Storing Inner Tubes
01-07-10, 03:40 PM
#1
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Storing Inner Tubes
I have about 3/4 inner tubes that are in good condition but out of packaging. Is there anything I need to do to store them safely for a long time or just fold them away somewhere?
Thanks
Daven
Thanks
Daven
01-07-10, 05:11 PM
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I apply a light dusting of talcum powde to the tube and store it in a 1 quart zip-lock bag. There are several old threads around questioning whether the talc does any good, but I find the tube does install easier when I use talc, and the tube doesn't stick to itself in the bag during long storage, bouncing around in my trunk bag.
01-08-10, 08:51 AM
#3
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I've always kept them in a dark place as I've heard that this "cures" the rubber.
01-08-10, 09:36 AM
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Originally Posted by daven1986
I have about 3/4 inner tubes that are in good condition but out of packaging. Is there anything I need to do to store them safely for a long time or just fold them away somewhere?
Thanks
Daven
Thanks
Daven
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Stuart Black
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Days of Wineless Roads. Bed and Breakfasting along the KATY
Twisting Down the Alley. Misadventures in tornado alley.
01-08-10, 09:40 AM
#5
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They must be stored upside down in a climatically controled environment under armed guard.
Naw, lad, I just leave 'em in the box and toss them up on the self until I need them. Usually within a year. I'm sure if you left them for a number of years they would get "old" and unreliable.
Store them using common sense; away from a heat source, don't leave them in the back window of your vehicle, or store them in a damp place. Cool (room tempreature) and dry place.
During their time in my seat bag I will put inside an old sock with some baby powder. Sock protects them from chafing and baby powder keeps them unstuck.
EDIT: Oh, they say that rubber should be stored away from electric motors.
Naw, lad, I just leave 'em in the box and toss them up on the self until I need them. Usually within a year. I'm sure if you left them for a number of years they would get "old" and unreliable.
Store them using common sense; away from a heat source, don't leave them in the back window of your vehicle, or store them in a damp place. Cool (room tempreature) and dry place.
During their time in my seat bag I will put inside an old sock with some baby powder. Sock protects them from chafing and baby powder keeps them unstuck.
EDIT: Oh, they say that rubber should be stored away from electric motors.
01-08-10, 02:28 PM
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Originally Posted by digger
They must be stored upside down in a climatically controled environment under armed guard.
Naw, lad, I just leave 'em in the box and toss them up on the self until I need them. Usually within a year. I'm sure if you left them for a number of years they would get "old" and unreliable.
Store them using common sense; away from a heat source, don't leave them in the back window of your vehicle, or store them in a damp place. Cool (room tempreature) and dry place.
During their time in my seat bag I will put inside an old sock with some baby powder. Sock protects them from chafing and baby powder keeps them unstuck.
EDIT: Oh, they say that rubber should be stored away from electric motors.
Naw, lad, I just leave 'em in the box and toss them up on the self until I need them. Usually within a year. I'm sure if you left them for a number of years they would get "old" and unreliable.
Store them using common sense; away from a heat source, don't leave them in the back window of your vehicle, or store them in a damp place. Cool (room tempreature) and dry place.
During their time in my seat bag I will put inside an old sock with some baby powder. Sock protects them from chafing and baby powder keeps them unstuck.
EDIT: Oh, they say that rubber should be stored away from electric motors.
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01-10-10, 06:27 AM
#7
Senior Member
Originally Posted by Nachoman
Personally I have not found that to be true.
I typically don't leave inner tubes unused for a number of years. I thought though that rubber had to be used in order to stay pliable (?).
I do have experience with 2 bikes that were given to me (to give away to a local charity called Bike Again) for me to refurbish. These bikes had been sitting in a garage or basement for 20 years or more that had dry, crack tires and tubes. I was able to pull the valve away from the tube very easily, and also able to pull the bead off the tire by hand.
Sure, a few years would cause no trouble with a tube or tire, depending on the circumstances. But an extended period of time would most likely. As stated, jusdt use some common sense with storage.
In short, I wouldn't worry too much about the storage of the tube(s). Both are relitively inexpensive, that if left sitting around for a long time and suffered damage, then they are easily and inexpensively replaced.
