Solid Tyres

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Has anyone got any experience of them? I've been looking at the Tannus range. I've read a few reviews but wondered if anyone here had anything to add. It's not much fun getting a puncture let alone carrying the repair kit and pump and hoping it doesn't get nicked whilst you pop into the shop. My last puncture was a chronic tube failure fortunately at slow speed. Do we still need these new-fangled pneumatic tyres?
 
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I have been thinking the same thing. Surely the pneumatic tyre should have been confined to the past by now. Maybe the ability to choose one's perfect pressure at any time is the stumbling block. There must be a dozen and one types of foam or something that has enough cushioning to fill a tube. After all, what is the real difference between 50psi or 80psi or so for general trike use? A tight tyre is a tight tyre and it doesn't care what it is filled with.

Something to try, fill a tubed tyre with expanding foam - after experimenting with how much might be required. I don't know what pressure it will build to and you will have difficulty removing the tyre later as you won't be able to let it down.

I'm starting to see why we still have pneumatic tyres but there must be some way of doing away with carrying a pump and repair kit in this day and age.
 
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I have been thinking the same thing. Surely the pneumatic tyre should have been confined to the past by now. Maybe the ability to choose one's perfect pressure at any time is the stumbling block. There must be a dozen and one types of foam or something that has enough cushioning to fill a tube. After all, what is the real difference between 50psi or 80psi or so for general trike use? A tight tyre is a tight tyre and it doesn't care what it is filled with.

Something to try, fill a tubed tyre with expanding foam - after experimenting with how much might be required. I don't know what pressure it will build to and you will have difficulty removing the tyre later as you won't be able to let it down.

I'm starting to see why we still have pneumatic tyres but there must be some way of doing away with carrying a pump and repair kit in this day and age.
Slime filling and CO2 inflaters?
 
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It's worth mentioning though that Sheldon Brown's thoughts are based on fairly old designs and materials given he hasn't been around for 12 years. He may have expressed those thoughts well before his death too making his comments based on even older units. Material technology in particular has progressed a lot recently. He doesn't mention the other area, apart from punctures, where airless has a big advantage and that is in protecting the rim. He extoles the virtue of the pneumatic's better ability to compress but that stops at the far edge of a pothole when the tyre is forced back all the way to the rim and then that force goes into deforming said rim. He derides the airless tyre's ever increasing deformation resistance but doesn't mention that will greatly assist in protecting the rim.

I've used the pre-filled slime tubes before. it was one of those that had the aforementioned blow out. I also have a CO2 inflater but just like a pump it needs to be carried and is almost as vulnerable to theft as a pump, just slightly less visible in the little under seat bag.

I'm not trying to extract the last ounce of any performance and I usually have a spring or two and often a bit of padding to use for comfort. If an airless can function at the level of an average pneumatic tyre it'll be acceptable to me. The question is can any of them reach that average level of performance.
 
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I think I should also mention that most reviews I've read on these tyres are generally from people who ARE trying to extract the last ounce of performance. The magazines generally cater to people who ride enormous mileages not those who merely commute, visit their family or go to get the groceries.
 
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As long as the spoke nipples are placed inside the rim, there will be a random need to be able to easily remove the "rubber thing with a filled void" to replace a spoke. We do have wheels that are not wire spoked but they are not in mainstream use. Maybe the wire spoked wheel is another hangover from earlier days.

It seems like an ongoing battle between the nth degree of performance and ordinary purposes practicality. Engineering is the answer.
 
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In the UK a bike rental company went bust and these were appearing [ most NEW ! ] on Ebay and in one of my local shops @ £120 ish

Like this ofo bike



IIRC Shimano roller brakes front and back 3 speed IGH hub , front dynamo & lights , lock , basket and tubeless tyred 26" wheels

Nearly bough a pair [ discount for buying 2 ] to build a winter trike , put off by 3 speed and I would have some difficulty straddling a 26" wheel , meaning the trike seat would have to be higher than I wanted 😢
 
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Bit here about solid tyres :-Fix a Ofo bike

Glad I didn't buy them , look at all the specialist tools needed just to get them apart

Although some of the tools could be replaced with an angle grinder :whistle:
 

SirJoey

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My cozy little nook in the corner!
Nobody hates flats worse than me. I'll go to great lengths (& expense) to circumvent the flat scenario!
I've installed 3 of those Tannus tires on my Catrike, & I love 'em! Expensive? I think so. Worth it? Yep!
Also, extremely challenging to install!

I've also tried those Stop-a-Flat solid tubes on several of my rides. Again, expensive? I think so. Worth it?
Well, that depends...

VERY tricky to come up with the right combination of rim width, tube size, & tire size that will work. All 3 play into it!
For me, it was an expensive trial & error proposition. They have to be SUPER tight once installed. If they are, they're great.
Anything less, & they're HORRIBLE. Absolute UNUSABLE! Like riding around dragging a cinder block behind you.
Right now, so far, I have a total of 5 installed that I'm very satisfied with, & a couple of failures that I had to remove, they were so bad. :eek:

These also are challenging to install if you come up with the right combination of tire, tube, & rim size! But when you do, they're great! (y)
***
 
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Glad I didn't buy them , look at all the specialist tools needed just to get them apart
I think you very much "dodged a bullet" there. ;)
 

SirJoey

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My cozy little nook in the corner!
Oops... my mistake. I overlooked one of my trikes & my hub motor. I actually have 9 of the
solid tubes
installed successfully that I'm well satisfied with, PLUS the 3 Tannus solid tires.

...and about 3 failures, 2 of which are currently unused solid tubes, & a tire that didn't work out.

***
 
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