Originally Posted by
bobones
If that were my tire, I would boot it and use it.
I routinely use Park Tools TB-2 emergency tire boot patches to fix bulges and nicks in my tires. You can also boot it with an old bit of tire, but the Park stuff is much more convenient to use. They're kind of like thin plastic credit cards with an adhesive backing.
Just cut a piece that will comfortably cover the damage and stick to the inside of the tire. Make sure you trim and round off the corners so there are no sharp bits to jab the tube or cover the boot with a rubber patch. This will stay in place and prevent the tube pushing through.
No one is going to say that this is perfectly safe, so use at your own discretion, but in my experience and judgement, these repairs are not going to cause or contribute to a blowout if you adequately cover the damaged area.
I'll probably try that and see where I'm at. If it looks safe enough... I'll ride it. The cut itself is a straight linear line, so it could work. If not... I'll just order the new tire.
@Everyone: Again... thanks for the feed back! Just makes me want to try the GP4000S again!
@ColinL: I will also try that route. I ordered these tires from Performance at $60 a pop... doesn't seem fair that I only got a month out of one of the tires! And yeah... I'll try to boot it and see what it looks like... but really... I'm on your side... May just better to order a new tire or get a replacement from Continental. Better safe than sorry!