What is the shelf life of a tube?
06-13-07, 10:25 AM
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What is the shelf life of a tube?
What sort of shelf life can I expect from tubes?
I got a really good deal, but if they rot on the shelf, it's not really such a good deal, is it?
I got a really good deal, but if they rot on the shelf, it's not really such a good deal, is it?
06-13-07, 10:57 AM
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Latex or Butyl?
Is it latex or butyl rubber? How many tubes are we talking about? Do you patch your tubes? If it's butyl I wouldn't worry. I've had a dozen tubes lying in my garage (and sometimes with me riding) for +four years w/o any problems. Avoid storage in a sunfilled place, though. Put them in a dark box, instead :-D Latex is lighter but a lot more fragile and short lived (both mounted in the tyres and on the shelves).
06-13-07, 11:16 AM
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In my garage they'll last maybe one year (butyl). After that they'l start coming apart in the folds. The same tubes inside my house have lasted many years. I suspect that I have an elevated ozone level in my garage with two cars, a truck, raw gasoline for my chainsaw, a heat and AC unit, and a hot water heater.
Don't know what else could be causing my tubes to rot.
Al
Don't know what else could be causing my tubes to rot.
Al
06-13-07, 11:43 AM
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20 years?
I've bought a number of mid 80's 12 speeds with original tires that have been rideable. I have changed out the tires due to dry rot and the tubes look and work fine.
Bent
Bent
06-13-07, 11:46 AM
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They are butyl, and I now have about 10 spares.
10 spares should be close to 1-2 years worth of tubes, maybe even 3 years if I am lucky.
I do not patch. I carry a patch kit for emergencies only when I have used my spare tube and might have a second flat.
10 spares should be close to 1-2 years worth of tubes, maybe even 3 years if I am lucky.
I do not patch. I carry a patch kit for emergencies only when I have used my spare tube and might have a second flat.
06-13-07, 12:29 PM
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Last year I assembled a brand new old stock 1970 garlatti that came in its original carton. I'm still riding on the original 27" tires and tubes. So that would be 37 years or so?
06-13-07, 01:14 PM
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Originally Posted by fmw
Last year I assembled a brand new old stock 1970 garlatti that came in its original carton. I'm still riding on the original 27" tires and tubes. So that would be 37 years or so?
Thank you.
06-13-07, 06:49 PM
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Originally Posted by Scorer75
What sort of shelf life can I expect from tubes?
I got a really good deal, but if they rot on the shelf, it's not really such a good deal, is it?
I got a really good deal, but if they rot on the shelf, it's not really such a good deal, is it?
I've been using tubes I fitted in the eighties without a problem - and those wheels spent enough time hanging in the shed for the tyres to go rigid with age.
If you go through tubes often enough to think of buying a 'really good deal' (I'm assuming it's a bulk deal), you'll use enough of them before you have any wastage to justify buying the 'really good deal' anyway.
Richard
