i had these tires for a while and did not use them for a year (i kept them outside but not in direct sun or rain)
are those cracks something to be worried about ?
it’s a schwalbe G-one bite (622-40)
by R7ayem
i had these tires for a while and did not use them for a year (i kept them outside but not in direct sun or rain)
are those cracks something to be worried about ?
it’s a schwalbe G-one bite (622-40)
by R7ayem
6 Comments
They don’t seem deep nor structural from the picture. I would give them a try at the recommended tire pressure. You could send the question to Schwalbe as well.
Do they hold air? Ride them. If not, change them.
It is okay, I ride a set with much more same type cracks for years. But… 3rd set of Schwalbe with this “effect” in last few years. One set developed those cracks in a couple of months, dealer replaced it. Then a new one started to have cracks in a year.
They say it is dry rot, typical for example for Arizona. But hey, I’m in Central Europe.
FYI, that’s dry rot caused by ozone exposure. Storing them outside made this happen faster than if they were stored indoors. It’s also the reason why for unused tires it’s a good idea to store them in a container, to reduce exposure to fresh air. (I keep my spare tires in a big snap-top plastic tub.)
I’d just keep using it if you aren’t getting flats, but know that this tire is now brittle and will wear quickly. You may have problems with the side knobs tearing off soon or just bigger cracks appearing.
Keep an eye on it and if it’s getting worse, replace it. And consider not keeping the bike outside next time.
Those cracks indicate that the rubber is too dry/hard. It’s unlikely that it will explode as the canvas should still be able to hold it together. The issue will be with the knobs possibly being torn off more easily and it will probably slide around and not grip as well on hard pack and roots. I would not be happy with this and would return for warranty.
Also, the way the canvas strands are showing on the sidewall is not great.
Edit: Sorry, didn’t read the whole post and assumed you just purchased the tyres recently. As someone else posted below, this is probably just dryed in storage. Could try to warranty, you might get lucky.
I would use them but expect them to wear out faster. Try some braking in a safe area like a parking lot to make sure they’re not gonna disintegrate and if they feel ok just keep an eye on em