Hey all,

Wanted some advice on my tire. I noticed I have a pretty nice size gash that's pretty deep on my front tire. I just got these a month or two ago. Check out the images and let me know your thoughts.

Thanks

If there indication that the casing is starting to fail to support that part of the tire? For instance, is there bulging in the area around the gash when the tire is inflated?

Yeah after rubbing my finger over it, there is definitely a small bulge around the small tear.

What that stuff people use to fill cuts in tires... shoe goo?

Never used it but might be worth a try. Do a short ride first.

If they are both a month old swap with the rear and ride.

Wouldn't that just subject the damaged tire to more force and stress?

Buy a new tire, and move on. It sucks to cut a newish tire, but get over the loss of that one.

If you are crafty, why not makes cool belt out of the damaged tire?

If there is a bulge, the casing is damaged and it's not safe to ride, front or rear. You could try a boot, sometimes they work. If you do, put it on the back, better for you if it blows on the road.

My wife has informed me I'm getting a new tire for less than that.

I'm pretty sure it's all about maintaining my economic viability.

Honestly, I wouldn't ride on that.

lbs fixed all the cuts in a tubeless tire using superglue and pressure. pull the tire, superglue the gash, holding it closed with pliers or some kind of clamp. maybe a screwdriver head under a clamp, whatever.

I would not ride with that tire. Looks like an accident waiting to happen. IMO.

I'd also be inclined to change out that tire completely or at the very least to move it to the rear. I'm curious--have you taken it off the rim and looked at it from the underside? When I ride on clinchers I ride on Michelin PRO4s and when they're scrapped I use them as for various reasons. I've take safety blades to those things and they are really tough to cut through! Some tires are more durable than you might imagine; but when there is doubt it is best to err on the side of caution.

+1

Yes.

If the casing is cut, pitch the tire and move on.

What does this have to do with S-Works?

They are the S-Works Gripton tires

Marginally. It will also wear out faster, and a rear flat is much more controllable than front flat.

If the cords aren't cut, I wouldn't worry about it.

Pull the tire, inspect the inside, if the cords are intact, put in on the rear and ride it. If there's a minor cut, add a boot then ride it.

Thanks all for the help... swapped the rear and placed it up front. Ditched the front Gripton S-works tire and found a lightly used 23mm Gatorskin my my closet. I'll be good to go. Word of advice with these Specialized S-Works Gripton tires. Don't train on them like I did. You'll pick up lots of road debris that can give you hairline cuts in your tire. Use it for race specific events. I only raced on this once this season but kept them on my bike during our group training rides and solo training rides. To bad as I only had them for a couple months.

I don't know I'd call the difference force and stress marginal; that rear tires wear out much faster-- twice? More?-- is proof of that. There's more weight on it, and it's the driven tire. I mean, if you could make twice the power as someone else, or go twice as fast up a climb as you do now, would you consider that a marginal difference?

If the point of moving it to the back is to hasten its demise, I get that; the sooner it fails on its own the sooner you get a guilt free resolution to the problem. Rear placement both increases force/stress and the likelihood of a flat.

If want to maxximize the service life of the tire and reduce the chance of flats, though, it should be left on front.

If you're afraid of a flat on the front, I'm not sure the cut will make one any more "catastrophic" than it would be otherwise, though it must increase the risk of flatting by some incalculable amount. I'd consider use of the word "marginal" appropriate in this context.

Different strokes for different folks; some are more afraid of what might happen than of that which they know will happen.

Iii have one Gripton tire on my bike that I got for a trial. So far there is 2500 miles on that tire and wear is barely visible. I expect to ride it another 1000 miles to it's well earned rest.

Filling the cut w/ Shoe Goo is good as it prevents

shards from lodging in the hole & continuing the cutting process.

I've dug bits out of cuts like that multiple times.

Yeah, I'd just Shoe Goo it and move it to the rear. I don't think it's all that likely to fail. I've ridden on similar cuts with no problems.


Maybe the picture is misleading, but that tire kind of looks like **** anyway. You always want your best tire on the front. Move that one to the rear and it looks like it will be dead in 500-1,000 miles.

Swap

Why do people want to swap it with the rear one ?

Doesn't the rear tire needs to support more weight ?

Because if you flat on the rear you're less likely to crash.


Plus, it will wear faster and be out of your rotation sooner.