airfree tires



vlad

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Aug 17, 2003
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I previously used Road Warrior on the tenspeeds, and Michelin Wildgripper Sprint 26x1.9. They gave good service, a good ride and finally all of them went flat or blew out. I think fixing flats is a colossal PITA . I installed airfree tires on four bikes .......

Charleston Runabout High Resilient 160-psi-equiv 27x1-1/4 on two Schwinn ten speeds,

(Sierra) "Unidrectional HR +30% 26x1.9" on my Schwinn Impact 18 speed and

Teton AT HP standard foam 90 psi-equiv on my grandson's BrandX 18 speed MTB.

Hugh Waters at www.airfreetires.com hs always given me good service. He no longer carries the Sierra Unidrectional HR 26x1.9. He was kind enough to give me the number of the manufacturer, and I ordered from him.

Have you used airfree tires?

PS I will be 71 next month, and no longer leap tall buildings at a single bound though I remember it well. I try to ride daily, usually five to ten miles rain or shine. East Texas is not fit for man or beast 900am to 500pm in summer, but the other three seasons are fine for riding.
 
I haven't actually used them. I ran onto them and was thinking of ordering a set of 26x1.95's for my Trek Navigator. First, I asked some questions on various forums and was advised against it.

By the way, I am 57, started cycling last year and I do 200+ miles per week. I was told that riding that much, it would after a while feel like riding on a straw packed with marshmallows.

Sounds like you are having good luck.

P.S. I hope that when I am 71 I am still able to cycle. Right not I can't live without by daily ride.
 
Babbar

I have had nothing but good luck with airfree tires; and would use pneumatics again only in extremis.

In my first post I forgot to mention that I used the Ocelot HIgh Profile High Resilient 160-psi-equiv tires on my 18 speed from Nov 2001 until June 2003. They are a grat ride, but a tad narrow for East Texas sand. Nothing on two wheels does well in sand.

You were warned against airfree tires?? Imagine that!!!! I have talked with several people who detest airfree tires. They allege . that they ride liek a sack of concrete chunks....etc When I asked which tire they bought, why they disliked it, and if they returned it for their money back per guaranteee it develops that they never actually rode on airfree tires but every schoolboy knows that they are no good, will break your wheels, etc ad nasueum


I posted for a time on www.bikeforums.com. Various very knowledgeable persons there put on their hobnailed boots, leaped on my head and cried SPAM. I am now persona non grata there. The moderator there asked me never to darken their door again. OK. Suits me.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?threadid=654&highlight=airfree+tires

If you want airfree tires for your Navigator, I suggest that you call KIK Tire Inc 760-967-2777 and ask to buy two each 26x1.9 "Unidirectional High Resilient +30% black" as they are described on the bill of lading that came in the package with the tires.

http://www.airfreetires.com/Bicycle/Legacy/TireData.asp?ProductID=170

I called KIK and talked with Bill, the boss. I told him that I weigh 260 and need a 160-psi equivalent tire. He said, "I know what you need." He certainly does know. These tires ride as well as did the Michelin WildGripper Sprints.
 
Vlad,

Thank you very much for the first hand experience. You are the first cyclist with such knowledge that I have actually seen. Everyone else was quoting the mythology.

I can guarantee you one thing. My next set of tires will be airless! Thanks for the phone number and particulars on the tires.

Babbar
 
Originally posted by Babbar
Vlad,

Thank you very much for the first hand experience. You are the first cyclist with such knowledge that I have actually seen. Everyone else was quoting the mythology.

I can guarantee you one thing. My next set of tires will be airless! Thanks for the phone number and particulars on the tires.

Babbar


Do you have studded tires for your bike so you can safely ride on snow and ice??

When you get your Unidirectional HR +30% black 26x1.9, in winter you can run drywall screws through the body of the tire and you have studded tires. Remove the screws in spring for normal dry roads.

This method is considerably cheaper than the available studded bike tires.

The tires are made of polyurethane, same stuff as your boot heels. It does not hurt your boot heels that nails are driven through them.
 
Originally posted by vlad
Do you have studded tires for your bike so you can safely ride on snow and ice??

When you get your Unidirectional HR +30% black 26x1.9, in winter you can run drywall screws through the body of the tire and you have studded tires. Remove the screws in spring for normal dry roads.

This method is considerably cheaper than the available studded bike tires.

The tires are made of polyurethane, same stuff as your boot heels. It does not hurt your boot heels that nails are driven through them.

That scares the heck out of me! Intentionally poking holes in perfectly good tires? Sounds counter-intuitive! But, it does make a certain amount of sense. I might just give it shot.

That is, if I get over my fear of ice! I have only had four crashes, and the two worst were the result of ice. The second one darn near put me out of commission for several months.
 
Has anyone else tried airless tires. One is not a valid sample. I would like to hear from some others.
 
Originally posted by sea
Has anyone else tried airless tires. One is not a valid sample. I would like to hear from some others.

Hi sea

If you do a forum search on 'airless tires' you'll find a few threads dating back to 2001.

Hope that helps

cheers
 
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I ordered a pair of airfree tires in September 2003 and initially had helpful correspondence from Hugh. I did not receive them. It was ok as far as the USA Mail goes, but when it hit the UK mainland a company called Parcelforce could not locate my address. Now they tell me it has been sent back to the sender. I have asked Hugh if he has received it twice to no avail. I am going to order some more. I have a folding cycle with 20" wheels that I used to get about.
 
Originally posted by Ir_1234
I ordered a pair of airfree tires in September 2003 and initially had helpful correspondence from Hugh. I did not receive them. It was ok as far as the USA Mail goes, but when it hit the UK mainland a company called Parcelforce could not locate my address. Now they tell me it has been sent back to the sender. I have asked Hugh if he has received it twice to no avail. I am going to order some more. I have a folding cycle with 20" wheels that I used to get about.



I emailed Hugh re your situation.

He requests that you email him soonest

"Air Free Tires Inc." <info@airfreetires
 
Ir_1234

I contacted Hugh Waters that Parcelfarce could not find your address to deliver the airfree tires you ordered in Sept 2003, and the fact that you say you have tried twice to contact Hugh to no avail.

He responded asking if I could contact you to ask you to email him.

I sent you an email, a PM, and posted on this thread.

When I ordered tires from Hugh he always responded by email giving me an order number.

Send me an email giving your name and that order number. I will forward it to Hugh.

Anyone else have any ideas??

Iam fresh out.
 
I apologise for the long delay in posting here. I have exchanged one email with Vlad. I don't know where the private messager is. Vlad emailed Hugh which prompted Hugh to reply to me, and he has arranged to have the tires redelivered. He is currently checking with the manufacturer to make sure they are the exact same ones that I originally ordered. So with any luck I'll get those in the next couple of weeks. I'll let you know how it goes. I am heavy at 20 stone so I've had the rear tire made equivalent of 65lb psi, and the front tire 45lb psi. I hope that's hard enough for the rear, my current neumatic tires can only hold 40lb each and I have 45lb in the rear and that's enough. I used to have 50lb and that was hard enough. I hope my weight won't flatten the solid one. Thanks again for your help Vlad.


Originally posted by vlad
Ir_1234

I contacted Hugh Waters that Parcelfarce could not find your address to deliver the airfree tires you ordered in Sept 2003, and the fact that you say you have tried twice to contact Hugh to no avail.

He responded asking if I could contact you to ask you to email him.

I sent you an email, a PM, and posted on this thread.

When I ordered tires from Hugh he always responded by email giving me an order number.

Send me an email giving your name and that order number. I will forward it to Hugh.

Anyone else have any ideas??

Iam fresh out.
 
Ok, here's the first update, the second one will be when I've got them. I exchanged emails with a number of cycle shops to see if they could get me the wheels so that I could send them to Hugh, but none could be precise about the bike's model and said the wheels and the cog might differ slightly. So I am taking the bike to a local Raliegh shop this week to get the wheels for it, and then I will send them to Hugh in America (I am in London). He has said he will fit the tires and send them back to me. I'm going for a slightly harder rear tire than the 65psi equivalent that I originally ordered, and am going for an 85psi one instead. I will let you know how it goes once I have got them back and have tried them.
 
I ordered an airfree tire in November of 2003. After a couple weeks I requested the status of my order. I got a cryptic message saying they were moving the factory or something like that. Finally, in February of 2004 I cancelled the order as I knew the tire I ordered didn't exist and probably never would. If someone had been up front with me and told me the truth from the start I wouldn't be so upset but because the company didn't bother to tell me they had nothing to deliver, I crossed them off my list.

I don't usually bad-mouth a company but I believe Vlad is a shill for AirFree tires. I doubt he has ever seen a real tire either. As far as I'm concerned, the integrity of this outfit is definately in question.
 
ATTN Old Geezer

Sir,

Did you order tires from www.airfreetires.com ??

Every time I ordered tires, Hugh Waters sent me an email acknowledging the order.

Give Hugh a call at 1-800-771-9513. Leave a msg on his answering machine. He will call you back.

I will email Hugh to alert him.
 
Originally posted by vlad
ATTN Old Geezer

Sir,

Did you order tires from www.airfreetires.com ??

Every time I ordered tires, Hugh Waters sent me an email acknowledging the order.

Give Hugh a call at 1-800-771-9513. Leave a msg on his answering machine. He will call you back.

I will email Hugh to alert him.

Yes, I ordered directly from the web page. But my criticism stems not from an acknowledgment of the order but rather the fact that an advertised product did not exist and nobody bothered to tell me so.
 
Mr Old Geezer

now what will you do?

will you call Hugh at 1-800-771-9513 or email him at [email protected]?

surely you can find an alternative choice of airfree tire that will serve you well.
 
Originally posted by vlad
Mr Old Geezer

now what will you do?

surely you can find an alternative choice of airfree tire that will serve you well.

Vlad, I have lost faith in AirFree Tires' ability to meet my needs. I perfer to do business with companies that are up front and honest.