Andrew_Culture

I have just a few days ago. They're... interesting. They didn't suffer from the brutal rolling-resistance I was expecting.

Like a lot of cyclists I've rolled my eyes every time some company claims to have cracked the 'solid tyres code'. I'm a writer by profession so with a journalistic hat on (well, a bike helmet I guess) I decided to get in touch with Tannus and ask some difficult questions. They responded by giving me a pair of tyres to try for myself. Hmm, this post is looking like an advert, and that's most certainly isn't what it is! I've been pondering Tannus tyres ever since I saw them exhibiting at the SPIN urban exhibition in London in early 2014. At SPIN I chatted to the guys on the stand, who I think were the distributors, and asked a bunch of what I thought were intelligent questions. They responded by inviting me to take a ride around the exhibition on a bike they had fitted with some of their solid tyres. I took them up on the offer, but of course trying to ride a bike at an exhibition proves nothing other than how dangerous it is to try and ride a bike an exhibition

So I did naff all for most of this year, but then got hit by a load of P*nctures and needed to move my Bontrager Hardcases from my singlespeed to my geared bike, so needed a new pair of tyres for my singlespeed, so considered getting solid tyres again.

But each time I read up on solid tyres I decided against buying them, they've popped up every few years for as long as bicycles have been about, but they always prove unusable and fade away away. Most complaints focus on poor (or even unsafe) handling and either a harsh ride or a ride so sloppy that rolling resistance is a real problem. One of the horror stories that really alarmed me was people talking about braking hard and the solid tyres continuing to roll once the rim had been stopped! Eeep!

I won't go into great detail with regards to my test ride, I wrote up a full (3000 word!) review for VeloBalls.com. But my first impressions were, um, these are a bit unforgiving. There's also a video review knocking about on YouTube, but as I'm new to BikeForums.net I don't want to take the mick and post a bunch of links! On the whole I'd say this new generation of solid tyres are 'fine', but possibly best suited to commuting (which is why I considered posting this reply in the 'folder' section of this site). Tannus say they're constantly perfecting these tyres, and in terms of using them all year round on road bikes I'd say (harshly) that they've got a bit more developing to do just yet. But for using on my SingleSpeed, steel-framed commuter bike they work just fine. As a tiny added bonus I love not having to check the tyre pressures before leaving the house!

My full review is here - Tannus solid tyres - an HONEST review - VeloBallsVeloBalls