The rubber brake hood covers on my bike are getting a bit sticky. I presume that the rubber is starting to perish, so I want to fix it. But my polymer chemistry is not what it once was, so I'm not sure how to go about it.
I can't get replacements as the brakes are ten or eleven years old and discontinued
Not sure if this will work (and, annoyingly, my polymer chemistry is meant to be pretty good), but when I accidentally swelled the rubber of my hoods spraying GT85 a bit too liberally into the shifter I removed them and stuck them in the oven at 80 degC for 20 mins or so, which largely resolved the issue. Might be that some volatile component is responsible for the stickiness (of external or internal origin) and that a similar strategy might work. Alternatively you can buy replacement hoods.
What about cockpit spray? That stuff is designed to superficially restore plastic/rubber trim. If it doesn't work, it has a great double use to coat the frame with after cleaning so that diet doesn't stick. I do all my frames this way.
Aliexpress had (official-looking!) Tiagra 4500 hoods a few weeks ago when I had the same issue. I think that era will be ok to find replacements for on eBay/Aliexpress but further back you might struggle. Other option is to upgrade your shifters! Or pillage better hoods from spares/repairs model on eBay and try and resell on for sustainability and to get some money back.
Press Release Arc'teryx Alpine Academy returns to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc - July 4 – July 7, 2024
Podcast Factor Two - S3 Ep.11: Birth Pains of New Nations - Pete Oxley
Gear News MPOWERD Luci Site Lights – Innovative "Stake" Lights.
Fri Night Vid Ethan Pringle on one of Portugal's Hardest Sport Climb
In this week's Friday Night Video, we follow Ethan Pringle to the 'not-yet-popular' but world-class sport crag of Meio Mango in Portugal. In the film, Ethan attempts one of the country's hardest lines, Filipinos, which was first...