Review on 🐊 Gator Hardshell Bicycle: Unmatched Sturdiness and Durability from Continental by Tim Wadman

I tested the Continental Ultra Gatorskin 700x28c in February 2011. I bought these tires for my old bike (Steel Performance - 21 speed). I was very happy with their performance - over 2500 miles without a hitch. Well I was recently able to upgrade to a new bike (Specialized Roubaix). It seems there are typically two things that most bike manufacturers don't invest in when it comes to fitting new bikes - tubes/tires and seats. I was lucky with the seat, it's quite comfortable, but the tires are another matter. Within the first 200 miles I already had two apartments. I went to the bike shop where I bought the bike for advice. They said we should try something called "Caffe Latex" (btw, caffe isn't misspelled, it's an Italian product). I found this pretty useless as I had another apartment for a week. That's when I decided to use "Use what you know". I was so lucky with the Ultra Gatorskins that I looked for the same tire again. That's when I came across these Gator Hardshell tires. They were advertised as Ultra Gatorskins with a new level of protection. I didn't hesitate to buy a set of these and puncture proof tubes (Michelin Airstop). SO glad I did, over 500 miles so far - NO flat tires! It's not a cheap way. But my peace of mind, knowing there's still air in my tires every time I get on my bike, is almost priceless. 05/01/2013 - Short update. Just changed these tires. Managed to drive 2700 miles of it with only two flats. First there was a very large nail. No matter what the tire was made of, it wouldn't stop that nail. Second, a flat tire, again not the tire's fault. I changed the tires about every 500 km. They were still holding air, but part of the thread had already begun to show through. Great tyres, I can recommend them.