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Old 02-25-20, 12:01 PM
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canklecat
Me duelen las nalgas
 
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Location: Texas
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Bikes: Centurion Ironman, Trek 5900, Univega Via Carisma, Globe Carmel

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I've seen cracked bicycle tires so I know it's a thing. But I've never experienced it on my own tires.

I suspect the differences have more to do with exposure to ozone or other contaminants, not UV. My bikes are have always been stored in my home, not a garage or shed.

But that doesn't guarantee protection from ozone. I've seen some pretty horrendous effects from ozone contamination on plastics. Back in the 1980s my grandparents tried those gimmicky ionic air cleaners, which basically were just ozone generators. Probably made the air worse for my granddad, who had COPD. And every bit of plastic or rubber within a few feet of each ionic air cleaner was crackled. I had to replace several electrical cords, face plates for electrical outlets, threaded lamp bulb bases, switches and lamps with exposed wires after the insulation had cracked, etc.

The worst case I've seen was a neighbor's TV. She was in her 80s, a lifelong heavy smoker and her entire apartment was coated in a sticky brownish yellow residue from smoking. One day she asked me to check her cable TV connection because the reception was poor. When I turned the TV around to access the connections, the entire rear panel of the TV crumbled like crackers. The residue from her smoking had coated everything inside the TV and it was spewing ozone. The entire TV cabinet was so fragile I had to gently nudge it into a big cardboard box so I could haul it away. It wouldn't support its own weight by the TV itself. I can only imagine what that was doing to her respiratory system. She was a tough old bird, although later that year she had to go to a nursing home.

Long story short, check your garage for ozone generators. Telltale signs will be noticeably yellowed plastics that use to be off-white. The yellowing will be worst closer to the source. Check your home too. I suspect doodads like plug-in air fresheners may also become ozone generators.
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