
I've tried lots of puncture-resistant tires over the years. I bicycle commute(mostly) daily, 16 miles round trip, year round, so I rack up a lot of commuting miles, along with frequent 30-70 mile weekend rides and the occasional century. Conti Gatorskins are by far my favorite tires for this kind of riding.
The biggest factor for me is that they're quite puncture-resistant yet still roll easily and ride well. They don't have quite the level of puncture resistance of Specialized Armadillos, and they're roughly comparable (at least in my experience) to Bontrager Hard Cases, but they have lower rolling resistance than either of those tires. I run them with a tire sealant (True Goo in Conti tubes with removable valves, at present), which helps a lot with keeping the air in, and with that combination I average perhaps one flat every thousand miles or so.
The only downside to them is that their quality control seems a bit spotty - I've never gotten a bad Gatorskin, but I've seen others that have failed at very low miles. If you're willing to take a slight gamble, though (or make use of REI's amazing return policy), Gatorskins are extremely good tires.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
As a daily commuter, having tires that retain their air is a big plus to making it to work on time.
These have been the best I've used so far, going a few thousand miles before I need to change them out.
At more than 2,000 commute miles per year in an urban area, I'm averaging only a couple flats per year. More often than not, it's something like a staple that does me in. Maybe it's worth looking into those tire liners...
Members are eligible for an annual refund
on qualifying purchases. Plus, they enjoy many
more benefits. Get a lifetime membership for $20.
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
Reviewed by 13 customers
Sort by
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
Tire design and choice requires tradeoffs. Do you want grippy or durable? Light weight or puncture resistant? The Continental Ultra Gatorskin tire strikes an excellent balance between these competing goals. It is more durable and puncture resistant than most racing tires, and better handling than most heavy duty tires. It's one of the all-round best tires available for my fast hilly club rides and centuries on roads that unfortunately often contain rough pavement, broken glass, thorns, and other debris.
Also note that the Gatorskin comes in both nonfoldable (wire beaded) and foldable (kevlar beaded) versions. The foldable version offers all the benefits of the nonfoldable version plus it's lighter weight, but it costs a little more. Make sure you're getting the version you want.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
I run a set of 700x25Cs on my road bike. I ride several thousand miles a year, all year. Approximately 4k of my mileage comes from commuting on suburban streets.
For commuting, they're okay. During winter months, I get about 1,200 miles out of a rear tire. In the summer, it's over 2,000. With tire inserts, I have few flats; however, during periodic maintenance, I'll squeeze out the embedded glass fragments. When the tires have a lot of large-ish cuts (or more than a few deep cuts) from road debris, I'll replace them.
The ride is comfortable, relatively quiet with not much apparent rolling resistance. Thus, I do enjoy having them on during brevets or events like Ride Around Washington.
The tires are much much better than Continental's Grand Prix 4000, also known as the "flat magnet." Ride quality is not as supple as Vittoria's Rubino Pro Tech, but close enough.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
This tire was recommended to me by the touring company that ran my Southern Tier cross country ride in 2007. I was reluctant to spend money on new tires but I was the ONLY person who got no flat tires on the entire 3200 mile trip. Although this tire was a bit difficult to change as it was quite tight on the rim,(I had two flats from valve stem leaks in the tube) I would definitely encourage you to try it. I was religious in checking the tires EVERY night for shards, tire wires from the road, and goatheads (thorns in AZ and NM.) In 2008, I rode the Underground Railroad Route using a new set of Gatorskins, although I could have continued with the old ones. I was one of two or three who had no flats at all. This year, I plan to ride another long ride on the Transamerica Route and will put a pair of these on my new bicycle. You will not be sorry to use these tires.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
This is my first set of replacements for my Scott Speedster S50. I started to get flats everyday with my old set (about 1k miles of wear - I'm a heavy rider so that's about the wear limit) and I slapped these puppies on and so far I gone about 150 miles and no flats. I've run over piles of broken glass several times, unintentionally of course and these tires are holding firm. Hoping I'll get to 1k before the flats start coming back.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
I'm on my second set in three years - very durable and no puncture flats. The center portion of tread is fairly thick so these may not be the lightest ties available but they are very reliable.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
Great high mileage tire. I have gone through three sets, all three getting about 4000 miles, and for a rider of 210 lbs, you cannot ask for much more. Also terrific flat protection for the cactus infested Arizona desert.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
These seem to be good gripy tires but they are not as puncture resistant as they are cracked up to be. I got a flat from a goathead on my fist ride with them. I'm going to have to break down and get tire liners.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
These tires are fantastic. I have them on all my bikes. I have never gotten a flat.. I mostly ride on pavement. New Mexico is cursed with goatheads which puncture everything but not these tires. They are fast too, like a porshce. They are hand-made in Germany
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
I've tried lots of puncture-resistant tires over the years. I bicycle commute(mostly) daily, 16 miles round trip, year round, so I rack up a lot of commuting miles, along with frequent 30-70 mile weekend rides and the occasional century. Conti Gatorskins are by far my favorite tires for this kind of riding.
The biggest factor for me is that they're quite puncture-resistant yet still roll easily and ride well. They don't have quite the level of puncture resistance of Specialized Armadillos, and they're roughly comparable (at least in my experience) to Bontrager Hard Cases, but they have lower rolling resistance than either of those tires. I run them with a tire sealant (True Goo in Conti tubes with removable valves, at present), which helps a lot with keeping the air in, and with that combination I average perhaps one flat every thousand miles or so.
The only downside to them is that their quality control seems a bit spotty - I've never gotten a bad Gatorskin, but I've seen others that have failed at very low miles. If you're willing to take a slight gamble, though (or make use of REI's amazing return policy), Gatorskins are extremely good tires.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Continental Ultra Gatorskin Tire - 700 x 23 / 25:
As a daily commuter, having tires that retain their air is a big plus to making it to work on time.
These have been the best I've used so far, going a few thousand miles before I need to change them out.
At more than 2,000 commute miles per year in an urban area, I'm averaging only a couple flats per year. More often than not, it's something like a staple that does me in. Maybe it's worth looking into those tire liners...
