solid tyres

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andrew_s

Legendary Member
Location
Gloucester
The reason they are so harsh is the same reason they are puncture proof - instead of one big air chamber, there are lots of little ones (bubbles, usually).
This means the air can't move away from the point of any pothole impact, but just compresses. If your 25mm tyre is compressed to 12mm, the pressure between the rim and the road is doubled. If it compresses to 6mm, it is quadrupled. In contrast, depressing a normal pneumatic tyre has hardly any effect on the pressure.
What you end up with is a relatively soft tyre that suddenly becomes very hard when you do hit a pothole, with all the possibilities of wheel damage that implies.

There are also other drawbacks. In the interest on making fitting them possible, they aren't as tight a fit on the rim as an inflated pneumatic tyre. There have been cases of people braking in wet weather, and finding that although the wheel stops going round, the tyre doesn't.
 
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biggs682

biggs682

Itching to get back on my bike's
Location
Northamptonshire
lets just say after 4 miles they have been replaced by a pr of hutchinson hp 20 & 22s and its a differant bike

anybody want a pr of solids for cost of post 1 is as new other has donne some miles but still good
 

Stevejo

Active Member
I once had a set of slick solids on my mountain bike because I was sick of puncturing so many times on my way to work through Jarrow on the bikepath seemingly made of broken wine bottles. Ride was terrible, frightening in the rain and kept braking spokes. Replaced them with Schwalbe Marathon Plus and solved all the problems.
 

Camrider

Well-Known Member
Location
Cambridge
I did not know you could still get these. Tried them out years ago and still have the tyre lever to fit them somewhere in the shed.
 
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