Is this the end of the pneumatic tire???

[elkroeger]

This morning I came across Britek Tire and Rubber. Looks like they're already selling an airless bicycle tires/wheels, with big ideas about car tires, etc.

 

They have several Youtube videos.

 

It's very interesting, regardless of whether they really work (yet) or not. Imagine never having to worry about flat tires again.

 

Any other airless tire inventions out there?

 

 

[Bill_Walker]

One of the "listed benefits" is "Fly Wheel Effect". In other words, these suckers are heavy. I wonder how that affects existing suspension tuning, and whether the inherent suspension the wheel manages to compensate for that.

 

Also, what happens when the tread wears down? Do you have to replace the whole wheel?

 

It seems they're much more about improving efficiency (i.e., fuel economy) in motor vehicles, at least, than they are about avoiding flats. Which makes sense. I'm 55, started driving at 15-1/2, and between cars, trucks, boat and horse trailers, motorcycles and bicycles, I'm pretty sure I can count the number of flat tires I've experienced on my digits without reusing any of them. I might not even need both feet. But it would solve the problem of people who don't check their tire pressure often enough!

 

Yes, I am a negative Nellie. Sorry.

[David13]

This is nothing new.

Before they had air in them, maybe 1915 or so, guess what they had in them?

Yes, rubber, solid all the way thru', just like a baked potato.

dc

[Dave McReynolds]

I applaud people who try new things. There's really no need to argue the benefits or drawbacks; they'll either work better or they won't. If they work better, then people will begin to rave about them, like Moshe does about electric cars. If they don't, then you won't hear much more about them.

[elkroeger]

Well, sure. Wheels were first made of stone. Then wood was a big advance. I'm sure the first pneumatic tires weren't an instant revolution either (pun intended).

 

But say nay all you want. I think it's interesting and innovative. Is it ready for mainstream? Clearly not. Does it have a lot of potential? You bet. Will it be realized? Who knows? But you can get a set for your mountain bike. So maybe....

[baggerchris]

Concur. Let's hope they keep going and develop this to its full potential.

 

Nay Sayers please try and see the benefits of the end result.

 

We understand the problems but nothing good has ever been developed without setbacks and problems.

[CoarsegoldKid]

I'm 55, started driving at 15-1/2, and between cars, trucks, boat and horse trailers, motorcycles and bicycles, I'm pretty sure I can count the number of flat tires I've experienced on my digits without reusing any of them.

How old?

[upflying]

With all the flats and crashes causesd by them in NASCAR, they should try this technolgy there first.

[Guest Kakugo]

Michelin has been working on airless tyres for almost a decade now, with announcements about breakthroughs becoming rarer and rarer: it's well possible they have hit a tech brick wall.

 

As a former MTB rider I have to wonder about these tyres: not only do they look quite heavy but seem to have oddly shaped construction.

Apart from the former issue (a lighter tyre is always better) the latter is of particular interest as I think they would probably make for quite a, shall we say, interesting ride on uneven ground.

 

One of the big problems Michelin has run into when developing airless tyres is the issue of pressure or to be more precise, how to mimic air pressure as to cover a broad range of applications with a single tyre: say you have a car whose front tyres run at 2.0 bar and rear at 1.8 bar and have the same size.

How are you going to cover both with a "one size fits all" air pressure equivalent?

[elkroeger]

I was thinking that one of the problems which would be hard to work around would be figuring out the softness of the tire, and thus, the contact patch. You'd probably have to build each "tire" with a specific firmness. So you'd go in and buy a tire that's the equivalent of 32psi. And then you're stuck with that. You wouldn't want that for every vehicle of course, but there are plenty of cars where the owner never wavers from the psi posted on the doorjamb.

 

I would love to try those mountain bike wheels.

 

 

[skinny_tom (aka boney)]

They're being billed as "energy return wheels." So, without reading the reports, it appears that they're exchanging weight for some sort of "spring" action as the tire rolls across the contact patch.

 

It would be interesting to use a set. Except that the site only allows for "pre-orders."

 

I'd say this potato is not full baked.

[4wheeldog]

They're being billed as "energy return wheels." So, without reading the reports, it appears that they're exchanging weight for some sort of "spring" action as the tire rolls across the contact patch.

 

It would be interesting to use a set. Except that the site only allows for "pre-orders."

 

I'd say this potato is not full baked.

 

A flywheel "Returns" energy. Not particularly useful, on a vehicle, since braking generally negates the effect.

[Mister Tee]

$625 to $1499 for a wheelset buys you a lot of tubes and patches. Even the more expensive road wheelset still uses J spokes.

 

Looks like disc brakes are a requirement, no real way to accommodate rim brakes. That's an additional weight penalty plus you have to use a laced weave on the front wheel to deal with the braking torque.

 

That said I'm all for the development of a decent airless tire, especially for bicycles.