J
Tom Sherman writes:
>>> Making a faster clincher is easy - just use radial instead of
>>> bias-ply construction. However, the handling feel of radial
>>> bicycle tires is reported to turn off most riders.
>> Where was this done, by whom and who tested the tires? I'm not
>> aware of any radial ply bicycle tires although I can imagine that
>> they would be expensive to make.
>> Consider that the automotive radial tire is mainly justified by its
>> dimensions with a cross section whose major diameter is between
>> three and four times its cross sectional diameter. In contrast
>> bicycle tires have about 28:1 ratio which makes them look more like
>> compressing a straight hose than deforming a donut. The benefit of
>> radial ply has practically nothing to offer there and I doubt that
>> anyone would manufacture such tires.
> From "The Recumbent Bicycle," by Gunnar Fehlau (1st Edition, English
> translation):
> "[Rinkowski] secured his research with a GDR economic patent in
> 1954. Rinkowski's radial tire for bicycles was determined to be
> superior to the diagonal tire. He developed the radial tire long
> before it entered the automobile industry. Tests showed that
> two-tube tires of ordinary construction and size had a rolling
> resistance of 6 Newtons. To overcome the resistance of Rinkowski's
> tires only required 3 Newtons. He himself stated the following
> figures: 'The patented recumbent bicycle tires under burden have a
> resistance of about 240 grams, while a pair of tube tires has a
> resistance of at least 420 grams. I know this so accurately because
> I have developed a rolling-resistance measuring device that is now
> the property of the DHFK-Academic Sports Club in Leipzig.'
> "Rinkowski's design resulted in 1.5 miles more per hour in practice
> compared with a racing upright, if the bikes were powered with 60
> watts (which equals riding 12-14 mph on an upright). This includes
> the general advantage of the improved aerodynamics of the recumbent
> position."
I think Sheldon Brown clarified where he got the information (first
hand) and what he found gave these tires a strange feel. After
reading his comments and in line with what I wrote above you can
imagine that the tire has an odd lateral stability in contrast to a 45
degree bias ply tire. There is practically no lateral constraint
about the center position about which the tire allows the rim to move
from side to side over the contact patch with practically no centering
restraint.
A bias ply tire has cords in an x-pattern that do not readily allow
side to side motion when riding straight ahead. Not that this is the
only condition under which the rim is not laterally constrained. I
can imagine, when entering a curve, the sensation could be roughly
what an under inflated tire does as it wallows laterally. That's how
a slow leak is usually recognized and Sheldon says he had that riding
straight ahead.
That Rinkowski believed the radial was an improvement is not borne out
by the market , one that is ready for any new technology. By the way,
the radial tire was invented by Michelin for the Paris Metro rubber
tired subway where bias ply tires were an obvious energy sink. Radial
tires for "donut" form tires, as they are in most motor vehicles have
large rolling losses and tread squirm, unlike bicycles.
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire
# The radial tire was invented by Michelin, a French company, in 1946,
# but did not see wide use in the United States, the largest market at
# that time, until the 1970s. This type of tire uses parallel carcass
# plies for the sidewalls and crossed belts for the crown of the
# tire. All modern car tires are now radial.
Jobst Brandt
>>> Making a faster clincher is easy - just use radial instead of
>>> bias-ply construction. However, the handling feel of radial
>>> bicycle tires is reported to turn off most riders.
>> Where was this done, by whom and who tested the tires? I'm not
>> aware of any radial ply bicycle tires although I can imagine that
>> they would be expensive to make.
>> Consider that the automotive radial tire is mainly justified by its
>> dimensions with a cross section whose major diameter is between
>> three and four times its cross sectional diameter. In contrast
>> bicycle tires have about 28:1 ratio which makes them look more like
>> compressing a straight hose than deforming a donut. The benefit of
>> radial ply has practically nothing to offer there and I doubt that
>> anyone would manufacture such tires.
> From "The Recumbent Bicycle," by Gunnar Fehlau (1st Edition, English
> translation):
> "[Rinkowski] secured his research with a GDR economic patent in
> 1954. Rinkowski's radial tire for bicycles was determined to be
> superior to the diagonal tire. He developed the radial tire long
> before it entered the automobile industry. Tests showed that
> two-tube tires of ordinary construction and size had a rolling
> resistance of 6 Newtons. To overcome the resistance of Rinkowski's
> tires only required 3 Newtons. He himself stated the following
> figures: 'The patented recumbent bicycle tires under burden have a
> resistance of about 240 grams, while a pair of tube tires has a
> resistance of at least 420 grams. I know this so accurately because
> I have developed a rolling-resistance measuring device that is now
> the property of the DHFK-Academic Sports Club in Leipzig.'
> "Rinkowski's design resulted in 1.5 miles more per hour in practice
> compared with a racing upright, if the bikes were powered with 60
> watts (which equals riding 12-14 mph on an upright). This includes
> the general advantage of the improved aerodynamics of the recumbent
> position."
I think Sheldon Brown clarified where he got the information (first
hand) and what he found gave these tires a strange feel. After
reading his comments and in line with what I wrote above you can
imagine that the tire has an odd lateral stability in contrast to a 45
degree bias ply tire. There is practically no lateral constraint
about the center position about which the tire allows the rim to move
from side to side over the contact patch with practically no centering
restraint.
A bias ply tire has cords in an x-pattern that do not readily allow
side to side motion when riding straight ahead. Not that this is the
only condition under which the rim is not laterally constrained. I
can imagine, when entering a curve, the sensation could be roughly
what an under inflated tire does as it wallows laterally. That's how
a slow leak is usually recognized and Sheldon says he had that riding
straight ahead.
That Rinkowski believed the radial was an improvement is not borne out
by the market , one that is ready for any new technology. By the way,
the radial tire was invented by Michelin for the Paris Metro rubber
tired subway where bias ply tires were an obvious energy sink. Radial
tires for "donut" form tires, as they are in most motor vehicles have
large rolling losses and tread squirm, unlike bicycles.
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire
# The radial tire was invented by Michelin, a French company, in 1946,
# but did not see wide use in the United States, the largest market at
# that time, until the 1970s. This type of tire uses parallel carcass
# plies for the sidewalls and crossed belts for the crown of the
# tire. All modern car tires are now radial.
Jobst Brandt