How bad are these GatorSkins?

[sluiper]

After a Saturday ride which yielded 3 punctures and 15 minutes wasted patching a tube next to the side of the road, I chucked my Grand Prixs in the bin and bought myself some GatorSkins.

 

I'd read so much about how bad these tyres were in terms of rolling resistance, weight, etc. etc. that I'd always resisted the temptation to buy them, even if most people swore you would never get a puncture riding them.

 

Well, I didn't get a puncture, but I almost lost my bike and most of the skin on my legs around the most sedate of corners. It felt as if I had forgotten to mount tyres and was riding on the rims. On more than a few occasions I felt the bike starting to slide on corners I would normally take a much more aggressive line on.

 

Now, admittedly, it was a bit cold here in Cape Town yesterday and there was some moisture in the air, but I'm struggling to believe that the R800 tyres I just bought have so little grip I might as well not mount them at all.

 

Anyone else experience this? Am I expecting too much on the first ride?

[Red Zone]

Sounds strange, I am very happy with mine. Any new tyres can be a bit slippery on the first ride due to the coating that is left on after manufacturing, I think that this is probably the problem, give them a few kays to get scuffed up a bit.

[Sandro]

I'm surprised, I must say. I've ridden thousandds of km's on Gatoskins and never experienced anything like it. Hope you sort out whatever the problem is...

[_freak_]

Same here, I’m on my 3rd set and will still recommend it to everyone, never had a issue

I do however get punctures from time to time, the Kevlar can only stop so much

[SeaBee]

Never had that happen to me on any Gatorskins. That said, I have since found Seca to be just as (touch wood!) puncture proof - and muuuch easier on the wallet.

 

At the risk of being given a (virtual) snotklap - you did fit them right way around?!

[dev null]

Ditto on the rolling resistance, but not the slipperyness.

[Falco]

I use them on all my training wheels, done thousands of k's with not one problem

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

must just have been the slippery coating on the surface. Scrubs off after a ride or 2. Alternatively, take some fine grit sandpaper to them and scuff them up a bit.

[sluiper]

Thanks for the responses. Guess it must be the coating on the surface. Hopefully they'll start gripping a bit more after a few more rides.

[Cippo]

First time I put my Gators on took them for a spin over Constantia neck. Started drizzling coming down into Hout Bay. I nearly k#€£d myself on one of the bends. After a few rides though they have been perfect.

[Zac.A]

I've got GP 4000's one one set of wheels, Michelin pro4's on another set and gators on another.

Gators are the heaviest and they are a bit more slippery compared to the 4000's and pro 4's, but not like you're describing.

 

One day I was riding in the wet coming down from signal hill onto kloof nek, was dodgy down there slipping all over the place, but manageable, give them a few rides and they should come right.

[babse]

i had the same problem yesterday with my gators... but i think thats because it was pissing down with rain on 90% of my ride

[Niel1]

New tires are notoriously slippery until scrubbed in. I know more than one person that has dumped their bikes going around their own block after putting on fresh tires. Mold release agent or something about the top layer of rubber. One blast down a gravel road seems to scrub them clean.

 

Got this on some website. hope it helps!

[sluiper]

At the risk of being given a (virtual) snotklap - you did fit them right way around?!

 

I actually stopped to check a few times myself

[LeTurbo]

I'm with Seabee. Serfas Seca cost around R200 and do, in my opinion, a better job. So much so that I binned all my Conti's, even the new ones. Also, I find Conti's ridiculously tight on the rims. I broke several tyre levers with them.

[Bike Mob]

I had the same problem on GP4000S tires in their first few rides...k@kked myself when the rear stepped out under power and just wheelspun in the wet.

 

dropped to 6 bar for any hint of damp. now they are scuffed in they are better.