Panaracer Pasela TG vs. Gatorskins

[rochrunner]

I was set on getting a set of Gatorskins this year in my preferred 700x32 size, but all my LBSes say they have to backorder them and checking online it's the same story: they're not to be had right now. There is always the option of the Ultra Gators, but they are over 50g heavier.

So I'm thinking now of the Pasela TG instead, which also has the advantage of coming with a folding bead (the 700x32 Gators are wire-bead only). My only concern is the tread pattern. I had a bad experience last summer on a particular road famous under certain conditions for causing flats, and indeed I had 2-1/2 flats in a stretch of 20 miles (I say 1/2 because it was flat the next morning). This road has a paving compound that sheds a lot of sharp-edged granules; treaded tires tend to pick up these shards -- especially when wet -- and then they work their way in and cause a puncture. My tires (some sort of Kenda) also tended to pick up small stones in the tread.

The Gatorskins have a basically smooth tread, but the Paselas look like they have some grooves in the contact area, although maybe not the type that will pick up debris. Can anyone tell me whether they've had any issues with these tires due to things sticking to the tread?

By the way, I use this bike for riding on pavement and smooth dirt/gravel roads and trails. I sometimes ride multi-day "supported" tours, but not any heavy-duty true touring (in other words, load-carrying capacity is not an issue).

[RickB.]

OK, I run the Pasela TG's (27x1 1/4) on my old school steel bike. And I love them. However, I ride that bike on pavement only, and I don't think I would ride them on "dirt/gravel roads and trails" myself.

I can't speak for the Gators, but they are highly regarded. If I were shopping for a tire like that, I would look at something aimed at a cyclocross style, not too aggressive, but with a center ridge/line for speed on smooth trail/pavement, and beefy enough to not worry about on dirt/gravel.....