Whatever Happened To The Idea of 'Airless' Bicycle Tires?

[reed scott]

I lose track of time. I know I haven't seen anything lately though. I remember one where the carcass was filled with a series of dense foam balls of a size to fit the carcass. And then there's the idea of a lattice of springy plastic in the form of a tire. Is anything like this ever going to happen?

 

[ki11a]

I’m pretty sure they came out with them but the ride on them is real bad compared to regular tires since they are essentially just huge solid rubber wheels or maybe your talking about something I haven’t heard of

TANNUS AIRLESS TIRES

Tannus airless bicycle tires are puncture proof bike tires that don't go flat. Bike tires that are solid and made out of a lightweight foam that will last long

tannusamerica.com

 

[Sierratim]

This article from earlier this year has an overview of Tannus Airless and its competitor.

This one looks more interesting though the video is from 2012. The company web site is active, BRITEK, but the news links haven't been updated since 2017. They are taking preorders but I suspect the price is a major hurdle.

 

[Deacon Blues]

The Britex wheel/tire looks very interesting, but expensive at $2700 for a pair.

 

[Sifu Ben]

If they were any good, there would be more widespread adaptation. The only big recent innovation has been tubeless tires. BUt they need specialist equipment, added expense and have a learning curve to use and service.