CliffordK

Ok,

I'm looking for a durable 27" tire (heavy duty, no flats), that could last for a decade or more on a low mileage bike (I think) if stored well. I don't really care about color.

It seems like I see quite a few old tan gumwall tires where the tread looks like it is in reasonable shape, but the gumwall is completely dried out. It is hard to say if the tires are still safe.

A few brands are using rubber that looks like the tread rubber on the sidewalls.

Anyway, are the "modern" tires better than the old ones? For example, I keep bumping into the Panaracer Pana Pasela Tour Guard 27", but with a tan sidewall.

Should I worry about their longevity?

i have a set of Origin8 Elimin8er tires with all rubber sidewalls. So far I've done well with my mileage (2000 to 3000 and nearing the end). But, the sidewalls seemed to glaze over during the winter when I wasn't using them. The glazing on the tread wore off quickly once I got back on them.

I think Schwalbe also uses rubber similar to the tread on the sidewalls.

dabac

Low mileage, low maintenance, extreme service life - sounds like a good candidate for some airless AKA airfree AKA solid tires.

FBinNY 

The same agents added to tread rubber that make it black also improve the aging properties. So a black walled tire will age better than a true gum wall (para rubber) which is worst, and a gum colored wall which will be in between. Most lower end tires are molded in a single pass, so the tread and walls will be of the same material, while better tires usually have tread and wall rubber of different materials, though I have no idea if they age the same or not, though it's probably close in any case.

In any case, it barely matters. The only purpose of the rubber on the walls it to protect the body plies from the elements and the occasional object that gets flipped up as you roll over it. As such, even ugly, dried out para rubber walls still do the job relatively well.

Whatever you end up buying, try to arrange long term unused storage, with the weight off the tires, so the walls don't get folded on themselves at the bottom. (or pump them once a month or so).

CliffordK

I suppose that is unless it is a classic sewup where it is recommended to store them without air (flat?), but still not necessarily with weight on them.

Anyway, that may well be an advantage of hanging bikes. I just need to consider climate controlled hanging space... and for the Gitane in question, it will have to be a pretty long space... not just grabbing one tire.

CliffordK

Probably true.

However if the casing treads are covered, one can be pretty sure they are not rotten. If they are exposed, one doesn't really know.

Anyway, I probably would ride the tires into the ground if they were appropriate for my bike, but they aren't. Still, a tire failure could be very frustrating, and I regularly get far enough away from home that a blowout or such would be very bad.

So... thinking of a "loaner".... which may or may not stay within 5 miles of "home"... I wouldn't give someone else a risk that I would be sketchy on myself.

On a similar note, I did get my Niece riding Mom's old bike for a few miles. I'm not quite sure when the tires were last replaced. Perhaps in the late 80's or mid 90's, but outwardly they appear very good.

FBinNY 

I've been storing my sewups slightly inflated (to start) on a garden hose rack for almost half a century and it's served me well for all that time. If you can't find hanging space consider improvising an axle stand of some kind. Something like this would be pretty easy to make.

As far as climate control goes, it's a bicycle, not a Bordeaux.

FBinNY 

You are seriously overthinking this. Use blackwalls and don't sweat it.

dsbrantjr

The keys to preserving tires is to keep them away from ozone and UV light; cooler is better. This means out of sunlight and away from spaces with electric motors in them; electrostatic air cleaners could also be problematic.. Keep weight off of them and I prefer to keep them minimally inflated, enough to keep their shape and keep therm from sagging, without stressing the carcass appreciably. I store un-mounted tires loosely wrapped in a trash bag, hung over a wall-mounted garden hose hanger in a corner of the basement. Put tires away clean and remove any stuff embedded in the tread.

FBinNY 

It may be time to end the myth about electric motors, ozone and bicycle tires. Most (all?) of the motors found in the home are brushless AC motors. They don't spark or make ozone. Of course your hand held power drill does have brushes, but isn't used enough to produce meaningful quantities of ozone. The real reason not to store tires near the furnace isn't the non-existant ozone, it's that it's the hottest place in your basement.

CliffordK

Perhaps. However, I have a choice of tires.

• Origin8 Elimin8er: I think I can get those locally for pretty cheap. I've been riding a set of 700x25 on my road bike with pretty good luck. Odd colors, but use tread rubber over the whole tire. They did skin over a bit when not used this winter, but the skin wore off to bare rubber quickly.
• Panaracer Pana Pasela Tour Guard. I've got a 700x32 Panaracer on my cargo bike. Seem tough, but the 27" seem to ONLY COME WITH THE GUMWALL. No guarantee this gumwall is the same as those old ones that dry up though.
• Schwalbe Marathon Greenguard. I've had the 25mm Marathon Plus on my road bike in the winter. I like the traction. But, it seems to pick up deep cuts and gashes. Still, it seems to be a tough tire.
• Gatorskin. A bit expensive, also with a verson of the gumwalls. I like the idea for the road bike, but not sure how it translates to the larger sizes.
• OR ********** something cheap and generic.

Maybe the point is that if I can get a decade out of a pair of tires, then I really shouldn't even care

Most of my powertools do have brushes, and will spark to some extent. So, I guess no drilling and grinding near the bikes.
Laser Printers also come with an ozone filter, or at least used to.

Sparking? My welder does do that
So, no storing bikes in an industrial machine shop.

Clem von Jones

I wonder what would happen if you smeared a thin layer of clear acrylic-latex caulk over the sidewalls to protect them

AnkleWork

I just wonder how many angels can dance on a gumwall " casing tread."

FBinNY 

Now you're getting it. Consider tires to last until they wear out or age out, whichever comes first. 10 years prorated is pretty cheap, and maybe if you're concerned you'll be motivated enough to put some wear on them first.

Another suggestion is to rotate the low use tires onto a high use bike and kill them off, likewise mounting a half worn but fairly new tire onto the low use bike.

Meanwhile get a fan (with an induction motor) to circulate air in the workshop, Your lungs will appreciate it far more than the tires.

FBinNY 

I sometimes wonder whether bicycling causes OCD, or maybe is more attractive to OCD types. Reading these forums, there definitely seems to be some kind of correlation.

It's a bicycle. You sit on it and turn the pedals to make it go. All the rest are just more details for people to obsess over.

CliffordK

Problem is that I don't have 27's on any other bike, and may not. And, I don't really want to swap to 700c.

FBinNY 

So, for the cost of a pair of tires, stop obsessing. Who knows if you or the bike will still be around in 10 years.

There's a decent chance one of those casual riders will drop a wheel between trolley tracks or whatever and taco it. Than instead of being angry, you'll be relieved to be free of this worry.

BTW- I have a slightly dented front wheel, which was pretty old when it happened. I decided to live with it a while because it didn't have that much more to go. Damn thing is too obstinate and spiteful and refuses to die!!!!

JohnDThompson 

BITD, we'd paint liquid latex on the dried sidewalls of tubular tires.

rootboy 

I still do. But these days I've evolved. Now using something called Windsor & Newton Permanent Masking Fluid. A watercolorist's medium. More durable than straight liquid rubber. Have used it on clincher sidewalls too. Talk about OCD. I bathe in it.

FRANK CANNON

Tires don't last ten years. Even without riding them.

You can buy new 27s at $10 each and replace them every year.

CliffordK

They can last a good long time, if kept in reasonably good conditions.

I aired up Mom's tires and took my niece out for a few miles of riding this spring. I don't know if I'd trust them for a century ride, but I would have no problems riding them around town, and checking them out periodically. I'm not sure of the exact age, probably dating to either the mid 80's or mid 90's.

Is only ONE brand making 27x1 tires now?

Panaracer Pasela AW271-LX-6
Panaracer Pasela TG RF271-LX-6K
Panaracer Pasela TG AW271-LX-6K

Perhaps it is time to stock up. Seal under Argon in the basement?

But, I agree, there seems to be longevity issues with some of the bikes that show up after longterm storage.

speedy25

Sure they do! I just replaced the gumwalls on my Peugeot that I bought in the early 90's with blackwalls last year. Thats almost 25 years!

Now onto tire chemistry.... The anti ozonant additives for rubber are all dark colors and cannot be used in either gumwalls or whitewalls. Thats why you see those components age faster and usually kill a tire. Blackwalls will give you the longest life in terms of chemical attack. Of course some brands are real cheap with the anti-ozonants and will use very little or none since they figure their tire will be used up long before ozone dissolves it.

Car tires have different mixes for the sidewalls, but since I didnt do any research on bicycle tires so I cant tell you if its all one mix or different ones. There are at least seven different rubber compounds used to make a typical car tire.

-SP

AlmostTrick

Are there any rubber protectants that will slow the dry out process on sidewalls?

Gresp15C

Are the Continental Super Sport Plus any good? They purportedly come in 27 inch.

Edit: Are they still made? Looks like the dealers are mostly out of stock.

Edit: Adding to my list, Vittoria Zaffiro?

Ulterior motive? I need a new 27" tire.