I just bought a decent fat/skinny set of well-worn yellow-label Comp IIIs. Unfortunately, they were hanging in a dry garage for many years, so they're dried and stiff. What's the best way to make them supple again? I was going to just soak them in a tub of water but I figured I'd post here first...

The best way to make them supple again?

Y'see tires are exactly like leather. It doesn't matter how old they get. You can always do something to restore them. If they get stiff, you can pound them and saddle soap them and they will always come back just like new. Just a bit softer though. Hell, I know a guy who has restored a set of Comp IIs like 3 or 4 times.

someone mentioned linseed oil but i never tried it.

If it's possible at all, which I doubt, no I don't think it's possible.


Here is the deal. Your tires have been chemically decomposing since the day they were new. I'm not a petrochemical engineer, but I know enough about tires from cars and motorcycles. Tires get old man. From ashes to ashes from dust to dust. They have been whipped up by a smart guy, but since then, they have been returning to their natural state on a molecular level. Given different environments, this may happen sooner or later, but it will happen.

If you find anything, I would like to hear about it.

If it was a motorcycle we were talking about, I would tell you to throw them away. You probably won't kill yourself on a BMX bike though.

tung oil would be a better choice than linseed oil.
tung oil is clear and does not darken.

would it make the tire stronger,NO
would it improve the looks and keep it from gettting any drier,YES

of course always test a spot before using anything.

I would just stay away from petro based oils and go with plants, i have been trying jojoba oil, seems to be good.

I have a pair of gray tioga pool tires that have dry spots here and there, most of it is perfect though. These must have hung in some shop window for along time and have sun damage. But it is not deep. The insides are still soft and i scrapped with my fingernail past the crusty yellowed layer and found soft gray, so i figured I would sand them and some type of plant oil???

The stuff recommended for vintage car tyres here is pure Lanolin. It's a purified form of the natural grease in wool fleece. Used a lot in cosmetics.

I haven't tried it but intend to - one of the benefits, apart from it being all natural, is that the shine is apparently quite dull, like tyres look OG. Can't help but think a lot of the suggestions would look very shiny.

I've seen it listed on the bay too.