...would cause so much traction loss in corners.
I hit a LARGE piece of debris (I think it was a chunk of fire wood) a couple of evenings ago and was shocked it didn't put me down right then and there.
I stopped and checked the tire and rim and didn't see any damage but after a couple of very loose corners I checked it again and found the slices.
It feels like riding on wet driveway blacktop sealant or wet tar snakes, etc.
Guess I'm in the market for new tires.

 

Wow,
Is that the original tire?
If yes, it was about time to replace it anyways

 

Those small cracks are signs of a tire that's about 5 years old. Any tire more than ~ 5 years old and/or with signs of such cracking should not be used due to age hardening of the rubber (which is part of why they crack).

 

Nope...not the originals.
They were installed new in the Spring of 2016 so they haven't even been on the bike 2 years.
Who knows how old the tires were before they were installed.
Yeah, I was surprised how quick they aged.

 

Have a look at the date code on side of the walls.

 

Lot of dry rot in between the tread

 

one of the bikes in the FS forum section here has HUGE dryrot in the sidewall, and the OP can't figure out why he can't sell the bike!

you definitely should check the date on your tires. those look pretty old.

I had some ~10 years old on wife's cage, and they would SPIN like crazy.
remember, Paul Walker was killed by old tires.

 

believe it. Something mauled my front tire a few months back and i spend weeks trying to figure out what was going on. My bike became a but* pucker machine. Would randomly lose traction at low speeds and was a erratic death trap above 60.

definitely new tire time, don't even think about fixing it

 

Yep...

NO CHANCE!
I was trying to milk these thru the rest of this season... NOT gonna happen now.

 

Yeah Indy, I think those were sitting on the shelf a good long while. Just for chuckles (since you're replacing them now anyway) check the manufacturing date on them. If they were put on new in spring 2016, they shouldn't have all that cracking going on. That's a sign of drying out and you will lose traction with the drying/hardening rubber.

Check the manufacturing date on the next tires you get as well, I've bought 3+ year old "new" tires before.