05/15/2026
I have to say something about Tires. Usually, I end up wanting you say too much about tires; Why they work, and the scourge that they are at the same time.
Like many Bikers, and some portion of car drivers, I have an intimate connection with my tires. We feel everything through the tires. We trust our lives with the tires. So, it's surprising how much tires are never part of the conversation. Why is that?
Safety Talk is usually about the gear that is also fashionable. The helmets, the suits, the gloves, etc.
Even Seats, handle bars, and bags.
When we get deeper into high-performance, it's the mechanical that takes the stage. It's funny that tires are like shoes when it comes to short conversations. To each his own?
For me, there's a deeper side of tires that makes me want to talk about them.
But the topic itself is a conversation killer. So, I wonder what other people think.
Tires are possible because of vulcanization. Vulcanizing, in basic terms, makes the rubber monolithic at a molecular level. Otherwise, it would crumble apart. The better the tire, the better the vulcanization. Depending on the application, steel mesh is infused to increase the durability and performance. AKA, increase its lifespan.
The down side is catastrophic. Tires wear beyond their ability to function through abrasion, not decomposition. When they cannot perform safely anymore, they are replaced and discarded; sometimes recycled. But recycling cannot significantly contribute to the solution required.
Vulcanized rubber takes hundreds and sometimes 1000's of years to decompose.
Everyone that drives anything, or flies airplanes, or has older shoes made in Malaysia, contributes to the rubber problem.
I don't want to talk about it anymore.