Tannus Solid Tyres - Any experience/comments

24

Comments

  • arlowood
    arlowood Posts: 2,561
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    On the back of an envelope.... a 28 mm 700 C solid rubber tyre should weigh between 900 and 1200 grams, depending how porous the rubber.
    A 37 mm Marathon winter with metal studs for snow and ice weighs just under 1000 grams... if I wanted to go extreme I'd rather have the latter


    Ugo - your calculations seem a bit at odds with some of the reported figures.

    CW did a review recently and the quoted weight of a 700c x 23 tyre was 380g

    http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... yre-143850

    Tannus claims that the tyres are made for a polymer-based "nanofoam" - so maybe your numbers based on solid rubber are a bit OTT

    One drawback I've picked up on is that Tannus will not honour any warranty claims if you skid and produce a flat spot as a result. So in an emergency you'll be on a hiding to nothing over whether to save your £100 rear tyre or hit the fast approaching solid object :roll:
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,324
    arlowood wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    On the back of an envelope.... a 28 mm 700 C solid rubber tyre should weigh between 900 and 1200 grams, depending how porous the rubber.
    A 37 mm Marathon winter with metal studs for snow and ice weighs just under 1000 grams... if I wanted to go extreme I'd rather have the latter


    Ugo - your calculations seem a bit at odds with some of the reported figures.

    CW did a review recently and the quoted weight of a 700c x 23 tyre was 380g

    http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... yre-143850

    Tannus claims that the tyres are made for a polymer-based "nanofoam" - so maybe your numbers based on solid rubber are a bit OTT
    :


    OK, in which case they will last close to zero. The porosity will be huge, they won't have any resistance to wear... basically good enough to go to the shop and back, but not to clock some commuting miles on them... I'd be interested to see if they send me a pair... I bet I can annihilate them in a single day... :twisted:
    left the forum March 2023
  • darkhairedlord
    darkhairedlord Posts: 7,180
    the CW article talks about 8% increase in rolling resistance over a "regular Tyre". Nothing on the Tannus website so I expect they don't want us to know just how slow they are.
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    arlowood wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    On the back of an envelope.... a 28 mm 700 C solid rubber tyre should weigh between 900 and 1200 grams, depending how porous the rubber.
    A 37 mm Marathon winter with metal studs for snow and ice weighs just under 1000 grams... if I wanted to go extreme I'd rather have the latter


    Ugo - your calculations seem a bit at odds with some of the reported figures.

    CW did a review recently and the quoted weight of a 700c x 23 tyre was 380g

    http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... yre-143850

    Tannus claims that the tyres are made for a polymer-based "nanofoam" - so maybe your numbers based on solid rubber are a bit OTT
    :


    OK, in which case they will last close to zero. The porosity will be huge, they won't have any resistance to wear... basically good enough to go to the shop and back, but not to clock some commuting miles on them... I'd be interested to see if they send me a pair... I bet I can annihilate them in a single day... :twisted:
    I would hope and assume that these tyres are not homogenous but rather have a foam (porous) core but a solid rubber thread. If they use a low density material throughout then I agree, lifespan is likely to be very poor.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,324
    Ai_1 wrote:
    I would hope and assume that these tyres are not homogenous but rather have a foam (porous) core but a solid rubber thread. If they use a low density material throughout then I agree, lifespan is likely to be very poor.

    Well, if you look at this image, it looks like it's one material only... if they were rubber coated foam, the foam wouldn't need to be coloured to start with, only the coating would be... it would be a bit like shooting yourself in the bollox to add the correct dye even in the foam. The "nano" foam look anything buit nano to me, more like "micro" foam maybe

    gallery08-copy-630x419.jpg
    left the forum March 2023
  • arthur_scrimshaw
    arthur_scrimshaw Posts: 2,596
    passout wrote:
    Buy 2x Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700x25c and you won,t regret it. No installation problems either.
    Ademort

    Agree - go for Marathon pluses. Good prices from Spa Cycles generally.[/quote]

    If you want the ultimate puncture protection this is the way to go, I'd also agree that once you have the knack fitting them is ok too. The bit you're not saying is that they are horrible heavy dead tyres and weigh about 750grms for a 28c, almost as good (re punctures) is the Durano plus which my daughter has on her winter bike at 25c and loves, I have 32c Vittoria Randonneurs pro's which are delightful tyres, light fluffy and also pretty puncture proof. Nice to ride on too.
  • arthur_scrimshaw
    arthur_scrimshaw Posts: 2,596
    Re the solid tyres - not sure if this has been mentioned and can't be bothered to go back and re read all the posts, one of the many benefits of pneumatic tyres is the ability to vary the pressure according to the load and road conditions, that's not possible with solid tyres.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,324
    Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:
    Re the solid tyres - not sure if this has been mentioned and can't be bothered to go back and re read all the posts, one of the many benefits of pneumatic tyres is the ability to vary the pressure according to the load and road conditions, that's not possible with solid tyres.

    Apparently they sell two different grades, which replicate different tyre pressures. TBH their selling point seem to be the wide palette of colours... if they had a great product for road cycling they wouldn't need colours...
    left the forum March 2023
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Ai_1 wrote:
    I would hope and assume that these tyres are not homogenous but rather have a foam (porous) core but a solid rubber thread. If they use a low density material throughout then I agree, lifespan is likely to be very poor.

    Well, if you look at this image, it looks like it's one material only... if they were rubber coated foam, the foam wouldn't need to be coloured to start with, only the coating would be... it would be a bit like shooting yourself in the bollox to add the correct dye even in the foam. The "nano" foam look anything buit nano to me, more like "micro" foam maybe

    gallery08-copy-630x419.jpg
    Yes, based on that picture I'd say you appear to be correct!
    I won't be buying any.
    Surely a foam core tyre with a proper thread is a better solution even if it may still be unnecessary for most of us and a bit rubbish to ride.
  • term1te
    term1te Posts: 1,462
    A long time ago I tried a pair of similar solid tyres, I can't remember the brand, but they came from Halfords in Bracknell. Absolute pants, they were truly awful. Lasted about two weeks on my commuting bike, half of which was trying to get them on. Riding on them felt like I'd strapped a pair of eels to my wheels, very little grip, especially in the wet when it was if the road was covered in mayonnaise it was so slippery. To be fair I didn't get any punctures, but I did attack one with a Stanley knife to get it off the rim. In cross section they looked different to the orange blob above, as they had a couple of nylon (?) bands running through the base, where it sits in the rim. Hence the trouble getting them on. Never again.
    The Master
    The Moser
    The VN
  • dwanes
    dwanes Posts: 954
    Term1te wrote:
    A long time ago I tried a pair of similar solid tyres, I can't remember the brand, but they came from Halfords in Bracknell. Absolute pants, they were truly awful. Lasted about two weeks on my commuting bike, half of which was trying to get them on. Riding on them felt like I'd strapped a pair of eels to my wheels, very little grip, especially in the wet when it was if the road was covered in mayonnaise it was so slippery. To be fair I didn't get any punctures, but I did attack one with a Stanley knife to get it off the rim. In cross section they looked different to the orange blob above, as they had a couple of nylon (?) bands running through the base, where it sits in the rim. Hence the trouble getting them on. Never again.
    Whats that got to do with a Tanus Tyre? Thats like saying you wouldnt buy a car again because you previously owned a 20 year old Skoda Favorit and didnt like it. :roll:
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I've just put my marathon schwalbes plus for the winter. 30mm wide and 800gr.

    They're replacing the maxis tyres I've had on there for a while that were 180gr and didn't give me any flats - so if THEY were ok - I'm almost tempted to save weight by not taking my pump....
  • term1te
    term1te Posts: 1,462
    [/quote]
    Whats that got to do with a Tanus Tyre? Thats like saying you wouldnt buy a car again because you previously owned a 20 year old Skoda Favorit and didnt like it. :roll:[/quote]

    Both are solid tyres, based on closed-cell, probably PU, foams. Both have similar tread patterns and surface texture. So it is not a completely unfair comparison. I checked, and my previous experience was with a Greentyre back in the early 90s. At the time they were going to replace pneumatic tyres as well... I'm all for new tyre technology and am a recent convert to road tubeless tyres, so if their 380g road tyre gets consistent good reviews, I may even try one. Apparantly Tanus have a 5 - 10 year plan to have their tyres used in the TdF. I'd try a set if they achieved that.

    Now if their special foam could be used in place of the innertube in a decent tubular tyre, without adding too much weight, that would be interesting.
    The Master
    The Moser
    The VN
  • charliew87
    charliew87 Posts: 371
    They’ve been on a bit of a PR push recently, piece in the Telegraph here
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/r ... tures.html

    Cycling Weekly here: http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/product- ... res-146970

    I’m very tempted to get some for my single speed commuter bike. Taking the rear wheel off is a massive faff with the chain tensioners & hub bolts. Had a flat in the rain last week and was stuck for 20 mins soaking wet to discover my spare tube had a defective nozzle and ended up having to chain bike to a fence in middle of suburban London for the day which is not ideal. Happy to sacrifice a bit of ride quality to avoid those moments.

    Telegraph review seems positive, supposedly same wattage for 30kph on normal tires equates to 29kph on Tannus tyres and ride quality sounds fine.

    Will wait to see a couple more reviews before investing but looks spot on for my half hour commute. Won’t be getting them on the nice bike for now though.
    Canyon AL Ultimate 9.0
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,324
    charliew87 wrote:
    They’ve been on a bit of a PR push recently, piece in the Telegraph here
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/r ... tures.html

    Cycling Weekly here: http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/product- ... res-146970

    I’m very tempted to get some for my single speed commuter bike. Taking the rear wheel off is a massive faff with the chain tensioners & hub bolts. Had a flat in the rain last week and was stuck for 20 mins soaking wet to discover my spare tube had a defective nozzle and ended up having to chain bike to a fence in middle of suburban London for the day which is not ideal. Happy to sacrifice a bit of ride quality to avoid those moments.

    Telegraph review seems positive, supposedly same wattage for 30kph on normal tires equates to 29kph on Tannus tyres and ride quality sounds fine.

    Will wait to see a couple more reviews before investing but looks spot on for my half hour commute. Won’t be getting them on the nice bike for now though.

    They have a pop up shop in Aldgate East, the road just opposite to Brick Lane, can't remember the name... maybe worth going there and having a chat, rather than just ordering online?
    left the forum March 2023
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,324
    Getting somewhere... they are keen to give me a pair to review but they insist on fitting them, which I don't want as the fit would be an integral part of the review... the idea is: if you can buy them, then you should be able to fit them yourself
    left the forum March 2023
  • dwanes
    dwanes Posts: 954
    Don't see the problem with them fitting them?
    Nobody fits their own car tyres.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,324
    dwanes wrote:
    Nobody fits their own car tyres.

    But many fit their own bicycles tyres. If they well them online, it means you can buy them and fit them. If it's impossible to fit them and only a qualified Tannus member of staff can do it, they are not a good product, if they are easy I am sure I can do it.
    left the forum March 2023
  • gabriel959
    gabriel959 Posts: 4,227
    Indeed, I would expect to fit my tyres every time. Surely if installation is not easy or it is a pain then that should be taken into account in a review.

    On paper I am failing to see their benefits when compared to Schwalbe Marathon Plus, you can get a pair of those for £50 plus inners you are looking at £57 - £58. I have done over 10,000 km with my pair of Marathon Pluses and only had a puncture (a pinch one) once. I bet they handle better than the Tannus tyres and are lighter.
    x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
    Commuting / Winter rides - Jamis Renegade Expert
    Pootling / Offroad - All-City Macho Man Disc
    Fast rides Cannondale SuperSix Ultegra
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Not sure about the weight - I took off a summer tyre the other week (180gr) and replaced it with a Marathon Pus. I seem to recall it weighed about 800gr ? Wiggle seems to back that up. Thats not counting the inner tube too.
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Term1te wrote:
    Now if their special foam could be used in place of the innertube in a decent tubular tyre, without adding too much weight, that would be interesting.

    Tyre 'mousses' have been commonplace in motocross and enduro for quite a few years. No idea how well the idea would translate to cycles though...

    http://www.dirtbikebitz.com/michelin-bi ... -4200.html
  • gabriel959
    gabriel959 Posts: 4,227
    A 700 x 25c Marathon Plus is 595grams but you are right, for some reason I thought they were heavier but a 700 x 23 Tannus is only 430g which is not too bad.
    x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
    Commuting / Winter rides - Jamis Renegade Expert
    Pootling / Offroad - All-City Macho Man Disc
    Fast rides Cannondale SuperSix Ultegra
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,324
    As it happens, I picked up a pair of Tannus 28 this morning to test and review. As beggars are not choosers, they are white.... :?
    Had a good chat with the guy in the pop up shop. There is a lot more technology than the website shows. The foam is derived from the material used in high end trainers and it's extremely light and hard wearing. I even got to test briefly the tyres, they feel OK, not sublime, but not worse than a pair of Gatorskin to be honest. They are very light, as they are made of a foam which contains pores of 10 nm in size... it is a product of the nano materials development

    There is a drawback: the tyre is fitted using some plastic clips and it cannot be removed without damaging it... that means once it's on, it's on until you decide it's dead, then you simply cut it and pull it off

    More to come once I get round fitting them to my wife's bike and getting a few miles on them
    left the forum March 2023
  • dwanes
    dwanes Posts: 954
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    dwanes wrote:
    Nobody fits their own car tyres.

    But many fit their own bicycles tyres. If they well them online, it means you can buy them and fit them. If it's impossible to fit them and only a qualified Tannus member of staff can do it, they are not a good product, if they are easy I am sure I can do it.

    This is a different product to the normal tyre so people will have to change their way of thinking. Once the tyre is fitted it is going to be there for a while, get over it, its different.
    They are obviously difficult to fit, no question, otherwise they wouldn't have suggested fitting them, and i am sure they will suggest qualified staff to fit them when the are sold.
    Why would this be a bad product just because a shop has to fit them? Why the negativity?
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,324
    dwanes wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    dwanes wrote:
    Nobody fits their own car tyres.

    But many fit their own bicycles tyres. If they well them online, it means you can buy them and fit them. If it's impossible to fit them and only a qualified Tannus member of staff can do it, they are not a good product, if they are easy I am sure I can do it.

    This is a different product to the normal tyre so people will have to change their way of thinking. Once the tyre is fitted it is going to be there for a while, get over it, its different.
    They are obviously difficult to fit, no question, otherwise they wouldn't have suggested fitting them, and i am sure they will suggest qualified staff to fit them when the are sold.
    Why would this be a bad product just because a shop has to fit them? Why the negativity?

    Read the post above...
    left the forum March 2023
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,864
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    More to come once I get round fitting them to my wife's bike and getting a few miles on them
    Now that's just mean. :wink:
    To be fair for a lot of people that just ride a bike and get everything done by the bike shop. The fitting is not an issue as the shop will fit them in the same way they would take a bike to a shop to get a puncture repaired. Be interested to hear what you think after a longer ride.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Dwanes - do you sell them or something ?

    From what Ugo is telling us - it sounds like these might be a massive breakthrough for some purposes. Commute bikes rather than Sunday runs though I think.
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,864
    cougie wrote:
    From what Ugo is telling us - it sounds like these might be a massive breakthrough for some purposes. Commute bikes rather than Sunday runs though I think.
    I agree. For someone like my wife that rides a bike to the station they would be fine. If she didn't have me to pump her tyres up and fix the occasional flat I reckon she would jump at something like this.
    But of course she would probably never find out about them as she has no interest in reading cycling websites and publications.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • VmanF3
    VmanF3 Posts: 240
    These, if as good as the claims, could be a massive game changer in what was once referred to as the third world. Huge potential.
    Big Red, Blue, Pete, Bill & Doug
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,324
    Fitted one.... I can see why they wanted to fit them... it is quite labour intensive... :lol:
    There are 40 plastic pins to fit at the base of the tyre, the tyre needs to be fitted on the rim and then every single pin needs to be pushed inside the rim bed, finally the tyre needs to be tidied up. It is one of those jobs that takes an hour the first time you do it and 15 minutes when you get the hang of it.

    Maybe a less labour intensive and possible reversible method would be desirable, but this one certainly is safe... I can't see the tyre ever coming off even if you slice it in half.
    left the forum March 2023

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