so the tires that came on my new bike are Continental Ultra RAce... 700x23.

I got a hole in the front sidewall already! ... I was on mile 25 of a ride and noticed a bubble on the front tire..it actually wasn't a bubble but it turns out it was the tube sticking out of the sidewall... not long later it popped...luckily I had made it almost all the way home by the time it went....


I'm a newbie ot the biking world.. my current Scott Foil is the first "real" bike I've ever owned. my previosu bike had larger / fatter tires and I didn't ride it as far or as often so I think in 5 years on that bike I had maybe one flat ever?

is this something I should fix? the tire is practically new, I have only put maybe 250 miles on it. I've only had the bike 2 months and these were the tires it came with. from some quick google searches i'm seing most people say do not try to fix tires just replace them. but I thought i'd double check what you all say here?

if I do replace the tire - any recommendations? I can hit the LBS, but they'll just want to sell me whatever they have on the shelf. i'd ideally like a high quality tire - something that handles well, and goes fast.... I don't have to have a totally top of the line tire as I'm not racing... but I would like to put something nice on my bike. i'd be willing to pay a little more for a tire that grips better or goes faster... as with many things in life - i'm sure there is a price point at which you get an "ok" tire, add a bit more money and you get a "GREAT" tire.. and then to go to the "BEST" tire you have to shell out twice as much as the great one... diminishing returns....

Is there any issue with having a different tire on the front vs the back or is that not a problem?

thanks for any suggestions on either whether I fix it or not and what kind of tire I should replace it with.

I'd replace the tire. But next time that happens on a ride and you see it happening, think about stopping the bike, letting out the air, showing a folder dollar-bill or some duck-tape or something similarly stiff against the sidewall to block the hole temporarily. Then reinflate the tire so you can ride home without (too much) worry.

Then having gotten home, yes, I personally would just replace the tire at that point.

If you like the tire, fix it.

If you don't, replace it.

It's that simple.

If you want to fix it, you can get a pack of 50 heavy duty radial tire patches on eBay for a couple of bucks. Those will permanently fix most bike tire cuts, sidewall included.

Cheers TRJB

The issue is if the tire casing is damaged.

If it was my nearly new tire, I'd stick a piece of duct tape over the hole on the inside and pump it back up to operating pressure. If I couldn't feel a bump where the hole was, I'd take that as a sign that the casing isn't damaged and continue to use the tire.

My bike originally came with the same tires, which I used for a couple of years. I found I was getting a lot of flats and sidewall cuts, so I switched to Continental GP 4000S, and have not had problems since. Wiggle often has them for about $65 for a two-pack. The GP 4000 4 Season are tougher, but also cost more and are (in my opinion) ugly, as they have a reddish-brown mesh pattern on the sidewall.

wonder why this particular tire gets a lot of cuts or flats? is it considered a "cheaper" tire or is it considered a high performance tire?

if I could fix the tire safetly - i'd just assume fix it - given that it's so new. if it's considered "unsafe" to do tht, i'll do what is best....I showed it to my buddy who is a tri-guy and he said just patch it and put a new tube in there. he seemed to think it would be totally fine to fix it.

I already pulled out the popped tube...will pick up a new one at the local bike shop.

Conti Ultra Race are terrible tires. Get rid of them. Buy GP4000 II's online for $37 or so. Free shipping most times with an order of $100.

Plan ahead a bit and you save plenty of money as these tires are $80 at local shops.

If you've got a bulge and/or tube sticking out through the sidewall, it's almost certain that you've got damage to the cords in the tire's casing. If that's the case, the tire's structural integrity is compromised and it needs to be replaced.

As for what to replace it with, there are lots of decent tires out there. Assuming you want to stick with sporty tires -- reasonably fast, reasonably light, but with halfway decent longevity and puncture resistance... The Continental Grand Prix 4000S II is a popular tire, and for good reason. I'm currently rolling on Vittoria Rubino Pro Slicks and I like them a lot -- especially since they can often be found on sale. The Michelin Pro4 Endurance V2 is reasonably fast and light and reportedly has better puncture resistance than one might expect from a decent-performing tire. You should be able to find at least one of these options in the $30-35 (each) ballpark.

I called the LBS and they recommended Conti Gatorbacks. the guy said they were more durable than the ultra race tires I had, but he said they are heavier. asming I want something that is lighter/faster - should I avoid a tire like this or would I never notice the difference?

I don't mind spending a few extra bucks to get a better tire that is lighter/faster...
GP4000s II sounds like a good one...

First - look at your brake. The brake shoe isn't touching the tire when you squeeze the lever, is it? (Shouldn't be on a new bike. Poor setup by the shop it if is. But that is a common cause of sidewall damage and easy to see and fix. (And will destroy your next tire also.)

I haven't ridden the Gatorskins but have been hearing for years that they do not have the ride you want.

Ben

Ditch the tire. Bad sidewall is nothing but trouble. You don't want that worry when you're hitting 38mph on a steep downhill. (Tires are like old fashioned light bulbs. Most of the time they last a long time. Every once in a while you get a bad one).

Gatorskins are durable tires. They've got great puncture resistance. But that durability is a tradeoff with rolling resistance and weight.

Staying in the Continental product line, the Grand Prix 4 Season has puncture resistance almost as good as the Gatorskin, but the tire is lighter and rolls a bit easier. I've seen it called a "Goldilocks" tire, splitting the differences between the Gatorskin and the GP4000S II.

The Continental GP4000S II rolls a whole lot better than either of those tires, but its puncture resistance is only fair. Not that it isn't a durable tire -- you can get lots of miles out of 'em -- but if you run over a sharp object, you're more likely to get a flat with the GP4000S II than a 4 Season or Gatorskin.

If you want a reasonably priced, high quality, light & fast tire, the GP4000S II is definitely worth a look. It's a popular tire for good reason.

Ben's got a really good point... That's a common culprit for sidewall damage.

I alrady took the wheel off the bike... i'll take a look at it once I get the new tire back on the bike. I tend to lean the bike over pretty far in my turns... and some of the roads I have ridden on have a lot of pepples and other debris.. also - on my last ride I was on an unfamiliar road and there was some kind of a trough/groove in thep avement that my front wheel fell into - I almost crashed... but managed ot hold it together and get out of the groove.. very likely that could have messed it up....

I will look into the GP4000S II... sounds like everyone says good things about it.

do many of you carry a spare tire in a pouch on your bike? I have not yet put a little bag on the back of my seat - but now that I have experienced my first flat, I can see how it would really suck to be far from home, wearing bike shoes that you really can't walk in - and then have to figure out how to get home.. luckily my flat was .5 miles from home and my wife came to get me in the SUV.... I could have walked home barefoot..but she is just nice like that.

I am thinking one of those little bags with some basic tools, a CO2 pump thing - and a spare tube or tire? maybe I could also keep some snacks in there for my long rides.

thanks guys!! I appreciate the help. I'm really enjoying my new bike.. cant' wiat to get my tire back on and get some rides in over the holidays. Weather in So Cal will be perfect for it once this rain we have now blows over.

I found local shop that has the GP4000S II in stock. $69. a new one off Amazon prime with free shipping is $34! I could order TWO and swap out both my tires if I wanted....

has anyone had a problem with getting imitation tires off Amazon instead of the real stuff? I have seen a few threads where people have bought either bike tubes, shimano pedals, or other bike specific items from Ebay, the items were packaged as genuine, but what showed up was clearly substandard and made in china...

is $69 a total rip off?
am I ok to just order these off Amazon and save a few bucks?

just check who you are ordering from. Conti sells directly on Amazon through Amazon. Most people do buy these tires online because they are so much cheaper.

I just bought 4 last month at Planet Cyclery 2 x 25mm and 2 x 28mm sizes. The tires are legit, cheap (about 32 bucks) and arrived really quickly.

If an item is listed as sold by Amazon or another reputable vendor, then I'd trust it.

When I say a reputable vendor... Niagara Cycle and Bikewagon are a few examples. They're real bike shops who also happen to sell through Amazon.

eBay's more like a shady flea market than Amazon is. You've got to be selective about who you buy from.

Go ahead and order online. I like to give my local bike shop business when I can, but a 100% percent price difference is more than I can justify.

You've already used up one spousal rescue call. Don't waste them. Even with new, good tires, you can get a flat on any ride so you need to be able to fix it. Because I am a belt-and-suspenders type guy, I carry a new tube and a patch kit, and a CO2 cartridge and a pump. First flat gets a new tube and CO2. Second and subsequent flats (yes, it can happen) get patched and pumped.

I don't carry a tire, but I do carry the following supplies to fix flats:

• tube (for first flat)
• patch kit (just in case I get more than one flat)
• pump or CO2 inflator with multiple cartridges
• tire levers
• boot to temporarily patch tire sidewall/casing damage if necessary (Park Tool TB2, tyvek, or a dollar bill)

All of it except possibly the pump easily fit in a saddle bag with room to spare. (Some of that room to spare should probably be filled with a multi tool for other roadside mechanical mishaps.)

^^^^^
Best advice ever. Continental Super Sport and the super sport ultra were good tires and then came the Race - JUNK.

Learn from experience! I used the 2000's years ago, nice tires. Then the 3000's, then the 4000's. All good!

A few times I tried to cut corners and cost by trying the RACE as they could be had anywhere from $12 up to $20. I tried maybe 3 different times, a year apart. BIG mistake every time. Terrible rubber!