Should folding tyres that are not in use be stored folded? I bought a couple of spares I found on sale last autumn and just noticed them out in the shed still in their boxes. I have some vague recollection of reading that pro teams used to hang tyres in French chateau wine cellars where like the wine they would age in to perfection over a couple of years. Can't see why this would be true, but I don't think I dreamt it!
In reply to TobyA: I'd be worried about storing them folded over an extended time that they'd crack on the folds and maybe stick together but I think you'd be looking at a fair few years for this. I think it would be like car tyres, cool, dry and dark, stored flat.
Don't store tyres near a fridge or freezer, there's something in the harmless to humans air/gasses which comes out of them which is bad for bike tyres.
I suppose tyres might be less likely to develop cracks if they're hung up, first i've heard about them aging to perfection though?
In reply to TobyA:
I think that it was the Tubular tires that were aged in the cellar.
Leave them somewhere temperature stable and out of sunlight as the UV will damage them slowly over time.
I bought a pair of Vittoria Evo Corsa folding clinchers in their original boxes from my LBS that he'd found lurking at the back of his store room so I got a really cheap deal on them.
After about 3 months of relatively light use the central part of the tread started to delaminate.
I guess long term storage of folding tyres is not to be recommended!
I left a bike fitted with Continental slicks in my kitchen and after six months big brown stains had appeared in my nice pale vinyl flooring, which I took to be sulphur migrating out of the rubber. So yes, fresh tyres are probably better.
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