Is this dry rot?
10-13-15, 10:47 AM
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Is this dry rot?
Tiny cracks that go all the way round the tire. GP 4000s II. Almost 3 years old with 6k miles. Having only been on the front, there is very little tread wear despite the miles. If I should replace then I certainly will but I don't want to toss a perfectly good tire. So is this dry rot or something else?
Thanks
Thanks
10-13-15, 10:51 AM
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Tiny cracks that go all the way round the tire. GP 4000s II. Almost 3 years old with 6k miles. Having only been on the front, there is very little tread wear despite the miles. If I should replace then I certainly will but I don't want to toss a perfectly good tire. So is this dry rot or something else?
Thanks
Thanks
10-13-15, 11:33 AM
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I don't think it is really dry rot, my understanding is that dry rot refers to wood rot specifically. Doesn't matter what we call it, it's not great. I wonder if the bike is kept outdoors or in a not very protected area? Lots of things could cause it, it seems, from heat/sun, to air pollution or salt air influence. I see that Gainesville is well inland, but do you still get a steady ocean/salt air breeze?
10-13-15, 11:43 AM
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Definitely no salty air or ocean breeze here. I'll replace the tire. I got 6k miles on it so I'm fine with how long it lasted. Just didn't want to chuck a perfectly good tire into the landfill. Thanks for the confirmation.
10-13-15, 04:02 PM
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It's actually still usable.
The strength of a tire comes from the casing underneath the rubber, and as long as the casing threads aren't cut you are OK...
The strength of a tire comes from the casing underneath the rubber, and as long as the casing threads aren't cut you are OK...
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10-13-15, 04:39 PM
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it's not even close to dry rot. they've just aged and cracked a very, very little. it's fine. go ride. 
10-13-15, 04:46 PM
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As 6,000 miles, I'd replace it just for the peace of mind. It owes you nothing. Now, if you can get 10,000 miles out of it, I'd hang it on the wall as a trophy!
10-13-15, 04:54 PM
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This is why you should rotate front to back. There is no way I would ride that on the front.
10-13-15, 05:25 PM
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Its dry rot. The natural oils in the rubber have evaporated. The next step is tires that crumble to pieces. You got 6000 miles. Pat yourself on the back and make the smart choice to get new tires. Its not worth risking your well being to save a little fuss and money.
10-13-15, 05:41 PM
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I'd still ride it. The amount of miles I got off any one tyre is totally irrelevant to the analysis of when I replace it.
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10-13-15, 06:06 PM
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That tire is fine for the front, but swap to the rear if you want.
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10-13-15, 06:14 PM
#14
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Soak that tire in virgin's blood and it'll be right as rain after it rejuvenates.
10-13-15, 06:22 PM
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Since my wage earning viability is in my wife's best interest, she informs me when I should buy new tires, and I doubt that tire would pass the wife test.
10-13-15, 06:53 PM
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If you're on a limited bike budget I'd ride it until it starts failing. I've ridden on much worse.
10-13-15, 08:12 PM
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I'd pull it off. Inspect it carefully. If the casing looks good, and not too many holes, put it on the rear and keep riding, maybe one more season. Do you carry boots?
But, each person is different with their comfort levels.
Continental usually puts two divots in the middle of the tread as wear indicators. Apparently also a mark on the sidewall indicating where to look. It wouldn't hurt to look at the factory wear recommendations.
I'm still hoping to reach the threads on my current tires... getting close
10-13-15, 11:21 PM
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10-13-15, 11:53 PM
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While it looks still rideable, why take chances? Especially if you ride down hills where you reach 30+ mph. I think 6k is a lot of miles for a tire. Rule #1 : Live to ride another day.
10-14-15, 06:35 PM
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Honestly, I think if had any question, I'd replace it.
10-15-15, 01:45 AM
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Tiny cracks that go all the way round the tire. GP 4000s II. Almost 3 years old with 6k miles. Having only been on the front, there is very little tread wear despite the miles. If I should replace then I certainly will but I don't want to toss a perfectly good tire. So is this dry rot or something else?
Thanks
Thanks
Toss.
10-15-15, 02:10 AM
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It's Ozone Cracking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_cracking . Not much to be done except maybe use on the back. Check where you are storing the bike to make sure there's nothing with an electric motor in there, like a compressor or whatever, because that can accelerate the process.
10-15-15, 02:11 AM
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The cracking could well be from ozone. Has it been near motors? I wouldn't worry a lot about the tire holding up though if it was ozone, it could potentially weaken the casing also. A bigger concern would be that the rubber has almost certainly hardened some. Now if wear is your biggest concern, that's a plus. But if traction is your main focus, you may have lost a good deal of it. (I like riding as fast as my legs allow and riding down the big hills I have climbed. So, for me, traction is important. I've stopped riding old tires, even little used high quality tires that been ignored just because I do not one that one surprise which takes me down again. I've done my share already.)
Ben
Ben
