Airless Tyres
Airless Tyres
Hi has anyone fitted the latest airless tyres or armour. SHMBO can no longer change tyres or repair punctures the hands just aren’t strong enough. So thinking of airless tyres or inserts available in uk. Last tried the offering of thirty plus years ago awful has there been an improvement. The bike is a modern ebike. Thank you all
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VinceLedge
- Posts: 656
- Joined: 12 Dec 2020, 9:51am
Re: Airless Tyres
Tried the Tannus solid tyres on OHs road bike in 700 x 25. Used them for a bit , but very harsh on rough roads which also mad them slow, changed back to clincher.
Don't know what they would be like in bigger sizes, possibly fine on smoothish surfaces.
Don't know what they would be like in bigger sizes, possibly fine on smoothish surfaces.
Re: Airless Tyres
Believe the 'Green Tyre Company' do tyres that are known as 'Cushion' ,i.e. Resilient Rubber (not solid)
No experience of them, have been mentioned to me in relation to an 1890's machine I own as and when tyres need replacement
Just been on their website seem to have a good range, 26" 700c etc etc listing equivalent pressure values.
( 700's are listed as 28" on the drop down for some reason but come up as 700 pence you tap into it)
No experience of them, have been mentioned to me in relation to an 1890's machine I own as and when tyres need replacement
Just been on their website seem to have a good range, 26" 700c etc etc listing equivalent pressure values.
( 700's are listed as 28" on the drop down for some reason but come up as 700 pence you tap into it)
Re: Airless Tyres
my advice is to bodyswerve the airless tyres and find a different way to cope with punctures. Even with an e-bike, they are still uncomfortable, often have poor grip, and may cause more spoke breakages; with an ordinary bike they are hard work too.
When you get a puncture, you have two distinct problems;
1) how do you complete your journey?
2) how do you fix your bike?
IME an aerosol that both seals leaks and partially reinflates addresses 1) and that may be good enough.
When you get a puncture, you have two distinct problems;
1) how do you complete your journey?
2) how do you fix your bike?
IME an aerosol that both seals leaks and partially reinflates addresses 1) and that may be good enough.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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rareposter
- Posts: 3078
- Joined: 27 Aug 2014, 2:40pm
Re: Airless Tyres
I think your best bet is to go tubeless with an insert.
Something like the Vittoria AirLiner:
https://int.vittoria.com/collections/mo ... re-inserts
Combine that with a good quality tubeless tyre and good sealant. Tubeless will eliminate most punctures - thorns, bits of glass etc will just self-seal. Larger punctures can be "plugged" - you don't even need to remove the wheel. There are a number of options, I use one from Dynaplug:
https://www.dynaplug-uk.com/collections ... pair-tools
Basically just "stab" the tyre and the plug goes into it and fills the hole. There are also compressed air cans which spray a mix of latex and gas into the tyre to reinflate it and seal holes: https://muc-off.com/products/bam-instan ... ure-repair
And if all else fails and it really is wrecked, you can ride on the insert for an hour or so, even with the tyre fully deflated. It won't come off the rim, everything is held in place.
It's not especially cheap but it's pretty much fit and forget.
Something like the Vittoria AirLiner:
https://int.vittoria.com/collections/mo ... re-inserts
Combine that with a good quality tubeless tyre and good sealant. Tubeless will eliminate most punctures - thorns, bits of glass etc will just self-seal. Larger punctures can be "plugged" - you don't even need to remove the wheel. There are a number of options, I use one from Dynaplug:
https://www.dynaplug-uk.com/collections ... pair-tools
Basically just "stab" the tyre and the plug goes into it and fills the hole. There are also compressed air cans which spray a mix of latex and gas into the tyre to reinflate it and seal holes: https://muc-off.com/products/bam-instan ... ure-repair
And if all else fails and it really is wrecked, you can ride on the insert for an hour or so, even with the tyre fully deflated. It won't come off the rim, everything is held in place.
It's not especially cheap but it's pretty much fit and forget.
Re: Airless Tyres
I've got Tannus Armour inserts fitted in a hardtail cross-country mountain bike and a hybrid.
In the mountain bike, they've been an absolute game-changer: I'm riding the tyres at very low pressures (as low as <20 psi on the front) whilst taking heavy landings and hitting pointy rocks, and I've still not suffered a snakebite/pinch puncture. I did inspect both inserts from the mountain bike after a couple of years of use, and they're completely covered in little nicks from the tyre rim, so I'm sure I'd have had lots of punctures without them.
In the hybrid, the jury is out. I run the tyres at around 80psi, and I've heard that this will compress the foam of the Tannus insert, gradually making it thinner and therefore providing less protection. I've even read people advising you to let down your tyres between rides for this reason - which is definitely too much faff for me. I have had one thorn puncture, but for all I know, they may have saved me from many more.
Two other downsides: 1. the inserts add noticeable weight to the wheel and 2. they can be a bit of a faff to install, so fixing a puncture at the roadside becomes more difficult - although I guess you could just carry the inserts home and reinstall them when you've got the tools or bike shop to help.