Dodgy Tyres?

jt1984
jt1984 Posts: 91
edited May 2012 in Road buying advice
I've just received a new set of Continental Gatorskins through the post and they have a funny hole in them (see pictures). Some people are trying to tell me it's a wear marker but only one of the tyres has this hole and it looks like a defect? Does anyone have any info or experience of this? If it is meant to be there, is it not a weak point?
7214899146_916570631e.jpg
DSCF3065 by tedham2000, on Flickr
7214898880_d3c3c06200.jpg
DSCF3064 by tedham2000, on Flickr
7214898758_92416b0d41.jpg
DSCF3066 by tedham2000, on Flickr

Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,321
    It's a wear indicator, I can confirm
    left the forum March 2023
  • jt1984
    jt1984 Posts: 91
    Thanks for the reply, I'm just wondering about the scenario of a something getting stuck in the hole and punturing through the tyre? It seems very deep.
  • davem399
    davem399 Posts: 269
    Got a new pair of Gatorskins last week. If that's a wear indicator, then I was sold a pair of worn out tyres! :cry:
  • yaya
    yaya Posts: 411
    Looks like a defect to me, a bit of air trapped in the mould
  • humpyg
    humpyg Posts: 50
    It is definitely a wear indicator. I have them and thought it was a defect when I first got my tyres. I checked on the net, and Continental emailed me back saying they're wear indicators. Don't be worried about it being a weak point, it's not. Done over 1000 miles on mine, over lots of stones etc and they're still perfect, with no punctures.
    Here's a pic of the ones on my tyres
    pic1.jpg
    pic2.jpg
  • ShutUpLegs
    ShutUpLegs Posts: 3,522
    yaya wrote:
    Looks like a defect to me, a bit of air trapped in the mould

    Seconds
  • humpyg
    humpyg Posts: 50
    JT1984 - on the second pic I posted, note the ^TWI (tread wear indicator) pointing to the hole. Check to see if your tyre has this, it looks like it does, but it's difficult to see in the pic.
  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    Definitely a wear indicator - all the Continental tyres I've used over the last four years have had them. I've never had a flat as a result of them either.

    I'm pretty sure that if you look at your other tyre again you'll find it does have the same feature.
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  • jt1984
    jt1984 Posts: 91
    Thanks for the responses, my first set of gatorskins a few years ago didn't have them and my new ones came together in the same order and one has it and the other doesn't.
    humpyg - thanks for your photos, you're right about having TWI on the side wall, it's just harder to see because of the orange criss cross.

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