Dodging the rain

[Alex321]

And that is the point, they do not wear out, and they do not puncture, so other than the occasional fractured hip, all is good.

Neither do Marathon+, and they don't have the grip issues.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Neither do Marathon+, and they don't have the grip issues.

I use them on teh back

they slide around on mud but elsewhere they work fine and they are basically made for roads so sliding on wet mud is expected

I have read that they feel bad but they are OK to me on my bike - OK ebike but whatever

 

[Dogtrousers]

I had a pair of M+ once that must have had some packing compound or something on when I first rode them because they were insanely slippy on my first test ride but settled down when they wore in.

 

[blackrat]

I suspect that in all makes of tyres, the wider the tread the less slippage. My best bike will only take 25's and the second best will take 32's. I have never slipped - skidded on the 32's. Both have Gatorskins.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I suspect that in all makes of tyres, the wider the tread the less slippage. My best bike will only take 25's and the second best will take 32's. I have never slipped - skidded on the 32's. Both have Gatorskins.

Putting the last 2 post together - do gatorskins have a coating??

 

[fossyant]

Gators aren't known as the best for grip 'apparently'. I've had some on the CX bike on the tyres it came with when I bought it second hand, and they have been fine - done a big hilly 130 mile sportive on them. Not cheap tyres, roll OK. I'll replace when they age - they won't get worn out as it's on road wheels for the CX bike, which usually does the fat tyres for most of the year.

 

[esoxlucius]

Years ago before I knew any better I used to get a lot of pinch flats (I now know it was down to tyre pressure not being high enough). But anyway, back then I just assumed it was my tyres so I researched for tyres which were almost puncture resistant. Gatorskins came up as being virtually bulletproof, so I got some. Once fitted I never had a pinch flat again.

In all my time riding on those gators I never slipped and never felt in danger, and I rode in lots of different conditions. I've evolved a little bit and ride continentals nowadays but I certainly didn't change over because of slip problems with the gators.

 

[sevenfourate]

My bike is mudguarded up and my mindset is ok with inclement weather these days. As is my wardrobe……the adage these days of no such thing as bad weather; just bad clothing choices, being oh so true.

I also have lighting I couldn’t possibly complain about. So then: what is the issue with ‘rain’. Being 55 with less than perfect version and being a glasses wearer for me.

Fogging, less than perfect vision for potholes etc if nothing else, droplets on the lenses, wiping on the fly often makes things worse………THIS sucks !

 

[Dogtrousers]

being a glasses wearer for me.

Fogging, less than perfect vision for potholes etc if nothing else, droplets on the lenses, wiping on the fly often makes things worse………THIS sucks !

I hear you. And none of the kit I wear for cycling is any good for wiping glasses. Synthetics and wool just smear. I always carry a packet of tissues. At least I try to but I generally find it's gone missing when my glasses are wet.

 

[steverob]

If someone wants to see how many rainy days they've had in their town (or any other town for that matter) without relying on some dodgy AI site that is prone to just making up numbers, you can do it on the Met Office's Weather Observation Website (wow.metoffice.gov.uk). The only trouble is it doesn't automatically give you a number, you have to go in and count the days up manually, but it's not too difficult.

• Go to https://wow.metoffice.gov.uk
• Choose the closest observation site to you from the map
• Click 'View Full Observation'
• Go to the Graph tab
• Choose Start and End dates (recommend not doing more than about ten days at a time otherwise the graph is hard to read)
• Go into Filter Options and select Rainfall Rate
• Click 'Update Graph'
• Hover the mouse over the red bars to see when the rain was and manually count up the number of different days it occurred on

For my home town it turned out to be 33 of 43 days so far this year (76.7%), including a 13 day continuous stretch in January (13th to 25th). But the most annoying thing was that only three weekend dates have been rain free out of that and for two of those the temps were below freezing anyway.

 

[blackrat]

Much of the negative comments about Gatorskins slipping is most likely apocryphal in that the same can be said about any tyres and the cause is most likely rider position and road surfaces. I find myself leaning too much on the handlebars such that I am dictating to the bike how it should handle the road. Less pressure on the bars will allow the front wheel to take its proper position. Think of how we used to ride with no hands as kids. We steered the bike by leaning allowing the wheel to take its position on the curves.

 

[Webbo2]

Much of the negative comments about Gatorskins slipping is most likely apocryphal in that the same can be said about any tyres and the cause is most likely rider position and road surfaces. I find myself leaning too much on the handlebars such that I am dictating to the bike how it should handle the road. Less pressure on the bars will allow the front wheel to take its proper position. Think of how we used to ride with no hands as kids. We steered the bike by leaning allowing the wheel to take its position on the curves.

I’m sorry but I disagree. Since binning the Gatorskin and putting on Continental grand prix’s I haven’t the issue with the back wheel skidding.

 

[Dorset Boy]

There are far, far too many stories about the dreadful grip on Gators for it to be anything but true.
Often you only realise how bad they are when you move to a decent tyre.

 

[briantrumpet]

There are far, far too many stories about the dreadful grip on Gators for it to be anything but true.
Often you only realise how bad they are when you move to a decent tyre.

This. And not very puncture-resistant, or long-lasting, in my experience.

 

[briantrumpet]

Anyway, up to 43 days here now, and the showers are as chunky as ever. I think I've just seen a boat with a couple of giraffes floating down the road outside my house.