Couple questions about bike tires

Every bike I remember owning had 27 x 1.25 inch tires. When my old Shwinn Continental frame broke
almost 5 years ago I bought another used road bike -- a Miyata, not a high end bike, but a pretty
good quality mass-production bike. It has a triple-butted frame of Chrome-Moly, fair components but
nothing special. The best thing is that it isn't particularly thief bait and I don't have to be too
nervous locking it up outside in my town (Berkeley, CA).

Lately I've taken up daily 12 mile rides with about a 1000 foot mostly gradual climb. The descent,
however, is pretty steep. I've seen guys blow by me at probably 35 miles/hour on the steepest part (
!! ) but it makes me shudder to think what would happen to them if they had a flat or a blowout. I
read a story of a guy who's a quadrapalegic now who had just such an accident in my vicinity.

Well, that story stuck with me and I don't want it happening to me. Of course, there's just no being
really safe on a bike, but I figure I can start here by paying attention to my tires and not
screaming down that hill.

I had a blowout a couple days ago. I was at elevation and noticed some bumping and saw a z-jag in my
back tire and took it REAL slow down the descent. I got to pretty flat elevation before the tire
unexpectedly blew out with what sounded like a gun shot. I just hopped off the bike, locked it, and
walked the rest of the way and came back and got it with my car later.

That tire was not on that bike more than about a month. It was one of several cheap tires I bought a
few years ago and they seem to have all gotten stiff, somewhat brittle and even crumbly just sitting
around. Does this always happen with bike tires? You can't buy them and store them without them
going bad? Is there something you can do to protect them, like an application of Armor All? I also
have many individual packets of Turtle Wax Clear Guard protectant that I could try. I wonder if
anyone uses this stuff with either stored tires or tires that they are riding in an effort to
prolong their life.

I also have one not cheap new tire, a Michelin 27 x 1.38 inch tire, and it too seems to have lost
its suppleness and I'm afraid to try using it. If I was just riding around the city I wouldn't be so
afraid to just use these new but apparently deteriorated tires and see what happens but since I'm
doing descents at sometimes pretty high speeds I don't want to take unnecessary chances.

Another question I have is this: The place where I bought my used Miyata said they could convert it
to a 700cc bike to use the now common tire. I assume that there's a whole lot more available in the
700 size, right? I've been finding it hard to find anything in a 27 x 1.25. I bought a couple at
Orchard Supply yesterday, made in China I guess. They are nothing special but at least the rubber
seems fresh and vibrant.

Additional note: I use urethane tire liners (oversized), which I glue into the tires with contact
cement. I've been doing that for a number of years and they seem to have reduced my flats by a
factor of at least 3.

Thanks for your help, suggestions, etc.

Dan

In article <bfpfhv453da1n0p2tpi2n9delcl74b13mi@4ax.com>, musicant@SpamNot.pacbell.net says...
> Every bike I remember owning had 27 x 1.25 inch tires. When my old Shwinn Continental frame broke
> almost 5 years ago I bought another used road bike -- a Miyata, not a high end bike, but a pretty
> good quality mass-production bike. It has a triple-butted frame of Chrome-Moly, fair components
> but nothing special. The best thing is that it isn't particularly thief bait and I don't have to
> be too nervous locking it up outside in my town (Berkeley, CA).
>
> Lately I've taken up daily 12 mile rides with about a 1000 foot mostly gradual climb. The descent,
> however, is pretty steep. I've seen guys blow by me at probably 35 miles/hour on the steepest part
> ( !! ) but it makes me shudder to think what would happen to them if they had a flat or a blowout.
> I read a story of a guy who's a quadrapalegic now who had just such an accident in my vicinity.
>
> Well, that story stuck with me and I don't want it happening to me. Of course, there's just no
> being really safe on a bike, but I figure I can start here by paying attention to my tires and not
> screaming down that hill.
>
> I had a blowout a couple days ago. I was at elevation and noticed some bumping and saw a z-jag in
> my back tire and took it REAL slow down the descent. I got to pretty flat elevation before the
> tire unexpectedly blew out with what sounded like a gun shot. I just hopped off the bike, locked
> it, and walked the rest of the way and came back and got it with my car later.
>
> That tire was not on that bike more than about a month. It was one of several cheap tires I bought
> a few years ago and they seem to have all gotten stiff, somewhat brittle and even crumbly just
> sitting around. Does this always happen with bike tires? You can't buy them and store them without
> them going bad? Is there something you can do to protect them, like an application of Armor All? I
> also have many individual packets of Turtle Wax Clear Guard protectant that I could try. I wonder
> if anyone uses this stuff with either stored tires or tires that they are riding in an effort to
> prolong their life.

Where do you store the tires? Are they near electrical equipment which might produce ozone? That
will eat rubber in a hurry. Many peopel swear by putting the tires in a plastic bag and pressing out
most of the air when they are going to be stored for an extended time.

....

--
David Kerber An optimist says "Good morning, Lord." While a pessimist says "Good Lord,
it's morning".

Remove the ns_ from the address before e-mailing.

On Fri, 18 Jul 2003 12:52:32 GMT, Dan Musicant <musicant@SpamNot.pacbell.net> wrote:

>
>Another question I have is this: The place where I bought my used Miyata said they could convert it
>to a 700cc bike to use the now common tire. I assume that there's a whole lot more available in the
>700 size, right?

Many more options in the 700 size. Including various reinforcement/puncture-resistant systems that
will reduce the need for tire liners. If you are getting into longer and harder rides, this is worth
considering.

>I've been finding it hard to find anything in a 27 x 1.25. I bought a couple at Orchard Supply
>yesterday, made in China I guess. They are nothing special but at least the rubber seems fresh
>and vibrant.
>

Missing Link doesn't carry anything in this size? It might not matter in a low-demand size like 27
inch, but all in all a bike shop will have more 'turnover' of tires. Tires age- ozone, heat,
chemicals, ultraviolet light, etc.

>Additional note: I use urethane tire liners (oversized), which I glue into the tires with contact
>cement. I've been doing that for a number of years and they seem to have reduced my flats by a
>factor of at least 3.
>

I wonder what tire liners do to handling on a speedy downhill. You could be losing some flexibility
with liners that is helpful on downhills? I don't know....

>Thanks for your help, suggestions, etc.
>
>Dan
>

If you can swing the conversion to 700, do it. Many of the older Miyata frames are very nice rides,
and having more options in tire quality is worth it.

On Fri, 18 Jul 2003 08:18:42 -0700, Dan Daniel <ddandan@pacbell.net> wrote:

:On Fri, 18 Jul 2003 12:52:32 GMT, Dan Musicant
:<musicant@SpamNot.pacbell.net> wrote:
:
:
:>
:>Another question I have is this: The place where I bought my used Miyata said they could convert
:>it to a 700cc bike to use the now common tire. I assume that there's a whole lot more available in
:>the 700 size, right?
:
:Many more options in the 700 size. Including various :reinforcement/puncture-resistant systems that
will reduce the need for :tire liners. If you are getting into longer and harder rides, this is
:worth considering.
:
:>I've been finding it hard to find anything in a 27 x 1.25. I bought a couple at Orchard Supply
:>yesterday, made in China I guess. They are nothing special but at least the rubber seems fresh and
:>vibrant.
:>
:
:Missing Link doesn't carry anything in this size? It might not matter :in a low-demand size like 27
inch, but all in all a bike shop will :have more 'turnover' of tires. Tires age- ozone, heat,
chemicals, :ultraviolet light, etc.

I'll check out Missing Link.
:
:>Additional note: I use urethane tire liners (oversized), which I glue into the tires with contact
:>cement. I've been doing that for a number of years and they seem to have reduced my flats by a
:>factor of at least 3.
:>
:
:I wonder what tire liners do to handling on a speedy downhill. You :could be losing some
flexibility with liners that is helpful on :downhills? I don't know....
:
:>Thanks for your help, suggestions, etc.
:>
:>Dan
:>
:
:If you can swing the conversion to 700, do it. Many of the older :Miyata frames are very nice
rides, and having more options in tire :quality is worth it.

I think I'll take my bike back to that shop (Recycles on Sacramento St.) and ask how much they'd
charge for the conversion. Is there any chance I could do the conversion myself? I've done 100% of
my bike work over the years.