Conti GP 4000s problems

bikeit65

I fitted new Continental GP 4000s tyres on my road bike about four weeks ago covered about 500 miles with them, and last nigh about 200 yards from home on a flat smooth road the back tyre side-wall split the tyre is now unusable surely these should last longer that?

balthazar

Is a brake block fouling the tyre at any point? It can happen as brakes wear. Otherwise, a picture of the split would help.

bikeit65

No Brake block fouling, i will take a few photos and post them here soon

spasypaddy

Ive been using GP4000s for the past 18months, put a new one on the rear and about a week later a whole blew in the middle of the tread. it shouldnt but sometimes these things happen. the friday before i did my triathlon on the sunday.

were you running it at the correct pressure?

bikeit65

I check the pressure every few trips? pressure between 110 - 120 psi

Pretre

I've used them for a few years with no issues whatsoever- sounds like a manufacturing defect

bigpikle

exact same thing happened on my 4000s rear tyre with <20 miles on its first outing! Strangely the tube didnt split and I noticed it when I stopped.

I sent it to the Conti distributor in the UK and they said it wasnt a tyre fault but as a goodwill gesture sold me a new one for 50% off. Not much else I could do....

cougie

You must be unlucky - I've put 1000s of miles on mine with no blips at all. Take it back to the shop ?

DaSy

Round here (the Chilterns), there are lots of flints and stones washed onto the roads when it rains, and if you catch one when leaning into a corner, it will easily take the sidewall out of any race tyre.

I've lost count of the amount of tyres I have trashed that way. I ride GP4000S's and have trashed quite a few with sidewall splits, but the same has happened to Pro Race 3's and Schwalbes too.

The only tyres that have survived this are GP4 Seasons, with the sidewall reinforcement, but you pay the price of a much harsher ride and more rolling resistance.

I can go for months on a tyre with no issues, but just get unlucky on a corner and slash several tyres in a few months.

moolarb

My rear Conti GP4 seasons exploded last week. Huge rip along the sidewall, completely separated from the bead. Was doing about 15mph on the flat when it happened. I have used them quite a bit and through the winter, all weather etc but I thought that's what they were designed for. For £40 each I expected something a bit more durable.

If you Google these tyres you'll see lots of complaints about sidewalls splitting, especially with heavier riders.

Not going near Continental tyres again, just replaced them with some Vittorias which are heavier but hopefully should last longer.

cougie

Each to his own, I've used Contis for the last 4 years or so - never 'p'd them - but the innertubes have died thru old age !

fenski

I had a set of dark blue Conti 4000 tyres where the side wall failed after not many miles at all. I've since replaced them with Conti 4000S tyres which have lasted very well. I had therefore concluded that the 4000S was more durable and reliable than the 4000 - maybe not?

Monty Dog

FWIW no tyre is immune to sidewall cuts - it's more a question of luck, particularly to avoid riding through patches of gravel. Most of the roads I ride on are rural and littered by razor-sharp flints - I've see Armadillos sliced-open. Had to chuck a Schwalbe Stelvio this morning after an 'arrowhead' had gone straight through the centre of the tread and left a 4mm rent in the carcass.

Tzimako

I got a pair of GP4000s to replace the Gatorskins that I had covered around 3000 trouble free miles on. They ride beautifully - fast, grippy and really comfy compared to the Gatorskins.

BUT

300 miles later, on a pothole and reasonably debris free ride (country roads), SIDEWALL SPLIT . Didn't notice it until I got home and the innertube was poking through. Luckily it didn't blow out on a descent. Obviously been caused by hitting something but a don't remember a point on the ride when I went, 'Oh b**ger!' and looked to see if everything was still inflated.

Great tyre but seems a bit flimsy.

cougie

I think GP4000s are racing tyres ? So they won't have massively reinforced sidewalls ? But as I say - I've had no problems with mine. Dpnt over inflate though - Conti advised me no more than 100psi.

flasher

For race tyres they're extremely hardy, I use them on 3 bikes year round!

nickwill

Never had a problem with them. Grippy and long lasting for me.

Dadmo

I've done 4000 miles on my current set of GP4000s and not had a puncture yet, but the mate I was riding with a few weeks back had a spectacular blow-out that destroyed the sidewall of his rear tyre. No gravel or flints in sight - we were on a perfectly clean bit of dry tarmac. But I think Cougie is on to something - I was advised to run these tyres at 100psi max, whereas the guy who had the blowout was running his at 120.

cougie

A conti mechanic told me to keep the pressure down - and since then - I've not had a flat on those tyres - apart from the innertube perishing !

There - I've said it. So the p*ncture fairy will visit me.

juggler

to goad the puncture fairy as well, i'd say the pressure might be a bit too high as well. OP says 110-120.

I run at 105-110 psi and have had NO punctures this year! but used to run at 120 psi and got a fair few. Might not be scientific, but there you go. When the line in the middle of the tread on the circunferance of the tyre runs smooth, i replace.

I think they are great tyres.

Valy

Bad luck maybe.

I've heard people saying that Schwalbe ZXs were also splitting on the walls for example.

I've had the 4000s 25mm on rear for a while and really cannot fault them - quite grippy, smooth rolling and goodlongevity too! I have a ZX on the front and that has had a few kms on it also without any problems at all. (maybe a puncture for either one along the way, but hey)

The 4000s could be looked at as a race tyre, but from my experience it is just ossum full stop and I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone as all round tires.

kettrinboy

I,m pretty sure using 90 psi back and 80 psi front is why ive not had one flat in the 4 pairs of 4000S tyres ive had and used year round , one pair had done 8500 miles and cut up loads but no punctures, brilliant tyres IME.

Mike67

I run them a bit higher at 90 front, 95 back and they have behaved themselves nicely this WInter.

When I first got them (Summer) I had them up as high as 115 but they felt really dead at that pressure.

I have noticed though that at the sidewall/tread interface (not sure what it's called) there's a nice separation line running all around the tyre. I'm guessing they weren't like that when new. Don't know if this is related to potential sidewall failure or not.

onyourlefty

New to bikeradar, trying to get the word out.

On July 4th I was on Glendora Ridge Road in San Gabriel Mountains near L.A., traveling about 25 mph. While rounding a corner, 4 inches of the sidewall on my front Continental 4000S split open and 6-8 inches of both beads of the tire came off the rim and jammed in my front brakes. I don't remember anything after the pop, but was told by friends I endo'd and hit pavement hard. I was medivacked out, unconscious, by helicopter to L.A. County Medical Center, where I came to a few hours later. Severe concussion kept me in the hospital for a few days, residual double vision starting to clear up now. Could have been a lot worse.

Sons of bitches at Continental don't respond to any requests for information - just keep selling their goddamn defective tires.

A friend on 4000s had the front blow up in what seemed like a repeat of my situation. She went down went down hard and broke her hip last week - something's gotta change here. I'm riding again, and discovered Michelin Pro 4s are are very similar in feel - even roll a bit better. Oh yeah - they don't seem to blow up unexpectedly.

Fat-Boy-Roubaix

I had a Michelin Pro 4 Endurance rip from the bead on my rear in a fast corner fractured and dislocated my shoulder. Couldn't prove what caused it. Had to suck it up. Get well soon! I now run tubeless, from my point of view even in a big blow out got more of a chance of keeping more than just a rim as contact. Nothing worse than hearing a bang and then that sound of a rim on tarmac, you know the next sound is road rash!

flasher

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19738091#p19738091]onyourlefty[/url] wrote:

New to bikeradar, trying to get the word out.

On July 4th I was on Glendora Ridge Road in San Gabriel Mountains near L.A., traveling about 25 mph. While rounding a corner, 4 inches of the sidewall on my front Continental 4000S split open and 6-8 inches of both beads of the tire came off the rim and jammed in my front brakes. I don't remember anything after the pop, but was told by friends I endo'd and hit pavement hard. I was medivacked out, unconscious, by helicopter to L.A. County Medical Center, where I came to a few hours later. Severe concussion kept me in the hospital for a few days, residual double vision starting to clear up now. Could have been a lot worse.

Sons of bitches at Continental don't respond to any requests for information - just keep selling their goddamn defective tires.

A friend on 4000s had the front blow up in what seemed like a repeat of my situation. She went down went down hard and broke her hip last week - something's gotta change here. I'm riding again, and discovered Michelin Pro 4s are are very similar in feel - even roll a bit better. Oh yeah - they don't seem to blow up unexpectedly.

Sorry to hear your problems, and welcome.

The trouble for any manufacturer is what happens after a product leaves the factory, they have no say on how a tyre is installed and by whom, who sets up the brakes, who sets up the bike. Maybe your brakes rubbed the side walls maybe not, who knows, just how much responsibility should Conti take?

I've been riding GP4000s for at least 3/4 years and never had a problem, I also run Pro4's and strangely enough had a blow out on them the other week after I hit a pothole, sometimes sh!t just happens.

earth

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19738091#p19738091]onyourlefty[/url] wrote:

New to bikeradar, trying to get the word out.

On July 4th I was on Glendora Ridge Road in San Gabriel Mountains near L.A., traveling about 25 mph. While rounding a corner, 4 inches of the sidewall on my front Continental 4000S split open and 6-8 inches of both beads of the tire came off the rim and jammed in my front brakes. I don't remember anything after the pop, but was told by friends I endo'd and hit pavement hard. I was medivacked out, unconscious, by helicopter to L.A. County Medical Center, where I came to a few hours later. Severe concussion kept me in the hospital for a few days, residual double vision starting to clear up now. Could have been a lot worse.

Sons of bitches at Continental don't respond to any requests for information - just keep selling their goddamn defective tires.

A friend on 4000s had the front blow up in what seemed like a repeat of my situation. She went down went down hard and broke her hip last week - something's gotta change here. I'm riding again, and discovered Michelin Pro 4s are are very similar in feel - even roll a bit better. Oh yeah - they don't seem to blow up unexpectedly.

They need a VW moment.

bompington

The usual collection of anecdotes: so perhaps there is a problem with the tyres, perhaps not - no evidence to speak of. Onyourlefty has my sympathy, but his experience in no way proves that the tyres were defective.

Just wondering - any stats on how many of these tyres (or any other) burst on bikes with disc brakes?

moscowflyer

Every set of 4000s I've had have had sidewall failure. However, they last long enough and as long as you keep an eye on them you can spot it before it becomes an issue.

jamesdak

I can honestly say I've put over 10,000 miles on these tires since 2010. It's pretty much all I normally use on all my road bikes. That said I remember at least one time when a brand new tire blew out the side wall the first time I test inflated after mounting it. It bothered me because they are expensive but it's just not something common in my experience. I never, and I mean never get a flat with these so I love them. I'll hit speeds in the lower 50s on my mountain descents and don't worry that they will blow out. In fact, one time I had a truck with camper due a U-Turn in front of me while doing about 40 mph. I locked the rear by accident for a second but made the stop in time. I then proceeded home which was about another 20 miles. I got home and found an area about 2 inches long or so of exposed white casing, no rubber left at all yet no flat. These are normally tough tires in my opinion.