Tea Staining Robert Dean Tires

[New Mexico Brant]

Started on aging-down these Robert Dean tires. A couple people have mentioned tea staining these but no one has posted pictures with this treatment. Can someone please show how this looks. Do you soak the tires in a tea bath and for how long? Does anyone know if these change color with uv light exposure? Thanks, Brant

 

[jimbo53]

Shawn Sweeney has an excellent article on aging whitewalls in his Vintage American Bikes blog

Aging a White Wall Tire -

Riding tires 60+ years old is not without risk. I’ve had two blow outs on old rubber and after the last one where I had to carry the bike (50 lbs) three miles before I got a ride home I decided it just wasn’t worth it. The gold standard for reproduction tires for balloon tire…Read More

vintageamericanbicycles.com

 

[corbettclassics]

Brant - I'm going to guess this is the patina you're after. Although these were not Dean tires on my old 1895 Kenmore. They were white rubber though to begin with and resembled the Dean tires. They were very white when I had them on my bike but after 20 yrs they colored to this yellowish which I'm guessing is what the tea staining would sort of look like. I would like to see other examples as well.

Now, I do have some Robert Dean tires on my 1895 Columbia and they are starting to yellow slightly from just sitting - approx 2 yrs now.. I'm guessing in several yrs they will have a yellowish tint to them but maybe not quite as yellow as on the Kenmore.

 

[Freqman1]

Brant different rubber will react differently to different techniques. I'd try whatever on the inside of the tire so if it isn't what you like the rim will hide it. I've also had the same experience as Billy with some of my white tires. After about two years they started to yellow. V/r Shawn

 

[1motime]

The rubber composition is everything. The Cheng Shin tires on my Sherrell were 25 years old when this photo was taken! No yellowing at all. Maybe they were plastic?