Schwalbe Airless tyres...?

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Location
South East
Schwalbe Airless
At €84 per tyre, I’m not sure I would be looking at this, even if it were available in the UK, which it currently is not.
It does look like an improvement over Tannus, which to be fair I have no personal experience.
The Schwalbe looks to be using a similar tyre to standard, so this may become much more widespread maybe?
 

Tenkaykev

Guru
Location
Poole
I wonder if they’ll make one to fit a Brompton. Be handy to have on the rear wheel to avoid the faffing about with the tensioner.
 

gom

Über Member
Location
Gloucestershire
An idea that comes round every so often.
My impression is that reviews always say too heavy and sluggish.
But one day improved technology and design may give a good no-puncture tyre. Could this be it? Will have to wait and see, but I also like the idea of no Brompton rear-wheel punctures.
 

Tenkaykev

Guru
Location
Poole
Schwalbe have been in the Business for quite a while and I’m sure that their researchers have looked at many options/ materials.
The fitting jig shown in the photos seems to consist of a plate with rollers that are shaped to fit the expanded polystyrene looking component and I see what’s probably a more rigid small bore plastic pipe reinforcement where the spoke recess is.
 
OP
OP
stoatsngroats
Location
South East
Yes, it does look interesting.
I think this may be a good development, maybe with changing design for the internal composition as things progress.
 

Tenkaykev

Guru
Location
Poole
Looks a lot like a standard wire bead tyre with a hoop of expanded polystyrene for a tube.

You'd have to be mad to try & achieve the same thing with normal tyres & a can of expanding foam from Screwfix. Wouldn't you?
Perhaps squirted into the inner tube, I’m tempted, but not that tempted. Were I still at work this would be just the project to hand to the apprentices 😁👍
 

Tenkaykev

Guru
Location
Poole
300g heavier than a Marathon Plus! :sad:
Be a bit less than that with a Brommie 16” wheel. I’ll email them later and ask if they’d considered a small wheel version. They already make lots of tyres for Brompton, and the inner tubes are excellent.
 
D

Deleted member 26715

Guest
Wonder how many miles before the foam breaks down?
 

T4tomo

Guru
I wonder if they’ll make one to fit a Brompton. Be handy to have on the rear wheel to avoid the faffing about with the tensioner.
You have to be pretty unlucky to puncture a Marathon or Marathon plus tyre though, provided you don't run it at 30psi or other such acts of stupidity. the only Brommie punctures I had (which were on the original brompton tyres, not M or M+) I completed the journey by cab or bus and fixed the puncture in the office (I realise not every brompton journey is a short hop across town, but a lot are)
 

Tenkaykev

Guru
Location
Poole
You have to be pretty unlucky to puncture a Marathon or Marathon plus tyre though, provided you don't run it at 30psi or other such acts of stupidity. the only Brommie punctures I had (which were on the original brompton tyres, not M or M+) I completed the journey by cab or bus and fixed the puncture in the office (I realise not every brompton journey is a short hop across town, but a lot are)
Just had the one on my wife’s Brommie. Standard marathon racer, where on inspection the sidewall had a large unrepairable gash in it.
Fortunately she was near a bus stop so no issues with getting home. We fitted a new Marathon Plus so fingers crossed 🤞
 
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