It's hard to comment without seeing the severity of the puncture, but if it closed if the hole closed up when you inflated the new tube, it probably won't be a big deal. Hardcase tires get chewed up, but fend off alot of flats. It is the first of many likely scars. If you're that concerned, you can always patch over the whole from the inside and then fill the hole in the tread with epoxy. I had a hole in a tire, from a drywall screw, where the sidewall meets the tread and a patch worked like a champ. If it was rubber tire, it might be a bigger problem, since the tube could stretch through the hole like a zit. Which was the case with the tire that I patched on the inside, since that tire only had like 20 miles on it I wasn't ready to flush $35.


I also agree with everything Nagrom has said.

I should post a pic of what my Armadillo looked like after 4000 miles of commuting. There were spots wear I could stick my fingers through and touch the protective strip. Didn't get a single flat on that tire and I rode on some streets that glittered in the sun light due to the amount of glass on it. And in my opinion, Conti's are superior tires to Specialized.


Also Gatorskins are a bear to mount, so they can take a little longer until you get used to it.