LegrandP12

Hi,

I got new tires on my road bike a few weeks ago. However, now the tires have started to change color

I got the GP5000 tires with skinwall/tanwall on. First the color was normal yellow/cream colored. Now, after some weeks of use it has started to become more orange/brownish.

Any idea how to "clean" it back to normal color without damaging the tire? I have tried with water and soap, but it doesn't work unfortunately

Thanks

koala logs

Some of the latest tanwall tires are the orange / brownish kind.

It's either a new feature we've never heard of (color changing tires) OR the orange / brownish is the actual color. There's probably some sort of a coating that goes away over time that made it color cream / yellow the first time.

malcala622

I've had my cream GP5000s since March this year and there's been a slight color change. I'd say they just lost the newness to them and have collected a bit of dirt and made them a very light shade of brown.

Iride01 

Take them off at once. They aren't safe. Color change is bad. Send them to me and I'll dispose of them.

BITD, all my tan gumwall tires would look like crap and start cracking with the gumwalls falling off the tire casing. Sometimes in just a few short months. Sometimes they might go a year. Tire compounds for sidewalls have gotten better over the years. So if a color change is all you are experiencing after a few months, then I can't have any sympathy for you seeing how many times I changed tires for the other.

I eventually just started buying blackwalls and color changes were never a big issue anymore.

biglmbass

Noticed this a few days ago. The cream wall GP5000s I installed in Sept last year are now are tan colored.

ThermionicScott 

Riding tanwall tires is a lesson on the impermanence of all things. Especially if you still use rim brakes.

cyclezen

yeah... back before 'black', every tire had it's aging/curing color, some became lighter, some darker, Clement seta had this translucent thing goin...
Barum cottons (the 'secret' weapon for miserable/rain soaked, bombshelled road races) had this dark/light/dark grading thing...
And All tires eventually ended up looking like their mascara ran badly - after a long rainy day, road grime mixed with grit/rim alu shavings from the brake pads.

... 'mark' of the hard men of the road...
Ride On
Yuri

msu2001la

Just to be clear, there are two different versions of the GP5000 with non-black sidewalls. There's "transparent" and "cream". The transparent version (not actually transparent) is more of a dark gold color, whereas the cream is more yellow. I think the transparent version is actually an exposed nylon casing on the side, whereas the cream is just a different color rubber but otherwise identical to the black.

There are lots of videos online about how to clean white-wall tires on classic cars. I'm guessing one of those methods would work for the cream sidewall GP 5000 tires. I'd be very careful about using abrasives around carbon rims or getting anything on brake rotors.

t2p

I noticed a little 'orange' in the GP 5000 cream sidewalls on one of my bikes

but not a problem - and in fact welcome especially if the transformation to orange is complete by Halloween

mschwett 

interesting that the "transparent" stripe on the middle one is much narrower than the cream section of the cream sidewall. i put 30mm "transparent" 5000S TR on my bike a few days ago and it's definitely a different look than the cream!

himespau 

I have the cream ones from a couple years ago when they were released as "TdF Special Edition" but the bike they're on has only spent maybe 20 miles that weren't on the trainer (direct drive) since then (surgery, recovery from getting hit, life, etc.). They haven't changed color due to oxidation (I'd love to see them a bit darker), so I'd guess your issue is just road grit/brake crumbs.

ThermionicScott 

I'm sure "transparent" makes more sense in German... I take it to imply the color of undyed gum rubber.

biglmbass

This is the cream version compared to a NIB of the same tire. They were mounted in Sept or Oct. I got over it quickly, but at first thought they were a little too creamy/yellow for my tastes.

msu2001la

Agree - the weathered look is an improvement.

Pacelineg

Same here, If it was an even color it wouldn't look so bad.......they look like crap now.


I just replaced a pair, let see how long they last this time.

biglmbass

Been thinking of replacing my 25c rear w' a 28c when it wears out, but it's color not matching the front would honestly bother me a tad. I think I can get over it I suppose.

mschwett 

i’m hoping the transparent version maintains an even color!

LegrandP12

I got the yellow/cream color, and now it looks exactly like the pictures posted by Pacelineg & Biglmbass

Anyone knows why it appears?
Some spots on the tire are more dark than other spots makes it looks very strange.

biglmbass

It’s natural color fade. Have to assume it just darkens w’ age, expose to sunlight, & dust/ dirt /road grime.

I don’t imagine it’s possible to clean them back to the original creamy color.

Chuck M 

My reaction too when I received them. I bought mine online. If I saw them in person I'm not sure I would have bought them. But the original yellow did add some pop to a pretty much ubiquitous black bike.




It's just a guess on my part, but I imagine the carbon black used in the tire bleeds into the dye on the sidewall. My color change is even across the entire sidewall and both tires and is more of a dark tan or light brown than it is orange.



Overall, they ride much better than the Bontrager tires they replaced so I'm happy about that.

eduskator

Sounds normal to me. Guess it can be cleaned using special products, but I'd be careful to not damage the rubber by using harsh products.

seypat

Iridescent tires are available now? Sweet!

ThermionicScott 

Time for Speedblend sidewalls to come back!



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