SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
For decades, various manufacturers have dabbled in flat-proof bicycle tires that have a solid or foam-filled core. The problem is, those tires tend to be heavy, plus there's no way of adjusting their firmness. Italian startup MrWolf is now offering an alternative, in the form of the Banger. Not only is it lighter and more adjustable than a solid tire, but it reportedly also gives mountain bikers a smoother ride than they'd get with regular tires.
Designed specifically for mountain bikes and e-bikes, the Banger is a loop of "technopolymer" (i.e: a proprietary low-density foam) that sits inside a regular third-party tubeless tire. Once installed, it occupies 95 percent of the tire's inner volume, which would otherwise be filled with air. That does still leave some room for air, however, so it remains possible to adjust the hardness according to rider weight, trail conditions, or other factors.
The rider can still continue on the Banger in the event of a tire puncture.
Also at MTB magazine.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 04 2017, @08:44AM (5 children)
Tubeless tires? And for the ones that do, how many of those bike tire sidewalls are stiff enough unpressurized to keep from debeading when all they have in them is this foam and 0 percent air anyway?
If you can get the tubeless tire on the rim with this foam inside of it, then it stands to reason if the tire is unpressurized, the bead is pliant enough to pop out under the load of unpressurized road conditions, just like a car tire.
This really doesn't sound like a net positive to me, especially given the premium it probably costs compared to regular bike tires, and the difference in difficulty to replace one of these out in the field, compared to a regular tube and pump which can easily fit inside of a bike pack, or in the triangle of the frame on most modern style road/mountain bikes.
(Score: 2) by TheRaven on Thursday May 04 2017, @09:16AM (1 child)
sudo mod me up
(Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Thursday May 04 2017, @09:28AM
I recommend Schwalbe Marathon Plus for anyone interested. I've not found another brand that is so successful at rejecting punctures. They laid flint chippings on the bike track a couple of years back, which was pretty much like cycling over glass. The Marathon Plus survived...
(Score: 1) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Thursday May 04 2017, @04:35PM
Pretty sure tubeless bicycle tires fit on standard rims: they have the tube integrated into the tire. They have the advantage of being foldable for replacement on the trail.
(Score: 1) by Roger Murdock on Friday May 05 2017, @12:12AM (1 child)
how many of those bike tire sidewalls are stiff enough unpressurized to keep from debeading when all they have in them is this foam and 0 percent air anyway?
Good question, purely one person's experience but I've found you can ride a significant distance at speed over rough ground on a completely flat tire without the bead popping. Not great for the rim though!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 05 2017, @09:13AM
> I've found you can ride a significant distance at speed over rough ground on a completely flat tire without the bead popping.
It really varies. I one must turn, a looser fit can roll out the side, both for mtb and road tyres. And you're right it mangles the rim (both the edge and trueness). It also varies by tyre width; a really narrow road tyre might squish down to inside the rim, and then one is left rolling on rubber on one edge of the rim at best, which is extraordinarily uncomfortable and not very safe.