Gatorskins punctures

josh_1871

I've been using GatorSkins on my 16 mile round trip commute in South West London for the past 5 weeks but have already had 2 punctures (one on each wheel).

I got GatorSkins because I was told they were fairly durable against punctures. How often do you all get punctures?

mlgt

Could it be that you have something ingrained on the tread?

I had this problem before and my inner tubes kept on deflating only to find a very fine wire had gotten into the tread and when pumping it up to 100 psi it would burst it!

randi

Check the rim on the wheel . . .as it had worn through in spots from the commute. I did not notice it until I took the bike into the LBS for second opinion as I was getting a flat-a-day or so it seemed. Since new wheels its been 3000k on same tyres with only 2 punctures.

mrushton

Not a tyre I'd choose for a commute but that may depend where you live. Prob. just unlucky but check the treads weekly for anything working it's way thro'

cookeeemonster

josh_1871 wrote:

I've been using GatorSkins on my 16 mile round trip commute in South West London for the past 5 weeks but have already had 2 punctures (one on each wheel).

I got GatorSkins because I was told they were fairly durable against punctures. How often do you all get punctures?

there is no such thing as a puncture proof tyre, and generally you can go for a while (for me, 6-8 weeks) without one and then you'll get a few unrelated ones in quick succession

I've destroyed marathion pluses before, and they make gatorskins look like tissue paper.

As already mentioned, check your tyre pressures, check your tyres regularly (for objects embedded, that gradually work their way in) and possibly add tyre liners? (thats what I've recently done, way too early to say whether they make a difference yet).

vimfuego

I use Gatorskins too (also commuting in from SW London....) Majority of time they are fine - you can go 100s (actually 1000s) of miles without a visit from the fairy, but at the end of the day sometimes you just get unlucky. As already suggested, all you can do is keep the pressures up and make sure you visually check the tyres often (I look at mine every day) and remove any stones/glass etc that gets lodged in the tread to prevent it working through. Whatever steps you take though occasionally you'll pick up something (I flatted last week and pulled out a 2cm long piece of steel wire) it's part of the deal I'm afraid.

Failing that, maybe check your rim tape.

owenlars

4500 miles on my latest set and two punctures last week the first indication of tyre mortality.

Mikey23

Have gatorskins on both my bikes, last puncture was May... That's about 3k miles

Initialised

I've found Specialized Espoir tyres very puncture proof, one per tyre in 4000ish miles by which time I was down to the carcass.

Mr.Duck

Gatorskins are OK, but they are a bit over rated and a bit too expensive for what they are because they cut up quite easily.

Try cycling well away from the gutter. You want to be as far over as the left hand car tyres drive on the road. That can make a big difference.

Cupras

As above just stay out of the gutter.

jmcdyre

2 punctures in 2 years for me (around 4,000 miles I reckon), just as well really as they are a nightmare to get off and refit!