Originally Posted by
Joshua A.C. New
Zip ties will eventually break. They get very, very brittle from UV and ozone I think, until they snap like twigs. It takes several months at least, but if it's in a non-critical place (like a fender) then whatever.
I have several zip ties on several bikes, and they have survived several years without any sign of brittleness. This doesn't mean that they won't break eventually, but it should take a very long time. I have seen a bicycle lock mounted onto the frame with very wide zip-ties (they were provided by the lock manufacturer itself), and also odometers and other such equipment, mounted on the handlebars with zip ties. I tend to think that zip ties will survive many years without difficulty.
All the zip-ties mentioned above are black. This is relevant because: zip ties are made of nylon (that is, of polyamide). Note that there are several kinds of nylons/polyamides, and some are more resistant to UV than others. UV-resistant nylon is usually black, because the easiest and best way to make UV-resistant nylon is to add carbon black particles.
BTW: hello guys and girls, I'm back
