Tannus Tyres?

[potsy]

True but I'm now thinking of these for my SS bike (after seeing Jonny Jeez's thread about belt drive). It sounds like an idea to have a completely minimal maintenance bike in the shed that I can just grab and use (I know that the tyres are currently flat but not punctured on the SS at the moment for example)

If you do go for a pair could you post a video of you fitting them please Martin

 

[martint235]

If you do go for a pair could you post a video of you fitting them please Martin

Are you trying to suggest something potsy? Think I might snap the rim or something?

 

[thefatcyclist]

I had them fitted on my mtb commuter and whilst they felt a little harsh they were stable enough although I didn't like them. My commute times took about an extra 10-15 minutes over a 12-13 mile commute through London and left me feeling completely knackered after a couple of days. I ended up going back t back to marathon plus.

 

[Cush]

...Not for bike-hobbyist commuters, but if you really don't want to muck around on the way to a business meeting, they seem great. If you ride a folder, with hub gears and belt drive, on rail/bus/bike combination journeys, if you wear a suit, if you ride your bike occasionally, if you are mechanically inept, if you are a little old lady who's hands lack the strength to remove or fit a tyre, these are good news.

I am none of the above, just an average competent cyclist with a hub gear that needs to be sure he hasn't got a puncture before setting off to catch a train. Up until now I have noticed little difference in my av MPH and that could be down to less riding than normal this summer and I haven't rode with fully laden panniers or tried to beat any personal bests.

 

[Nocode]

I had them fitted on my mtb commuter and whilst they felt a little harsh they were stable enough although I didn't like them. My commute times took about an extra 10-15 minutes over a 12-13 mile commute through London and left me feeling completely knackered after a couple of days. I ended up going back t back to marathon plus.

Yep, I found similar - although I increased my effort to compensate for the time and that ultimately left me feeling more knackered!

How did you find removing them and did you use any special tool? I've heard a stanley knife or strong scissors are required to cut the mounting struts - but I fear getting enough leverage on the tyre to expose them will be a real ball-ache!

 

[jonny jeez]

You have to ask yourself... is it really worth all that expense and hassle over normal tube and tyres?
How many punctures do most people get in a year?
Myself, 4 so far in near 11,000 miles of cycling.

Is changing a puncture now and again really too much of a hassle for people?

Ah, but look at that from the other way...how many times have you carried a spare tube, inflator/pump, patches, levers, gloves and only used them once every 2700 miles.

I love the idea of cycling with nothing but my bank card and mobile...and maybe a spanner.

 

[thefatcyclist]

If I remember rightly I cut the tyres with a Stanley knife and just pulled them out although some of the plastic struts I had to lever with a screwdriver.

 

[jonny jeez]

I'd say there's zero danger of them slipping off. The beads you fit them with use the same part of your rim that the wire beading on inflatable tyres have. In fact I'm worried about what I'm going to do when my tannus outlive my rims!

This isn't some wild and unpredictable new product, they have sold by their millions in the Far East.

Thanks for the PM Andrew.

To share this with the rest of the guys, can you tell me which "hardness" choice you went for, soft, medium or hard...I couldnt catch it from your review.

Also, itseems the new winter bike has a new set of gators on, so I suspect I'll wear them out before I take the tannus option

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I went for hard.

 

[Milkfloat]

I love the concept of them and was thinking of them for the commuter, I could even forgive the fact that they seem a little bit of a hard ride and are a pig to fit. However, to find they are significantly slower than a marathon + puts me off completely.

 

[martint235]

I had them fitted on my mtb commuter and whilst they felt a little harsh they were stable enough although I didn't like them. My commute times took about an extra 10-15 minutes over a 12-13 mile commute through London and left me feeling completely knackered after a couple of days. I ended up going back t back to marathon plus.

An extra 15 mins on my 12 mile commute is 33%, are you sure that was all down to the tyre? I can gain 3 or 4 mins over 12 miles by using my Ti bike on Durano Plus rather than my steel bike on Marathon Plus so 15 mins seems an awful lot.

I'm not trying to be argumentative just making sure all other factors (traffic etc) were comparable.

 

[thefatcyclist]

An extra 15 mins on my 12 mile commute is 33%, are you sure that was all down to the tyre? I can gain 3 or 4 mins over 12 miles by using my Ti bike on Durano Plus rather than my steel bike on Marathon Plus so 15 mins seems an awful lot.

I'm not trying to be argumentative just making sure all other factors (traffic etc) were comparable.

Went from 55-57 minutes to 65-70 last December. In fairness I was dieting and started lifting weights at that time as well so that may have had a bearing on my times dropping off due in part to energy levels. I switched back to the marathon plus April this year after winter layoff the only thing that changed other than the tyres was that I was no longer dieting and my times went back to what they were after 2-3 weeks.

 

[martint235]

Went from 55-57 minutes to 65-70 last December. In fairness I was dieting and started lifting weights at that time as well so that may have had a bearing on my times dropping off due in part to energy levels. I switched back to the marathon plus April this year after winter layoff the only thing that changed other than the tyres was that I was no longer dieting and my times went back to what they were after 2-3 weeks.

Thanks. I may stick some of these on my SS bike but possibly not on the commuter just yet.

 

[CopperBrompton]

As someone so mechanically inept I can strip a thread at 100 metres merely by glancing in its general direction, I would absolutely love these tyres to be the answer. I currently use Marathon Plus, which hardly ever puncture, but the difference between 'hardly ever' and 'never' would be welcome. It would also, as Andrew said in his video, be great to not need to check pressures and top up before a ride.

But I have to say my experience of them couldn't have been more different to Andrew's. They just feel horrible to me. A lot harsher than M+, but the worst thing is the feeling when cornering hard – they just feel like they are falling off the rim. I just wasn't enjoying leaning the bike over at all.

I'll keep hoping someone gets solid tyres right, but Tannus hasn't yet, in my view.

 

[Drago]

How easy are they to dismount and refit to replace spokes?