I have a road bike that has been unused for 6 years and I am going to start using it as a commuter bike. Should I replace the tires and tubes before putting it into action? There are no signs of cracks on the tires and the tires and tubes were replaced shortly before I stopped riding it.
if there are no signs of cracking, me being on the cheap side, i would use the current set up after a test ride or two.
that said, after time and sun exposure, the rubber in tires hardens very slowly, giving you two important changes: slightly better wear characteristics, but slightly worse traction. new rubber is a little ‘stickier.’ but you won’t likely notice the traction difference in regular recreational riding, but if you take corners fast in the wet or rain, then you definitely want to be aware of this.
I have a 15-year-old mountain bike that I bought at Costco in the early '90’s. I keep it in the back of my truck to ride down to the beach to go surfing at a particular spot here where I live. The tires/tubes have NEVER been replaced and they still hold air pretty well. I ride the bike a max of 2 miles/week in winter and less in summer since I don’t surf that spot that often, so maybe I’m not the best benchmark, but I say just ride until you flat and then change the tubes. Hopefully that flat doesn’t come on your way to work, when you’re running late, on a rainy day!