Do tyres 'go off'?

concorde
concorde Posts: 1,008
edited April 2013 in MTB beginners
Maybe a silly question, maybe not. Do tyres 'go off' as in does the rubber compound get less effective over time? I'm guessing it does, but if so what's the timescales?

Cheers

Comments

  • Chunkers1980
    Chunkers1980 Posts: 8,035
    Depends on the rubber and kept conditions
  • concorde
    concorde Posts: 1,008
    Super tacky compound on a minion, kept in a shed in all kinds of temps really, left wet and muddy/gritty sometimes.
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    Yes they can but its all subjective. Its a bit like any rubber product that is designed to be outside they will have anti-fungal & anti-UV properties. If kept in a good condition & not permanently waterlogged or just sat for a year in direct sunlight your tyres should be fine.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • concorde
    concorde Posts: 1,008
    Danlikesbikes wrote:
    Yes they can but its all subjective. Its a bit like any rubber product that is designed to be outside they will have anti-fungal & anti-UV properties. If kept in a good condition & not permanently waterlogged or just sat for a year in direct sunlight your tyres should be fine.

    Cool. I was just wondering. They're a bit worn but that's from the riding. Apart from that on the sidewalls a very thin layer of the rubber is peeling in places. Don't know whether that's just from it leaning over in corners or what.
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    Could be as the rubber on MTB tyres puts up with a lot of different forces acting on them and some peeling can be expected. You can get peeling though if left in the sun and not used so its not that easy to say either way. The best bet is always to check the tyre pressure & make sure no holes, sounds simple but thats about it. As for checking the tread well you could ride it most of the way down, or go by feel as you should know how the wheels handle compared to new.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • Lagrange
    Lagrange Posts: 652
    You do get cross linking of the elastomers caused by heat - even if shaded from direct sunlight so they will degrade in a shed albeit more slowly than in direct sunlight.
  • concorde
    concorde Posts: 1,008
    Ok cheers. Bought a black chilli rubber queen anyway. The ST Minion is overkill when the weather is dry(ish)
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Exposure to UV light and ozone degrades rubbers, plus some chemical cleaners like Muc Off - so if you live somewhere sunny by the seaside and like cleaning your bike, don't expect them to last forever.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • .blitz
    .blitz Posts: 6,197
    Electromagnetic radiation (fluorescent lights, domestic wiring & appliances) will finish them off quicker than anything. They will degrade in sunlight but kept indoors you're looking at five years minimum.

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