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I received a pair of Tannus Airless tires ( https://tannustires.com/ https://tannustires.com/ ) for christmas, and have been waiting for good weather to install

by dmayle 6y ago

I received a pair of Tannus Airless tires ( https://tannustires.com/ https://tannustires.com/ ) for christmas, and have been waiting for good weather to install them. While they weigh more than regular tires, they weigh less than the combined weight of regular tires + pump + patch kit, so it's a net win on weight. For me, the biggest win is not about not worrying whether or not I get a flat, it's not having to pump the darn things up week in and week out before going out on my (admittedly city commuter) rides.

tzs 6y ago
> While they weigh more than regular tires, they weigh less than the combined weight of regular tires + pump + patch kit, so it's a net win on weight. Larger moment of inertia, though, so not a complete win. I wonder how the trade off works--where is the breakeven point between trading tire mass for mass being carried in a fixed position on the frame?
- gameswithgo 6y ago
  I have done the math, and the inertia issue is basically a non issue. Humans don’t accelerate hard enough to have any significant impact. the issue with airless tires though is bot weight, but rolling resistance and handling. Both are much worse. It is going to feel horrible.
etcet 6y ago
The weight of your tires is in the worst place for rotational mass. You'll definitely feel it if you're doing city riding between frequent red lights but it could arguably be a benefit if you're cruising for long distances as it'll act like a fly wheel to some extent.
c0nsumer 6y ago
The pump and patch kit are effectively static weight on a bike. What's referred to as rotating mass on a bike (usually talking about wheels+tires) is noticeable. Maybe not as much on your city bike, but the thing that usually makes a bike feel heavy is the weight of the wheels, not the overall bike itself. Best of luck with them.
stickmangallows 6y ago
I love my Tannus tires. I spent a lot of time and money fixing flats from puncture vine (goatheads) on my road bike before getting them. I don't feel like it added much bad weight because they are so narrow, unlike my airless mountain bike tires. Well worth it.
ndsipa_pomu 6y ago
The biggest problem with airless tyres is that bumps on the road cause localised pressure changes whilst pneumatic tyres distribute those pressure changes around the wheel. In practise this means that you feel more of the bumps and for big potholes you can end up damaging the rim. There's also the problem of energy loss as part of the tyre is compressed - with pneumatic tyres you only really have the outside of the tyre that is deforming and so they have less rolling resistance. When I tried airless tyres (a long time ago though) the ride felt very "dead" and I haven't bothered with them since. Tubeless however - that's the best ride performance that I've tried and you very rarely get punctures that the sealant doesn't fix. The actual weight of the tyres won't make a huge amount of difference (i.e. the rotational mass) as it only really affects accelerating which is much less common than simply maintaining your speed.
ubermonkey 6y ago
I can see these working for commuters, but being WAY less interesting for roadies where speed and acceleration are paramount.
deleted 6y ago
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by dmayle 6y ago

tzs 6y ago

> While they weigh more than regular tires, they weigh less than the combined weight of regular tires + pump + patch kit, so it's a net win on weight. Larger moment of inertia, though, so not a complete win. I wonder how the trade off works--where is the breakeven point between trading tire mass for mass being carried in a fixed position on the frame?

gameswithgo 6y ago
I have done the math, and the inertia issue is basically a non issue. Humans don’t accelerate hard enough to have any significant impact. the issue with airless tires though is bot weight, but rolling resistance and handling. Both are much worse. It is going to feel horrible.

etcet 6y ago

The weight of your tires is in the worst place for rotational mass. You'll definitely feel it if you're doing city riding between frequent red lights but it could arguably be a benefit if you're cruising for long distances as it'll act like a fly wheel to some extent.

c0nsumer 6y ago

The pump and patch kit are effectively static weight on a bike. What's referred to as rotating mass on a bike (usually talking about wheels+tires) is noticeable. Maybe not as much on your city bike, but the thing that usually makes a bike feel heavy is the weight of the wheels, not the overall bike itself. Best of luck with them.

stickmangallows 6y ago

I love my Tannus tires. I spent a lot of time and money fixing flats from puncture vine (goatheads) on my road bike before getting them. I don't feel like it added much bad weight because they are so narrow, unlike my airless mountain bike tires. Well worth it.

ndsipa_pomu 6y ago

The biggest problem with airless tyres is that bumps on the road cause localised pressure changes whilst pneumatic tyres distribute those pressure changes around the wheel. In practise this means that you feel more of the bumps and for big potholes you can end up damaging the rim. There's also the problem of energy loss as part of the tyre is compressed - with pneumatic tyres you only really have the outside of the tyre that is deforming and so they have less rolling resistance. When I tried airless tyres (a long time ago though) the ride felt very "dead" and I haven't bothered with them since. Tubeless however - that's the best ride performance that I've tried and you very rarely get punctures that the sealant doesn't fix. The actual weight of the tyres won't make a huge amount of difference (i.e. the rotational mass) as it only really affects accelerating which is much less common than simply maintaining your speed.

ubermonkey 6y ago

I can see these working for commuters, but being WAY less interesting for roadies where speed and acceleration are paramount.

deleted 6y ago

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