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Michelin Airless

michelin.com

281–290 of 316 posts

Re: Michelin Airless

#281
post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Air-less tires have been working fine for decades: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/wheels/ You'll also find industrial equipment examples like https://www.sourceproequipment.com.au/crocodile-skid-steer-b... As the person you're replying to said, though, the problem for passenger cars is NVH. They aren't quiet. Even with that downside, though, they are still used in consumer-facing applications like some bike sharing pr…

What the hell, I've been looking for something like this for the past few months. Only ones I could find were Tannus (too soft) and Schwalbe (garbage). Don't care about weight, noise, ride quality, just need unbreakable tires because riding through neighborhoods where people break glass bottles on the bike paths will make me smash someone's head with one someday.

Panaracer T-Serv Messenger bike tires are what you're looking for. They're lighter than the gatorskins and work incredibly well. I rode one pair until the tread was gone in SF (several years) and never got one flat tire.

https://www.panaracerusa.com/collections/commuter-city/produ...

Re: Michelin Airless

#282
post #278

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It doesn't work like that anymore. 99% of the "SUVs" you see today are CUVs, which in turn are barely more than a lifted sedan. So the difference is gas milage is miniscule, to the point gas prices will no longer affect the sales of the most successful SUVs

Not sure where you live but the popular models around here are the 15mpg types and the drivers are … not driving efficiently so they're unlikely to be reaching that. You will see a few of the higher-MPG models like a RAV4 but at the end of the day it's a physics problem: all of that extra weight, non-aerodynamic design, and over-powered engine add up. Now, it's true that someone dropping all of the extra cash for one…

Ignoring for a second that of the top 3 best selling SUVs in the US, the top two share a platform with sedans that weigh nearly the same amount, have the same engine options, and have very similar Cds ...

None of those physics issues are specific to SUVs. Even full size SUVs end up on shared platforms with full size sedans, with "reasonably close" weights (essentially take a well optioned sedan and it weighs around what the base SUV version does)

With the focus on all of these automakers on modular platforms, we've reached the point where even the largest SUVs could meet the exact same standards their sedan counterparts do and not really change at all.

Re: Michelin Airless

#283

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah the role of marketing in influencing public opinion should not be discounted.

That was public opinion influencing marketing.

I mean the public relations industry is all about a few people having an idea and figuring out how to convince lots of people. Just look at how cigarette sales to women were pushed with intentional ad campaigns to change public opinion. They of course need to craft their message in a way that appeals to their audience (for example calling cigarettes "torches of freedom" to appeal to progressive women in the 1920's) but the message "buy cigarettes" is decided by the marketer.

https://yourstory.com/2014/08/torches-of-freedom/

Re: Michelin Airless

#287
post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Air-less tires have been working fine for decades: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/wheels/ You'll also find industrial equipment examples like https://www.sourceproequipment.com.au/crocodile-skid-steer-b... As the person you're replying to said, though, the problem for passenger cars is NVH. They aren't quiet. Even with that downside, though, they are still used in consumer-facing applications like some bike sharing pr…

What the hell, I've been looking for something like this for the past few months. Only ones I could find were Tannus (too soft) and Schwalbe (garbage). Don't care about weight, noise, ride quality, just need unbreakable tires because riding through neighborhoods where people break glass bottles on the bike paths will make me smash someone's head with one someday.

Tannus too soft? I've had mine for a year and a summer, and really couldn't be happier. If anything, I find them a tad on the hard side. This is an ordinary, oldfashioned pushbike with medium-width tyres.

Re: Michelin Airless

#288
post #13

Former automotive engineer chiming in. "Tweels" have been around a long time, but have always failed in terms of "NVH" (noise, vibration, harshness). Michelin is claiming that this generation of tweels are appropriate for passenger cars, which means that they think they've solved the NVH problem. They seem to be marketing these alongside EVs, I wonder if they're only really intended for lighter, compact-style cars. (…

Do you think something like this would be made available for motorcycle tires? Motorcycles are significantly more vulnerable to tire-caused crashes because a motorcycle whose one tire violently decompresses on a highway or autobahn is very likely to have a crash since it can no longer balance, while a car that loses a tire still has 3 other tires and will still have plenty of traction and balance left to pull over. S…

I wonder this myself. I'm not sure the technology is ready for street bike speeds, but some of the speeds you do on a dirtbike with tight turns and technical terrains.. maybe.

https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/tires-and-wheels/michelin...

An "equivalent psi" of 13, which is basically what I run my dirtbike at anyway in the New Hampshire forest trails. Although this is slightly different since it replaces the tube not the whole tire.

Re: Michelin Airless

#289

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah...americans like big cars and manufacturers followed the sales! Even worse, europeans started to like big cars too...I just don't get why people like to drive big SUVs in the city.

I'm not trying to defend myself or anything since I don't even have a car, but when I did, it was always an SUV. It wasn't so much a matter of preference as necessity. I'm not exactly huge, only 6'2", but if I try to drive my wife's GTI, I'm hunched over and hitting my head on the ceiling. Only way to do it is leaning severely back with the seat reclined. Trying to be a backseat passenger in an average sedan is compl…

Have a look at the current model Honda Accord. It's a midsize car, but the engineers have somehow managed to create an extremely roomy cabin. 6'4" people can comfortably sit in the rear seats.

Re: Michelin Airless

#290
post #67
post #13

Former automotive engineer chiming in. "Tweels" have been around a long time, but have always failed in terms of "NVH" (noise, vibration, harshness). Michelin is claiming that this generation of tweels are appropriate for passenger cars, which means that they think they've solved the NVH problem. They seem to be marketing these alongside EVs, I wonder if they're only really intended for lighter, compact-style cars. (…

Maybe the noise they generate is good for EVs which are dangerously quiet for pedestrians?

Noise is not good, ever.
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