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15 year old tires - any life left in 'em?
On Jul 7, 4:42*pm, Owen wrote:
On Jul 8, 2:22 am, wrote: Hello all. I've got an '89 Giant Iguana. 15 years ago the original tires were replaced with Avocet Cross 26 X 1.50 Kevlar tires. The rims are Araya 36 spoke. Over the years I haven't ridden this bike much at all, and there's plenty of tread left on the tires. I've been riding the last couple weeks and the tires seem just fine. But I do see cracks on the sidewall - nothing major but definitely noticeable. I attribute this cracking to the fact that the tires are 15 years old, and this kind of (rotting?) cracking is inevitable and normal. I'm wondering just how much life is left in these tires? Is this normal and to be expected given the age of the tires? Do these cracks increase the risk of a sidewall leak, or blowout? I've heard that with a good quality tire, unless you're seeing lumps and bulges in the sidewall, this kind of cracking is no real cause for concern - and if they still have tread, you can keep riding on older tires if you plan to get as much life out of them as possible. Is this true? I've looked into buying some new Avocets to replace what I have now, but from what I've been told this Kevlar model is backordered until the fall. So it looks like I'll be riding on what I've got fore the rest of the summer. Any insight you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! - Dave I wouldn't worry about it too much, the rubber is mainly window dressing, it covers a canvas/kelvar liner which is the strength of the tyre. Did you try pumping them up and going for a spin? Any noticable effects? Owen- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Thanks for the replies. No fraying of the fabric at all. This cracking is just on the outer layer of the sidewall, so yes, it appears to be just cosmetic. Sure, I've pumped up the tires and have taken it for a spin. Have been riding for the last 3 weeks. No noticable effects at all. Except for one thing. And this is probably due to the fact that I'm 265 lbs. The rear tire looks perfect before I get on the bike, but when I start riding on it, I look down and the tire flattens out. I'm guessing this is due to my weight. Is this normal though...should this flattening occur? These tires have a range of 45 - 85 psi. I've got them filled up to around 65 or 70. Thanks again. - Dave |
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#12
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15 year old tires - any life left in 'em?
wrote in message
... These tires have a range of 45 - 85 psi. I've got them filled up to around 65 or 70. Fill them to 85-90 psi for your size unless you're riding off-road in very deep powder or mud. |
#13
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15 year old tires - any life left in 'em?
Tom Kunich wrote:
wrote in message ... These tires have a range of 45 - 85 psi. I've got them filled up to around 65 or 70. Fill them to 85-90 psi for your size unless you're riding off-road in very deep powder or mud. As long as we are still talking about this, if you plan to keep riding the bike, I would replace the tires and tubes pretty soon anyhow. You might as well eliminate one worry, which is when the tubes and tires you have now are going to fail, kevlar belt or no. My first road bike was similar to yours, but I have not ridden on one with wheels like yours for along time. I know my tires now are rated for 120 psi. I run 120 in the rear and 115 in the front. If I were you, I would be concerned about pinch flats if I were running much below the recommended max. |
#14
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15 year old tires - any life left in 'em?
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#15
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15 year old tires - any life left in 'em?
On Jul 8, 12:20*am, Werehatrack wrote:
On Mon, 7 Jul 2008 11:22:22 -0700 (PDT), may have said: Hello all. I've got an '89 Giant Iguana. 15 years ago the original tires were replaced with Avocet Cross 26 X 1.50 Kevlar tires. The rims are Araya 36 spoke. Over the years I haven't ridden this bike much at all, and there's plenty of tread left on the tires. I've been riding the last couple weeks and the tires seem just fine. But I do see cracks on the sidewall - nothing major but definitely noticeable. I attribute this cracking to the fact that the tires are 15 years old, and this kind of (rotting?) cracking is inevitable and normal. I'm wondering just how much life is left in these tires? Is this normal and to be expected given the age of the tires? Do these cracks increase the risk of a sidewall leak, or blowout? I've heard that with a good quality tire, unless you're seeing lumps and bulges in the sidewall, this kind of cracking is no real cause for concern - and if they still have tread, you can keep riding on older tires if you plan to get as much life out of them as possible. Is this true? I've looked into buying some new Avocets to replace what I have now, but from what I've been told this Kevlar model is backordered until the fall. So it looks like I'll be riding on what I've got fore the rest of the summer. Any insight you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! You let the bike sit mostly idle for 15 years, right? *My advice: *For the sake of safety, replace the tires, and don't spend a lot on the new ones. *You won't be able to tell the difference between Avocets and cheap Fortes from Performance. * Forte STs are $5.99 right now. 60tpi, 450. Pretty decent. |
#16
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15 year old tires - any life left in 'em?
"still just me" a écrit:
I'd change them too. You can ride them, but the risk of a blowout or puncture is higher with that old hard rubber. Plus, that dry rubber is going to wear out rapidly... you'll be replacing them soon anyway. There's lots of rubber on an Avocet Cross: http://www.bikepro.com/products/tires/avocet.shtml Personally I think I'd keep riding them, but as others have said there are plenty of reasonable alternatives on the market. James Thomson |
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15 year old tires - any life left in 'em?
On Jul 8, 5:14 pm, "Tom Kunich" cyclintom@yahoo. com wrote:
wrote in message ... These tires have a range of 45 - 85 psi. I've got them filled up to around 65 or 70. Fill them to 85-90 psi for your size unless you're riding off-road in very deep powder or mud. Indeed. For road use always run your tires at their maximum rating, and yes you can go over a bit. The heavier you are (I weigh around 200 lbs.) the more important this becomes. At the community bike co-op I help run we get so many people who are afraid to pump tires to the max, thinking the tire will explode. Well, it will if you don't seat it correctly, but almost all decent tires can be run well past their max before they explode. Once we explain to people that proper tire pressure will 1) help them ride faster, and 2) protect their rims from potholes, etc., then they start to get it. And then there are the folks that insist their road tires need treads of some sort for "safety"... Mark |
#18
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15 year old tires - any life left in 'em?
wrote in message
... Indeed. For road use always run your tires at their maximum rating, and yes you can go over a bit. The heavier you are (I weigh around 200 lbs.) the more important this becomes. At the community bike co-op I help run we get so many people who are afraid to pump tires to the max, thinking the tire will explode. Well, it will if you don't seat it correctly, but almost all decent tires can be run well past their max before they explode. FYI - When I pumped Continental GP's to their label limit, about 1/3rd of them failed by the casing pulling apart. Another reason I fled using them. Now I always pump tires below their label limits. And I'm a 200 lb rider as well. |
#19
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15 year old tires - any life left in 'em?
Tom Kunich" cyclintom@yahoo. com wrote in message
... wrote in message ... Indeed. For road use always run your tires at their maximum rating, and yes you can go over a bit. The heavier you are (I weigh around 200 lbs.) the more important this becomes. At the community bike co-op I help run we get so many people who are afraid to pump tires to the max, thinking the tire will explode. Well, it will if you don't seat it correctly, but almost all decent tires can be run well past their max before they explode. FYI - When I pumped Continental GP's to their label limit, about 1/3rd of them failed by the casing pulling apart. Another reason I fled using them. Now I always pump tires below their label limits. And I'm a 200 lb rider as well. Note: this was back when the Gran Prix was their top-of-the-line tire and they were using natural rubber on the tread. |
#20
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15 year old tires - any life left in 'em?
Tom Kunich wrote:
FYI - When I pumped Continental GP's to their label limit, about 1/3rd of them failed by the casing pulling apart. Another reason I fled using them. Now I always pump tires below their label limits. And I'm a 200 lb rider as well. Casing failures, especially sidewall, are a common problem with Continentals. But it's the brand, not a generic thing. I pump my current tires well under their limit, too, but their label limit is 175psi, which is way more than I want. -- David L. Johnson When you are up to your ass in alligators, it's hard to remember that your initial objective was to drain the swamp. -- LBJ |
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