Kinked beads

[Lee]

Back when I used to mount my tires sometimes they would arrive banded.
As soon as I got the tires I would unwrap them and cut any straps and let the tires sit fow a few days. If it was summer and if the tires had any kinks I would let them sit in the sun a couple times.
This was bias ply tires. I don't know if beads are stiffer in modern radials and if those kinks would come out after the tire relaxes in the heat.

Yes, word to the wise - don't leave the tire wrapped up assuming, as I did, that they would be fine. Open up immediately and inspect them.

I doubt that sunlight - even the hellish Texas sun - would have unkinked that bead, since it was the wire inside that was bent and per the technical, would not be safe to hold air. They reluctantly suggested trying to straighten it out and I declined knowing that Revzilla would make it right.

The technician and I agreed that it looked like it was possibly hanging from a wall hook through the plastic so that they would not have realized that it was kinked when they shipped it out.

One thing I realized while the wheel was off - I should change the brake pads before leaving for Gunnison. They are finally almost worn out and the CL pads have been sitting on my workbench for more than a year now.

Yep a thick wire bead probably would not relax.
Without measuring ours it looks like our rear pads are less than half.
I'll probably put in the Carbone Lorraine pads I have on hand before Colorado.