maturing tires

Has anyone ever come across the concept of "maturing" tires i.e.
leaving them for a period of time before using them - the idea being
that they are less susceptible to punctures and cuts.

The reason why I ask this is that at the start of the year I put on an
new pair of Continenal Grand Prix foldable tires (which are no longer
manufactured) on my bike. The tires had been in storage in my shed for
about 6 years - yes 6 years.

I have riden in excess of 2000 mile on these tires and have yet to get
a single puncture. Although slight thread pattern is now worn they
still have no cuts or nicks.

I run the tires at 90-100 psi but ride quite hard over roughish
country roads. Admittedly I dont use this bike/tires in the rain but
this is the absolute longest I have ever gone without a puncture (used
to average one every 6 weeks). Is this down to the maturing/aging of
the rubber compound (any scientific/engineering explanation to back
this up) or just plain luck ?

Regards
R

Probably the latter, but perhaps as the rubber becomes more brittle it
resists picking up glass and other objects that could work their way in.
FWIW, you'll get a corresponding increase in rolling resistance as well.

"Rik O'Shea" wrote in message
om...
I run the tires at 90-100 psi but ride quite hard over roughish
country roads. Admittedly I dont use this bike/tires in the rain but
this is the absolute longest I have ever gone without a puncture (used
to average one every 6 weeks). Is this down to the maturing/aging of
the rubber compound (any scientific/engineering explanation to back
this up) or just plain luck ?

Regards
R

Rik O'Shea wrote:
Has anyone ever come across the concept of "maturing" tires i.e.
leaving them for a period of time before using them - the idea being
that they are less susceptible to punctures and cuts.

The reason why I ask this is that at the start of the year I put on an
new pair of Continenal Grand Prix foldable tires (which are no longer
manufactured) on my bike. The tires had been in storage in my shed for
about 6 years - yes 6 years.

I have riden in excess of 2000 mile on these tires and have yet to get
a single puncture. Although slight thread pattern is now worn they
still have no cuts or nicks.

I run the tires at 90-100 psi but ride quite hard over roughish
country roads. Admittedly I dont use this bike/tires in the rain but
this is the absolute longest I have ever gone without a puncture (used
to average one every 6 weeks). Is this down to the maturing/aging of
the rubber compound (any scientific/engineering explanation to back
this up) or just plain luck ?

Regards
R

I read an interview/article with a head mechanic (Julien de Vriese?) who has
a "tire celler" just like a wine cellar. He ages them there until they're at
their best.

Rik O'Shea wrote:
Has anyone ever come across the concept of "maturing" tires i.e.
leaving them for a period of time before using them - the idea being
that they are less susceptible to punctures and cuts.

I've heard of it, but don't put much stock in the idea. Another cycling myth.

Art Harris

In article ,
Rik O'Shea wrote:
Has anyone ever come across the concept of "maturing" tires i.e.
leaving them for a period of time before using them - the idea being
that they are less susceptible to punctures and cuts.

I know people did this with hand-made tubulars, but my understanding
is that vulcanized rubber tires do not benefit from aging in any way.
So if you're talking about a pair of Criterium Setas, you may have
a point. Otherwise just buy new tires when you need them.

Keep in mind that the manufacturer of a tire can create a product
with any desired hardness of rubber (without extra aging) and if
harder tires worked better they would probably be for sale.

--Paul

(Rik O'Shea) wrote in message . com...
Has anyone ever come across the concept of "maturing" tires i.e.
leaving them for a period of time before using them - the idea being
that they are less susceptible to punctures and cuts.

The reason why I ask this is that at the start of the year I put on an
new pair of Continenal Grand Prix foldable tires (which are no longer
manufactured) on my bike. The tires had been in storage in my shed for
about 6 years - yes 6 years.

I have riden in excess of 2000 mile on these tires and have yet to get
a single puncture. Although slight thread pattern is now worn they
still have no cuts or nicks.

I run the tires at 90-100 psi but ride quite hard over roughish
country roads. Admittedly I dont use this bike/tires in the rain but
this is the absolute longest I have ever gone without a puncture (used
to average one every 6 weeks). Is this down to the maturing/aging of
the rubber compound (any scientific/engineering explanation to back
this up) or just plain luck ?

Regards
R

Dear Rik,

I suspect that your undamaged tires are just plain luck, which
accounts for a depressing number of our unusual successes. The
wind, for example, matters more on a typical ride than most of
our efforts to improve through technology.

Tire rubber typically hardens and even cracks with age, but it's
unlikely that your tires hardened to the point of invincibility.
If your tires had indeed become significantly stiff, then you'd
probably be complaining about a harsh ride and frequent skidding.

To paraphrase an explanatory note from an old BikePro catalogue
(not, perhaps, the most respected authority), the chief causes
of rubber degradation are exposure to heat, sunlight, oxygen,
and ozone, whose effects are all delayed by various chemicals
added to the tires. If we're lucky, more knowledgeable posters
will add interesting details (or correct my ignorance).

Car and motorcycle racers often baked tires (and may still do
so) in hopes of improving traction, but I don't remember anyone
artificially aging tires in hopes of avoiding flats. The racers
thought that heat would "soften" the rubber for better traction,
while the engineers predicted that further heating would only degrade
the rubber. Again, more knowledgeable posters may have much to say.

I imagine that you just happened to have a literal run of good
luck that left these old tires undamaged. They might also have been
tougher, longer-wearing tires when manufactured.

In any case, the only obvious mode for aging to protect your tires
from damage would be to toughen and harden the rubber, which would
reduce your traction. Overall, your tires were probably better when
new.

Whatever the cause, let's hope that your good luck continues.

Carl Fogel

Rik O'Shea writes:

Has anyone ever come across the concept of "maturing" tires i.e.
leaving them for a period of time before using them - the idea being
that they are less susceptible to punctures and cuts.

The reason why I ask this is that at the start of the year I put on
an new pair of Continental Grand Prix foldable tires (which are no
longer manufactured) on my bike. The tires had been in storage in my
shed for about 6 years - yes 6 years.

Years? How many miles is that? This has all the earmarks of an...
resuscitating old myth and lore of aging tires to not be used before
their time.

I have ridden in excess of 2000 mile on these tires and have yet to
get a single puncture. Although slight thread pattern is now worn
they still have no cuts or nicks.

Consider that I ride between 2000 and 2500 miles without raising my
tire pump on trips in the Alps over mountains through cities and on
steep trails with new 700-25c clinchers. Then I return home and ride
them until they wear out, often without a flat.

I run the tires at 90-100 psi but ride quite hard over roughish
country roads. Admittedly I don't use this bike/tires in the rain
but this is the absolute longest I have ever gone without a puncture
(used to average one every 6 weeks). Is this down to the
maturing/aging of the rubber compound (any scientific/engineering
explanation to back this up) or just plain luck ?

You probably watch out where you place your wheel with respect to hazards.

http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/8b.18.html

Jobst Brandt

Mark Atanovich writes:

Probably the latter, but perhaps as the rubber becomes more brittle it
resists picking up glass and other objects that could work their way in.
FWIW, you'll get a corresponding increase in rolling resistance as well.

Glass is not picked up but rather penetrates and gets pushed in
farther with successive wheel rotations. The sticky rubber scenario
has appeal but it isn't worth considering. It doesn't play well but
was a mainstay of tire wipers.

http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/8b.15.html

Jobst Brandt

new pair of Continenal Grand Prix foldable tires (which are no longer

I can't comment of the idea of aging fine tires, but I must say that the first Continental
that I ever tried was the Grand Prix. Even by today's standards, this is a very nice
tire.

Dave

(Rik O'Shea) wrote in message . com...
Has anyone ever come across the concept of "maturing" tires i.e.
leaving them for a period of time before using them - the idea being
that they are less susceptible to punctures and cuts.

Back in the "old days" when all was riding tubs, the pro mecanics stored
the tubs for years, and the oldest was used for that very special race...
Now, with most of the teams riding clinchers, I don't think it is so
common anymore. I do have tubs that are more than six years old, stored in
a dry, dark place.....


The reason why I ask this is that at the start of the year I put on an
new pair of Continenal Grand Prix foldable tires (which are no longer
manufactured) on my bike. The tires had been in storage in my shed for
about 6 years - yes 6 years.


Kept them out of the light - a god thing...


I have riden in excess of 2000 mile on these tires and have yet to get
a single puncture. Although slight thread pattern is now worn they
still have no cuts or nicks.

I run the tires at 90-100 psi but ride quite hard over roughish
country roads. Admittedly I dont use this bike/tires in the rain but
this is the absolute longest I have ever gone without a puncture (used
to average one every 6 weeks). Is this down to the maturing/aging of
the rubber compound (any scientific/engineering explanation to back
this up) or just plain luck ?


Regards
Ove Simonsen