tires and sun
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tires and sun
the most secure, least obtrusive place to store one of my bikes is directly adjacent to a south facing window.
the window is 100 years old, monolithic clear float glass with no low-e coating. presumably 90% transmission across all spectra.
obviously tires are meant to be used in the sun - but they’re spinning (so any portion is only “up” a third or so as much) and cooled by the wind - and only for however long one is riding for. is this kind of sun for 6-8 hours every other day or so going to have an impact on your typical road bike tire, as shown?
the window is 100 years old, monolithic clear float glass with no low-e coating. presumably 90% transmission across all spectra.
obviously tires are meant to be used in the sun - but they’re spinning (so any portion is only “up” a third or so as much) and cooled by the wind - and only for however long one is riding for. is this kind of sun for 6-8 hours every other day or so going to have an impact on your typical road bike tire, as shown?
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RVers used Aerospace 303 on their tires which sit outside, works well done in Southern Arizona. Keeps them looking nice as well.
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Plain glass blocks some UV wavelengths. I looked this up, but lack the time or inclination to determine which ones might affect your tires. So, just google "plain glass UV transmission"
There are many interesting links if you are determined to research this topic.
Anecdotes and opinions from this forum may not be as reliable
There are many interesting links if you are determined to research this topic.
Anecdotes and opinions from this forum may not be as reliable
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Plain glass blocks some UV wavelengths. I looked this up, but lack the time or inclination to determine which ones might affect your tires. So, just google "plain glass UV transmission"
There are many interesting links if you are determined to research this topic.
Anecdotes and opinions from this forum may not be as reliable
There are many interesting links if you are determined to research this topic.
Anecdotes and opinions from this forum may not be as reliable
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go to goodwill, buy a bed sheet, cover bicycle
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If your tires get UV rot (dry rot) before you wear the tread off just from sitting in the sun then you need to rethink owning a bike. OTOH, I was told by a tire mfg rep that the rubber in tire compounds today has a chemical that needs flexing to keep a tire soft and pliable. But nothing can save a tire from the harmful rays of daylight. I like the sheet idea. Keep dust off the entire bike while it sits for (ever?) Just kidding.
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If your tires get UV rot (dry rot) before you wear the tread off just from sitting in the sun then you need to rethink owning a bike. OTOH, I was told by a tire mfg rep that the rubber in tire compounds today has a chemical that needs flexing to keep a tire soft and pliable. But nothing can save a tire from the harmful rays of daylight. I like the sheet idea. Keep dust off the entire bike while it sits for (ever?) Just kidding.
it gets about 500 miles a month, 2 days out of 3. i’ll probably throw a sheet over it, i guess. looks nicer sitting there in the sun 😂
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If the bike is getting ridden 500/month, the tires are not going to last long enough to matter.
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Do you wash the shirt you rode in? You should, just use that for covering your tires while the shirt gets dry. 2 birds with one stone,
#14
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The window will last another 100 years.
Just ride the bike often enough, you'll be replacing the tires sooner than you start seeing cracks.
Just ride the bike often enough, you'll be replacing the tires sooner than you start seeing cracks.
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Short answer is yes. The heat will have an effect and so will the sun. However, if you are riding 500 miles a month, then you will wear out the rear tire before this becomes an actual concern. Just as long as you move the front tire to the rear and put a new one on the front, then you'll wear out tires every 6 months or so and won't have to worry about these effects. If you just left the bike there, the effects would accumulate even though the rubber has both free radical scavengers and UV absorbers compounded in. They don't last forever.
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Short answer is yes. The heat will have an effect and so will the sun. However, if you are riding 500 miles a month, then you will wear out the rear tire before this becomes an actual concern. Just as long as you move the front tire to the rear and put a new one on the front, then you'll wear out tires every 6 months or so and won't have to worry about these effects. If you just left the bike there, the effects would accumulate even though the rubber has both free radical scavengers and UV absorbers compounded in. They don't last forever.
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Another solution to consider is UV blocking window film.
It is not expensive, installs easily, and you can get films with little or no tinting.
We have film on our south facing windows, and you can’t tell it’s there.
It is not expensive, installs easily, and you can get films with little or no tinting.
We have film on our south facing windows, and you can’t tell it’s there.
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As @KerryIrons notes, if you ride 500 miles/month and rotate tires, you'll wear them out before they start cracking.
The other thing nobody's mentioned is that the sunlight may fade the paint job on your bike. After some years, you may notice a piebald paint job. Can you find another place to store the bike over the winter, when the low sun angle will light the bike even more strongly?
The other thing nobody's mentioned is that the sunlight may fade the paint job on your bike. After some years, you may notice a piebald paint job. Can you find another place to store the bike over the winter, when the low sun angle will light the bike even more strongly?
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Good point. I spent two summers touring and the paint on my bike really faded. In those days we had clamps for the shifters and cable housing and when I took them off to clean the bike, the paint was MUCH darker where it had been covered by the clams. Likewise under the down tube and BB shell.
#22
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As @KerryIrons notes, if you ride 500 miles/month and rotate tires, you'll wear them out before they start cracking.
The other thing nobody's mentioned is that the sunlight may fade the paint job on your bike. After some years, you may notice a piebald paint job. Can you find another place to store the bike over the winter, when the low sun angle will light the bike even more strongly?
The other thing nobody's mentioned is that the sunlight may fade the paint job on your bike. After some years, you may notice a piebald paint job. Can you find another place to store the bike over the winter, when the low sun angle will light the bike even more strongly?
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Most cars sit outside longer than your bike tires will be exposed to the sun through the window. Ride and don't worry about it. If you were storing it long term without riding, then I woukd cover it or find another place. As it is, it is a non-issue. Use your bike, enjoy it, repeat.
#24
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I thought it was always cold and foggy in San Francisco? Or maybe that's just the other ten months of the year.
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but on balance, it’s sunny about 70% of the time, and between 60 and 70 degrees most days. other than the wind (which can be unforgiving) it’s pretty much the definition of a mild climate. year round, all day riding weather for me, at least.