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Continental Gatorskin failure
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Parkland
Jun 19, 18 14:47
Post #1 of 11 (2375 views)
Got headed out a mile and a half on my training ride today and heard the dreaded "whoosh". Felt air blowing on my left leg. I pulled over and inspected my rear tire where I could see a noticeable crack in the sidewall. Figured I hit something in the road that punctured it even though I didn't see anything or feel anything happen.

I came home and stripped the tire off and took the tube out to patch it, but it wasn't leaking air at all. Not sure what happened or if this is a common occurrence.

I bought the wheels and tires used so the gatorskins came with them. Maybe they had dry rotted or were past their prime. Luckily, this didn't happen during my 40 mile ride Saturday morning!

Any input? Just curious mainly. Thanks!
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Re: Continental Gatorskin failure [Parkland] [ In reply to ]
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Lacticturkey
Jun 19, 18 15:00
Post #2 of 11 (2354 views)
One time helped someone where they had similar events.

They had lost pressure but when they went to fix it there was no leak and when they put the tube back in they couldn't pump to pressure. Turned out thier brake pad was a bit high and cut the tyre wall. When the innertube bulged through a small bubble appeared, expanding and dropping pressure... And which made a whoosh sound each time it passed the brake pad, similar to the oscillating sound escaping air makes each time the hole passes. But in that case that is why the tire felt soft but didn't have a hole.
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Re: Continental Gatorskin failure [Parkland] [ In reply to ]
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FlashBazbo
Jun 19, 18 15:04
Post #3 of 11 (2345 views)
How do you get a "whoosh" and the sensation of blowing air without air escaping from the tube? Are you saying the air supporting the tire was between the tire and tube? I'm not understanding that part.

I recently ran over broken glass and it cut the tire sidewall, but not the tube. The tube remained intact and fully inflated (but bulging through the hole in the tire) for another 175 miles -- and still didn't lose air then. If there wasn't a hole in the tube, I don't know how you had a flat.
Last edited by: FlashBazbo: Jun 19, 18 15:06
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Re: Continental Gatorskin failure [FlashBazbo] [ In reply to ]
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Parkland
Jun 19, 18 15:07
Post #4 of 11 (2338 views)
Pumped the tube up and submerged it in water and found a tiny pin hole.

Wasn’t obvious at first, mystery solved.
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Re: Continental Gatorskin failure [Parkland] [ In reply to ]
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Lacticturkey
Jun 19, 18 15:19
Post #5 of 11 (2313 views)
Lol!
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Re: Continental Gatorskin failure [Parkland] [ In reply to ]
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Big Endian
Jun 19, 18 15:44
Post #6 of 11 (2282 views)
Did you mount them inside out?
Less is more.
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Re: Continental Gatorskin failure [Parkland] [ In reply to ]
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gphin305
Jun 19, 18 15:50
Post #7 of 11 (2273 views)
[
I bought the wheels and tires used so the gatorskins came with them. Maybe they had dry rotted or were past their prime. Luckily, this didn't happen during my 40 mile ride Saturday morning!

Any input? Just curious mainly. Thanks![/quote]
If you bought them used and have little idea how old the tires and tubes are, I'd replace them.
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Re: Continental Gatorskin failure [Parkland] [ In reply to ]
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scott8888
Jun 20, 18 1:39
Post #8 of 11 (2075 views)
If a tire has been left with an uninflated tube on a bike for a long time the sidewall will be damaged in the way you have described. Tires with stiff side walls like gatorskins will be particularly susceptible to cracking due improper storage. The damage isn't always obvious when the tires are properly inflated as the rubber won't have rotted or been worn through but it can't be fixed either.

If I were you I would buy some new tires and write it off as the cost of buying used.
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Re: Continental Gatorskin failure [Big Endian] [ In reply to ]
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burnthesheep
Jun 20, 18 4:53
Post #9 of 11 (1979 views)
Big Endian wrote:
Did you mount them inside out?

Someone HAD to have done that on purpose to start a troll thread. One can only hope anyway.
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Re: Continental Gatorskin failure [Parkland] [ In reply to ]
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kdw
Jun 20, 18 6:10
Post #10 of 11 (1925 views)
A good way to determine when you need new tires is if you look down and see you have gatorskins.
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Re: Continental Gatorskin failure [Parkland] [ In reply to ]
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Route66
Jun 20, 18 6:46
Post #11 of 11 (1887 views)
Check around the valve stem. I've had bad tubes that leaked there substantially, but intermittently. Toss the tube. If there's a crack in your tire sidewall, toss it, too. You don't need a high-speed blowout.
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