Tires Amerityre - The Pros and the Cons

[happycheapskate]

http://www.ripoffreport.com/auto-tire-shops/air-free-tires/air-free-tires-air-free-tires-73yww.htm

I looked up "Airfreetires.com rip off" and found this. Apparently they've cheated other people too, and may not even actually sell any tires.

http://gregg.berkholtz.net/blog/arc...airfreetires.com-is-just-a-scam-site-now.html

quoting this poster: For over a year I've exchanged "order tickets" and emails with the folks at AirFreeTires, and while they've had one convincing excuse after another, I'm now among the ranks of those whom have been scammed by "Hugh Waters" of AirFreeTires. Nu-Teck Corporation and Air Free Tires have claimed a business relationship for the last ten years...one is forced to wonder; after so many years of complaints, is Nu-Tek actually in cohorts with AirFreeTires - why else would a business retain such a relationship?

Despite a far better ranking when I ordered, AirFreeTires now gets a solid "F" from the BetterBusinessBureau, and from me:
http://centralflorida.app.bbb.org/newsearch2.asp?ComID=07330024000243

Since I was beginning to wear-down my existing airless tire, and had become frustrated with the scam site that is now www.airfreetires.com, I began looking elsewhere.

To my pleasure, I discovered that Kenda has a wheelchair and scooter tire division, including airless tire inserts asserting upwards of a simulated 90PSI: www.americanairless.com Now, Kenda is a name I can count on being around! There's some local suppliers which even carry the inserts, although I ended up buying from www.noflattires.net - the 1st order arrived just inside of a week, and the 2nd larger order came just as fast. "

 

[happycheapskate]

Paypal has sacked www.airfreetires.com for my money back, hooray! I get it in 5 days.

We have concluded our investigation into your case and have decided in your
favor.

We were able to recover $93.80 USD and this amount has been credited to
you. Please allow five business days for this adjustment to be posted.

If you are due any additional funds, we will make our best effort to
recover the balance from the seller.


If the seller's account has insufficient funds to complete the refund owed
to you, please be assured that we will take appropriate action against the
seller's account, which may include limitation of the seller's account
privileges.


-----------------------------------
Transaction Details
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Seller's Name: Air Less Tires
Seller's Email: services@murraystreet.net
Seller's Transaction ID: 5AP05838YY732201R

Transaction Date: Jan 14, 2011
Transaction Amount: -$93.80 USD
Invoice ID: 103483
Your Transaction ID: 7X1766131U4511618
Case Number: PP-001-209-926-934

Buyer's Transaction ID: 7X1766131U4511618




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I am going to postpone purchase of foam tires for now, and just use some cheapy cruiser tires on my wifes bike. Oh well. I will try them another time.

 

[DuctTapedGoat]

I'm glad you're getting your money back.

I'm sad about your experience, I love em personally (air-free tires, not airfreetires.com)! But as bad a rap as "airless" has with bike riders, I hope it doesn't put /too/ bad a second thought in your head when it comes to solids.

 

[happycheapskate]

EDIT: for people just dropping in on this thread,
US mfgr of foam tires Amerityre, has recommended vendor www.noflattires.net
http://motoredbikes.com/showpost.php?p=306658&postcount=48

I'm still willing to try them, but I can't justify the expense right now. I'm low on cash, and I've got a bunch of pneumatic tires here already. I just put some 26x1.5 pavement treads (and SLIME, you should be happy!) on my wife's bike and she was very happy with the look of the bike and speed increase, so now I have an extra pair of Kenda dirt tires (low buck, wire bead, awesome treads for singletrack), and saved $100.

Sometime I'll get a pair for novelty, but it's expensive. Maybe the price will come down in the future, or at least they will be sold in a local tire or bike shop.

 

[happycheapskate]

http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?t=17548
The tires actually were shipped (a week ago according to UPS), it just took them months to ship out, and Airfree never answered the phone or answered Paypal's inquest.

Airfree posted a thread as a vendor here:

Link to other thread on Airfree site and the foam tires.

 

[happycheapskate]

*bump.

Noflattires.net has gone out of business.

Here, I just got off the phone with Bruce at Amerityre, and he gave me this number for Rob Slagel, a distributer of Amerityre bicycle tires. He said NoFlatTires is out of business and was not happy with them.

He said he recommended

Rob Slagle (S&S Tire/Affordable Turf Tires) in Phoenix AZ
602 721 2410

 

[PhoobarID]

Also got the solids from Les Schwab in Twin Falls...

Well, I picked mine up for country blocks and distance commuting on pavement. The desert riding out here is pretty good, but I definitely wouldn't want to take it downhilling where I'd need the hard cornering ability.

I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of them firsthand!

Am doing a rebuild and got a pair of these in the 1.9 size for my beach cruiser. As soon as I get my rebuilt HD freewheel/Sturmey-Archer drum front from the bike store...will be putting these onto the new wheels. After reading the posts...am thinking about using this for the rear and a standard air-tire for the front.

You mentioned hard cornering. I use my MB to ride on pavement back/forth to work...to the grocery store...irritating people spending $50-100 when I ask for $1 of gas and for sightseeing when I'm in no hurry to get anywhere. In the past 2-3 years...there was only one time I can remember needing to watch out for another idiot in a truck sightseeing with a line of traffic behind him. With the way I ride...are the +/-'s you mentioned going to be something I need to deal with...except for the times when people are not paying attention?

 

[happycheapskate]

I like Amerityres very much, think they feel a lot like regular bicycle tires. The Nu-techs felt "spongy" and are very "low profile" but corner well; even though it feels like a low tire when cornering hard, they stay hooked up. The friction drive does not get along with the Nu-tech though, so I had to go back to conventional slicks on the rear.

 

[PhoobarID]

I like Amerityres very much, think they feel a lot like regular bicycle tires. The Nu-techs felt "spongy" and are very "low profile" but corner well; even though it feels like a low tire when cornering hard, they stay hooked up. The friction drive does not get along with the Nu-tech though, so I had to go back to conventional slicks on the rear.

Am glad some are willing to try these and let the world know what they are like. Mine...are 26 X 1.95 made by Amerityres! Had no idea this was the brand...but at $23 a piece...thought they were low priced enough and Les Schwab is a decent company who's helped me with problems in the past. My roommate has had them on his mountain bike for some time and would get more when he needs to.

When I took the rear wheel into the store to get the right size...they were a beast to get on in the store and even worse to get off. I couldn't and the tire installer took a few minutes to get it off. Will be using a rim strip on each rim...just like I would with a tube/tire.

Myself...am wanting to use my MB to replace the car when it's not too cold. With my car having broken down this past winter with a flat tire during a snow store and needing to get rides to work...am spending the money to make sure I can get around. Don't jack around with my bike...since at 50...I'm too old to wreck and get well the way I did when I was younger. I take it that using my MB for this...these solids shouldn't be something to cause me too much grief?

 

[happycheapskate]

Removing the rim strip can make them much easier to get on. I put the 20" ones on by hand, easily. The 26" was a little more snug, and required the plastic paddle, but wasn't hard at all. You should be able to "snap" it on the rim nearest the floor, and work it around, then paddle it over the last 1/4 of the rim.

Water helps, but don't use soap, because it makes greasy stains on the yellow ones! I don't know if it matters on the black ones.

$20 is ok price for me. Is there Les Swalbe in Texas USA? I will have to search online and call them.

What wheels are you using? The Amerityres I got said "for steel rims only" (I guess meaning hooked bead, single wall common cheap wheels), but a 20" x 1.95 pair I have on a kid trailer is doing fine on aluminum dbl wall rims.