Tubes No Flat Tires(BELL Rigid Foam Tire Insert) No Air tubes

[Bonefish]

Anyone try one of these, putting it in the rear tire instead of an air tube, so you never get flat tires? does it work, how hard is it to install? how much does it slow your bike down with the extra weight? I know it doesn't weight that much, but rolling weight is very different from non moving stationary weight.

thanks,

 

[GearNut]

From what I have read, it is a good idea that does not work out well.
They develop flat spots and eventually ride bumpy. They are a royal PITA to install, and make tire changes all that much more difficult.
A better way to go is a heavy duty innertube and a flat proof tire liner or two.
Some folks use a tire liner and cut up a sacrificial heavy duty innertube to make a second, more supple liner arrangement, both in the tire in addition to a heavy duty innertube.

 

[wheelbender6]

I think a combination pneumatic/non-pneumatic tire may be successful.
A non-pneumatic tube, with half of the required cross section (width) could be installed closest to the rim.
An outer pneumatic tube with half the required cross section could be mounted over the non-pneumatic tube, nearest the tire.
When the pneumatic tube goes flat during a ride, the non-pneumatic tube provides enough cushion to get you home without rim damage.
I got the idea from NASCAR. They run a tubless race tire, but a smaller tube lies within the tire to provide some control and cushioning when the tire punctures.

 

[Clotho]

With my first bike I had a problem with getting rear flats all the time. Nearly every other ride. Never the front. Always the rear wheel. I used one of these airless tubes to solve the problem. It worked quite well but the ride had a mushy feel to it.

As previously stated they can be very difficult to install. They also have a tendency to break spokes.

Now that I have built a few more bikes I now know that the real problem was geometry. That first bike was too small for me and I needed something with a longer wheelbase. The 3 bikes I have built since were all bigger and I haven't had any problems with rear tires failing.

 

[happycheapskate]

The foam tubes are for little kids bikes.

They are for kids bikes and the cheap walmarts that hang in the garage 360 days a year.

They break spokes because they do not distribute the forces of suspension against many spokes at a time (think suspension bridge), but concentrate it sharply on a couple pairs at a time. This causes rapid fatigue or spoke loosening.

Also, sharp curbs or potholes may cause rim dings or catastrophic failure.

They do have a "mushy" ride feel (see above) and are subject to temperature related inconsistency.

I tried them on a 26" generic rigid bike. Waste of money.

 

[happycheapskate]

A product you might like!

SLIME company makes 26" modern mountain bike tires, that are basically tubeless tires with slime in them, which have clincher flanges so they can mount on the normal wheel. I've ordered some from Nashbar but haven't seen them, still waiting.

Nashbar Elevator tires (good recessed patter tread! I love these) with kevlar belt
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_172915_-1_201492_10000_201496
$18

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes//Product_10053_10052_500084_-1___
Slime tubeless tire for clincher rims $10! includes slime inside tire.

 

[give me vtec]

I have one on the front of my GEBE townie. The back tire was a little too big so I put the air-filled tube back in it.

For the most part I like it... It adds more centripetal force to the wheel which makes it more stable (the front tire wobbles a little on the townie if you take your hands off the handlebar, so that was actually a plus for me). It is a little strange at first and the play in between the tire and tube makes me take wider lines around corners but other than that I cant even tell it is there.

Bottom line... I like it enough to keep it in.

 

[Ray_ja]

What if you filled the tube with high expanding foam from Lowes. Take out the valve stem, and fill it with foam and put everything back together before curring? Do you think it would work or would it be too stiff?

 

[Zev0]

SLIME company makes 26" modern mountain bike tires, that are basically tubeless tires with slime in them, which have clincher flanges so they can mount on the normal wheel. I've ordered some from Nashbar but haven't seen them, still waiting.

Nashbar Elevator tires (good recessed patter tread! I love these) with kevlar belt
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_172915_-1_201492_10000_201496
$18

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes//Product_10053_10052_500084_-1___
Slime tubeless tire for clincher rims $10! includes slime inside tire.

That tubeless tires sounds interesting. Know of anyone that has tried one?

 

[GearNut]

What if you filled the tube with high expanding foam from Lowes. Take out the valve stem, and fill it with foam and put everything back together before curring? Do you think it would work or would it be too stiff?

That stuff cures to a brittle consistency and crushes under a heavy load.
I doubt it would last, but you could always try it out and report back to us.