Couple questions about bike tires

Every bike I remember owning had 27 x 1.25 inch tires. When my old
Shwinn Continental frame broke almost 5 years ago I bought another used
road bike -- a Miyata, not a high end bike, but a pretty good quality
mass-production bike. It has a triple-butted frame of Chrome-Moly, fair
components but nothing special. The best thing is that it isn't
particularly thief bait and I don't have to be too nervous locking it up
outside in my town (Berkeley, CA).

Lately I've taken up daily 12 mile rides with about a 1000 foot mostly
gradual climb. The descent, however, is pretty steep. I've seen guys
blow by me at probably 35 miles/hour on the steepest part ( !! ) but it
makes me shudder to think what would happen to them if they had a flat
or a blowout. I read a story of a guy who's a quadrapalegic now who had
just such an accident in my vicinity.

Well, that story stuck with me and I don't want it happening to me. Of
course, there's just no being really safe on a bike, but I figure I can
start here by paying attention to my tires and not screaming down that
hill.

I had a blowout a couple days ago. I was at elevation and noticed some
bumping and saw a z-jag in my back tire and took it REAL slow down the
descent. I got to pretty flat elevation before the tire unexpectedly
blew out with what sounded like a gun shot. I just hopped off the bike,
locked it, and walked the rest of the way and came back and got it with
my car later.

That tire was not on that bike more than about a month. It was one of
several cheap tires I bought a few years ago and they seem to have all
gotten stiff, somewhat brittle and even crumbly just sitting around.
Does this always happen with bike tires? You can't buy them and store
them without them going bad? Is there something you can do to protect
them, like an application of Armor All? I also have many individual
packets of Turtle Wax Clear Guard protectant that I could try. I wonder
if anyone uses this stuff with either stored tires or tires that they
are riding in an effort to prolong their life.

I also have one not cheap new tire, a Michelin 27 x 1.38 inch tire, and
it too seems to have lost its suppleness and I'm afraid to try using it.
If I was just riding around the city I wouldn't be so afraid to just use
these new but apparently deteriorated tires and see what happens but
since I'm doing descents at sometimes pretty high speeds I don't want to
take unnecessary chances.

Another question I have is this: The place where I bought my used Miyata
said they could convert it to a 700cc bike to use the now common tire. I
assume that there's a whole lot more available in the 700 size, right?
I've been finding it hard to find anything in a 27 x 1.25. I bought a
couple at Orchard Supply yesterday, made in China I guess. They are
nothing special but at least the rubber seems fresh and vibrant.

Additional note: I use urethane tire liners (oversized), which I glue
into the tires with contact cement. I've been doing that for a number of
years and they seem to have reduced my flats by a factor of at least 3.

Thanks for your help, suggestions, etc.

Dan

"Dan Musicant" wrote:
Every bike I remember owning had 27 x 1.25 inch tires. When my old
Shwinn Continental frame broke almost 5 years ago I bought another used

I thought those Continental frames were nuke proof.

I had a blowout a couple days ago. I was at elevation and noticed some
bumping and saw a z-jag in my back tire and took it REAL slow down the
descent. I got to pretty flat elevation before the tire unexpectedly
blew out with what sounded like a gun shot. I just hopped off the bike,
locked it, and walked the rest of the way and came back and got it with
my car later.

Was there a hole in the tire, or did it just blow off the rim? If it's the
latter, it may not have been seated properly on the rim. How much pressure
did you have in it? Do your rims have a hook bead? Also, your hard braking
on the descent could have heated the rims, causing the pressure to increase.

That tire was not on that bike more than about a month. It was one of
several cheap tires I bought a few years ago and they seem to have all
gotten stiff, somewhat brittle and even crumbly just sitting around.
Does this always happen with bike tires? You can't buy them and store
them without them going bad? Is there something you can do to protect
them, like an application of Armor All?

Keep the tires away from sunlight and ozone. Store them in a plastic bag in
a cool dry place and they'll last for years.

Another question I have is this: The place where I bought my used Miyata
said they could convert it to a 700cc bike to use the now common tire. I
assume that there's a whole lot more available in the 700 size, right?

There are plenty of good 27 x 1-1/4" tires. Try the IRC Road Winners at
about $13.

Art Harris

On Fri, 18 Jul 2003 15:29:28 GMT, "Harris"
wrote:

:
:"Dan Musicant" wrote:
: Every bike I remember owning had 27 x 1.25 inch tires. When my old
: Shwinn Continental frame broke almost 5 years ago I bought another used
:
:I thought those Continental frames were nuke proof.

One day I was commuting in the city and around 4 miles from home and I
became aware that the down tube had cracked and really all the way
through right where it meets the bottom bracket. It was tough getting
home but I managed to do it, very slowly. It's almost 5 years so I don't
remember it well. I brought the frame to a local frame builder in the
hopes that he could save it but he told me to just get another bike, so
I accepted the death of my old Continental. It was a heavy brute,
anyway, but I was so used to it that it felt like part of my body - like
I had total control, like it was part of my nervous system. I guess you
get that way when you have one and only one bike for a long period of
time.
:
: I had a blowout a couple days ago. I was at elevation and noticed some
: bumping and saw a z-jag in my back tire and took it REAL slow down the
: descent. I got to pretty flat elevation before the tire unexpectedly
: blew out with what sounded like a gun shot. I just hopped off the bike,
: locked it, and walked the rest of the way and came back and got it with
: my car later.
:
:Was there a hole in the tire, or did it just blow off the rim? If it's the
:latter, it may not have been seated properly on the rim. How much pressure
:did you have in it? Do your rims have a hook bead? Also, your hard braking
n the descent could have heated the rims, causing the pressure to increase.

It was really odd, actually. I saw an abrasion on the side of the tire
before it blew. The abrasion didn't go all the way through and I have no
idea how it got there. After it blew I saw what looked like a 2 inch
gash in the center of the tire (where it meets the pavement), and
longitudinal. There was a tire liner just inside that gash and the liner
looked fine - no hole or cut. The tube did not protrude through the
gash, as least not after the blowout. Inspecting the tube, I saw a hole
it in at least 1/4 inch in diameter and it was slightly town around that
hole. It was about the weirdest flat I've ever had because I couldn't
figure out exactly what went on, what went wrong.

I had inflated the tire to 75 lb (the recommended inflation) a few days
before, so it was probably around 70 - 75 lb. when I noticed the bumps,
and at that point I let a little air out to decrease the possibility of
a blowout, but probably not enough (that was my thought at the time,
that I should maybe let a little more out). I didn't have a guage with
me, although I did have a pump. I didn't want to have to pump more air
into it and just let it be. It was probably around 65 - 68 lb. when it
blew.

It didn't blow off the rim. True, the braking on the descent probably
increased the pressure. I wouldn't have thought of that.
:
: That tire was not on that bike more than about a month. It was one of
: several cheap tires I bought a few years ago and they seem to have all
: gotten stiff, somewhat brittle and even crumbly just sitting around.
: Does this always happen with bike tires? You can't buy them and store
: them without them going bad? Is there something you can do to protect
: them, like an application of Armor All?
:
:Keep the tires away from sunlight and ozone. Store them in a plastic bag in
:a cool dry place and they'll last for years.

I guess I'd need pretty big bags to store bike tires in or do you fold
the tires?

I don't know why, but all my old tires seem to get stiff and crumbly
after not too long.
:
: Another question I have is this: The place where I bought my used Miyata
: said they could convert it to a 700cc bike to use the now common tire. I
: assume that there's a whole lot more available in the 700 size, right?
:
:There are plenty of good 27 x 1-1/4" tires. Try the IRC Road Winners at
:about $13.
:
:Art Harris

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll see if I can find them. Can I get them
online? There are a number of bike shops around here and maybe I'll be
able to find them there.

I'm way more concerned about having good tires now that I make that
descent every day. Normally I'm very secure on a bike even in the city
since I have a whole lot of city biking experience and I've learned to
stay out of trouble. But I can't think of any way to go down that road
without being nervous unless I go 4 miles/hour. The more I do it, the
more secure I feel going 20+ mph even in the steepest parts (I've seen
guys going 10-15 mph faster than me!), but I figure I could get messed
up royally if one of my tires blows, especially the front one.

Thanks for the ideas.

Dan

I have similar concerns. I'm a little more reckless, and do go to 35 mph
and beyond, but I notice that my Hutchinson Carbon Comp 700c X 23 tires,
from 2001, have some cracking where the sidewall meets the tread. They hold
125psi (their rated max, and the pressure I run) fine, and the only issue
I've had is a flat from going up a sharp curb too hard (the presta valve
stopped holding air). I've been trusting that the belt will hold them
together, as well as the interior rubber and anything else that's not
cracked (just that exterior layer of rubber).

Should I replace these tires? If so, how can I maintain their condition
better? I suspect a standard commercially available rubber treatment for
automotive tires should suffice.

On Fri, 18 Jul 2003 15:05:38 GMT, Dan Musicant
wrote:

blow by me at probably 35 miles/hour on the steepest part ( !! ) but it
makes me shudder to think what would happen to them if they had a flat
or a blowout. I read a story of a guy who's a quadrapalegic now who had
just such an accident in my vicinity.

That tire was not on that bike more than about a month. It was one of
several cheap tires I bought a few years ago and they seem to have all
gotten stiff, somewhat brittle and even crumbly just sitting around.

--
Rick Onanian

In article ,
Dan Musicant wrote:
them without them going bad? Is there something you can do to protect
them, like an application of Armor All? I also have many individual
packets of Turtle Wax Clear Guard protectant that I could try. I wonder
if anyone uses this stuff with either stored tires or tires that they
are riding in an effort to prolong their life.

I wouldn't do that. Those "protectants" make rubber
(or vinyl) very slick. Not good for traction!

If you store tires in a dark cool place and away from ozone
(i.e. electric motors) they last for a while.

I also have one not cheap new tire, a Michelin 27 x 1.38 inch tire, and
it too seems to have lost its suppleness and I'm afraid to try using it.

I would be too.

If I was just riding around the city I wouldn't be so afraid to just use
these new but apparently deteriorated tires and see what happens but
since I'm doing descents at sometimes pretty high speeds I don't want to
take unnecessary chances.

Speaking of chances, do you have reasonably fresh brake pads?


Eric

"Dan Musicant" wrote:
I guess I'd need pretty big bags to store bike tires in or do you fold
the tires?

Even wire bead tires can be coiled in a way that makes them easy to store.

See: http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/8b.23.html


:There are plenty of good 27 x 1-1/4" tires. Try the IRC Road Winners at
:about $13.
:
:Art Harris

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll see if I can find them. Can I get them
online?

Yes, Nashbar has them on sale. I just bought some today in 700 x 28, but
they also have them in 27 x 1-1/8" and 27 x 1-1/4".

See: http://www.nashbar.com The stock number is IR-RWD.

Art Harris

On Fri, 18 Jul 2003 22:38:43 GMT, (Eric Murray) wrote:

:In article ,
an Musicant wrote:
:them without them going bad? Is there something you can do to protect
:them, like an application of Armor All? I also have many individual
:packets of Turtle Wax Clear Guard protectant that I could try. I wonder
:if anyone uses this stuff with either stored tires or tires that they
:are riding in an effort to prolong their life.
:
:I wouldn't do that. Those "protectants" make rubber
or vinyl) very slick. Not good for traction!
:
:If you store tires in a dark cool place and away from ozone
i.e. electric motors) they last for a while.
:
:I also have one not cheap new tire, a Michelin 27 x 1.38 inch tire, and
:it too seems to have lost its suppleness and I'm afraid to try using it.
:
:I would be too.
:
:If I was just riding around the city I wouldn't be so afraid to just use
:these new but apparently deteriorated tires and see what happens but
:since I'm doing descents at sometimes pretty high speeds I don't want to
:take unnecessary chances.
:
:Speaking of chances, do you have reasonably fresh brake pads?

Probably not fresh enough, now that you mention it. There's one part of
the descent where there's a traffic signal. It's usually green, but when
it's not I have trouble stopping in time. Cars have no problem. I think
I better switch out my brake pads. Thanks.

Dan
:
:Eric
:

Probably not fresh enough, now that you mention it. There's one part of
the descent where there's a traffic signal. It's usually green, but when
it's not I have trouble stopping in time. Cars have no problem. I think
I better switch out my brake pads. Thanks.

Oh come on! Have a little excitement in your life! Be a little
dangerous... chicks dig that.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Dan Musicant wrote:


I don't know why, but all my old tires seem to get stiff and crumbly
after not too long.


Ozone.

On Sat, 19 Jul 2003 02:25:33 GMT, "Phil, Squid-in-Training"
wrote:

: Probably not fresh enough, now that you mention it. There's one part of
: the descent where there's a traffic signal. It's usually green, but when
: it's not I have trouble stopping in time. Cars have no problem. I think
: I better switch out my brake pads. Thanks.
:
:Oh come on! Have a little excitement in your life! Be a little
:dangerous... chicks dig that.

No doubt about it. In fact I met one the other day by virtue of telling
her about my blowout adventure.