Scarbo

This is an adjunct to the other thread on favorite clinchers, in which it was mentioned that the Michelin PRO 4 tires are on sale in preparation for the new release of the tire. I'm wondering, how many of us buy quantities of tires on sale and store them for use in the future? I get a lot of life out of my tires and seem to go through them rather slowly and I am concerned about buying them too far in advance of the time that I would actually use them as they would naturally go through a process of deterioration in the meantime. What does everybody think? Thanks.

10 Wheels

I buy them on sale ahead of time.
Store them in A/C area.

Juan Foote

Typically, new tires have a wax (like) coating that keeps the tire from aging on the shelf. This is why you should ride a tire a few miles before putting it to "full" use.

RonH

Unless the tires are at give-away prices I wouldn't bother. If you look around online you'll find most tires on sale somewhere a few tires during the year.

Homebrew01

It's good to have a few spare tires & tubes on hand (and chains, cables....). Then you're ready when a "consumable" is inevitably consumed.

I wouldn't go crazy buying boxes of them though.

Looigi

I wind up with spares I bought at a bargain being worthless because the bikes I would use them on are sold, or the new tech is just so much better. Anybody need some 9 speed chains or Shimano 9sp triple chain rings?

FBOATSB

From the moment tires leave the factory, the clock is ticking. shelf life is not a priority of manufacturers, in my opinion. Having spares however, is just good practice in order to avoid down time in your riding and of course having a folding spare, or even two, with tubes in your pouch makes sense if you ride farther than walking distance from home. Just avoid over doing it if you can unless N+1 also applies to consumables.

RandomTroll

Mr FBinNY wrote that he keeps tires for a year before he uses them.

ltxi

Kinda like with my cars....I buy bike tires as I need them.

travbikeman

Well, I can now say I learned something new today. I had no clue manufacturers put a wax like coat on the tires. Would explain why I can never get the tires to look like that after washing them.

fietsbob

Mold release. gets them un stuck. ,

big chainring 

I stock up and store them in my cave along with my Peter Max paintings and my 23 window VW bus.

Shimagnolo

I keep one spare of each make/model in use on my bikes, just so I can immediately replace a worn-out/ damaged tire. I don't keep more than that because rubber ages, and I don't want to waste money on tires that may deteriorate before they get used.

joe4702

I went overboard and ended up with something like 6 sets of tires, which I'm slowly using up.
Mostly Michelin Pro4 Endurance. I keep them in zip lock bags in the closet. No real problem so far, but I do worry the last ones will be pretty old by time I get to them. After these are used up, I think keeping one spare set is prudent, beyond that is probably overkill.

Mulberry20

Unless the new Michelins come down in price I wont use them. If the pro4's are totally out I will buy the Tufo Calibra made in Czech Republic. They are outstanding as well and are about $25.

Shimagnolo

When I replaced my motorcycle tires 2 years ago, they came with instructions warning to ride conservatively for about 100 miles until the slick surface wore off.

cycleheimer

I have bought 3 or 4 pairs of tires at a time when they were on sale. I will use them on 2 or 3 of my bikes (with the same wheel size..obviously) at the same time, with the other pair as a spare to cover the other bikes.

f4rrest

Be super careful with Pro 4 tires if you let them sit. They develop a waxy coating (even after you've ridden them a while). I even scrub it off with sandpaper if I've let the bike sit for a few weeks.

That wax put me sideways in a fast curve on a mountain descent last year... same curve I've done a thousand times without problem on my GP4kIIs. Scary.

Gweedo1

Do you hang your bike or let it sit on the tires? I doubt it matters for bicycles but keeping the weight off tires during long term storage is recommended for cars and MC's. You never know.

Do you keep the bike stored where there's electrical motors running? Some of them produce ozone which might effect your tires.

And by the way, there is no mould release agents used for motorcycle tires anymore. I'd be surprised if they used it for puny bicycle tires.

f4rrest

Same garage has Continentals and Michelins on bikes or on wheels hanging on the wall or in a drawer. I've never had the waxy crap develop on the Contis.

skidder

I'll usually have one extra of each size I normally use (700x28 or 32 and 26x2.0) in case something goes wrong on a bicycle. I don't buy in bulk since (as someone mentioned earlier) I can usually find something decent for sale at my local bike shops.

FBOATSB

Heck yeah, I actually did some reading Owners of car tires are warned not to use them after six years per the date codes and the DOT. While much heavier than bike tires I'm sure you could some sort of comparison. I do know that bike tires have date codes on them as well. I am actually riding on tires in their third riding season and plan to replace next spring. They showed sidewall cracking in the first season and so far so good. For me, no need for spares. Carry on.

veganbikes

Could certainly use some extra back up chains and I could probably use the chainrings on down the line.

rekmeyata

This tire aging thing making tires bad after a short period of time is pure hysteria!

I bought a 84 Fuji Club about 5 years ago that only had 5 original miles and everything on the bike was factory original including the tires and tubes. The bike was stored in an attic here in Indiana which means it got really hot in the summer and really cold in the winter. The tires looked perfect with no cracks or discoloring, nothing, I rode that bike with those tires and tubes for about 200 miles and then I changed the tires and tubes not because there was a problem with either but because in 1984 tires did not have good puncture resistance and were heavier than the newer stuff. I have a used spare tire that sometimes I carry it in my seat bag that is 20 years old and it too is in perfect condition. I have bikes with tires on them that have been on the bikes for 10 years without any problems. I have tires that I buy on sale and store them, and they may not get used for 2 to 3 years, and I use them without a second thought and never had a problem. I wouldn't hesitate to take one my older bikes with the 10 year old tires and take it on a 100 mile ride.

When I store the tires I store them in a dark location away from electrical motors but in the garage where the temperature will swing from well below freezing to over 95 degrees on the hottest day.

If I find a great closeout deal on a set of tires I buy them knowing that I may not use them for 2 to 3 years.

cycleheimer

I have one bike that is nearly 60 years old, and it supposedly has it's original tires on it. The bike sat for decades (cleaned up like new). I don't know if the tubes are original, or newer (40 years old?), but they hold air better than the ones on my 2 year old bike. The tires look great, and I ride on them. Go figure?!