Vittoria Rubino Pro Slicks with only 300 miles on them and I got two little cuts/chunks out of the tire, one on the front and one on the rear. I am afraid to ride them now. I liked the ride, but am leery of getting them again.
Would Grand Prix 4000s be okay for everyday riding? I try not to ride on bad roads or through any debris. They just seem so expensive. I borrowed some used Gatorskins off a friend for the time being and I hate the ride.
They're awesome for everyday riding. They're tied for being my favorite tire with Hutchinson Fusion 3 tubeless. I can't stand Vittoria Rubino Pro Slicks - they feel like they're coated with hard plastic or something - not grippy at all.
The Rubino slick is a great training / general purpose tire. It has their PRB belting for puncture resistance. Any tire can cut. As long as the cut stops at the belt (which is extremely likely what happened) you have little to fear about further problems at that spot.
The 4000s constuction is similar. It has a vectran belt. Given the same circumstances it likely would have been affected the same.
Kind of depends on what you're doing every day, what your ride feel quality tollerance is and how long you expect them to last. If you want a race tire that is also somewhat flat-resistant with good milage life the 4000s is about the best. If you think the 4000s is going to be tougher and outlast the Rubino slicks I don't think that's going to happen.
I didn't get 1K miles out of mine before they started getting sliced up really bad. I know the pricing of that tire makes it attractive, and their performance is really good, but their durability is a ? to me.
Decided to go with he GP 4Ks and so far love them. Only have 200 miles on them so far so it's yet to be seen if they are more durable.
GP4000s are my everyday tire. They wear fairly fast as a "daily driver" but I know they'll stick in hard corners and in the rain. Worth the price for me. Though you might not like the ride of the Gatorskins, they do last for-freakin-ever. My wife was well over 2000 miles on hers and they still look like new.
While there are a lot of variables in tire wear, my experience is that the GP4000 and GP4000S are quite durable. Others report the same thing on this site. Not durable compared to a 350 gm tire for hybrids, but durable for a 220 gm lightweight tire. Conti tires have thinner sidewalls and thicker tread than Michelin so if you ride on a lot of debris-strewn roads that may be an issue, but tread wear is quite good IME.
I've used Vittoria Zaffiro and when it wore out, got GP4000S for my commuter bike. Rubber is rubber when it comes to cuts. It's what's behind that makes the difference. GP has given me less flats than VZ so far. Yes, GP4000S isn't puncture proof.
Can you post a photo of the cuts/chunks.
If it is just the tread that is damaged and the casing is not cut then you have nothing to worry about, I have dozens of small cuts in my tires and they are fine.
It looks worse when it is mounted and inflated. It is spread open. The other one isn't as bad and you would probably laugh, but once again it looks worse when its mounted and inflated. I am just worried that something will get stuck in the cut and puncture the tire when I am flying. I had the sidewall fail on some Hutchinsons and I was super lucky it didn't happen two minutes earlier.
Gorilla Glue [super glue] would seal that up for you in a minute. I use Gorilla Super Glue on my tires all the time.
You may want to rethink a wider tire, 700 x 25mm instead of 700 x 23 or 700 x 20. The GP4000's in a 700 x 25mm are just a tiny bit heavier but almost zero difference in rolling resistance compared to the 700 x 23mm. You can run lower tire pressure with a 700 x 25mm GP4000's [85-90psi] and buffer some of those hits. I can get almost 4,000 miles out of a set of GP4000's.
If you want some 'peace of mind', you could put some Goop adhesive in the cut, and let it dry for a couple of days (while off the rim). Goop is similar to Shoe Goo, but seems a bit stronger while still being flexible.
I've been riding many years and basically don't concern myself with cuts or small missing chunks as long as the cords aren't compromised. If they are compromised, you'll see that the cords are cut or that the tire is bulging a little. Worst case is the tube starts to protrude. That cut in your photo looks inconsequential, but I can't really tell from the photo if the cords are OK or not.
Some may be a bit more durable than others, but any tire will get cuts from road debris.
I agree with morgan1819 that is not worth worrying about. I would just put some Shoe goo or something similar on it and not think about it again. don't use super glue though as it dries hard and brittle and can cause you problems.
Another vote for GP4000s for everyday riding. Lately I've been using some Pro 4 Service Course and they have a better ride overall than the GP4000s. Durability seems about the same with no flats yet, this is after 1000km on them.
I've been riding Gatorskins then GP4K and not a single flat since summer of 2007. I've gone through 2 pairs of Gatorskins and I think 3 pairs of GP4Ks. Just ordered my 4th set of GP4Ks a few hours ago. Going back to 23s after using 25s for a while.
I'm a big fan of my GP 4000s. FWIW, they have some cuts on them that look like your photo. Like another poster, I don't worry about it unless the casing is compromised. The rubber is essential, but it's not structural. So as long as it's not coming away in giant chunks. it's fine.
My experiment with using GP4000s as everyday tires ended with three tires in the trash can due to sidewall slices in about 100 miles. I'm not talking about nicks like in the picture but boot requiring pray it holds until I get home slices. Could be a coincidence but with a grand total of 0 tire destroying sidewall cuts on other brands/models I doubt it.
I actually had pretty good luck with a pair GP4000 (no S) a couple years prior.
I've been a long-time fan of the GP4000s. Definitely a good choice. That said, I've just switched to the Michelin Pro4 and prefer it slightly. I don't have nearly as many slices/cuts as I would expect from a GP4000s at this point.
Went from Rubinos to the GP4000s and haven't looked back. Not that the Rubinos were bad mind you, but I've found the Contis to be more durable. Far less wear and tear after same amount of usage. YMMV, but definitely give them a try!
Any tire will get cuts like that when you hit stones and other debris. I've got Michelin ProRace, Conti GP 4000s and 4 Seasons, Vittoria Rubino IIs on various bikes -- and they all have cuts like that. Personally I think Rubinos are great tires and the best value right now. I bought my last two pairs for less than $30/tire. Try to find any Conti GPs for that cheap, and I think the Rubinos roll just as nice.
Ditto here. I use both gatorskins and GP4K and never have flats.
Someone gave me a pair of expensive, grippy Hutchinsons so I had to try them. Had 7 flats in about 3 months/3k miles on the Hutchinsons. After the 7th (I'm a slow learner), I ordered another pair of GP4Ks, and no flats since.
Over 1200 miles on my current set of GP 4000s. Not a cut, not a flat, not one problem...which is a lot to say consistently riding chipsealed country roads. I think these ride a lot more comfortably than the Gatorskins they replaced (those were good tires too!)
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