Anyone tried solid tyres for commuting?
Discussion
Morning all,
Having just read this review, I am giving definite thought to trying these when my (frustratingly just fitted) current set of tyres starts puncturing...
Anyone else tried them?
Having just read this review, I am giving definite thought to trying these when my (frustratingly just fitted) current set of tyres starts puncturing...
Anyone else tried them?
I just came on here to post about the review in the London-Cyclist and have much the same intentions as you. My first thoughts being that they must weigh more than conventional tyres but, having checked with the Tannus website, this does not seem to be true - an interesting product indeed.
To quote the late, great Sheldon Brown: "Airless tires have been obsolete for over a century, but crackpot 'inventors' keep trying to bring them back. They are heavy, slow, and give a harsh ride. They are also likely to cause wheel damage due to their poor cushioning ability. A pneumatic tire uses all of the air in the whole tube as a shock absorber, while foam-type 'airless' tires/tubes only use the air in the immediate area of impact. . . My advice is to avoid this long-obsolete system."
I see no reason these will be any different.
I see no reason these will be any different.
Mr Will said:
To quote the late, great Sheldon Brown: "Airless tires have been obsolete for over a century, but crackpot 'inventors' keep trying to bring them back. They are heavy, slow, and give a harsh ride. They are also likely to cause wheel damage due to their poor cushioning ability. A pneumatic tire uses all of the air in the whole tube as a shock absorber, while foam-type 'airless' tires/tubes only use the air in the immediate area of impact. . . My advice is to avoid this long-obsolete system."
I see no reason these will be any different.
To quote the late, great Ken Olsen, co-founder of DEC (then the second largest computer company in the World) in 1977, "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."I see no reason these will be any different.
Funny how developments in technology can make people look a bit foolish in retrospect, isn't it? Of course, Sheldon Brown hasn't been around to see the developments in technology for the last 8 years, but I doubt he would've been foolish enough to continue making the same claim without checking out those developments were he still alive, any more than Olsen did.
Pointless for me
I paid £20 for two comuteing tyres and they lasted 3000k road and bridleway miles with as much abuse as I could through at them and I got one puncture! the 32c tyres were so thick I could ride home on the flat as well with no bother!
£100 for two commuting tyres, no thanks!
Whilst they might save one issue, i can see others, such as long term, what if they start chipping away, or you lose a chunk in a pot hole
If you manage your tyres properly then punctures should be minimal
I paid £20 for two comuteing tyres and they lasted 3000k road and bridleway miles with as much abuse as I could through at them and I got one puncture! the 32c tyres were so thick I could ride home on the flat as well with no bother!
£100 for two commuting tyres, no thanks!
Whilst they might save one issue, i can see others, such as long term, what if they start chipping away, or you lose a chunk in a pot hole
If you manage your tyres properly then punctures should be minimal
Kermit power said:
To quote the late, great Ken Olsen, co-founder of DEC (then the second largest computer company in the World) in 1977, "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
Funny how developments in technology can make people look a bit foolish in retrospect, isn't it? Of course, Sheldon Brown hasn't been around to see the developments in technology for the last 8 years, but I doubt he would've been foolish enough to continue making the same claim without checking out those developments were he still alive, any more than Olsen did.
But Sheldon's comments are still true - the mechanics of a pneumatic tyre are such that the whole volume of the tyre is used as the spring whereas these solid tyres can only utilise the bit of material directly between the ground and the wheel.Funny how developments in technology can make people look a bit foolish in retrospect, isn't it? Of course, Sheldon Brown hasn't been around to see the developments in technology for the last 8 years, but I doubt he would've been foolish enough to continue making the same claim without checking out those developments were he still alive, any more than Olsen did.
As there are conventional puncture resistant tyres already, I don't understand the need to almost literally reinvent the wheel. My gatorskin hardshells are not the nicest of tyres to use with regard to feel but they appear to be unbreakable.
Kermit power said:
Mr Will said:
To quote the late, great Sheldon Brown: "Airless tires have been obsolete for over a century, but crackpot 'inventors' keep trying to bring them back. They are heavy, slow, and give a harsh ride. They are also likely to cause wheel damage due to their poor cushioning ability. A pneumatic tire uses all of the air in the whole tube as a shock absorber, while foam-type 'airless' tires/tubes only use the air in the immediate area of impact. . . My advice is to avoid this long-obsolete system."
I see no reason these will be any different.
To quote the late, great Ken Olsen, co-founder of DEC (then the second largest computer company in the World) in 1977, "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."I see no reason these will be any different.
Funny how developments in technology can make people look a bit foolish in retrospect, isn't it? Of course, Sheldon Brown hasn't been around to see the developments in technology for the last 8 years, but I doubt he would've been foolish enough to continue making the same claim without checking out those developments were he still alive, any more than Olsen did.
What is so different between these foam-rubber tyres, and all the previous foam-rubber tyres that have been tried and failed? (Apart from a buzz-word and a fancy website)
Mr Will said:
The world changed a lot since then. Bicycles haven't and physics haven't either.
What is so different between these foam-rubber tyres, and all the previous foam-rubber tyres that have been tried and failed? (Apart from a buzz-word and a fancy website)
I don't know, what, if anything, is different about them, but they've had a decent review, so why wouldn't I have a look? If - and yes, I know, it's only an "if" - they handle and ride closely enough to normal tyres that any trade off is more than compensated for by the reassurance of never puncturing, I'd be foolish not to look at them, wouldn't I?What is so different between these foam-rubber tyres, and all the previous foam-rubber tyres that have been tried and failed? (Apart from a buzz-word and a fancy website)
Given that I can pop along to the London dealer and try them out on one of their bikes, why wouldn't I?
Nothing ever gets done without a bit of a spirit of investigation, whether that's creating tyres such as these in the first place, or just using them, hence starting a thread on here to ask if anyone had tried them. What do you gain from being a closed-minded Luddite and refusing to even try them, especially if you don't have to spend any money to do so?
Kermit power said:
Mr Will said:
The world changed a lot since then. Bicycles haven't and physics haven't either.
What is so different between these foam-rubber tyres, and all the previous foam-rubber tyres that have been tried and failed? (Apart from a buzz-word and a fancy website)
I don't know, what, if anything, is different about them, but they've had a decent review, so why wouldn't I have a look? If - and yes, I know, it's only an "if" - they handle and ride closely enough to normal tyres that any trade off is more than compensated for by the reassurance of never puncturing, I'd be foolish not to look at them, wouldn't I?What is so different between these foam-rubber tyres, and all the previous foam-rubber tyres that have been tried and failed? (Apart from a buzz-word and a fancy website)
Given that I can pop along to the London dealer and try them out on one of their bikes, why wouldn't I?
Nothing ever gets done without a bit of a spirit of investigation, whether that's creating tyres such as these in the first place, or just using them, hence starting a thread on here to ask if anyone had tried them. What do you gain from being a closed-minded Luddite and refusing to even try them, especially if you don't have to spend any money to do so?
TwistingMyMelon said:
£100!!!
Your point being? 
A pair of Gatorskins or similar will cost me around £50, so it's £50!!! rather than £100!!!
Over the lifetime of the tyres, though, I'll get through probably a couple of tubes each end, so that's around £20. How, instead of £100!!!, it should be £30!!!
Now, is £30 worth it to never have a puncture? To not have to carry a pump, spare tubes and tyre levers with me when I'm commuting? I don't know. It depends on how much gap there is, if any, between the comfort of the solid vs traditional tyres, and also how long they last in comparison. I don't know the answer to either of these, hence starting the thread to see if anyone else had any experience.
Kermit power said:
Mr Will said:
The world changed a lot since then. Bicycles haven't and physics haven't either.
What is so different between these foam-rubber tyres, and all the previous foam-rubber tyres that have been tried and failed? (Apart from a buzz-word and a fancy website)
I don't know, what, if anything, is different about them, but they've had a decent review, so why wouldn't I have a look? If - and yes, I know, it's only an "if" - they handle and ride closely enough to normal tyres that any trade off is more than compensated for by the reassurance of never puncturing, I'd be foolish not to look at them, wouldn't I?What is so different between these foam-rubber tyres, and all the previous foam-rubber tyres that have been tried and failed? (Apart from a buzz-word and a fancy website)
Given that I can pop along to the London dealer and try them out on one of their bikes, why wouldn't I?
Nothing ever gets done without a bit of a spirit of investigation, whether that's creating tyres such as these in the first place, or just using them, hence starting a thread on here to ask if anyone had tried them. What do you gain from being a closed-minded Luddite and refusing to even try them, especially if you don't have to spend any money to do so?
These tyres have been created and tested many times in the past and have always failed. The problem is that only the tiny volume of tyre between the wheel and the road is providing shock-absorption at any given moment. The rest is just dead weight. I don't see how a slightly different sort of foam solves that.
If you can explain to me how Tannus tyres are in any way different to these: http://www.acmebikeparts.com/ or these: http://www.greentyre.co.uk/bicycle-tyres.php or these: http://www.amerityre.com/our-flat-free-products/bi... or even these: http://road.cc/content/news/70192-airless-tyres-pr... then perhaps they are worthy of further investigation. Until there is some evidence otherwise, I will continue to assume they are the same old snake-oil with a different label.
Kermit power said:
Your point being?
A pair of Gatorskins or similar will cost me around £50, so it's £50!!! rather than £100!!!
Over the lifetime of the tyres, though, I'll get through probably a couple of tubes each end, so that's around £20. How, instead of £100!!!, it should be £30!!!
Now, is £30 worth it to never have a puncture? To not have to carry a pump, spare tubes and tyre levers with me when I'm commuting? I don't know. It depends on how much gap there is, if any, between the comfort of the solid vs traditional tyres, and also how long they last in comparison. I don't know the answer to either of these, hence starting the thread to see if anyone else had any experience.
£100 for the tyres, plus another £40-£80 to fit them. Compare that to £40 for a pair of Marathon Pluses and £1.50 for a puncture repair kit. Add a can of Slime tyre sealant for £6.50 if you are really paranoid. £140 to never get a puncture vs <£50 to never get a puncture. I'l take the latter thanks.A pair of Gatorskins or similar will cost me around £50, so it's £50!!! rather than £100!!!
Over the lifetime of the tyres, though, I'll get through probably a couple of tubes each end, so that's around £20. How, instead of £100!!!, it should be £30!!!
Now, is £30 worth it to never have a puncture? To not have to carry a pump, spare tubes and tyre levers with me when I'm commuting? I don't know. It depends on how much gap there is, if any, between the comfort of the solid vs traditional tyres, and also how long they last in comparison. I don't know the answer to either of these, hence starting the thread to see if anyone else had any experience.
You are also assuming there are no other ways these will fail. Bear in mind they are attached using an untested method that your wheels are not designed for. This may prove reliable but it also may not. What will you do if the clips come loose half way to work? Or worse, half way round a fast corner?
If you are getting so many punctures that these seem like a good idea then I suggest you are doing something wrong. A puncture on a bike should be a pretty rare occurrence. I get them from time to time on my road bike but that runs super-light racing tyres. I don't think I've ever had a single one on my commuter bike. That's over the course of two years and several thousand miles of London roads - it doesn't have an easy life. I've broken spokes overloading it with shopping more often than I've punctured.
ETA: £50 per tyre only applies to Bromptons and skinny (i.e. road bike) tyres. It's £60 per tyre if you have rims any wider than 16mm (i.e. all mountain bikes and most commuters)
Edited by Mr Will on Friday 15th April 19:16
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