Apparently Goodyear in Europe developed a tire that uses a corn based filler for tires. 1 pound in 20 is corn product, so not a replacement for vulcanized rubber or anything.

There's talk of better performance, lower rolling resistance, in addition to some ecological advantages (renewable resource, less energy used in production).

Anyone have any idea if we'll see this technology in bicycle tires? Goodyear doesn't seem to make bicycle tires any more. Do they have any affiliates/subsidiaries that do?

Anyone know about the economics of how technologies trickle down into the bicycle market? Will some other company have to license the process from Goodyear?

Zane

Rubber comes from a tree. Goodyear is probably trying to tap into the "green" market by doing something that technically makes no sense but marketing thinks is a good idea.

Natural rubber comes from a tree.
Your tires come from oil.

Yea, that's what we need. Higher food prices so they can build tires out of corn.

Yeah, higher food prices for dirt poor people in, say, Haiti so Americans can feel environmentally conscious. Ick.

Still, if my bicycle could be made from domestically produced renewable materials it would be nice.

Are modern tires all petroleum based then? Not vulcanized natural rubber?