Solid Tyres

[hondated]

Finally got around to reading yesterday's Telegraph and just read an article about solid tyres that a company called Tannus are now producing them . By what they say they are a lot better than those that were produced by other companies before.Didn't Halfords once sell them !. So it looks like the days of the P* fairy could be numbered.

[Mick F]

........... but not cheap.
http://tannus.co.uk/shop/

[gaz]

It looks like the problems of a broken spoke could be multiplied.

[Mick F]

Good point.
It looks like you need special tools to fit and remove these tyres.

[reohn2]

........ So it looks like the days of the P* fairy could be numbered.

But with it comes various Osteo related problems that bone shaking produces,on top of the bad ride quality,there's the cycleparts related issues in that what doesn't get shaken loose,breaks.

It's 100+ years since the pneumatic tyre was invented and in that time it's been refined to this:- http://www.vittoria.com/tire/voyager-hyper/
Why anyone would want to turn the clock back I've no idea

[jb]

Solid tyres again!
I'm fairly sure they would have to be breaking the laws of physics to produce a tyre that can absorb shocks and then recover in a short space of time whilst remaining light with good rolling qualities. Pneumatic tyres use the whole tyre to absorb and recover from a shock, solid tyres can only use the material immediately in the vicinity of the shock.
If it can absorb the shock it will be slow at recovering, so will feel like cycling through set porridge. If it's fast at recovering it will be heavy and feel like a bone shaker.

[tatanab]

Good point.
It looks like you need special tools to fit and remove these tyres.

A previous iteration, circa 1980, could be fitted with the aid of jubilee clips (much like some current hard wearing tyres ). A local shop put some out into the CTC to try out. They were very harsh to ride and offered little grip in rain etc. If you wanted tyres to ride a mile or so to work I suppose they would have been passable, but that sort of user is not prepared to spend that sort of money on tyres.

[Tigerbiten]

The trouble is you can only buy them in pairs and I'll need three for the trike ........

[fastpedaller]

One bonus of a pneumatic tyre is that (to some extent) the tyre can be adjusted to give a softer/harder ride to suit the rider's requirements - with a solid tyre it is what it is!

[thirdcrank]

Finally got around to reading yesterday's Telegraph and just read an article about solid tyres that a company called Tannus are now producing them . ....

There's another "review" of the same tyres in today's ................. Sunday Telegraph.

[hondated]

Finally got around to reading yesterday's Telegraph and just read an article about solid tyres that a company called Tannus are now producing them . ....

There's another "review" of the same tyres in today's ................. Sunday Telegraph.

Thanks thirdcrank was it supportive I get the impression it wasn't.
The problems mentioned with the earlier ones according to what I read have been addressed. However I think the points about broken spokes and ability to adjust pressures are pertinent.

[Mick F]

If I could borrow a pair, I'd have a try.
My tyres are 23mm and rock hard, and I understand how pneumatic tyres work despite 23mm at circa 120psi, but I have an open mind about these tyres.

If I could get my hands on a pair - even at a reasonable price - I'd have a go. The fact that a spoke breakage is a major problem is besides the point perhaps? Punctures happen far more often than spokes break IME.

£100 a pair is too much to pay. They may be rubbish in very many ways.

[Brucey]

review here;

http://www.bicycles.net.au/2013/03/tannus-musai-puncture-proof-airless-tyres-alternative/

with previous generations of such tyres one 'exciting' issue was that some types would spin on the rims when you used the brakes..... not good.

I've not ridden these but I've ridden others and they have been pretty terrible TBH.

cheers

[thirdcrank]

... Thanks thirdcrank was it supportive I get the impression it wasn't.
The problems mentioned with the earlier ones according to what I read have been addressed. However I think the points about broken spokes and ability to adjust pressures are pertinent.

I was hinting that it was part of some sort of publicity drive by the manufacturer. The gist of the article is that for most riders, the slight loss of performance (which seems to work out about 3-4%, if I've understood the way they describe it) is worth it for the freedom from punctures. The downsides (their word) are hard to fit, and this which I don't really understand...

The tyres also have a tendency to flat spot during skids, which means they're not suitable for fixed gear or mountain bikes.

Apart from the point that skidding is largely a matter of riding style rather than bike design, I don't know what they mean by a tendency to flat spot. Does it mean they are vulnerable to abrasion? Also from the article, it sounds as though these tyres are a bit like Aero chocolate (my words) ie a bit like Doc Martins soles. If so, I think the general idea has been tried before. IME, Doc Martins soles tend to fail with use. It's a long time since I had any, but the used to come with instructions on how to mend them.

PS The article includes this link:

http://tannus.co.uk/

[townbikemark]

Solid tyres again!
I'm fairly sure they would have to be breaking the laws of physics to produce a tyre that can absorb shocks and then recover in a short space of time whilst remaining light with good rolling qualities. Pneumatic tyres use the whole tyre to absorb and recover from a shock, solid tyres can only use the material immediately in the vicinity of the shock.
If it can absorb the shock it will be slow at recovering, so will feel like cycling through set porridge. If it's fast at recovering it will be heavy and feel like a bone shaker.

...but if you use a bike for utility that has front suspension and a sprung seat post over short distances/grocery shopping, probably the pushbike's forte, and dependability is very important, you don't have a car...