Bas..rd tyres.....

gwillis

Fitted a new mich krylion carbon tyre 300 miles ago and tonight getting ready for a 6am ride I find what ...... A bloody tear in the side wall....


Still going to ride on it in the morning though.....


Might have to switch to gatorskins for my winter training rides.



Rant over

le_boss

i wouldnt recommend gatorskins. i know alot of people do, but i have had nothing but punctures with them!

i have ordered a pair of gp4000s and hopefully they will be more reliable.

inseine

Gatorskins should be more puncture resistant than gp4000s but maybe it was just bad luck? They're the most reliable tyres I've ever had. In general contis seem pretty good puncture wise, even force/attack.

furrag

le_boss wrote:

i wouldnt recommend gatorskins. i know alot of people do, but i have had nothing but punctures with them!

i have ordered a pair of gp4000s and hopefully they will be more reliable.

I found the GP4000s to be a confidence-inspiring tyre. They've been nothing but atrocious through the winter though. I fitted this pair in September, and after 2000 miles was fine. The last 500 'wet' miles has produced 5 punctures and has collected more stones than my Michelin Pro 3's. The Bontrager Race lite hard case I find are very tough in comparison, but produces too much wheelspin on the steeper hills, especially in the wet.

Bozman

It's all down to luck!
I generally i use 4000s but this summer i've used vittoria open corsa evo cx, they've had some poor reviews with punctures, sidewalls and general wear being an issue but they've been great and i haven't had one puncture. A couple of years ago i tried michelin pro and they ended up in the bin after 2 wks due to cuts and punctures.
Next time i go out i'll probably end up with a couple of flats and get cuts in the vittorias!
Luck could/will dictate what tyre you use.

PK1

I agree - bad luck, I been using Kyrlion tyres for ages, and found them better than anything else. If you cycle over a big piece of glass on any tyre it is going to rip it to schreds.

Monty Dog

No tyre is that resistant to side-wall cuts IME. Riding lighter-weight tyres like GP4000s, PR3s and the like is frankly asking for trouble. If you want the fast, supple ride of race-oriented tyres, the compromise is thinner, more flexible sidewalls that are more prone to cuts. If puncture resistance is a priority, get something heavy-duty for winter and keep the lightweight stuff for the drier months. Anyone that turns up for our group rides in winter generally gets short thrift if they repeatedly puncture - keeping a bunch standing around in the cold for the sake of your vanity doesn't give a good impression, particularly if you have a knackered pump and run out of spares.

gwillis

My Lbs only had gatorskins ultras in so I opted for them. On a separate note by prolite braccianos arrived . Big smile now

rake

a few people have reported weak sidewall problems with gatorskinns. the walls seem paper thin to me.

giant_man

I never had any problems with gatorskins when I used to ride them. Like any tyre they were better when new and not part worn.

Just that Krylion carbons came out and I use them exclusively for winter use now, because they're basically better tyres.

peejay78

i've used gatorskins for the past five years or so, every winter i stick on a set of 25s. they are brilliant. i tried an armadillo once, total nightmare. like riding a car tyre, with no grip. completely bombproof though.

having said that, i don't tend to get many punctures, probably because i change tyres before they get too worn, and also ensure they are properly inflated all the time.

hugo15

I had a similar problem with a Krylion tyre about a year ago. Sidewall developed a split in less than 100 miles. CRC replaced it and its been fine.

gwillis

My initial post might have seemed like I was blaming the tyre..... Not the case just cheesed off it happened and sounding off. I fitted the gatorskins and it seemed to roll ok in my limited knowledge.

northpole

I had Krylions which I thought were a great compromise. The problem I had with them was more to do with my wheels which were a nightmare to change tyres/ replace tubes if I ever had a p**cture. If it wasn't for that I'd still be using them all year round.

For the past year I've had Conti GP 4 Seasons which are a heavier duty GP4000 and, touch wood, they have been a good all rounder. (Nowhere near as nice as Corsa's or Pro Race but for winter both of these get cut to shreds esp when commuting).

Haven't tried gators. Armadillo's are the pits - not sure if they have air in them - feel like a mixture of solid rubber and wood!! Great puncture resistance but my, my......

Peter

bluesparx

I just had a gatorskin blow up on me, not on the road but whilst sat in my living room! It had only done 200 mile. Looks like a sidewall issue. Me and the missus nearly had heart attacks. 120psi gives a pretty loud bang!