Discovered - Schwalbe Marathon XRs

[il padrone]

Well I was just poking about under the house to get out some new Vittoria Randonneur Cross tyres from the box. I had bought about 8 pairs from REI when Vittoria stopped making this tyre in 26” about 6 years ago. The box was empty of the VRCs, but I found two other tyres. Pulled them out into the daylight and I realised that they were the venerable Schwalbe XRs 😳 Wow!

I can not even recall buying these two, but they were replaced by the Mondial about 2011 or 2012 so these tyres are at least 8 years old now.

My question is - are the tyres still going to be OK to use? They have been down under the house in darkness for at least 6 years I reckon now. Also, they are wire bead. I know the Mondial in the wire bead are poorer quality than the folding Evo version. I cannot recall, but think that maybe the XRs only came in wire bead. Any tourers who used these in the past may be able to give advice. I would much appreciate it.

[Danneaux]

Hi Pete!

I have kept tires for as much as 8-10 years in a dry, cool garage closet, double-bagged in polythene garbage bags to keep them from direct contact with ozone sources (there is a freezer in the garage with a fan and compressor motor as well as my air compressor).

I never found any hardening or deterioration, nor were the tires more subject to blowouts or bead/belt separation in my use and experience. Others' experience might vary due to a number of factors such as temperature or humidity. Some of my tires came with a sort of white, waxy, sometimes powdery mold release on them from new. In that case I left it intact until I had mounted the tire, reasoning it might provide a bit of added protection.

Congratulations on finding your unexpected "treasure". 

Best,

Dan.

[martinf]

I find modern tyres keep quite well, though it may depend on the make and model. Old Michelin tyres from the 1970's would improve with one or two years storage as the rubber hardened a bit, then deteriorate with sidewall cracks and tread delamination if kept too long.

My Nokian winter tyres with studs don't get all that much use, I have had them since 2007 and they are still good.

They go on my utility bike for one to three months in most winters, although I didn't bother for 2019-2020 as it was so mild here.

The rest of the time I put them in polythene bin liners on a shelf just under the roof of my unheated and uninsulated garage, which can be very hot in summer and cold and slightly damp in winter. So less than ideal storage conditions.

[steve216c]

In Germany the media constantly reminds car drivers that after 7 years car tyre rubber starts to become brittle and begins to deteriorate and may extend braking distances as well as lead to failure even if treads look good. But much depends on how they were stored.


I've had spare otherwise usable used Schwalbe Marathons start to perish where other equally old tyres have not. In my opionion it comes from where they are stored. In my cellar, old tyres still seem to look good and be usable- even after 10+ years of storage. But for those I've kept in my shed with translucent roofing show clear signs of rubber begining to perish suggesting light (and heat) are the biggest worry.


If tyres are mounted and standing on ground, then you need to keep inflated so as not to damage the sidewalls. But if hung, this shouldn't be a problem. But if you've had these boxed and kept from sun, you should be OK.


You'll know soon enough if you inflate and find a bulge anywhere or feel a wobble even though the wheel is straight that the tyre is toast. But otherwise if it rolls round and rubber looks sound I wouldn't be too concerned about age.

[Andre Jute]

I fitted a pair of Schwalbe Big Apples that had been standing in their boxes on top of a bookcase in my study for 9 years, out of direct sunlight. No problemo. I'm inclined to agree with Steve et al that the killer is UV.

I don't know about heat. I keep used but still serviceable tyres (taken off to force service items to coincide with gearbox oil changes) in a ventilated cupboard in the laundry, which is heated and suffers from varying temperatures because it leads outside and the doors are always opening and closing and the machines put out heat on top of the central heating when operated: again, no problem, nor on the tyres in the loft, which likely suffers extremes (such as they are in Ireland) of temperature but doesn't get much sunshine.

As point of information only, given without ascribing significance to it: the used tyres downstairs are in a cupboard with louvred doors and thus good air circulation. Even the tyres in their own boxes on top of my shelf have some sort of circulation, and the ones in loft have excellent ventilation because there are several windows slightly open year round to circulate air in the house. I mention this only because others have made a point of sealing or semi-sealing their tyres against light, and coincidentally may cut off air circulation.

[Danneaux]

https://www.treadbikely.com/how-to-store-your-bike-tires-5-essential-tips/

A relevant companion article is here:
https://www.treadbikely.com/how-bike-tires-are-made-a-step-by-step-exploration-of-the-manufacturing-process/

Best,

Dan.

[steve216c]

https://www.treadbikely.com/how-to-store-your-bike-tires-5-essential-tips/

Pretty much confirms what I had assumed. Light (UV) is the killer. But cold not heat might be an issue- so my outdoor shed store with translucent roof and winter temperatures in Berlin often below -10c might explain the deterioration I've noticed on longer stored tyres.

[PH]

A relevant companion article is here:
https://www.treadbikely.com/how-bike-tires-are-made-a-step-by-step-exploration-of-the-manufacturing-process/

Best,

Dan.

I'm glad to see under the bed gets a mentions, as that's where I keep mine.  I don' have a huge store, a couple of folder tyres because they were 75% off, that may well  outlast me for that bike.  I have summer and winter tyres for the Mercury, changed them over this week. Some studded tyres that may never get fitted again now I'm not commuting. And a couple of pairs of part used road tyres, which again may never get used... Hmm, now I've written it down I realise I don't need most of them, but they're doing no harm where they are...

[martinf]

Hmm, now I've written it down I realise I don't need most of them, but they're doing no harm where they are...

I sorted out my spare tyres and (depending on condition) gave away or sold all the spare 700C tyres as the two remaining 700C bikes now get very little use. 

But I still have a load of spare parts that need sorting out. For example, there is no point in me keeping 1970's and 1980's derailleur equipment now that I use hub gears 99% of the time.