Advocacy & Safety - Airless tires safer than conventional ones?

Has anyone ever used the airless bicycle tires now on the market at sites like http://www.airlesstires.com

I have some on my bike and think there is not much difference between these and air filled tires, except that you don't have to worry about flats, which seems to make cycling safer, especially for children.

They seem like a really good idea for kids bikes, or the occasional cyclist that doesn't want to carry a spare tire and repair kit everywhere (like me).

wait a second. Is this just cleverly disguised spam.

you're probably right about them being good for kids though. I remember being a kid and having a flat and not knowing how to fix it and no one to do it for me and then i couldn't ride my bike and i felt really bad. Oh, man. Now i gotta schedule an appointment with my therapist.

Spam or not, i think this is a good topic. I think Airless or Airfree tires are great for wheelchairs, and kids bikes, and maybe for the people who ride under 100 miles a month. I cant imagine using them for more serious cycling.

After a few min of searching, i did find these other airfree tire websites, interesting, but not for me :)

http://www.airfreetires.com/Default.htm
http://www.rmairlesstires.com/rmat.asp?page=home
http://sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#airless

As Sheldon Brown puts it "Airless tire schemes have also been used by con artists to gull unsuspecting investors. My advice is to avoid this long-obsolete system."

Originally posted by tonyditte
I have some on my bike...
Ya, right.

Howcum there wasn't a choice on the poll that said, "Airless tires suck and I wouldn't recommend them to my worst enemy," hm?

Originally posted by Pete Clark

Ya, right.

Howcum there wasn't a choice on the poll that said, "Airless tires suck and I wouldn't recommend them to my worst enemy," hm?
Ya, Pete, I wondered that, too! I was also expecting more poll choices, like:

1) Airless tires have really improved my sex life by smoothing out my ride.
2) Airless tires improved my speed by 25 - 30 percent due to less flats.
3) Airless tires are not only safer, but come in neat colors, too.
4) Airless tires are easier to change, just cut them off with a razor blade.
5) Airless tires are reusable, for instance, as, um...well, they're reusable.
6) Airless tires save precious natural resources, like air.
7) Did your "Big Wheel" ever have a flat (flat, as in, "loss of air," not "flat spot that goes, <blip, blip?>"
8) Airless tires have improved my financial situation by
landing me this job and getting me out of making fries for Carl's Jr.

There are 4 things i love about that website, the 1st, ". No liability is assumed for any damage resulting directly or indirectly from use of this airless tire resource." on the front page, yeah, i feel safe on thoes tires! 2nd, two of the three pictures on there front page just yell out safety, the guy on the cruiser riding to school, helmet less. And the upper right hand picture, of two people on one bike, nice. 3rd, the advertisements to orlandoundiscovered and WebSiteMedic. 4th, there about us page, its another sales pitch, and tells nothing about the company, there location, who owns the place ect... Hopefully somebody from airlesstires.com will fallow up on this thread to make the site better :)


Guess i shouldnt rant about other peoples websites, this one sucks too., hehe

Originally posted by Pete Clark
Ya, Pete, I wondered that, too! I was also expecting more poll choices, like:

1) Airless tires have really improved my sex life by smoothing out my ride.

Pete! This is exactly the thing I've been looking for. I've tried Viagra, Niagra, Chinese herbs, everything. Wow, this is great!

Thanks, Pete! You're the greatest!

;)

Servus!

I can't think of anything more horrible than "airless" tires. RangerGirl already complains that there are multiple pairs of half-dead tires lying around tha house, so just what I need are tires that will last FOREVER! Then I'll never be able to justify the old pairs with "I'll ride them eventually...."

Airless tires..kinda like a Twinky with no cream filling, coffee without cream and sugar, schitzel ohne pommes und salat!

I rest my case.

Airless tires are probably safer than conventional ones only for the fact that one cannot even get out of the yard with them.

The turkey says...
http://www.spam.com/assets/hp/SusansTurkey.gif