Old Tires OK?

[gbcoupe]

Anybody riding really old tires?

I just received a new to me 92 Jeff Lyon bike with very light use. The tires are Avocet FasGrip, and damned if they aren't still supple. The sidewalls aren't even dried out. I've heard of tubies being stored/aged for a long time. If stored in the right climate, does it not really matter?

I'll probably move them over to the DA group on my Paramount if it ever sells. Would be a better match than what's on there now.

[Hellgate]

Avocet? Ditch them. They were terrible in the '80's.

[saab2000]

Ride them. Inspect after inflation and every few miles at first. Then after each ride.

Don’t overthink it. Look at the rubber. If it’s falling apart, dumpster them. If it’s not cracking and falling to pieces ride them but keep an eye on them.

[gbcoupe]

Originally Posted by Hellgate

Avocet? Ditch them. They were terrible in the '80's.

I used and liked them in the 80's. Much better than most of the other clinchers at that time.

Originally Posted by saab2000

Ride them. Inspect after inflation and every few miles at first. Then after each ride.

Don’t overthink it. Look at the rubber. If it’s falling apart, dumpster them. If it’s not cracking and falling to pieces ride them but keep an eye on them.

The rubber looks really good, thus my post. I'm really surprised. I'll probably not ride them much if at all. They can go with a caveat included in the DA group. Was just curious if anyone is riding 30 year old (presumably good) tires!

[oliver1850]

I doubt that I have tires newer than 10 years old on more than 2 or 3 bikes. Tires often sit here for 10 years before they even get mounted. I don't worry about anything that isn't dry rotted and holds air. Holding air has been an issue with some NOS Vittoria tubulars that look pristine, while some other much older tubulars just keep on going.

[rustychisel]

I've ridden 20+ year old tyres, no problems, but this is a hot dry climate and that seems to help. These were Panaracer 1 inch for 27in wheels, so definitely old, and they were in great condition. Inspect the threads of the sidewalls very carefully; that's massively important too.

Any doubts? Bin them. I'd not ride them downhill at 80kmh but on the flat...

[Louis]

I really liked the Avocet FasGrips and they were my go-to tire in the late 80's and early 90's.

If they aren't dry-rotted I would definitely use them.

[oliver1850]

Originally Posted by Louis

I really liked the Avocet FasGrips and they were my go-to tire in the late 80's and early 90's.

If they aren't dry-rotted I would definitely use them.

Somewhere I have a new pair in the boxes. Last time I checked them they felt like new tires to me. Can't remember if they are 700C or 27".

[rustychisel]

I recall Avocet tyres quite fondly, they lasted well. My partner was definitely riding them through the 90s. My preference at the time was for Wolber Pro 3/4in.

[ripvanrando]

The Avocets with kevlar belts were slow. The non belted versions were very, very fast. I no longer remember the model designations. Very good tires, similar casing the Hearse tires but they were slicks. I used to ride 42 miles to Wells Ave Crits, do the crits, and ride home on a 32 mm version and I recall winning quite a few primes and races on them. Much faster than the Clement cottons on my "race" wheels. YMMV.

[Hellgate]

This thread is old tires, not nostalgia. Buy some new tires and be happy. Tires today, aside from Gatorskins, are much better than tires of 20 to 30 years ago. Gatorskins are terrible.

Life is too short to ride bad/old tires.

[rustychisel]

Originally Posted by Hellgate

This thread is old tires, not nostalgia. Buy some new tires and be happy. Tires today, aside from Gatorskins, are much better than tires of 20 to 30 years ago. Gatorskins are terrible.

Life is too short to ride bad/old tires.

and yet somewhere in Belgium at this very moment there's a grizzled old mechanic checking his aged pairs of race tyres...

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by Hellgate

Life is too short to ride bad/old tires.

I had a set of the green Michelin cyclocross tires. Lovely tires, except that they aren't nearly as sticky as new tires. They weren't dry rotted. They were just old. And didn't work.

I didn't bother checking them with my tire durometer. Probably should have, for the scientific aspect.

[Hellgate]

Originally Posted by rustychisel

and yet somewhere in Belgium at this very moment there's a grizzled old mechanic checking his aged pairs of race tyres...

Aged doesn't mean decades.

I used to age my tubs too. They were stretched on old rims and kept in an air conditioned place. They aged for...3 to 6 months. Not decades.

In fact, I still have 2 tubs aged that are at least 15 years old. They are so brittle the rubber cracks and crumbles! The stitching can rot too.

Today, Turbo S, Course, and others make tires so much nicer than any clincher from 20+ years ago. That's why we rode tubs back then.

Buy new tires, be happy

[charliedid]

I buy new road tires every year.

Last year two sets.