02-19-2018, 09:22 PM
My tyres were near enough to 7 years old when i changed them ... obviously I don't do many miles. The bike was manufactured in 2011, tyres were dated end of 2010, new rubber fitted in the beginning of 2018. Front was worn out (poor set up and my riding habits) however the rear had plenty of life albeit with a plugged puncture. No issues with grip in the dry but I don't ask too much of them ... the public road is not my race track, yada yada. Not so concerned about the age of tyres when I have been in control of them since new, it's different if their history is not known e.g. on a second hand bike. Seven or eight years old but well cared for and kept out of the sun doesn't sound unreasonable to me. On my new rubber I like to push a thumbnail into the tread and see how long it takes for the imprint to spring out. Then check it periodically over the life of the tyre to get a feel for how much they are hardening up. How long is too long to wait for the imprint to spring out I do not know, but at least there's something to gauge it by without a durometer handy.