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: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 05 2017, @09:19AM
Steel rims are harder to ride than aluminum. Why? Because they weigh twice as much, and all that outer-diameter rotational momentum has to come from (pedaling) and go to (braking) somewhere, when one wishes to speed up or slow down.
This is pronounced enough that even though the failure mode is MUCH better for steel (deform and roll wobbly, not crack and stab), it's unheard of except in used bikes.
Foam with the properties desired here is normally denser than air. (If this product were less dense, then right now this would be a major player in the major road races, long before e-bikes and x-country racers!) This probably translates to a difference in riding energy quality! It will be interesting to try.