Hairy Tyres

Redhog14

I have a Hutchinson Tyre on the back of my bike and it has "hairy bits" on the side walls, did not notice this when I bought it, other wise it all seems fine.
Question is will it explode in a huge catastrophic fashion or just gently let me down one day 50 miles from home?

Yossie

It'll be fine - if they're the hairy bits I'm thinking of its just excess rubber from the mould.

anto164

When you say hairy bits, is this some bead coming out, or is it rubbery 'hairs'?

Redhog14

This is not the the wee rubber stems from the mould, this is proper "hariy bits" like a teenagers chin, looks like fine blond hairs.

nferrar

All over or just in the odd place? Sounds like the sidewall is coming apart but I'm not too familiar with Hutchinson tyres, what model are they? they can scuff pretty easily in a crash etc and you need to keep and eye out for bulging as worst case they can split and you'll have a blowout.

Cleat Eastwood

I've had this, like little thin strands aren't they?

I just put it down to natural wear and tear. Did me no harm and I only got a new tyre when a bit of the canvas was showing through. I have to admit it does look odd though.

Yossie

If its bum fluff and not hairs then keep an eye on them - they will be ok but its a precourser to the tyre starting to wear out.

No biggie at the mo', just cast an eye over them every couple of rides.

Redhog14

Cheers for the comments, as I said tyre seems ok at the mo but never seen this before.

keef66

My son acquired an old Peugeot which I've now rendered rideable for him. It has blue / black Hutchinson Equinox tyres of indeterminate age. They have a fair bit of rubber left on the tread, but where the tread joins the sidewall they are exhibiting the very thing you describe. I'm keeping a close eye on them as I suspect it's a precursor to the tread and sidewall parting company.

Fortunately he's just resprayed the thing black and orange, so I think the suspicious blue tyres are going to be replaced come payday.

mcj78

Keep an eye on it, I had the same issue with a Schwalbe Lugano (rear) which started off a bit hairy then the sidewall started to come apart leaving me (carefully) cycling a clown bike home - felt like half the spokes had fallen out of the rear wheel the wobble was so bad :roll:
The front was fine so I put it down to too many potholes & emergency stops and purchased another, which is now going the same way after ~500 miles... fool me once...

BG2000

All tyres have a woven carcass beneath the rubber. Sometimes the rubber on the sidewalls wears back a bit through offroad useage. It could lead to a sidewall blowout, you just need to inspect it regularly, as if it did blowout, the tube wouldn't be repairable.

My rear Maxxis HighRoller has some hairy bits on it, just like you've described so it does happen to expensive tyres too. This is just the result of the rear tyre clipping gritstone rocks while riding in the Peaks. I will replace it, eventually....