GP 4 seasons gone already?

steve_kay

Evening all. I've just finished giving my bike her weekly TLC and when i removed the wheels to clean them, I spotted rips in the tyres as pictured below. I reckon i've only put 800 miles on them since new. Its fair to say the roads around Devon aren't fantastic but surely the tyre shouldn't have given way so early. It's only the front though, the back is perfectly fine. They've been brilliant tyres up until now. Never had a puncture and they're good in all weather and offer little rolling resistance. Obviously I'm going to have to replace them so has anyone got any suggestions on a similar tyre to these? If it was normal wear and tear then I'd just swap them like for like but 1) they obviously aren't as well made as I thought and 2) very expensive compared to others. I think the may be a little far gone to risk a quick 40 miler tomorrow.

Steve

Serious Cat

Yikes I was going to give gp 4s a go when my 25mm gators Need replaced, to go the way yours have so quickly is concerning

steve_kay

Serious Cat wrote:

Yikes I was going to give gp 4s a go when my 25mm gators Need replaced, to go the way yours have so quickly is concerning

Yeah I know. They weren't like that last week when I checked them which makes me think I may have ridden over something, as opposed to the tyres being useless. Like I mentioned above, they've been the best tyres I've used up until now

Grill

Over 3000 miles on mine and still only about half worn. How much do you weigh and what pressure do you run them at?

steve_kay

I'm about 90 kgs and I run them at around 115 to 120 psi

dowtcha

They are not indestructible, you just being unlucky and cycled over something that has shreaded your tyre.
No matter what tyre you pick there will be some people who punctured twice on them within a mile. In general they are good tyres, if your looking for a alternative have have look at Michelin Pro4 Service Course. I have them in 25mm and they are just about perfect but I sure some one will be along who binned theirs within a week.

Serious Cat

OP are they 23 or 25mm ?

steve_kay

Sorry, should have mentioned that. They're 25's

Serious Cat

Deffo wouldn't run 25s at 120, I'm 82kg and run my 25mm gators at 95 psi, your weight and that pressure would be harder on tyres but not wear them out that rapidly

Grill

Steve_kay wrote:

I'm about 90 kgs and I run them at around 115 to 120 psi

Jesus. Way too high.

steve_kay

I do it because I'm a heavy rider really. Maybe they were a tad high but they're rated up to that so there should be no reason for them to fail like they have

steve_kay

To be honest, I don't normally run them that high. Usually around 100 but took it into my LBS recently and the bloke said to run them slightly higher. Hence the reason 115 psi

ugo.santalucia

Won't make any difference, but it looks like it's fitted the wrong way round

steve_kay

I'm pretty sure they're non directional tyres

Grill

Steve_kay wrote:

To be honest, I don't normally run them that high. Usually around 100 but took it into my LBS recently and the bloke said to run them slightly higher. Hence the reason 115 psi

99% of people who work in bike shops are muppets. If you weren't pinch flatting at 100psi then it's fine.

steve_kay

Grill wrote:

Steve_kay wrote:

To be honest, I don't normally run them that high. Usually around 100 but took it into my LBS recently and the bloke said to run them slightly higher. Hence the reason 115 psi

99% of people who work in bike shops are muppets. If you weren't pinch flatting at 100psi then it's fine.

Yeah I agree. The only reason I didn't really question it was that the tyres were starting to square off. Hence the reason I thought that adding another 10 or so psi would stop that. Which to be fair, it has but now I'm left with a ruined tyre. Ah well

redvee

I had a GP4S go like that but this was after 2500 miles when a car pulled out on me when doing 20 mph though the wear patch was much bigger.

steve_kay

redvee wrote:

I had a GP4S go like that but this was after 2500 miles when a car pulled out on me when doing 20 mph though the wear patch was much bigger.

I think that I've braked too hard at some point and torn a hole in the tyre.

redvee

Steve_kay wrote:

redvee wrote:

I had a GP4S go like that but this was after 2500 miles when a car pulled out on me when doing 20 mph though the wear patch was much bigger.

I think that I've braked too hard at some point and torn a hole in the tyre.

My conclusion too.

kajjal

To give a comparison I weight around 100kg and have GP4S 23mm tyres running at 105psi. After 1500 miles they look barely worn in. At 105psi I have only had one pinch puncture when I went though a sharp deep pot hole at over 20mph, which was my own fault.

steve_kay

Judging by the tyres, so you reckon I'd get 30 or 40 miles out of them tomorrow? I know it's a case of "how long is a piece of string" but they don't look too severe. Knowing my luck, I'll get to my 20 mile turn around point and the tyre will fail

Grill

You'll get way more than that as there is still tread. They're not properly belted yet, just a couple of spots that have seen better days.

steve_kay

Grill wrote:

You'll get way more than that as there is still tread. They're not properly belted yet, just a couple of spots that have seen better days.

Cheers Grill

gimpl

Steve_kay wrote:

I'm pretty sure they're non directional tyres

Having just bought a pair I can confirm that they definitely are directional and I think Ugo is correct - the ones in the picture look the wrong way round.

Re tyre pressures - I'm 98 kg and I don't run my 23mm GP4000's at 115 psi - I'm on 105 back, 100 front. In the winter/wet weather on 25mm tyres I'll be dropping to 90-95.

laurentian

This is interesting.

I bought a couple of the Continental Grand Prix (nb not the 4 seasons) from Chain Reaction at the beginning of June. They arrived about 8/9th and were probably fitted about 12th/15th. I rode on them for a couple of weeks c. 300 miles. After the couple of weeks riding, bike goes in for a fiddle a LBS. Later that day, chap from LBS calls me to say all done but that they had noticed a problem with the tyre.

Mine looked very similar to your 3rd picture but was in the tyre wall and the inner tube (110psi) could be seen smiling through an approx 4mm weak spot. LBS said that they had sen this on a few Conti tyres lately (I have no idea whether this is right and they do only stock Schwalbe!)

Called CRC who asked for a photo - which was duly sent. A couple of days later, no further questions asked by CRC a replacement order arrived (as in for the two tyres of my order not just a replacement for the faulty one).

So, top marks to CRC for outstanding customer service but possible questions on Continental quality??

keef66

They look better if the tread pattern is pointing the 'right' way, but it makes bugger all difference to their performance. They are not directional in the way some motor vehicle tyres are.

As long as those little cuts are not hiding any fragments of glass / flint, I'd reduce the pressures a bit and carry on riding those. Any sign of the tube pushing through and you may be able to rescue it with a tyre boot.

My last pair I rode to destruction; they were already pretty well worn when the council decided to resurface my local loops using the popular chip and ping technique. The fresh chippings proved so abrasive the remaining tread started to come away in large chunks revealing the carcass beneath. Still didn't puncture!

florerider

Continental Grand Prix (nb not the 4 seasons) - I use these too but with no problems and no unwanted visits by she who must not be named over 4000 miles. Moved one tyre "front to back" for this season - now done over 5000 miles on it. I'm struggling to see why spending more is worth it.

Personal view is that lower pressures and larger contact areas allow more chance for small objects to get embedded and cause problems. Since tyres aren't flat, they are circular in one plane and circular or ovoid in the other, I don't buy the less deflection thing for 25s either - the perimiter of the contact patch is longer, and the area that deflects is also larger. The distance might be shorter along the tyre, but it is longer across the tyre. Now, it the tyre was flat in profile the story would be different.

Omar Little

I had similar cuts with some threads showing in the grooves (while the rest of the tyre looked ok) but that was after about 2500 miles (25c @ 100 psi)

Old_Timer

I'm using the Gatorskins in 25 width, my first set was at 4500 miles when the rear started shedding small patches of tread, this spring. Yours partially look more as if they are partially punctured by road trash, not abnormal wear. If its a tougher tyre you want the Gatorskins offer a similar feel and handling with a tough wearing tread. Friends using the 4 seasons haven't had any problems with short lived tyres here, though. However, this area is big time for Schwalbe and Specialized tyre use. Not to many Contis on the LBS shelf, so I order mine from Ribble, when they have the 2fer sales (I cannot beat their price on tyres or tubes here in the states and they arrive in short order.)

I can run in the 80lbs air pressure when its our knackered roads with the exposed aggregate, and use 110psi in the rear and 100psi in front for smoother routes, no pinch flats at either setting and its the Continental Race tubes inside. As said, the Michelin Pro4 Service Course are good, long wearing and handling tyres, also.

il sole

Gimpl wrote:

Steve_kay wrote:

I'm pretty sure they're non directional tyres

Having just bought a pair I can confirm that they definitely are directional and I think Ugo is correct - the ones in the picture look the wrong way round.

Re tyre pressures - I'm 98 kg and I don't run my 23mm GP4000's at 115 psi - I'm on 105 back, 100 front. In the winter/wet weather on 25mm tyres I'll be dropping to 90-95.

yep - defo are directional...I've been running 4 seasons since last winter at between 90-100 psi. I'm 74Kg, and I too had a slight snag in one of the tyres - got it changed FOC by my LBS :-)

cerv50

Steve_kay wrote:

I'm pretty sure they're non directional tyres

They do have a directional arrow on them but they can be used both ways. I asked a Continental rep I know and he said it doesnt make any difference which way round they are.