Review on 700c Road Bike Tire - Continental Gator Hardshell (Damaged Packaging) by Matt Larsen

I bought them back in February 2021 but I've waited until I've had enough experience with them to write a meaningful review. It's August 2021 and I've clocked up 786 miles in this pair. The reason I bought them was because I had a few flat tires a year despite using Kevlar belted tires which I thought were solid including Continental Gatorskiins and Vittoria Rubino Pros. I really like Gator hard shells. They get the job done with no problems. I haven't had apartments since they were installed. I don't notice any difference in ride quality, acceleration, cornering, rolling resistance or traction to my other tires. I usually pump them up to 105psi. The 786 miles I put on them were on crappy New Jersey roads with a fair amount of dirt roads. It bothered me at first, but I had no problems. After 6 months of use I see no signs of use or wear. The only reason I didn't give them 5 stars is because they are INCREDIBLY difficult to mount on rims! I usually find this type of tire (folding bead) difficult to mount, but for me it was just IMPOSSIBLE even with tools. I ended up taking them to a bike shop where they could install them (but even they messed up two tubes before they got it right). tires in my opinion. Given the difficulty of mounting them, I really like these tires. They did the job I expected them to do (which was minimizing or eliminating housing). I expect to re-order them when it's time for a replacement.