Road Cycling - helium in tires

anybody ever tried it?

wonder what it would be like to ride with helium in the tires?

It would be almost exactly the same as riding with air in the tires...

...just more expensive!
Seriously, as a joke, I once did the calculations for adding hydrogen to a pair of bike tyres (it was to be for an Airborne Zeppelin, BTW:D ), and found that the weight savings would be about 2 grams total. Helium would likely be half that. And more expensive, too. Using the calculation:
m=PV/RT
You could calculate the weight of the compressed air in your tyres. Since air is generally 30g/mole, and helium is4g/mole, it weighs 1/7.5 that of air. Still, the weight of compressed air is negligible. Formula 1 racers use nitrogen in their tyres, but that is only because it is less reactive, and therefore will hold a constant pressure better. If there were any significant weight benefit, I'm sure a F1 team would've started putting helium inside tyres years ago.

Did Franceso Moser not ride with helium filled tyres in one of his hour record successes?

it was to be for an Airborne Zeppelin, BTW
D'Alex
You should know that for a Zeppelin it should be filled with Hydrogen, and the bikes name (see other threads)
has to be Hindenburg.
The way I figure the hydrogen would save you additional grams
:lol:

Marty

One group promoting hydrogen as a power storage medium calls itself the "H2indenberg Society," deciding to address public paranoia head-on.

You'd have have to somehow metalise the inner surface of the tyres otherwise the helium molecules would just soak back through the rubber and the tyre'd be flat in an hour or so.

For a truly flying experience, fill the tubes with liquid nitrogen, and then go on your ride.

Wait a couple minutes, and when you hear the characteristic "BWHAM" sound, look around.

You now should be 40 meters in the air.

A Polish Cycling coach "Eddie B" Did it all the time when he coached the USA time trial Road / Track cyclist . They used Continenal Tires at the time.:D

They use nitrogen in car tyres you know.

Originally posted by heybulldog
wonder what it would be like to ride with helium in the tires?
Didn't Mavic market a set of road wheels whose rims were filled w/helium up until a year or two ago? Don't know if Ksyriums carry on the tradition.

I think the only advantage would be psychological (cyclelogical?).

When I was a kid, one of the things we did was inflate a football with helium, so we could throw it further. Worked great.

I wonder if you can get bigger air by filling your bike tires with helium.