While working on my wife's bike today, I have again had
problems with tubes. The one in her (normally flat from lack
of use) front tire simply would not inflate. Turns out it
had a big slice or cut in it. I have no idea how it got
there. When I pulled out her spare tube, it was pretty much
disintegrating along the edges of the rolled-up tube and
would not hold air either.
So I pulled a tube out of the bag on one of my bikes. It
wouldn't hold air either - had a small slit in it. I have
patched it and it is holding air now. The others were only
for the trash bin. I just don't understand this. I am not
sure of the brand on these tubes but all seemed different.
Will tubes just get old and fall apart/rot sitting around?
This is not the first time I have had groups of tube
failures like this. In one seat bag on a ride I found three
Specialized tubes all failed on a "seam" or line on the
exterior surface while looking for a tube to fix a flat. I
assumed that I had gotten a number of tubes from a defective
batch from Specialized. But now I am starting to wonder.
I have several bikes, each of which has its own seat pack
with spare tubes and rag. Since the bikes get ridden in
rotation, the bikes simply hand in my furnace room in the
basement most of the time. But this room is not overly hot
or cold. Any ideas on what is happening?
Thanks.