is 11 y/o original spare still a spare?

burlmart - I would second what ron.dittmer stated above. What are the chances you will have to use your spare? There is a small chance. Since your spare is covered, that is a big plus. Tire aging is usually caused by sunlight evaporating the oils in the tire.

My spare is now 15 years old and looks like new. I would drive slower until I had a chance to replace the problem tire. Then the spare goes back into storage for the next time. :)