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posted by janrinok on Wednesday July 15 2015, @09:46AM   Printer-friendly
from the do-they-still-work-as-kid's-swings? dept.

Now, Hankook has completed initial testing on its fifth-generation airless tire, dubbed the iFlex. The tires do not require any air pressure, instead relying on a new type of eco-friendly material (Hancook demurs when asked for details). Geometric shapes built into the material provide the bounce and springiness normally provided by air pressure. But, unlike the previous iFlex, this version's designed to mount onto a traditional rim, making it compatible with current vehicles.

Hankook ran the iFlex through a battery of tests to compare it to more conventional rubber, measuring durability, hardness, stability, slalom and speed, at up to 80 mph. The company says the tires matched conventional tires in terms of performance.

Anyone who got a flat from the epidemic of potholes this Spring or who is plagued by nails and other road debris that cause slow leaks will welcome this development. Naturally, the real question is whether it's spelled, "tire" or "tyre."


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  • (Score: 2) by urza9814 on Thursday July 16 2015, @02:52PM

    by urza9814 (3954) on Thursday July 16 2015, @02:52PM (#209957) Journal

    Man, my bike needs maintenance more often from just *sitting indoors not even being used* than my car does driving an hour or two every day and being parked outside and never even being washed. And that's comparing a brand new bike (got it less than a year ago) to a car that I bought used five years ago!

    The car maintenance costs about as much as a brand new bike each time though, so there's that...

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  • (Score: 2) by CRCulver on Thursday July 16 2015, @04:13PM

    by CRCulver (4390) on Thursday July 16 2015, @04:13PM (#210008) Homepage
    Again, maybe you should have chosen better components.
    • (Score: 2) by urza9814 on Thursday July 16 2015, @04:40PM

      by urza9814 (3954) on Thursday July 16 2015, @04:40PM (#210022) Journal

      Well, that just changes the location of the problem slightly. Because you can get a decent car by just showing up to the lot and picking something that seems alright...but you're saying I need to be an expert and build the entire damn thing myself to get a decent bike?

      • (Score: 3, Informative) by CRCulver on Thursday July 16 2015, @04:46PM

        by CRCulver (4390) on Thursday July 16 2015, @04:46PM (#210027) Homepage
        You don't have to build it yourself. Companies like Surly, Rivendell, Thorn, or Co-Motion will sell you a ready-made bike featuring the same high-end touring components, which also serve very well as low-maintenance commuters. (That's what I did when it came time to get my wife's bike, though I personally am happy I built my own bike first, as now I understand how everything fits together).