I changed out both tires tonight. Upon closer inspection, I found the rear tire was exhibiting the same cracking. Once I had the tires unmounted, I found similar cracks between the sidewall and bead area on both tires, too. My conclusion is that these tires are crap. Whether I got a bad batch, or whether that brand is to blame, I'm convinced to look elsewhere for tires. I've got a set of Bontrager Race Lites (best my LBS had) on for Thursday's ride. I'll order some Continentals when I can find them on sale. Thanks for the help.

Regards,
John.