Opinion: manufacturing defect?

[cgolvin]

Obviously this thread title warrants a photo…but alas I neglected to take one.

Descending our well-known and steep Tuna Canyon Sunday, one of my clubmates had a loud blowout. Context: Bontrager wide carbon rims, Conti GP 25s (I believe) with very good tread (I don't know actual mileage), caliper brakes.

In addition to the tube blowout, a good 1.5" of the tire's bead had completely separated from the tire. We couldn't boot it but managed to get a replacement tube sufficiently pumped up for him to limp home, though the tube was beginning to bulge out from the gap between the tire and the bead.

Granted this is a very steep descent and it's not unheard of for people to fry their carbon rims on it due to excessive brake heat, still this seems like a manufacturing defect to me.

In your judgment, based on the description, would you just chalk it up to bad circumstances, contact the retailer or manufacturer, or a third alternative?

Asking for a friend (truly). Thanks.

[pasadena]

La Tuna Canyon? Never had an issue there. Unless he was dragging his brakes, probably just a bad tire.

[AngryScientist]

that's a fun and challenging descent, from my perspective. plenty of opportunities to overheat a rim, if you're not a good descender.

that aside - did it look like this?

i am DONE with conti tires. i've had multiple sidewall issues over the years with them, and wont ride the gp 4000's anymore.


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rsQFaHb5F4s/VBI97860OwI/AAAAAAAABxQ/Zh4LmJ9_Gb8/s900/P1080309.JPG

[dsimon]

I said that in 2004 especially when I had only 20 miles on them and the bike shop wouldnt do anything about them also cost me a 5 mile walk home.... Specialized S works 24mm are awesome.

[Mark McM]

Yes, a picture would be good.

Have you checked if the brake pads were mounted too high up, so they contacted the tire? Some brake pads actually move their contact areas on the rim upward as the pad wears - this is true for calipers with offset pivots (such as most dual pivot and direct mount brakes). Also of note is that due to the flex of the caliper arms under hard braking, the caliper arms on front brakes can bend upward, toward the tire.


(On a related note, I've actually been quite satisfied with the latest series of Continental tires. I don't get flats very often, but in the last few years I've used a few different brands of tires, and the only flat I've gotten on a Continental tire was a pinch flat - my fault for riding into a crack in the road at high speed.)

[cgolvin]

La Tuna Canyon? Never had an issue there. Unless he was dragging his brakes, probably just a bad tire.

Not La Tuna Canyon, Tuna Canyon — some significant stretches of double digit grade with a lot of tight turns.

[cgolvin]

that's a fun and challenging descent, from my perspective. plenty of opportunities to overheat a rim, if you're not a good descender.

that aside - did it look like this?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rsQFaHb5F4s/VBI97860OwI/AAAAAAAABxQ/Zh4LmJ9_Gb8/s900/P1080309.JPG

Yep, looked exactly like that. And I'd say that while he's a decent descender, he is a fairly large human being so those brakes are having to wage a substantive battle with gravity.

[cadence90]

Not La Tuna Canyon, Tuna Canyon — some significant stretches of double digit grade with a lot of tight turns.

Yes, two very different cans of fish.


It does sound like a crappy tire to me, if the damage is similar to the photo AngryScientist posted.
.

[Spdntrxi]

since they are GPs... I'd say mfg defect. had a blowout on a MUP on a brand new tire..less then 10miles on it.. luckily my wife was going about 10mph at the time. (this was Gp4000S (version1) I've had S2 and have had no issues before, but I'm a turbo cotton guy now if I must ride clinchers.

[longlist]

i dont buy these because they always do this. i never liked them even from years past. always died quickly. so did the old michelin hi-lite tires.

[Ken Robb]

i dont buy these because they always do this. i never liked them even from years past. always died quickly. so did the old michelin hi-lite tires.
What tires do you like?

[m4rk540]

I vote brake pads too high. But stupid wide rims don't help.

Glad you're friend wasn't injured.

[charliedid]

I vote brake pads too high. But stupid wide rims don't help.

Glad you're friend wasn't injured.

This is my "guess" too.

Also, I love Conti tires.

[oldpotatoe]

Obviously this thread title warrants a photo…but alas I neglected to take one.

Descending our well-known and steep Tuna Canyon Sunday, one of my clubmates had a loud blowout. Context: Bontrager wide carbon rims, Conti GP 25s (I believe) with very good tread (I don't know actual mileage), caliper brakes.

In addition to the tube blowout, a good 1.5" of the tire's bead had completely separated from the tire. We couldn't boot it but managed to get a replacement tube sufficiently pumped up for him to limp home, though the tube was beginning to bulge out from the gap between the tire and the bead.

Granted this is a very steep descent and it's not unheard of for people to fry their carbon rims on it due to excessive brake heat, still this seems like a manufacturing defect to me.

In your judgment, based on the description, would you just chalk it up to bad circumstances, contact the retailer or manufacturer, or a third alternative?

Asking for a friend (truly). Thanks.

You could do that and if the retailer is a good one, he'll just hand you a new tire..I've done this more than once. The distributor would probably replace it to the retailer as well BUT that sidewall split at bead is not all that uncommon with conti clincher tires..

[redir]

Hmmm interesting. I used to buy Conti's all the time and never had a problem with them.