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Can bike tyres be stored long term ? Will they degrade with time ?
Schwalbe stopped making Rock Razor in 26, so I’m stocking up on the older TripleStar ones before they’re all gone.
They are being stored indoors, under my bed. Any tips ?
How long are you thinking? I hung a maxxis HRII outside for 2 years (was 3 years old when I hung it up). Fitted it the other week, held air for 48 hours without sealant, put some sealant in it and it’s still fine now at 5 years old.
Didn't some road pros swear by aging their tyres in a dark room? I'm sure I remember Lance used to age Hutchinson tyres, and I vaguely remember Sky aging their Paris Roubaix tyres too.
I believe best stored out of sunlight, in a cool environment. Got a stash of 26'ers too to keep me rolling on decent rubber.
I recall Jared Graves commenting that tyres he’d had for a while seemed less sticky than they should be, as if the rubber compound had hardened with age.
Can bike tyres be stored long term ? Yes, UV is likely to be the biggest thing to consider, how old do you think "new" tyres are?
Will they degrade with time ? Even diamonds degrade over time, the issue is if you can tell. The answer to that is probably not.
Even diamonds degrade over time
Source? 😉
Even diamonds degrade over time
Source? 😉
Just ask your wife if she needs new ones...
I once had some tyres in the garage and one ended up becoming misshaped due to the way it was leaning against a wall and probably something else against it, it just has a wobble it in that couldn't be removed.
This weekend I created a wooden rack to store a set of tyres in, that's hung off the internal wall of the shed to free up floor space and keep them in shape (i hope).
An aged mate of mine, who is a lifelong TTist, reckons,
Store them, lightly inflated, on a rim, in the loft, for a year.
That’s before first use.
He says they are faster than a brand new tyre when this is done.
He’s a massively experienced guy, having worked in a few shops over the years too, so id trust him.
TTists are actually mental though.
I have a stash of over 30 new and one or two rides old tyres stored in a coal bunker. one is 20yrs old (a michelin prototype of Minnaars that never got sold to the public i got from Martin Whiteley) about half are 5-10yrs old the rest under 3 years. They're all absolutely fine.
Thanks for the good news everyone, I’ll happily fill my side of the bed with Schwalbes.
The keep inflated in the loft for a year business is fascinating. Is it a difference an MTB rider would notice ? Did your friend give an explanation as to why ?