'solid' tyres

Jeremy Watts said:

Hi,

I've got a mountain bike and I do a lot of touring on it. Thing is I tend to
go away for days on end sometimes and so end up taking camping gear. Because
the bike is loaded down a bit I tend to get more punctures than I would
unloaded, and changing a flaat when the bikes got luggage on it is a pain.

I was wondering whether there is such a thing as solid tyres ie. tyres that
are solid rubber and have no inner tube. I know old bikes sometimes have
this type of tyre but I cant say I've seen them for 26in wheel mountain
bikes.

Anyone know if anybody makes them?

Yes, they exist. Some people like them, but in order to work with any
degree of acceptability, you must tolerate a harsher ride, increased
rolling resistance, and increased difficulty of tire replacement.
They're also rather expensive. There have been numerous negative
comments made about them in this newsgroup in the past. The range of
tire sizes and styles provided is also rather narrow, and not all rim
widths are accommodated; you may find that there's not a suitable unit
for your wheel.

An alternate form of the solid tire 'solution" is a foam-doughnut
replacement for the inner tube. It has all of the demerits of the
solid tire, and it makes mounting even more difficult.

To otherwise reduce the frequency of flats, tire liners, thicker
tubes, and Slime-type puncture sealants all are commonly used; some
tires are sold which allege to have greater puncture resistance, but
those sometimes have increased rolling resistance as a result of their
design. Liners and thick tubes both increase a wheel's weight, and
Slime adds weight while making the eventual tube repair more
difficult.

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Jeremy Watts said:

Hi,

I've got a mountain bike and I do a lot of touring on it. Thing is I tend to
go away for days on end sometimes and so end up taking camping gear. Because
the bike is loaded down a bit I tend to get more punctures than I would
unloaded, and changing a flaat when the bikes got luggage on it is a pain.

I was wondering whether there is such a thing as solid tyres ie. tyres that
are solid rubber and have no inner tube. I know old bikes sometimes have
this type of tyre but I cant say I've seen them for 26in wheel mountain
bikes.

Anyone know if anybody makes them?

Yes, they exist. Some people like them, but in order to work with any
degree of acceptability, you must tolerate a harsher ride, increased
rolling resistance, and increased difficulty of tire replacement.
They're also rather expensive. There have been numerous negative
comments made about them in this newsgroup in the past. The range of
tire sizes and styles provided is also rather narrow, and not all rim
widths are accommodated; you may find that there's not a suitable unit
for your wheel.

An alternate form of the solid tire 'solution" is a foam-doughnut
replacement for the inner tube. It has all of the demerits of the
solid tire, and it makes mounting even more difficult.

To otherwise reduce the frequency of flats, tire liners, thicker
tubes, and Slime-type puncture sealants all are commonly used; some
tires are sold which allege to have greater puncture resistance, but
those sometimes have increased rolling resistance as a result of their
design. Liners and thick tubes both increase a wheel's weight, and
Slime adds weight while making the eventual tube repair more
difficult.

--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

This is a repost because the other news server seems to be no longer
propagating messages very far.

Email to me is just like email to my son, or talking to him for that
matter: messages are not monitored or answered.

In article <[email hidden]>,

(George Herbert Walker) said:

In article Jeremy Watts said:

I've got a mountain bike and I do a lot of touring on it. Thing is I tend to
go away for days on end sometimes and so end up taking camping gear. Because
the bike is loaded down a bit I tend to get more punctures than I would
unloaded, and changing a flaat when the bikes got luggage on it is a pain.

I was wondering whether there is such a thing as solid tyres ie. tyres that
are solid rubber and have no inner tube. I know old bikes sometimes have
this type of tyre but I cant say I've seen them for 26in wheel mountain
bikes.

Anyone know if anybody makes them?

They are made but you just need better tires. These should solve all your
puncture problems:

http://www.schwalbetires.com/new_marathon_plus.html

http://www.cyclesmart.co.uk/shop/index.php/product/tyres/schwalbetyres/marat
honplus/TYS0094.html

They have a centimeter of tire between the tube and the road. The rolling
resistance must be high despite the claims, although still lower than solid
tires, and they are heavy, but you won't have the harsh ride of solid
tires, and they will solve all your puncture problems. If they do not, go
for the solid tires.

--
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

Please excuse the inconvenience allegedly caused by our son. Send
us the bill for all the damages, and we can settle this to your
satisfaction, without any need for a public record of the incident.

Most Sincerely, George and Bar