23 mm vs. 25 mm Continental Gator Hardshell tires

[ny biker]

I had Vittorias once. They were like butter. Then I had a flat tire on a brutally hot day on the shoulder of a busy road with no shade anywhere. I was practically having a panic attack I was so desperate to get out of the heat. Changed the tube, pumped it up, new tube went flat. Fibers in the tire were sticking out of the hole and they punctured the new tube. We had to patch the tube and boot the tire with a dollar bill (which stuck in the tire and tore when I tried to remove it later -- never use a high denomination bill to boot a tire). Did I mention how hot it was out in the sun doing all of this? The friend I was riding with had to pick up his wife and kids at the airport that afternoon and he was late getting there because we spend so much time dealing with the tire.

And that was just one of the flats I had on that tire. I had another when I was riding on a trail alone at dusk. I could never get the tire back on the rim by myself so I ended up riding 2 miles on the rim to a bike shop for help, got there after they closed, stood outside looking pathetic trying to decide what my next move should be, someone in the shop saw me and opened the door and replaced the tire for me.

So I switched to Gatorskins and never looked back. I just don't have time for that many flats. Since then I was pleasantly surprised by the stock Bontrager tires that came on my current bike as well as the Mavics that came on the wheels I got a couple of years ago. I would have replaced either in a heartbeat if they had not been as puncture-resistance as they turned out to be. I only decided to try the Grand Prix tires after reading about them here and seeing some user reviews. So far they're okay but I'm prepared to go back to Gatorskins if needed.

Good thing there are lots of choices out there so we can all find tires that we like.

p.s. I should add that I would have bought another set of the Mavic tires, but my LBS didn't have them in stock and they did have the Grand Prix.

[north woods gal]

I'm another one who thinks that you need to pick your tires based on your personal situation and needs. For me, flat resistance has always been a primary concern. I'll gladly trade off a little smoothness and put up with a little more buzz and tire weight to get it.

For one, 99 plus percent of my riding has been solo, so if I get a flat, I am on my own. Oh, yes, I know how to fix flats out on the road and have done my share of them, but as I'm sure we all know, you always seem to get flats at the worst times. Changing a tube in the dark with just the aid of your bike light just isn't fun.

For another, I have lived in some serious thorn country (prairie states) where even thorn tubes, inner tube goop and thorn liners were no guarantee of not getting a flat. Soft, low tpi tires wouldn't last a week. Just because this isn't an issue where you live, doesn't mean you won't encounter these locations when you take off on your cross country ride.

For a coast to coast ride, a standard road bike with 23mm or 25mm or even 28mm would not be my first choice, anyway, but I'm lucky enough to own a number of different bikes and not everyone is. That, and plenty of folks have done such a trip with 23mm tires with no issues. Just a matter of taking a little extra care when riding.