Saw this today - interesting thing: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6WIOQ3Jf5a4
Interesting - 3D printed bike tires
Cute idea, but I have a feeling this doesn’t actually work.
The pneumatic tire is unbeatable when it comes to ride comfort vs rolling resistance. The entire volume of air in the tire works as a spring to absorb impacts, while only deforming a small amount. Any airless tire, no matter how cleverly made, can only rely on the parts that are mechanically connected to the contact patch and the rim. It therefore has to deform more to absorb impacts, and therefore has higher rolling resistance. You get a worse ride and you have to pedal harder!
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The late great Sheldon Brown had this to say…
"Airless tires have been obsolete for over a century, but crackpot “inventors” keep trying to bring them back. They are heavy, slow and give a harsh ride. "
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