The future of bike tires could be airless

[Kingfish]

The future of bike tires could be airless

Airless tires have been proposed and demonstrated for cars many times, but one company is showing off a sophisticated new version intended for bicycles. Is this the end for bike pumps, or are the company's claims overinflated?

Britek Tire and Rubber has been working on an airless car tire for years that it calls the Energy Return Wheel. A rubber tread and sidewall is stretched over an internal scaffolding of rods and cushions that allows the tire to give — and, the company claims, lose less energy to bumps and other compressions.

The bike tire uses the same concept, but naturally has a lighter frame. The rims are carbon fiber, with the rubber stretched tight around the outside.

Full article here.

Interesting concept. However - I want tire selection, or the option to swap tires depending on weather (summer vs winter). When that day arrives, having the airless option, then I'll be much happier.

Flatless, KF

 

[GCinDC]

teaser photos. gizmag [urlhttp://www.gizmag.com/airless-energy-return-wheel/24797/]story[/url].

[youtube]v9SWIsY8rzQ[/youtube]

 

[amberwolf]

The bike tire uses the same concept, but naturally has a lighter frame. The rims are carbon fiber, with the rubber stretched tight around the outside.

I'd pass immediately on it just because of the CF, wihtout seeingg it proven under severe riding conditions. When it fails it's gonna be dramatic, and fail it will, once it hits a bump beyond it's deformation ability, or once it flexes one too many times from sufficiently bad bumps/holes to begin cracking it.

The other issue is if the rubber is not bonded to the springy frame, then sideways scrubbing as is common on trikes and can happen on bikes in various maneuvers intentional or not could remove the tread from the tire. That is already a problem with typical airless tires, where they may not keep the bead of the tire seated well enough on the rim; poeple have had them come off the front rim just making a normal turn, in some cases.


But my main issue is that they do not appear to have any way to adjust them for a particular ride comfort or load, just like all other airless tires. They also probably arent' designed to handle very high weights, which will cause even worse problems as they hit bumps and potholes, and would probably crush/break in situations like my CrazyBike2 (or a very large rider on a regular bike) on the poorly-maintained streets here. (I didn't see anything in the ride video that looked like it would provide anything like the shock they would get from the potholes and stuff here--they looked like they were riding it carefully on stuff that might have been close to that).


I'd love to try some, though, if they wanted to do a real-life usage test.

 

[melodious]

Looks like you'd have to buy the tire and rims (and probably spokes/axle) when they get retired from usage. Dislike!

 

[shock]

Would be cool, but needs metal rim.

 

[dogman dan]

I notice they are knobbies. Bet they will ride real nice when you get em well packed with dirt, rocks and mud. Even on the street, craps gonna get inside there and make you ride along going wonka wonka wonka.

 

[cal3thousand]

I like the idea, but they going to have to address some of the concerns brought up here if these are to become a useful item (at least for ebikes)

Maybe the tread/rubber area could be a straight section instead of a ring. That way, changing a "tire" would be as easy as pulling one off and 'wrapping' another one on. Could make for a useful emergency spare option if they could get it small enough.

 

[Chalo]

It's like a bike-oriented version of Michelin's Tweel.

If the materials challenges can be sorted out, I see various potential issues:

No means of increasing "pressure" to support a heavier load or temporarily protect the rim from harsh surface conditions.

It will not distribute loads as far around the rim as a pneumatic, meaning that a wheel must be built stronger for the same reliability.

It will need a skin of some kind to keep out foreign material, as dogman pointed out. That skin will have to be durable, but not interfere with the tire's action. That might take away the marketing/branding benefit of a conspicuous skeletonized tire, too.

It looks expensive, but it meets a demand of the cheapskate bike market. You're not going to be selling proprietary CFRP tire and wheel systems to broke-assed food delivery guys or folks who think a bike should cost $150 at Wally World-- but at the same time, the folks willing to spend $$$$ on wheels aren't asking for heavy hard plastic tires that ride strangely/harshly/slowly.

I tend to think that people who try to replace the pneumatic tire every so often don't fully understand what a great job normal tires do, or how difficult it is to come up with something that's better in even a couple of ways, let alone overall.

Chalo

 

[cal3thousand]

This technology could be used to design a better run-flat tire that can be used for bikes. Just enough strength to limp home and allow replacement or repair of the inflatable portion. That would be interesting to me.

Maybe it becomes an intermediary between the rim and the tube. Would allow a smaller tube, give redundancy, add some suspension. Who knows

 

[dogman dan]

I think ways exist to make a far better bike tube, basicly a self sealing tube, but one that works far far far better than slime.

Buy why do it, if you make so much money selling regular tubes? Insert your favorite conspiracy villan here, this week, It's gotta be Obamas fault. :wink:

Then begin ranting about why the stem won't stay on a tube anymore.

 

[cal3thousand]

I think ways exist to make a far better bike tube, basicly a self sealing tube, but one that works far far far better than slime.

Buy why do it, if you make so much money selling regular tubes? Insert your favorite conspiracy villan here, this week, It's gotta be Obamas fault. :wink:

Then begin ranting about why the stem won't stay on a tube anymore.

LOL :lol:

 

[liveforphysics]

I tend to think that people who try to replace the pneumatic tire every so often don't fully understand what a great job normal tires do, or how difficult it is to come up with something that's better in even a couple of ways, let alone overall.

Agreed. For the weight of the air in the wheel, it's ability to distribute pressure and relocate it's volume in real-time, and it's nearly free cost, it's a pretty tough component to beat in a wheel. I do always support anyone looking to make something better, but perhaps the efforts would be best applied towards keeping air in the tire rather than replacing it.

 

[scotticeberg]

Cause these do for me:
http://hiconsumption.com/2012/11/airless-bicycle-tires-by-brian-russell/

 

[sn0wchyld]

really cool looking... but for one thing - they look like fantastic mud traps. ride through one muddy bog and you've got an unbalanced tire. love the idea, just not the best for all weather riding.

 

[scotticeberg]

Mud would certainly be a problem. Though my erection has not subsided.

 

[dingoEsride]

Mud would certainly be a problem. Though my erection has not subsided.

Yeah lots of holes there

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=45169

 

[iperov]

where I can buy it ?