Continental Gatorskins rage

Retro Cat · Sep 30, 2012

Good Evening All

I've never been that impressed with my Continental Gatorskin 700c tyres however in the last 6 months I've had seven punctures.

As I was raining down blows and curses on my back wheel :x I began to wonder;

1. After 3 years and 3750 miles is it time to replace them?

2. Does puncture resistancy gradually decrease over time for any tyre.

3. Everyone I speak to raves about the Continental - are there any alternatives before I fork out any dough?

After 4 years and over 4000 miles is there a check I can carry out on my rims to see if they need replacing? Might as well whilst I'm down that neck of the woods :?

JamesM · Sep 30, 2012

I don't think the puncture protection layer itself degrades but the rubber will obvioulsly wear out making the tyre very thin and so more suceptable to punctures. Small sharp objects such as glass will cut the tyre and before may have made a slice into the rubber but not deep enough to all the way through to the tube. Now there isnt much rubber left the same depth cut may go all the way through. Kevlar is strong in tension so if tighly woven is good against objects that are trying to pierce it, but it cuts fairly easily.

What type of punctures have you been getting, cuts, thorns, pinch punctures?

Chute55uk · Oct 2, 2012

ha! seriously? 3 years of servitude? retire them, they have been good friends and have supported you through thick and thin.
buy some more and have another 3 years worth. i use conti gatorskins because £ for £ you cant buy a more reliable tyre. they keep getting punctures because they have had enough and dont want to play any more, and who can blame them. look at the trail centre mountain bike crowd, they will spend double that on one tyre and use it for a couple of months then bin it.
personally my tyres are probably the most important thing on my bike especially at 40 mph with 120 psi in them. they get replaced every spring regardless.
oh and thats 2 tyres for the price of 1/3rd of a tank of petrol in that 950

Retro Cat · Oct 2, 2012

The punctures all stem from bits and pieces penetrating the tyre - the main culprits seem to be bits of hawthorne, when the hedges get cut at the road side.

Perhaps after three years of snow, ice, rain, numerous road resurfacings and constant verbal abuse it is time to retire them. They have on reflection provided good value for money.

What about the rims though? Should I replace them after the same amount of abuse?

Chute55uk · Oct 2, 2012

no check around the area where the spoke comes out and look for airline cracks from the reinforcing washer if fitted or just in that general area. then get a flat steel rule and put it across the rim so its at a right angle to the rim and see if the braking sirface is concaved. if its not the just check for cracks, if it is then you need to decide how much wear it has but as a general guide if its gone past 50% of the rim thickness then bin them and pony up.
its hard to describe so i will find a link
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=764324

Retro Cat · Oct 2, 2012

Chute55uk":22od9pz2 said:
no check around the area where the spoke comes out and look for airline cracks from the reinforcing washer if fitted or just in that general area. then get a flat steel rule and put it across the rim so its at a right angle to the rim and see if the braking sirface is concaved. if its not the just check for cracks, if it is then you need to decide how much wear it has but as a general guide if its gone past 50% of the rim thickness then bin them and pony up.
its hard to describe so i will find a link
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=764324

Brilliant - thanks very much

Chute55uk · Oct 2, 2012

I actually meant to say a right angle to the hub parallel to the rim lol

bm0p700f · Oct 2, 2012

0.9-1mm is the minimium wall thickenss you need for a safe rim.
A rigida Chrina has a 1.85mm wall so when that is half worn it is 0.925mm thick, time for a change. An OP on the other hanbd as a wall thickness of 1.35mm. When that is half worn it will be way too thin and will have probably failed anyway. So that 50% rule only works on some rims. two spokes and a vernier gauge is what you need to measure the wall thickenss.

Retire the tyres and by new gators, or the gator hardsheel or the 4 seasons. All good tyres.

Continental Gatorskins rage

Retro Cat

Senior Retro Guru

JamesM

Senior Retro Guru

Chute55uk

Retro Cat

Senior Retro Guru

Chute55uk

Retro Cat

Senior Retro Guru

Chute55uk

bm0p700f

Senior Retro Guru

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