One of the most overlooked details on a tire is the date of manufacture. We often judge the condition of our tires by the remaining thread and signs of wear. Rubber degrades over time and tires will stiffen to the point of providing no traction. Remember how frustrating it was using a hard and dry old eraser in school?

On the sidewall of your tire you will find a small window with 4 digits. The first two numbers are the week of the year in which the tire was manufactured and the last two digits are the year of manufacture. If your tires are older than 5 years you might need new ones soon.

At a glance the Metzelers that this Elefant came with seemed to be in pretty good shape. The seller of the bike advertised plenty of tire life remaining.

Manufactured in the third week of 2013…crikey we will call this the afterlife!

Much better...