Tire storage and other tire questions

Unicycles and Equipment
1

I have some questions about tires, have done some search, but just want to clarify it with you guys or see if there’s any difference in opinions/tips. Or simply because I have issues finding the answer or the direct answer to it and want to double check. If you have a link to a site that has the direct answer, please give it to me so I can read up.

1. Storing tires:

I have a few trial unicycle tires. I got a few to try out, but I’ll end up having to store the others for awhile, but every few months I’ll probably switch tires for a new feel. I’ve read around that ideal storage conditions is a place that’s not too humid or too dry (basement ; sun), out of direct sun light, not kept to ozone chemicals or chemicals overall.

Should I keep them it in a cardboard box or keep it in an airtight wrap? (There’s one place somewhere that says avoid keeping it in airtight wrapping that’s why I’m not sure)

Can I just leave it in the closet in my room?

What temperatures will be okay for the tires? My room varies between 60F winter and 83F summer, no direct sunlight.

How long do the tires last in storage? Some sources say keep them around 5 years while others say they’ve kept them for 10-15+ years.

2. Inner Tube Size.

The equinox street/trials comes with a 2.5 trials wheel which is common size, but the tube size that comes with them is 20 x 1.95-2.125".

It’s said to stretch fine to the 2.5 but I was wondering how come a tube that is not closer to the 2.5 is used?

How do you know if the tube will stretch unsafely for a tire? I would have thought the tube size mentioned would be too small for a 2.5", but it fits fine so obviously I’m mistaken so help me :stuck_out_tongue:

Would that tube fit a Monty Eagle 20 x 2.6" without issue?

I recently saw a tube at the municycle site and there’s one with 30% more rubber, when should one consider buying a tube like that? I mean the current tube seems to be working fine, is it worth considering?

3. Is Monty Eagle Claw Pro tire out of production?

I’m getting mix messages and I’m not sure if that’s out of production or just the old version Monty Eagle?

TryAll and Monty Eagle Claws are seemingly very popular, bouncy and good tires, yet surprisingly very hard to find (in stock).

Thanks beforehand.

2

Are you talking about the monty pro race? I haven’t found them in north America but you can get them in Europe

3

should we store tires flat?

I put the stock 3" Duro Wildlife tire back (had swapped for a 2.4" Maxxis HighRoller) on my 26" Oracle to differentiate from the 2.5" Schwalbe Hans Dampf on my KH29 and because, despite it’s weight, I really like the Duro.

I store my tires (right now composed of a half worn 36" NightRider {replaced by the Todd}, a 29" Maxxis Ardent {replaced by the Hans Dampf}, and the aforementioned Maxxis HighRoller) in my always cool, always dry basement (don’t have a garage). I don’t have enough room to lay them flat so they are standing up leaning against the wall.

I pulled the Duro and laid it flat a couple days prior to the (2 years later) swap but it was still a bit out of shape (not a perfect circle) and, as a result, I had a little trouble getting the bead to seat on the rim.

Would it help to if I always stored all my tires laying flat?

4

The main thing for storing tyres is to keep them in the dark.
Even weak daylight has UV, which causes the rubber to break down over time.

I don’t think you need to lay them flat so long as they are not being pressed out of shape.

5

Tyres do smell quite a bit, specially in warm temperatures and the smell will accumulate in a small room with no much draft going through. Mine are in a small stone building outside and, now in summer, the air/smell is pungent when you first open the door.

If I was you I would try not to store them ‘long term’ in the room where you sleep (unless no other choice of course…). If you do I would make sure you try to contain their smell with packaging etc…

6

I have a bunch of spare tires, of various ages, hanging up in my garage. They’re on the ceiling so they don’t get any direct sunlight but do get lots of temperature variation, esp. on hot days. So the older tires are a little more “dry” than the more recent ones, but we’re talking 30-year old Schwinn whitewalls. Tires that have only been up there a few years seem unaffected.

7

Thanks for the info guys.

I would think that softer trials tire have less of a shelf life than a tire made out of harder compound, right?

Can someone help me with the inner tubes question ( #2 question)
I’m planning to switch tires soon to the Monty Eagle Claw 2.6 tire and was wondering if the 2.1" would be okay. Seems like it will be won’t that be a big stretch?

8

So unicycle.com says the 20 x 1.95 -2.125" tube can fit 2.5" tire up to 3" tire (not that they make them but yeah)

But the person that sold me the eagle claw 2.6" said the tube is way too small.

The local bike store also said he wouldn’t do that and recommends $10 or so for a 20 x 2.3-3.0 tube or something like that.

And unicycle.com also has this:

http://www.unicycle.com/unicycles/bymanufacturer/impact/impact-gravity-unicycle.html

That comes with a monty eagle 2.6 but has that tube as well.

So, help?

Am I missing anything or is unicycle.com supplying and selling tubes that are way too small for the trial tires on their trial unicycles?

9

I reckon that tubes vary in thickness and material strength just like tyres do. So the tube recommended by unicycle.com is probably ok and should be lighter and less sluggish than a bigger tube

10

Their tube doesn’t have any special description other than “high quality” which is a commonly used term to sell products.

I also asked them if I should buy a backup tube from them (shipping almost same price as tube :o) or just any bike store and the person said just about any bike store should carry it, which led me to think that they’re just simple generic average quality tubes.

:thinking:

11

The difference between 2.125 and 2.6 is just barely more than 1/4". I reckon that there’s enough tolerance in a standard tube to accommodate that difference considering that your cycling with relatively low psi. So there’s a lot less pressure on the tube than there would if you were pumping it up to it’s max.

12

A 1.95-2.125 tube would be a bit lighter and cheaper tube, improving the uni’s stats. I think it would be ok on a 2.6 tire, but it’d be a bit more likely to pinch-flat than a bigger tube.

any bike shop can likely order the bigger tube at no extra cost. Another option is to go to a heavy duty tube.