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Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
- drubie
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Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby drubie » Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:49 pm
When they cut, they cut all the way through. When they've done that, the edges of the cuts curl inwards like little teeth to chew on your tube. This chewing means that I now have 3 tubes hanging on my shed wall awaiting repair. I nspected the three other brands of tyre in the shed (a Vittoria Rubino Pro, a Maxxis Fuse and a Michelin Carbon) - none of them exhibited the amount of cutting through the gatorskin does.
Well, enough is enough. The tyre still has plenty of tread but i'm going to bin it and it's useless brother on the back won't be too far off. A rubbish old Rubino Pro (no cuts inside that one) holds up the front now.
A $15 Cheng Shin is a superior tyre in every way.
Never again Mr Continental.
but really, that's rubbish. We get none of it because the choices are illusory.
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby Mulger bill » Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:38 pm
London Boy 29/12/2011
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby drubie » Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:45 pm
Mulger bill wrote:Guess I'll have to wait until I get a cut...
Wait? Just ride in the rain within 500m of a bit of glass, it will be magnetically attracted, slice through the gatorskin unimpeded by the egg noodles the casing is made of, cut your tube and leave a shard embedded in the casing that will slowly but surely saw it's way down j-u-s-t enough that every time you go to the shed, you'll have a flat.
If you do this in the dark, you will be walking home.
Did I mention I hate gatorskins?
but really, that's rubbish. We get none of it because the choices are illusory.
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby Mulger bill » Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:55 pm

Shaun
London Boy 29/12/2011
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby drubie » Sun Feb 28, 2010 2:09 pm
HANDMADE IN GERMANY!!!!eleventy!!
700x23 Ultra Gatorskin
Constructed entirely from woven human hair, belly button lint from an enormously fat sausage maker called Klaus, the left over shortening from a strudel factory and recycled rubber from an adult toys found by the side of the strasse by an improverished turkish illegal immigrant with 8 thumbs, two fingers and myopia so severe that his glasses are thicker than they are wide.
Guaranteed for life, as long as you carry your bike everywhere. Did I mention I hate them?
but really, that's rubbish. We get none of it because the choices are illusory.
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby Mulger bill » Sun Feb 28, 2010 2:17 pm



Man you got it bad...
I've got the 700x28, let's hope it makes a difference. I better pop out to the shed...
Shaun
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby familyguy » Sun Feb 28, 2010 2:52 pm
Jim
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby Nobody » Sun Feb 28, 2010 3:00 pm
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby rolandp » Sun Feb 28, 2010 3:56 pm
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby Ant. » Sun Feb 28, 2010 3:59 pm
3 flats in 13,000km. I know many other people I ride with have similar reports (km:puncture) as me. I think they're great.
Cervélo P3C
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby silkishuge » Sun Feb 28, 2010 4:33 pm
Ant. wrote:Gatorskin 700x23.
3 flats in 13,000km. I know many other people I ride with have similar reports (km:puncture) as me. I think they're great.
+1. No problems for me. I use them and I think they are a good set of tyres.
J
Kona Jake the Snake
Cervelo R3
Cervelo R5
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby foo on patrol » Sun Feb 28, 2010 4:41 pm

Goal 6000km

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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby Missy24 » Sun Feb 28, 2010 5:50 pm
drubie wrote:Only now I've worked out why after a series of "mystery flats".
When they cut, they cut all the way through. When they've done that, the edges of the cuts curl inwards like little teeth to chew on your tube. This chewing means that I now have 3 tubes hanging on my shed wall awaiting repair. I nspected the three other brands of tyre in the shed (a Vittoria Rubino Pro, a Maxxis Fuse and a Michelin Carbon) - none of them exhibited the amount of cutting through the gatorskin does.
Well, enough is enough. The tyre still has plenty of tread but i'm going to bin it and it's useless brother on the back won't be too far off. A rubbish old Rubino Pro (no cuts inside that one) holds up the front now.
A $15 Cheng Shin is a superior tyre in every way.
Never again Mr Continental.
+1 I hate Gators
I'll stick with my GP's
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby brockie2 » Sun Feb 28, 2010 6:05 pm
Constructed entirely from woven human hair
Therein lies the problem. Obviously pubic hair, hence the curl. Try the straight hair version. I sliced through mine 12 months ago, glued them back together with tarzan grip and am still using them.

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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby drubie » Sun Feb 28, 2010 6:35 pm
13,000km and three flats? Where are you people riding, on velodromes? It's impossible to get more than 4,000km out of a tyre in rural NSW (hello, chip sealed roads). IMPOSSIBLE!
However, the tarzan grip is a good idea. I will cut the gatorskin into pieces and glue it back together into a little sign that says "where the sun don't shine shove this" and send it back to continental.

but really, that's rubbish. We get none of it because the choices are illusory.
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby brockie2 » Sun Feb 28, 2010 6:41 pm
where the sun don't shine shove this
That would be Germany or anywhere else in Europe at the moment.

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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby drubie » Sun Feb 28, 2010 7:23 pm
brockie2 wrote:where the sun don't shine shove this
That would be Germany or anywhere else in Europe at the moment.Have you tried a patch on the inside of the tyre?
I tried a patch. I tried blobs of glue ranging from contact cement to super glue. None of them are particularly satisfactory because as soon as the inside of the tyre isn't smooth, the tube gets cut up/chewed up at that spot and you get a slow leak/mystery flat.
As far as I'm concerned, that kind of tyre booting is temporary getcha home hackery, not something that should need to be done on any regular basis. The casing is just too easy to cut on the gatorskin despite its name. If an alligator had skins that soft, they'd be made extinct by frogs.
but really, that's rubbish. We get none of it because the choices are illusory.
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby biker jk » Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:49 pm
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby rustychisel » Sun Feb 28, 2010 9:02 pm
Drubie, this is funny stuff for us readers, bad luck for you
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby drubie » Sun Feb 28, 2010 9:19 pm
IT'S PEOPLE! GATORSKIN IS PEOPLE!
madmen blew it all up, it' a madhouse etc.
...and yes, I forgot to complain about the constant hair shedding behaviour down the side, partly caused by running the bastards flat, partly by having to remove them so often.
stinkin paws off my bike yer damn dirty continentals
but really, that's rubbish. We get none of it because the choices are illusory.
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby kukamunga » Sun Feb 28, 2010 9:40 pm
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby Mulger bill » Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:21 pm

You sure you don't use rimstrips made outta Tally Ho Drubie?

Shaun
Mulger Bill, to the puncture fairy wrote:Now go away or I will taunt you again!![]()
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby Boognoss » Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:23 pm
drubie wrote:Those aren't threads biker jk - it's human hair.
IT'S PEOPLE! GATORSKIN IS PEOPLE!
madmen blew it all up, it' a madhouse etc.
...and yes, I forgot to complain about the constant hair shedding behaviour down the side, partly caused by running the bastards flat, partly by having to remove them so often.
stinkin paws off my bike yer damn dirty continentals
Mmmmm Soylent Gatorskins.
Apart from that can't contribute to this thread because I haven't ever used Gators.
Have GP4000S on the roadie, Sport Contacts on the commuter and Contacts on the SS. Continental on all 3 bikes which is weird

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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby drubie » Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:33 pm
Mulger bill wrote:
You sure you don't use rimstrips made outta Tally Ho Drubie?![]()
I wish it was that simple. i triple checked the rim tape, changed the tube Friday night, did a little 15km TT yesterday and a 70km Sunday club run this morning - tyre was already starting to flat on the hill home

Mulger Bill, to the puncture fairy wrote:Now go away or I will taunt you again!![]()
You are so screwed Mulger Bill, the puncture fairy is a harsh mistress

but really, that's rubbish. We get none of it because the choices are illusory.
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Re: Gatorskin: WORST TYRE EVAH!
Postby Pushy » Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:54 pm
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