What's the Fastest, smoothest flatproof tire?

[Remove The Poli]

I tried conti top touring but couldn't stand the squirming sound from the tread.

Anything those conti' with the mesh?

REMOVE THE POLITE WORD TO REPLY

 

[GearóId Ó Laoi]

I find Specialized Fatboys very good

 

[Lewis Campbell]

I use Airfree Tires ( www.airfreetires.com ) and have for about 3 years now.

Lewis.

http://home.earthlink.net/~limeylew/index.html

.............

[email protected] (remove the polite word to reply) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> I tried conti top touring but couldn't stand the squirming sound from the tread.
>
> Anything those conti' with the mesh?
>
> REMOVE THE POLITE WORD TO REPLY

 

[Jobst Brandt]

"Fastest, smoothest flatproof" are contradictory specifications. Fastest, aka lowest rolling
resistance requires a thin casing and thin smooth tread. Flatproof requires thick tread, Kevlar
fabric and thorn-proof tubes, aka, the highest rolling resistance. Of course even worse are airless
tires that are so bad that they are only conversation pieces, although the never get a flat.

Jobst Brandt [email protected] Palo Alto CA

 

[Tim McNamara]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (remove
the polite word to reply) wrote:

> I tried conti top touring but couldn't stand the squirming sound from the tread.
>
> Anything those conti' with the mesh?

The only flatproof tires are solid ones with no air in them at all. They were replaced 100 years ago
after the development of the pneumatic tire by James Boyd Dunlop, and Irish veterinarian. Pneumatic
tires are vastly superior, but the occasional flat is a fact of life. Get used to it. Or ride
Greentyres.

 

[Tim Cain]

[email protected] wrote:
>
[snip]
>
> ...Of course even worse are airless tires that are so bad that they are only conversation pieces,
> although the never get a flat...
>

They may never get a flat, but don't forget to include how they split, how large chunks get
"chipped" and cut from the walls and rolling surface, and how they subsequently soak up water
like a sponge.

So much for manufacturer's claims regarding closed-cell foams and patent moulding processes!

This is before any discussion of such tyres abysmal rolling resistance and ride quality (as alluded
to by Jobst) enters the discussion.

These tires should have died the death 10 years ago, but entrepeneurs seem to drag new specimens to
market as surely and regularly as clockwork.

Tim.

 

[Lewis Campbell]

Hi, Tim, Airfree Tires are not the perfect answer for EVERYONE and may not be a product that you
would like.

However, what you wrote demonstrates quite clearly that you are NOT familiar with AIRFREE TIRES.

You may have knowledge of 'airless' tires, since there are several brands of them but the tires I
ride do not have the qualities that you ascribe to them.

Lewis.

http://home.earthlink.net/~limeylew/index.html

....................

"Tim Cain" <tim_no1@you_know_what_to_cut_timcain.co.uk> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> [email protected] wrote:
> >
> [snip]
> >
> > ...Of course even worse are airless tires that are so bad that they are only conversation
> > pieces, although the never get a flat...
> >
>
> They may never get a flat, but don't forget to include how they split, how large chunks get
> "chipped" and cut from the walls and rolling surface, and how they subsequently soak up water like
> a sponge.
>
> So much for manufacturer's claims regarding closed-cell foams and patent moulding processes!
>
> This is before any discussion of such tyres abysmal rolling resistance and ride quality (as
> alluded to by Jobst) enters the discussion.
>
> These tires should have died the death 10 years ago, but entrepeneurs seem to drag new specimens
> to market as surely and regularly as clockwork.
>
> Tim.

 

[Mike Jacoubowsk]

I'm not so sure there are flatproof tires as much as there are flatproof riders (or at least
cyclists that get far fewer flats than the norm). I average one flat every 3k miles or so, and
lately even longer than that. I'm a firm believer in full rather air pressure at all times, topping
them off before every single ride, even when it's just a day between outings.

Some people also seem to have a sense of where road hazards accumulate, and some don't.

And of course there are differences in the routes people take. Those using bikes for commuting and
basic transportation are likely to take the most direct route, which may not be the most favorable
one for the health of your bike.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

"remove the polite word to reply" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I tried conti top touring but couldn't stand the squirming sound from the
tread.
>
> Anything those conti' with the mesh?
>
> REMOVE THE POLITE WORD TO REPLY

 

[David Damerell]

Tim Cain <tim_no1@you_know_what_to_cut_timcain.co.uk> wrote:
>[email protected] wrote: [snip]
>>...Of course even worse are airless tires that are so bad that they are only conversation pieces,
>>although the never get a flat...
>These tires should have died the death 10 years ago,

Surely more like 110...
--
David Damerell <[email protected]> Kill the tomato!

 

[Trevor Taylor]

Forget about the tires. I used to get flats way too often until in started using Slime tubes.
Apparently, they're the ticket, because I haven't had a flat in months.

"remove the polite word to reply" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I tried conti top touring but couldn't stand the squirming sound from the
tread.
>
> Anything those conti' with the mesh?
>
> REMOVE THE POLITE WORD TO REPLY

 

[Bruce Jackson]

[email protected] wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

> "Fastest, smoothest flatproof" are contradictory specifications.

This is true; there is no free ride.

> Fastest, aka lowest rolling resistance requires a thin casing and thin smooth tread. Flatproof
> requires thick tread, Kevlar fabric and thorn-proof tubes, aka, the highest rolling resistance.

Yes, the more flat protecting material the greater the hysteresis losses in the rolling tire.

I still use Mr. Tuffy tube protectors on my town/utility bike. I generally don't use them on the
bikes I use for recreational riding though I have used them in the winter when flats are a real drag
to fix on the road. With Mr. Tuffy's I go years between flats; they are an excellent product for
riders who don't want many flats and don't mind its performance tradeoffs.

> Of course even worse are airless tires that are so bad that they are only conversation pieces,
> although the never get a flat.

I actually worked at bike shops that sold these. Even worse than the fact that they ruined the ride
of a bike they were often a bear to get on.

Bruce
--
Bruce Jackson - Sr. Systems Programmer - DMSP, a M/A/R/C Group company