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Continental Tyres problem
I wonder if any reader have come across this problem? The 'gatorskin' layer has detached from the sidewall on my 28mm Continental tyres!
Will try to load pictures, but not sure how to!
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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27 comments
Same thing happened with my friend's Gatorskins, the 'mesh' layer started to disintegrated on one of them. Her bike shop advised her to replace it which she's done.
I've just heard back from Continental Tyres' customer relations who I've been liaising with about these sidewall issues. This is what they said:
"Fraying bead tape has now been rectified on current production.
Seeing the Duraskin layer come off like that is not something I’ve seen in around 25 years of working with Conti, but have see two recently. I don’t see this as a batch issue though."
I would not say this is totally satisfactory as this site alone has identified two cases of the duraskin sidewall delaminating, but hopefully Continental will now be more aware of the issue and, like the issue with the bead fraying, revise production to try and ensure it does not recur. Meanwhile I am pleased to say on a personal level that Continental Tyres have accepted that my own tyres were faulty, at least in so far as they have offered to replace them. Really not sure why Cycle Surgery failed to come to a similar conclusion!
My dethreading has been going on for years. I guess the thing to do is to take a photo of your tyre every time this happens and send it to Continental whilst adding to this post. I'll start with my new 5000TLs... today. Plus the 28mm 4000IIs on bike 2...
Running with too high pressure? I run continental 28s with about 70psi and never had this problem.
Good point. I know that the wider the tyre the lower the pressure. However I run my 28mm on 100psi, somewhat higher than you, but lower than the 115psi that Continental state as a maximum. I have run nearer to 70psi on occasions, but only when I have been lazy about pumping, and quite frankly I find the resulting ride hard work compared to a nice firm 100psi. Maybe my weight is a factor at just under 80kg.
I have some GP4000's that did something similar although not as bad.
The threads around the beads started to come off within a few hundred miles so I just pulled them off.
Ridden them for another 2500 miles or so & they're still on the bike with no issues.
Interested to hear that the beading tape is prone to fray. This seems to be a slightly different problem from what I am experiencing with the 'duraskin' sidewall becoming completely detached. In fact, like you, I have had the bead tape fray on my tyres and just pulled them off the lose threads. Maybe it's my own paranoia but I feel more alarmed by the 'duraskin' delamination issue, it simply feels like the tyre is kinda unraveling itself and could do something unexpected. I could be completely wrong of course and maybe the frayed beading is more serious. I am in contact with Continental Tyres and will raise the issue with them.
I brought a pair of GP5000 TL from German retailer Bike Discount. Within a couple of hundred miles both tyres started to shed threads from around the side walls.
I contacted Continental who apologised and sent replacements. These also started to shed at the same mileage. I continued to use them and in the mean time made another order to Bike Discount for cycle consumables and also included an additional GP5000 TL tyre.
The original replacement rear tyre was disposed of because of rips and tears. The front I left on until it came off the rim and caused an accident.
Had the wall been weakened? I replaced with the spare new GP5000 tyre which then showed the same shedding at the same mileage.
So Five x GP5000 TL all shed threads and one threw me off.
Great tyre but at what cost ? You're teeth or worse. Continental know this is happening and continue to sell them to YOU. After all the GP5000 TL hype surrounding its launch it turns out that the tyre is poorly constructed with no sight of rectification.
All tyres were run at around 70/80 psi and pressures maintained before each ride. Tyre leavers were only used to start tyre removal and mounted by hand.
Schwalbe tubeless don't do this. I will now not use Continental tyres as they're expensive and potentially dangerous.
I have often had threads come off the bead area like that, never caused me any problems.
So have I, but I've also had a tyre split too... luckily only about a mile and a half away from a bike shop because who carries spare tyres these days...
Same problem on 4 of my GP5000 TL's, I've had no safety issues just yet but I've only done about 1200km on one set and 200km on the other. I just snip the thread off as close to the rubber as possible.
I agree though if this is a manufacturing quality issue, it seems like it could be, then Continental should sort it out. At £40 a tyre this shouldn't be happening.
It certainly sounds like you have had some bad experiences with Continental tyres, and I am really surprised that fraying bead tape can become such a problem. I know that I have just pulled off lose threads before, but if this potentially leads to a blow-out, well that's something quite different. For my part I have been far more concerned about the delamination of the 'duraskin', but maybe I am deluded. I am in contact with Continental Tyres and will ask for their comments on this issue.
It would certainly be interesting to hear their response. I have to say the blow out that I had didn't stop me replacing the GP4000II with another pair, immediately - I just assumed that I had ridden them to death. Now I'm begining to wonder whether the dethreading contributed to it... you'd think so at those high pressures, right?
Interesting the response your iniital post has prompted. Like I said, I never really gave it a second thought but Conti may have some serious QC issues..
I'm so glad I've found this!!
I've literally had brand new pair of continental gp5000s and after less than 100 miles the sidewall has come apart from the main tyre casing.
I have got replacements from wiggle and I'm hoping they are better.
I've also noticed the ones that broke also didn't fit very well into rim initially with a bulge which was near impossible to remove.
I reckon due to high demand on bikes and parts they have genuinely got quality control issues as I never had issues with conti until now.
I really hope the replacements work if not back to Victoria corsa, not as durable but hey ho glad I found this topic
Are you using the tubeless variety or the inner tube kind? Been riding 4 seasons since 2015 (28c and still going strong, zero punctures) without any issues bar fitting them on the wheels without any tools. I'm getting a new set of wheels for winter commute and was hoping to go with the gp5000 TL...hope this is a one off and not the new normal.
Interesting to hear of yet another failure, especially on a brand new tyres, but pleased that they are being replaced. Only wish that Cycle Surgery had been similarly disposed.
I've had so many delamination issues, and problems with side wall and carcass failures on Continental tyres, I won't use them anymore. The increased performance seems to come at the cost of resilience, so I use other tyres now.
Wow! I'm kinda shocked to hear that you've had such a bad experience with Continental tyres. I thought maybe my troubles were a one off, but this doesn't appear to be the case. Out of interest, what width tyre did you have the problems with as my troubles only came when I changed to a 28 mm.
25mm when I had the issues.
I've had threads peel off from that gauze side panel on Continental tyres before... frequently. I guess the sidewall gauze peeling away is what happens next - to Gatorskins anyway - it's just laminated on. I pulled some threads off some 4000IIs just the other day... but as you nearly said, at that mileage you're riding your luck
Hi Chris, interesting that you have found this to be a common failing. I've been using these Gatorskins for years and this is the first time anything like this has happened.
I changed from a pair of 23 mm to these 28 mm tyres in order to have some 'give', so wondered if it might have been a problem particularly associated with the broader width.
I've loaded an image of my Gatorskin 28mm with problem sidewalls. I'd be interested to hear from anyone suffering this fault.
Interesting coincidence. Only three days ago I did a bit of maintenance on my gravel bike fitted with Conti 4 Seasons. I had taken the rear wheel out to remove and clean the cassette when I noticed that the net material on the tyre wall was loose. To my mind it is only decorative so I used a very sharp knife to cut it off where it comes out from under the tread. I guessed it had started coming loose due to age because my tyres are a few years old. The rear one did 2500km in 14/15 on a tourer and didn't get used again until last year since when it has done 3300km on the gravel bike so I won't be complaining to Continental. Great tyres for wear and puncture protection. The front one has done over 9000km without a puncture!
Hi Dingaling. Sorry to hear that you have had a similar experience, though I'm really impressed to hear that you rode 9000 km without a puncture, must be some record. I did write to Continental Tyres to see if they had anything to say and got this really nice response from their Shelley in costomer services:
Dear Nelson,
Thank you for your message and we are sorry to hear about your issue with the Gatorskin.
I’d like to assure you that the issue you have is with an external fabric, which we call ‘Duraskin’, which is designed to protect the tyre casing from damage such as cuts and tearing. The fabric plays no part in containing the air chamber and so will not increase the risk of a puncture or failure. https://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/technical/duraskin
You are within your rights to ask for a replacement from your place of purchase, although a dab of adhesive such as superglue will fix this issue just as effectively.
Regards
Shelley
Customer Services
I was a little surprised that they didn't think the 'duraskin' failure would matter, especially as they make quite a big thing about the construction on their website. Maybe like you say, the mesh is merely for decoration.
Could that be damage from the brake pad touching the tyre?
Hi Stuart, Yes I did consider the possibility that the brakes were the cause and carefully checked them out, but they were not to blame! I'm really at a loss as to how this could have happened, but I rather feel it must be a manufacturing fault as both front and rear tyres have the same thing, which is why I've been asking for feedback to see if this is a common complaint.
It's more common than some of the fan boys of Conti would have you believe.