Tyres

Latatian

How do you know if you need to replace tyres?

I've a mountain bike that has been sitting in a shed for a few years. The tyres are cracked at various points both at the sides and at the part that is in contact with the road, and rather flat at the point where it has been sitting on the ground. From reading old threads some people say that they leave them if there is no 'fabric' damage, bulging, lumps, large cracks that you can see through, visible threads.

They're also not inflating despite my best efforts, I'm going to borrow a friend's pump and see if that's the problem, and if it's not that then check the tubes, which I have replacements for.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Bin them and the tubes. The rubber has perished and will have gone hard at this stage. The tubes are probably in similar condition. Replace both.

Latatian

Anyone have recommendations on where to get cheap mountain bike tyres?

Latatian

Attempted to cycle round the garden on my tyres, having pumped them up to the correct pressure. Both promptly deflated, and one tube then folded up inside the tyre and began to push the tyre off the wheel, so that the tyre started hitting my frame once per revolution.

I am assuming this is due to the deterioration? Could it be due to tyre size or anything? My wheels seemed to be about 22 across and 69.2 in circumference, which according to this link means that the tyre and the tube should have been the right size.

Just checking before I get my new tyres. Please tell me it's just age!

Kevincavan83

It should say 26" X (1.6")or 29"Xsome other number on the side of tyre wall.
Thats the size of tyre you need.
Then you will need a tube that is for the same size tyre which if you look at likes of wiggle or chain reactions online you can get right sizes.
Either way if its been lying around that long it might be a good idea to bring it to a local bike shop for service break pads could be perished also and crumble when you need them most

Latatian

I was just checking in case the tyre that was on it originally was the wrong size and that's why it came off- I have the size written down and the Sheldon Brown website says that should have been the right size.

Cee-Jay-Cee

They came off because they're flat/punctured and not because they were the wrong size.

Take one tyre off, bring it to a bike shop and ask for two new ones and two tubes to go with them.