beicster 

The main reason I prefer black sidewalls is that the tan ones get nasty looking pretty quick. But, I do like the look of tan sidewalls when they are new. What do those of you who prefer tan sidewalls do to keep your sidewalls from getting awful looking? Do you just wash them a lot? Are there other things that can be done to keep them nice looking? Just how much effort are you putting into it?

ThermionicScott 

I used to scrub pretty hard, but quickly realized that there was only so much I could do.

Now I savor the look of fresh tires while it lasts, and accept the gray-streaked sidewalls that come from not being afraid to ride my bikes in all weather.

My fixed-gear MTB is a long-term study in sidewall discoloration: the front sidewalls have turned an even gray over the years, while the rear sidewalls blanch in the sun (no brake back there.)

USAZorro

All you can do is hose them off and wipe them down after a ride. As good as it will get them.

More porous sidewalls will likely get discolored more quickly than true gumwalls.

Chombi1 

I suspect, a lot of the staining you get on tan walls is the rubber dust coming from the brake pads, made worse by the carbon black material used in black rubber.
I'm wondering if one uses brake pads that are it black. like the salmon colored pads froom Kool Stop, maybe the sidewall might stay clooking clean a bit longer. Can't really get rid of the problem 100% as the roads are filled with the black rubber dust from other vehicles, plus all the other types of staining dirt that is always just on the road surfaces.

beicster 

I use salmon Kool stop pads almost exclusively and it does not seem to help. At least not a lot.

nlerner

I use the spray cleaner Krud Kutter, which I think I got at Home Despot. It doesn’t completely get rid of sidewall schmutz, but does a decent job of minimizing.

ThermionicScott 

+1 on that. My salmon Kool-Stops develop the same grayish staining as the sidewalls, so I don't think they're to blame. More a mixture of fine aluminum wearing off the rims and dirt from the environment...

qcpmsame 

I wouldn’t scrub too hard, its not too difficult to rub through the side wall materiel of some tires with beige/gum models. I like to use a Clorox bleach pen, lightly and sparingly to clean up as best as I can. But the replies above saying that discoloration is pretty much inevitable are spot on.

Bill

St33lWh33ls

Two things that bring me joy, new tires on the bike, fresh strings on my guitars. Wear and tear shows use and that’s a good thing, if it’s a show and shine throw some new ones on there, otherwise don’t sweat it. As always YMMV.

jamesdak 

Well, they aren't tan but a darker brown, but the sidewalls on the Conti Gran Prix Classics seem to hide dirt and all well as mine still seem about the same as they were new. They've seen a fair bit of use on at least 3 different bikes.



Maybe try them as a "compromise"?

qcpmsame 

[MENTION=203117]jamesdak[/MENTION], I've thought about giving those Grand Prix Classic a try on my contemporary bike, the tires on my 72 Bottecchia were a darker brown similar to the Continental shade. Now if they made a tubular, I'd be all over it.

Bill

BTW, nice looking Fooj you have there.

Lascauxcaveman 

I've had good luck using diluted Soft-Scrub with Bleach. Gets them most of the way clean. I think it's the fine abrasive in the stuff that does the trick, rather than the bleach. Cheapo whitening toothpaste, ditto. The stuff that feels a little gritty when you brush with it. The Dollar Store stuff.

Chombi1 

I had those Contis on a wheelset and they more like dark cola colored than tan.......
Personally, I did not really like their looks cause they just look like old tires with dirty sidewalls to me.....
Looks like Conti just "pre-aged/dirtied" them for you......JMOs.

Dfrost 

I try to wash off my rims and the sidewalls after every rainy ride. It’s fast and easy if they’re off the bike, using a hose and brush. Seems like they clean up pretty well if done soon after, and I use the same brush to quickly wipe off the brake pads. It’s also much easier to wipe down the frame when it’s still wet. I know it sounds fastidious, but my rims last a long time and I greatly prefer working on clean bikes.

Fenders help keep everything clean, and having a dedicated fender bike extends riding time tremendously up here in the PNW. The Mavic Open4CD (hard anodized) rims on the fender bike below didn’t seem to leave much sidewall grime. I’ve put wider polished H+Sons TB14 on it recently. Let’s see how they do on wet rides. All the bikes here have Kool Stop salmon pads.

qcpmsame 

One other product I have tried, successfully, is the Clorox Magic Eraser pads. Just keep them damp while scrubbing (lightly,) and they can remove a good bit of the grime and other stains.

Grand Bois

Bleche Wite tire cleaner. It's been around forever because it works. It comes with a warning not to get it on aluminum, but a quick wipe of the braking surface cleans and slightly etches, thus improving braking.

Salamandrine 

Water with maybe a drop of dish soap for dirt. 303 protectant if I want them to look really nice, because I have some for my car tires and rubber parts. Good stuff. Though honestly I don't tend to worry about it.

I would be hesitant to use any sort of chlorine bleach product on tires for fear of it breaking down the structural integrity, but I guess I'm living in the past when tires were cotton and covered in natural latex.

BTW, does anyone else remember having to re-coat tire sidewalls with latex? It would tend to slowly evaporate or otherwise disappear over time if a tire survived long enough. Obviously I'm talking sew ups here.

ApolloSoyuz1975

Along those lines, Bon Ami powder might be worth a shot.

Grand Bois

Bleche Wite does not contain bleach.

White walls were still popular when I started using it. I've noticed no ill effects on bike tires and brake boots.

palincss

The black that's doing the staining is mostly building up on the brake blocks from where they contact the rim. Salmon pads get just as much nasty blackness on them as any other color pads. I think it's aluminum, not rubber.

When I wash the bike I'll wash the wheels and tires as well, spraying Mr Clean, 409 or something similar on them first, then hitting the tires and rims with a scrub brush using a bucket of detergent water.

Grand Bois

Water is not good for bikes. My 1974 PX-10 has never been wet.

Salamandrine 

I still kind of shudder when people talk about hosing off their bikes after a ride. I was brought up with the idea that water is bad for bikes too. Hosing one off would be a disaster. It just wasn't done.

Suffice it to say there's a sort of age and/or culture gap WRT water and bikes. Now that bikes have sealed bearings, I guess it makes sense to spray down, but I still avoid it. I will use a damp rag now though. BITD it would have been WD40 and a rag. That's IMO still a good way to go with vintage bikes.

SJX426 

This is C&V => cup and cone bearings somewhere. Water is not a great idea but a clean terry cloth is ok in my book. Gives an opportunity to check every detail out on the bike! Another C&V attribute.

palincss

So you've never even once been caught in the rain?

Grand Bois

I'm a fair weather rider and it doesn't rain much here.