Tire life??

enoonan

Hi All,
Just wondering what I should expect to get out of a set of tires?
I got a set of Conti Gatorskins this time last year and I got my first puncture with them yesterday(blackthorn). However when I took off the tire to change the tube I noticed that there were a number of small cuts(2-3mm long) in various areas along the tire and there was also some damage along the sidewall. Not sure how the sidewall damage occurred as the tire was only punctured once and it did not go flat until today(was fine when i got home from spin yesterday).
Should I be looking for a new set of tires or is this to be expected? There is about 3.5k to 4k kms on the tires.

Thanks in advance

Eoin

cdaly_

You can expect to get a puncture or two even with the gators. When it gets to the point that you're getting regular punctures, then it's time to change them.

I ran a pair of gators this year for about 10 months before changing them.

Beasty

Gotorskins have 2 recessed dot wear indicators like these (which are actually from GPS 4000s I think, but they look the same):



- if you can still see them the tyre should be fine (unless you are getting regular punctures)

enoonan

Thanks lads.
What sort of mileage did you do in the 10 months cdaly?

I'm afraid my wear indicators are gone Beasty. Any recommendations for replacements?

Thanks

Eoin

cdaly_

Beasty wrote: »

Gotorskins have 2 recessed dot wear indicators like these (which are actually from GPS 4000s I think, but they look the same):



- if you can still see them the tyre should be fine (unless you are getting regular punctures)

If those wear indicators are on the gators, they're very subtle. I can't see any on my 1-month old front tyre and I don't think I've worn through it in that time (particularly since the centre seam is still a bit visible)...
I suspect the gators don't have them.

enoonan wrote: »

Thanks lads.
What sort of mileage did you do in the 10 months cdaly?

I'm afraid my wear indicators are gone Beasty. Any recommendations for replacements?

Thanks

Eoin

I'd say something like 8,000k. Weekly commute is 140k plus another 80k most weeks. Add a few sportives and cycling around Ireland and such and I would expect to clear 10,000k in the year...

When my last gator wore out, it had got a gash puncture which had gone through the casing and left it bent inwards slightly. That, in turn, rubbed through a couple of tubes in succession before I finally retired it.

If you've been happy with the gators, why not go with them again?

dave_o_brien

cdaly_ wrote: »

I suspect the gators don't have them.


I'd say something like 8,000k.

If you've been happy with the gators, why not go with them again?

To the best of my knowledge, Gatorskin nor the Hardshells don't have the wear indicator.


8,000km would be great life out of a tyre, even one as tough as the Gators. I'd say if you got less than 4,000km, I'd be surprised; more than 6,000km is a getting on...

Agreed. Gators are good tyres, especially for tough use. I've switched to Michelin Krylion Carbons and like them so far, but have only gotten to about the 1,000km mark on them. Ride quality may be a bit better than the gators, but I suspect lifespan may be shorter...

Beasty

My apologies - you're right the Gatorskins don't have the wear indicators (I've just checked some unused ones I have in the garage):o

To the OP, one puncture is certainly not an indicator of tyres being worn out -the small cuts mean nothing (although they can sometimes harbour small bits of glass or gravel, so may be worth checking for foreign objects)

Unless the rubber is worn through you should not have too much to worry about until you start getting punctures on a regular basis

enoonan

Thanks for all the info lads. Having read all the above I'm not worried about the set of tires I have yet.
In the future I will prob go for another set of Gatorskins as they have served me well so far and roll well.

Thanks again for the help

Eoin