Do unused tyres go hard with age?

[slowmotion]

I found an unused, un-packaged Vittoria Rubino 700x23 that I had forgotten about in the outside shed. It had probably been there for two or three years but judging by the tread, had never been used. I've used a dozen or so Rubinos in the past and have never had a problem fitting them. This one was different. Despite wrestling with it for thirty-five minutes, being rewarded with blisters on the balls of both thumbs (both of which burst) , and putting it in the oven to heat it up, I simply could not get the last 200mm of bead on the tyre rim. I tried the Spa Cycles/Marathon Plus technique, but to no avail. In the end, I gave up and put an old, worn tyre back on for a quick evening ride.
Can anybody suggest what the problem might have been? Thanks.

 

[HMS_Dave]

Rubber loses its elasticity over time and will get harder and will 'dry-rot'. The rubber will oxidise and break down, losing that elasticity which probably explains why you're having so much trouble getting it on. UV rays from the sun will speed up the process. Once the break down of the rubber has started it is pretty much game over for it.

 

[slowmotion]

Rubber loses its elasticity over time and will get harder and will 'dry-rot'. The rubber will oxidise and break down, losing that elasticity which probably explains why you're having so much trouble getting it on. UV rays from the sun will speed up the process. Once the break down of the rubber has started it is pretty much game over for it.

Thanks. The shed would have been temperature cycling but no sunshine gets in. Anyway, here's one of my war wounds......it hurt

like hell when I tried to clean off the grease and grime with Swarfega!

 

[HMS_Dave]

OUCH! That's going to smart for a while mate.

 

[slowmotion]

OUCH! That's going to smart for a while mate.

My ancient hands are pretty used to getting war wounds. I won't be attempting to fix more punctures in the next couple of days, but I'll probably live.

 

[Slick]

I seem to remember a story about a bus crash that on investigation found the tyres failed despite having plenty tread. I can't quite remember the specifics, whether they were just repeatedly recut or if they has just sat at the back of the yard for years but they failed causing the crash and tyre age became part of the mot process.

A different animal from your example, but I'm sure the result would be much the same.

 

[slowmotion]

I seem to remember a story about a bus crash that on investigation found the tyres failed despite having plenty tread. I can't quite remember the specifics, whether they were just repeatedly recut or if they has just sat at the back of the yard for years but they failed causing the crash and tyre age became part of the mot process.

A different animal from your example, but I'm sure the result would be much the same.

The only casualties in Shepherds Bush this evening were my thumbs.

It's a miracle.

Anyway, I ordered a couple more spanking new Rubinos from Chain Reaction tonight.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

The strength of a tyre carcass comes from the ply structure not the rubber coating you can see on the outside. So long as the underlying structure is woven in nylon, not cotton, which deteriorates with damp/age, the external state of the rubber is mostly cosmetic. Most of my older tyres have loads of small cracks in them and it makes no difference whatsoever to the tyre's ability to hold air and retain structural integrity. The only downsiide to cracks is they invite road debris to lodge in the tread, potentially increasing puncture frequency.

 

[slowmotion]

If anybody wants a Vittoria Rubino 700 x 23 tyre, unused condition but slightly bloodstained, there's one going FOC in London W14. Send me a PM and I'll gladly hand it over.

BTW, the thumb's almost good to go.

 

[classic33]

If anybody wants a Vittoria Rubino 700 x 23 tyre, unused condition but slightly bloodstained, there's one going FOC in London W14. Send me a PM and I'll gladly hand it over.

BTW, the thumb's almost good to go. View attachment 541860

I'll take the thumb.

 

[slowmotion]

I'll take the thumb.

I'm always amazed at how quickly my paws recover from surface wounds. The downside is that they tend not to get looked after in the first place.

 

[classic33]

I'm always amazed at how quickly my paws recover from surface wounds. The downside is that they tend not to get looked after in the first place.

You mean you plan on keeping it?

 

[andrew_s]

Like skipdiver says, age doesn't have much effect on tyres. The rubber will be a little harder, less likely to pick up glass fragments, and with a little less grip (until the surface layer gets worn off).
There won't be any effect on ease of fitting, and your tyre would most likely have been equally tight when it was new.
I've had the same problems with a tyre (GP4S 28 mm) being extremely tight despite both previous and later tyres of the same model being fine.
In my case, it was a bargain offer from the LBS, which in retrospect someone must have returned as unusable. I eventually got it fitted on a spare wheel using a bead jack and steel levers, and left it stretching at 160 psi for about a year before I dared use it on the road.

 

[slowmotion]

You mean you plan on keeping it?

I happen to be extraordinarily fond of my right thumb. It's a part of my body that is usually unappreciated on a day-to-day basis, but I've learned stuff in the last 24 hours and now I just love it.

Try picking things up with just your four fingers.

 

[rogerzilla]

The tread certainly hardens, which has benefits for puncture resistance. The diameter won't shrink, though.