While working on my wife's bike today, I have again had problems with tubes.
The one in her (normally flat from lack of use) front tire simply would not
inflate. Turns out it had a big slice or cut in it. I have no idea how it got
there. When I pulled out her spare tube, it was pretty much disintegrating
along the edges of the rolled-up tube and would not hold air either.
So I pulled a tube out of the bag on one of my bikes. It wouldn't hold air
either - had a small slit in it. I have patched it and it is holding air now.
The others were only for the trash bin. I just don't understand this. I am not
sure of the brand on these tubes but all seemed different. Will tubes just get
old and fall apart/rot sitting around?
This is not the first time I have had groups of tube failures like this. In one
seat bag on a ride I found three Specialized tubes all failed on a "seam" or
line on the exterior surface while looking for a tube to fix a flat. I assumed
that I had gotten a number of tubes from a defective batch from Specialized.
But now I am starting to wonder.
I have several bikes, each of which has its own seat pack with spare tubes and
rag. Since the bikes get ridden in rotation, the bikes simply hand in my
furnace room in the basement most of the time. But this room is not overly hot
or cold. Any ideas on what is happening?
Thanks.