Inner Tubes
05-16-16, 09:04 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 20
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Inner Tubes
I have some inner tubes still in their boxes that have been on a shelf in the basement where I keep my bikes. They have been there about 5 years or so.
Question is how long do they last. I don't want to be out riding and have them with me and go to replace an inner tube because of a flat and they have gone bad one way or another. I know car tires have a date of manufacturer. I don't see anything on the boxes for the inner tubes with a date of manufacturer. Would like to be on the safe side.
Question is how long do they last. I don't want to be out riding and have them with me and go to replace an inner tube because of a flat and they have gone bad one way or another. I know car tires have a date of manufacturer. I don't see anything on the boxes for the inner tubes with a date of manufacturer. Would like to be on the safe side.
05-16-16, 09:21 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225
Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 643 Times
in
364 Posts
I don't know but the shelf life of inner tubes is certainly longer than 5 years. I've got some boxed inner tubes in my shop that are at least 15 years old. If I needed one that size tomorrow I'd grab one without concern.
__________________
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
05-16-16, 09:35 AM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Metro Detroit/AA
Posts: 8,207
Bikes: 2016 Novara Mazama
Mentioned: 63 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3640 Post(s)
Liked 81 Times
in
51 Posts
I bought the girlfriend a 1968 Schwinn Collegiate. The original tubes were still in it (marked with a production date), and they held air just fine.
05-16-16, 09:39 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 766
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I would only be concerned about a tube that had been exposed to prolonged UV or ozone, but even then it would be obvious if the tube was good or not. As long as the rubber is supple with no cracking, I would not hesitate to use any old tube.
05-16-16, 09:46 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 1,109
Bikes: s-1
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 221 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Thye last time I flipped a 50s scwhinn the original tubes held air perfectly even though the tires were rotted. I replaced them anyway because new tubes and rim strips came with the new tire set, but still, the old tubes were functional after over 60 years on the bike.
05-16-16, 03:46 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 3,947
Bikes: Trek 1100 road bike, Roadmaster gravel/commuter/beater mountain bike
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2281 Post(s)
Liked 1,710 Times
in
936 Posts
As long as they were in your basement away from sun & heat they should be OK. Being left outside, OTOH, will rot them quickly. 5 years is not too old for tubes as long as they don't appear cracked.
I remember when someone called me up offering a set of "brand new" tires for my pickup. I go to check them out and they were obviously not brand new, seeing as how there were plenty of tiny rocks in the tread, but had also been stored outside for some period of time. Needless to say I passed on the offer.
I remember when someone called me up offering a set of "brand new" tires for my pickup. I go to check them out and they were obviously not brand new, seeing as how there were plenty of tiny rocks in the tread, but had also been stored outside for some period of time. Needless to say I passed on the offer.
