Could these be used to drive over the spokes at a checkpoint or garage that prevent entry?
Would that have any impact, f such tires would become popular?
Michelin Airless
301–310 of 316 posts
Re: Michelin Airless
#302It's dirty out here in the real world. What happens when those grooves get plugged up with mud, bits of glass & other tires and dead squirrels?
But I'll admit, I do want the "Picyures to download".
Re: Michelin Airless
#303Earlier quoted context omitted.
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...
That's a nice option to have, thanks for sharing. I used Gatorskins (Hardshell and the normal version) until the tread was gone the past couple of years. This year I fitted some Continental Grand Prix 4-Season that are holding pretty well against punctures.
Might give these Panaracers a try when the tread of the GP are gone (or if I start getting punctures but so far they are as impervious as the Gatorskins for me).
Re: Michelin Airless
#304Cheaper no flat bike tire solution: be sure to install a quality wheel liner (inside of wheel, over the spoke edges), then install a quality plastic tire liner (inside the tire, between the tube and tire tread)...the tube is the weak point, not the tire. Wheel spoke edges cut tubes easily and are not often covered. These 2 items will protect your tires from glass, nails, curbs, etc...no flats ever. Ps: stay away from slime products
Re: Michelin Airless
#305Earlier quoted context omitted.
Continental Gatorskin brand tires have worked really well in my experience, easily many thousands of miles. They usually age out (2 years or so) before I've had any flat. I have had snakebite flats though which is usually just due to low air pressure or bad tubes. Tubes can just suck. I've combined them with puncture resistant tubes (thicker tubes) and never had a flat, using 700x25 or 700x28 versions. https://www.co…
I was put onto Gatorskins by a friend around ten years ago, and have never looked back. Great tyre with fantastic grip and lifespan.
They are really solid, last forever and are quite light for a non racing tire. They also have decently low rolling resistance when inflated high.
However, in my experience they are really sketchy in wet conditions. I've wiped out or almost did multiple times on gatorskins. Deflating them in wet conditions works but the rolling resistance is then quite high.
I've found that the Schwalbe Marathons in wider sizes (I think I got 38s?) are much more confidence inspiring and comfortable, and makes up for the fact that I have to change a flat twice a year instead of once a year.
Re: Michelin Airless
#306Earlier quoted context omitted.
How about just regular Schwalbe Marathons Plus? In my experience those tyres are literally unpuncturable(at the cost of a huge weight penalty).
These are great tires, but the rolling resistance can absolutely be felt. They do suffer in grip in wet conditions as well.
The non-Plus Marathons are quite nice, but less puncture-proof.
You can't really win, the stiffer the tire the better it is at protecting the tube but the rolling resistance is higher and the tire flexes less which makes it less grippy.
Re: Michelin Airless
#307Earlier quoted context omitted.
Water's basically incompressible, if some Michael Crichton book I read like 25 years ago is to be believed. My guess would be one or more of: the above; greater heat capacity; or, something to do with surface area vs. volume meaning that at a large enough size water in a tire is far lower-pressure and easier to contain than air at a high enough pressure to keep it inflated, and/or, relatedly, something to do with hea…
The book was Sphere. It rocked. I too remember this fact just from that.
which was made into a movie
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphere_(1998_film)
that is confusingly similar to The Abyss,
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Abyss
I always get the two confused.
Re: Michelin Airless
#308I wonder what the speed rating of these will be. (I'd guess they would overheat really fast if you drove them even moderately fast, plus the inertia would be pretty insane?)
I had the same thought, but they probably have cooling built in to the hub.
Re: Michelin Airless
#309Earlier quoted context omitted.
These are great tires, but the rolling resistance can absolutely be felt. They do suffer in grip in wet conditions as well.
The non-Plus Marathons are quite nice, but less puncture-proof. You can't really win, the stiffer the tire the better it is at protecting the tube but the rolling resistance is higher and the tire flexes less which makes it less grippy.
Weirdly, it's actual black magic - the regular Marathons have the lowest rolling resistance of any touring tyre[0](lower than Schwalbe's own Marathon Racer lol), despite being very good at puncture proofing and not being completely slick. No idea how Schwalbe has actually done it.
[0] https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/tour-reviews/schwal...
Re: Michelin Airless
#310Earlier 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.
> Schwalbe (garbage).
I have never read these two words in the same sentence. I've put thousands upon thousands of miles on my Schwalbe Marathons with nary a flat. Granted, nothing is 100%, but I find Schwalbe's a solid urban/touring choice.