Holes in Gatorskin tyres

[tourer42]

13 months ago I purchased and fitted 2 Gatskin tyres 28-622 700 x 28C (95psi) for my renovated Mercian, all was going well till 3 weeks ago!
Out on a 70 mile ride with a colleague of mine, I had a blow out on the rear tyre, discovered one gash on the side wall of the tyre, where the tube had burst through!
I put this down to just bad luck.
Replacement tyre purchased.
Then just 3 weeks later whilst cleaning my bike down, noticed what I thought was piece of gum on the side wall of the front tyre, it turned out to be my inner tube beginning to burst out of the side wall, yet again!
I contacted the supplier a reputable dealer down in the south west of the country whom supplied these, who told me they had never had any issues with these tyres before!
After reading various forum issues over burst tyres I am somewhat disappointed with the response I got from my supplier, and find their response very disappointing.

[meic]

Seems to be a rash of threads on this subject at the moment.
I had a similar issue on a Gatorskin years ago, I patched it and rode another 3,000 miles or more.
At the time I assumed it was a stone cutting it as I rode over (often sharp stones are displaced from the borders of the dual carriageway into the cycle lane) and thought it just coincidence that is was on a mold line.

[Brucey]

I don't care for them, but one of my chums runs gatorskins and he usually gets several year's use out of them (in daily commuting on crud-strewn roads).

Some folk reckon that when the mesh in the sidewall goes bad, it is nothing to worry about since 'it isn't structural' but IME this is usually a presage to the tyre failing in the way you describe.

Accidental damage and carrying a heavy load will hasten the demise of such tyres IME.

cheers

[meic]

Accidental damage and carrying a heavy load will hasten the demise of such tyres IME.

Having put it to the test I would risk correcting that to "may hasten the demise".
I have almost certainly done more miles on Ultragators than any other tyre and they have shown the best durability record of all, for me.
Strangely my heavy duty Schwalbe Marathons have had a 50% failure rate through internal fibre failure.

[Paulatic]

I Audaxed for years using gatorskins. Loved them with many miles and barely a puncture. Then I got a spate of sidewalls splitting open which I used to think were ripped by stones but no real proof.
Became expensive throwing good tyres away so I've never considered or bought them again.

[TrevA]

I've been using Gators for years and never had this sort of problem with them. I get about 4000 miles out of a rear and more out of a front tyre. I rarely ride off road on them, though do have a couple of regularly used section of gravelly rough road - one leading to a regularly used café and the other a 200 yard section on my commute. I do find they become prone to punctures when they are nearly worn out, but have never blown a side wall on them.

[mjr]

I've seen this a couple of times on group rides in the last few years. Apparently, Gatorskins have a bit of a reputation for Norfolk arrowhead flints slicing sidewalls. It probably depends what you ride over/through.

[Phil_Chadwick]

Gatorskins are good against thorns, but flints cut right through them. I lived in a flinty area at one time, tried them and gave up after a week of continual cuts and casing slices.

Round here, where the hazard is stray hedge clippings, they're pretty good.

[mig]

are all these tyres made in the same place?

[Gattonero]

I've plenty of friends and know several Couriers that do use them for tens of thousands of miles. I guess is just bad luck with the riad, or that every thoudsand tyres there may be one that is more prone to damage?
Pretty reliable tyres, in my opinion.

Against flints there isn't really a tyre of decent weight that can withstand. You've to go for thick&heavy stuff, which requires some noticeable extra effort when cycling.

p.s.
I've had expensive tyres and tubs that had such bad luck to get small cuts on the first ride. I blamed myself or the bad luck.

[mjr]

Against flints there isn't really a tyre of decent weight that can withstand. You've to go for thick&heavy stuff, which requires some noticeable extra effort when cycling.

Vittoria Rubino are 30g heavier and seem not as prone to flint cuts of the sidewalls - about as vulnerable to flint stabs in the tread, though. I expect there's some Schwalbe K-guard tyre which is similar but I don't know it and their naming confuses me.

[binsted]

I've plenty of friends and know several Couriers that do use them for tens of thousands of miles. I guess is just bad luck with the riad, or that every thoudsand tyres there may be one that is more prone to damage?

Wow, I have never had a set go beyond 4k miles but Hampshire's flints are not kind. I recently had a GP4000 that lasted 5 days before a flint went through the sidewall, we really do have some crap roads in UK

[Tim Salter]

I have no faith in continental tyres at all, 4seasons, gatorskins all have side wall failed, had enough of inferior over priced products see image supplied with this post as proof this tyre has less than 300 miles on it.

Continental tyres sidewalls always fail don't waste you cash.

[dim]

Schwalbe Durano Plus is a better option IMHO ... better grip, does not slip in the wet and has the same puncture protection as Gator's....I never had any sidewall issues when I used them

[iandriver]

Another ex gatorskin audaxer who gave up on them for the same reason.