Goat Herder
Member
Also what is the life span of your rear wheels & spokes with 75 mile round trips? What kind of wheel are you using and what gauge spokes are involved?
Tires Amerityre - The Pros and the Cons
- Thread starter DuctTapedGoat
- Start date
happycheapskate
Active Member
Looks like your review carries a lot of weight. 
We are eager to hear how the tires last, and if your wheels are holding up.
I still wonder why the tire is spinning. Maybe you can sand the inside surface of the rim a little bit for traction, or use something sticky like hair spray on the rim where the tire meets it. That works for hand grips, maybe it will help your wheel set up. Maybe lining your rims with Gorilla Tape duct tape will help stop the spinning.
If the tires are going on by hand without the spatula A. T. sends with them, maybe your rims are too wide.
We are eager to hear how the tires last, and if your wheels are holding up.
I still wonder why the tire is spinning. Maybe you can sand the inside surface of the rim a little bit for traction, or use something sticky like hair spray on the rim where the tire meets it. That works for hand grips, maybe it will help your wheel set up. Maybe lining your rims with Gorilla Tape duct tape will help stop the spinning.
If the tires are going on by hand without the spatula A. T. sends with them, maybe your rims are too wide.
DuctTapedGoat
Active Member
Well, big thing for me is when I air up a tire, I try to go 55-80 pounds, depending on the tire size (ie [roughly] touring bike - 80lbs, mtn bike - 65lbs, bmx - 55lbs). I can't stand riding when theres tire drag, it makes a huge difference in the amount of torque it takes to reach your top end. So, that's how there's explosions. Of course, this is a summer thing, doing 40 on a bike in 100 degree temps, that tube expands. When I go on a tubed ride, I use 2 liners per tire and "thorn resistant" tubes, that are about twice the thickness on the outside.
My rear wheel life was about 5-6 months tops on the stock setup, standard 14G spokes. I installed my new wheel today, it's a right and left hand threaded 14G, so as it's not torquing the spokes, that will massively increase wheel life. Now, that's "wheel" life.
As far as tire life...
This tire has been used since summer '10. Since the tread wore off, there really hasn't been a significant amount of degredation to it.
It's not possible that the rim is too wide - the next biggest is for a 2 (new style beach cruiser size), and my frame won't accept a wheel setup that large.
I've thought of different things I can do to prevent the spinning, but it's not so bad really. The rim doesn't peel out inside the tire on takeoff, it's just on the top speed ebrake stops.
Now, today I got my new wheel built (finished after dark, will put pics up tomorrow in the daylight) and I swapped that tire over onto the new rim. I actually believe it was due to a bad spoke nut liner, so I may have to retract that whole statement about it slipping on the rim. Though, on an older liner it would still have merit.
My rear wheel life was about 5-6 months tops on the stock setup, standard 14G spokes. I installed my new wheel today, it's a right and left hand threaded 14G, so as it's not torquing the spokes, that will massively increase wheel life. Now, that's "wheel" life.
As far as tire life...
This tire has been used since summer '10. Since the tread wore off, there really hasn't been a significant amount of degredation to it.
It's not possible that the rim is too wide - the next biggest is for a 2 (new style beach cruiser size), and my frame won't accept a wheel setup that large.
I've thought of different things I can do to prevent the spinning, but it's not so bad really. The rim doesn't peel out inside the tire on takeoff, it's just on the top speed ebrake stops.
Now, today I got my new wheel built (finished after dark, will put pics up tomorrow in the daylight) and I swapped that tire over onto the new rim. I actually believe it was due to a bad spoke nut liner, so I may have to retract that whole statement about it slipping on the rim. Though, on an older liner it would still have merit.
happycheapskate
Active Member
Maybe you don't want to use a rim strip since there is no tube to bust. If your rim size matches the specifications for the tire, you should be able to get it to quit slipping. Maybe you can try the sandpaper scuffing and hair spray idea. Let us know how it goes. I think a lot of people are interested in the Amertyres but afraid of the pits and the costs if it doesn't work.
For me the price is somewhat high, but if they never flat, you save on tubes And if you ride a bike inside a job site or to work, one Tardy could cost you a job these days, so any price for a tire would be good if you could get a mulligan.
For me the price is somewhat high, but if they never flat, you save on tubes
And if you ride a bike inside a job site or to work, one Tardy could cost you a job these days, so any price for a tire would be good if you could get a mulligan.
Goat Herder
Member
Well these tires are sounding a lot more impressive than I first thought. How many miles are you getting on a rear wheel per average until there broken. Re repairs?
Being that you are used to 80 some ought psi tires these airless tires must have slowed you down considerably. I have been pretty peachy with 40 to 45 psi me at taller than six foot and 240 pounds or so even with cargo added to the equation as an active peddler. I never had any luck airing up that high. 26x2.7 tires around 45 psi has been my favorite. Pretty nice but still hard cushy response with hard cornering and the lot.
Being that you are used to 80 some ought psi tires these airless tires must have slowed you down considerably. I have been pretty peachy with 40 to 45 psi me at taller than six foot and 240 pounds or so even with cargo added to the equation as an active peddler. I never had any luck airing up that high. 26x2.7 tires around 45 psi has been my favorite. Pretty nice but still hard cushy response with hard cornering and the lot.
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DuctTapedGoat
Active Member
Well, you still want the rim strip. I have a new rim and strip now, so once I get my brakes tuned up and fitted to this new wheel I'll give it a power test. But I think the rim strip is actually what is going to prevent it from sliding in the rim. Hairspray is an alright idea, but it will drift/crawl I'm sure slowly. Like if your tube is losing pressure, you can see it drifting by checking the valve stem every so often.
I've actually only completely broken one, and that's because I didn't know about the hard corners thing at first. It secures in by kinda snapping in. It's got fins/tabs on the sides hugging the inside of the rim, and if you "grind out" of them on a hard turn it can tear the tabs/fins, and will be more prone to grinding out on a less extreme turn in the future on that spot of the wheel. I'll take a pic tomorrow of it. This is my second pair, and I'd be lying if I told you an exact timeframe before I thought it necessary to replace. About a year and a half or so. At the time I was about 230lbs, and I'm down to 170 now, so I'm sure this one will at least last me as long, hoping for 2 years. I really can't put a solid number of miles on it cause I don't have an odometer, but I know I can say thousands.
Actually, as far as solid anythings are concerned, these feel like they've got at least 65-70 lbs in them, so it's very comfortable in that respect. You feel the bumps, but I'm a hardtail guy who likes to feel the road he's riding on. I surely wouldn't use these in any offroad situation. Of course, if you've ever ridden on a touring bike with 80 lbs, you'd know that the tradeoff for feeling the bumps is that you have what at least feels like zero drag.
An added thing about these on a motorized bike is that there is more weight at a lower center of balance on them and a lot more torque and speed than what they would have been rated for.
I've actually only completely broken one, and that's because I didn't know about the hard corners thing at first. It secures in by kinda snapping in. It's got fins/tabs on the sides hugging the inside of the rim, and if you "grind out" of them on a hard turn it can tear the tabs/fins, and will be more prone to grinding out on a less extreme turn in the future on that spot of the wheel. I'll take a pic tomorrow of it. This is my second pair, and I'd be lying if I told you an exact timeframe before I thought it necessary to replace. About a year and a half or so. At the time I was about 230lbs, and I'm down to 170 now, so I'm sure this one will at least last me as long, hoping for 2 years. I really can't put a solid number of miles on it cause I don't have an odometer, but I know I can say thousands.
Actually, as far as solid anythings are concerned, these feel like they've got at least 65-70 lbs in them, so it's very comfortable in that respect. You feel the bumps, but I'm a hardtail guy who likes to feel the road he's riding on. I surely wouldn't use these in any offroad situation. Of course, if you've ever ridden on a touring bike with 80 lbs, you'd know that the tradeoff for feeling the bumps is that you have what at least feels like zero drag.
An added thing about these on a motorized bike is that there is more weight at a lower center of balance on them and a lot more torque and speed than what they would have been rated for.
Goat Herder
Member
I hear you on the hard aired tires. It been my experience I could never trust them that hard of aired.
Do you have any examples or links to folks using these tires on touring bikes cross country? Any on line journals? Pictorials diary's ''Peddling'' and all? My experience has been the opposite to an extent. I have ran race bikes with thin light weight tubes that were great. Then put in tire liners the bike was slower. A heavy duty tube and liner it was even slower. You like to ride on concrete tires aye? I mean at some point dunno but bear rims would be grease lighting then their super hard! Just saying..
There is a loss of traction when tires are aired up this hard on a touring bike too. Trying to grip the road. Skipping like a rock on a pond! IMHO
If your motor is doing all the work why such a hard ride. I got china's that will easily go 35 and occasionally 40 all day long against the mountains here at the city streets.. I have been dedicating all my time to full suspension designs to make my motorized bikes into Cadillacs.
I got a full sus Morini that will go faster!
I am getting to be an old man I got 40 years of peddling under my belt. I actively peddle all the time too. I live for it. Daily lol. I understand to an extent what your saying about airing the tires hard tho. I have tried it and it works too. But what happens to me when going clear across town I go to fast on my peddle bikes to be safe . I always said I was in it for the work out. I've just slowed myself to a work out now days. Find a different gear. http://motorbicycling.com/attachments/f11/28871d1283972071-goats-head-001.jpg This was converted to touring gears.
A guy does not really need a tour de france bike for what I do. This pig is bullet proof too! It wont fall apart like a Carbon fiber bike. My best distance is 75 miles in one day on this. I like it best and can go around 15 to 25 miles daily is fine tho. I take the latter of the two. Usually three days on two days off that sorta thing. Vise versa. I can't bring my self to past 47 psi on it tho fear of a blow out. On these the biggest they make. http://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.asp?id=57283-Wtb+Moto+Raptor+Race+Folding+Mountain+Tire
When I run my motorized I go into animal mode .. Sos theres totally contradicting my self! lol.
I can see your prospective view on not wanting to get a flat . These tires may be a great alternative for folks in hopeless Environments. Feeling like they've got at least 65-70 psi lbs in them is a huge improvement from when I tried this brand 12 years ago. But I just tried their tubes now I remember.
I got a good pneumatic recipe going on that's been working great so far for my climate.
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DuctTapedGoat
Active Member
As far as touring bikes are concerned, I don't even know if they (Amerityre) makes them. I had an OLD touring bike once with a solid front, and it was like car tire material and a slick one to boot. Never could get it off...
Oh yeah - but that's what makes it fun (the skipping feeling), feels like you're just effortlessly gliding down the pavement, it's sheer ecstasy. You really don't have to fear a blowout on a touring bike - cause the tire is a smaller diameter, you can get a much higher psi than you'd imagine. Took me a while before I had the nerve to inflate it so much, but when I did it was well worth it.
I don't have the money for a rear mounted motor on any bike, much less one with full ride, but even with a chopper I'm all about the hardtail. On a full ride bike you can get max psi and a smooth ride. A big thing about max psi with a motored bike is that you accelerate faster and you have a higher top speed. That drag really does make a noticable difference.
I've seen forty dollar solid tubes that have a huge amount of drag, but really, when I see solid tubes I know they're not going to have the hard compound that at least I look for. I have yet to find one that actually emulates more than 45psi.
I don't know how much they sell for in other parts of the country, but I get mine at the local Les Schwab Tires for 20$+tax. For what they cost, they're definitely worth investigating, and if they don't suit your fancy, then it's not much a loss for a full set.
Honestly, I want to get some of these mounted on a saddlebag for my next bike that runs aired wheels - if I get a flat, just switch out the aired tube and tire with the solid tire. Nothing will ever compare to the psi you can cram into an aired tire, but even if someone were to be completely against them, to use them as emergency airless tires is a great idea.
Oh yeah - but that's what makes it fun (the skipping feeling), feels like you're just effortlessly gliding down the pavement, it's sheer ecstasy. You really don't have to fear a blowout on a touring bike - cause the tire is a smaller diameter, you can get a much higher psi than you'd imagine. Took me a while before I had the nerve to inflate it so much, but when I did it was well worth it.
I don't have the money for a rear mounted motor on any bike, much less one with full ride, but even with a chopper I'm all about the hardtail. On a full ride bike you can get max psi and a smooth ride. A big thing about max psi with a motored bike is that you accelerate faster and you have a higher top speed. That drag really does make a noticable difference.
I've seen forty dollar solid tubes that have a huge amount of drag, but really, when I see solid tubes I know they're not going to have the hard compound that at least I look for. I have yet to find one that actually emulates more than 45psi.
I don't know how much they sell for in other parts of the country, but I get mine at the local Les Schwab Tires for 20$+tax. For what they cost, they're definitely worth investigating, and if they don't suit your fancy, then it's not much a loss for a full set.
Honestly, I want to get some of these mounted on a saddlebag for my next bike that runs aired wheels - if I get a flat, just switch out the aired tube and tire with the solid tire. Nothing will ever compare to the psi you can cram into an aired tire, but even if someone were to be completely against them, to use them as emergency airless tires is a great idea.
Goat Herder
Member
Far as peddling is concerned I gave up on touring bikes all together and went to mountain bikes period here at age 15. Done up always with touring type gearing The tires were way to fragile at the time to me..It always took nothing to bend a wheel too. That has not changed to this day .I am hard headed I was always in it for the work out. Nothing makes me feel better than to pass a spandex guy with my set of knobbys a humming me in a pair of plain ol genes.
The tradition mountain bike tire for me has just been bullet proof. I like to build a bike one time only type deal. My early bikes that did not have sealed bearings I would drill a small hole in the center of the hubs to pump grease into. I hated patching tubes or any thing. If somebody offered me a ride . I always refused I would not even use a quick release to temporally remove a wheel. And I have been in just about every wicked winter storm. Some way more peaceful than others that I really enjoyed.
I ran some town and country slicks that were very fast. Those tires are really bullet proof. http://www.rei.com/media/gg/b4156b88-2ba9-4ea7-b5e3-dbe0d66a0ce3.jpg I had to question my traction at times tho. These could be aired up petty hard too 65 psi. I was disappointed to not be able to get them bigger than 26x1.9". As a mountain bike tire this was race mode on bad to the bone!!! I took a nasty spill in Austin Texas one time slid all the way through a busy intersection with just a narrow scratching, rush hour at full speed 35 mph lol . Still cannot figure how I got that lucky!
If it even so much as drizzled out there a bike would flip right out from under me. [oil would come out of the pavement I guess] So out of plain ol voodoo self preservation those rapture tires were born and are now have been my all time favorite now 10 years running. They would hold the pavement good out there and were still pretty fast. I was getting side ways just making a casual 10 mile an hour stop sign corner before that.
I really should put me together a true touring bike again. Your making them sound to good lol. But it might ruin my no flat and accident free record! My pneumatic tire recipe don't seam to work as well with those tiny tires. They have such a small volume of air to began with.
I am really deeply rooted into the BMX days. I don't live in Austin Texas any more and dry rot is coming up on the peddler. I am getting another set of continentals! Guess I just needed to here some of that hard aired talk again Thanks!!
The tradition mountain bike tire for me has just been bullet proof. I like to build a bike one time only type deal. My early bikes that did not have sealed bearings I would drill a small hole in the center of the hubs to pump grease into. I hated patching tubes or any thing. If somebody offered me a ride . I always refused I would not even use a quick release to temporally remove a wheel. And I have been in just about every wicked winter storm. Some way more peaceful than others that I really enjoyed.
I ran some town and country slicks that were very fast. Those tires are really bullet proof. http://www.rei.com/media/gg/b4156b88-2ba9-4ea7-b5e3-dbe0d66a0ce3.jpg I had to question my traction at times tho. These could be aired up petty hard too 65 psi. I was disappointed to not be able to get them bigger than 26x1.9". As a mountain bike tire this was race mode on bad to the bone!!! I took a nasty spill in Austin Texas one time slid all the way through a busy intersection with just a narrow scratching, rush hour at full speed 35 mph lol . Still cannot figure how I got that lucky!
If it even so much as drizzled out there a bike would flip right out from under me. [oil would come out of the pavement I guess] So out of plain ol voodoo self preservation those rapture tires were born and are now have been my all time favorite now 10 years running. They would hold the pavement good out there and were still pretty fast. I was getting side ways just making a casual 10 mile an hour stop sign corner before that.
I really should put me together a true touring bike again. Your making them sound to good lol. But it might ruin my no flat and accident free record! My pneumatic tire recipe don't seam to work as well with those tiny tires. They have such a small volume of air to began with.
I am really deeply rooted into the BMX days. I don't live in Austin Texas any more and dry rot is coming up on the peddler. I am getting another set of continentals! Guess I just needed to here some of that hard aired talk again Thanks!!
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DuctTapedGoat
Active Member
For a set of mountain bike slicks, those look pretty good.
Whenever I can be an advocate for rock hard tires, I try to be there.
Whenever I can be an advocate for rock hard tires, I try to be there.
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