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Any one here gone Solid? (tyres not frozen in Carbonite.)

This spring I have had quite a few punctures. I recently replaced some tyres I've ridden since last summer with brand new Continental GP II (25mm) and already I have had 3 punctures this month and some nice big cuts in the outer. I am used to inspecting the tyre for embedded glass that can work its way through to cause a puncture but lately I just seem to be getting outright punctures from larger pieces of glass. 

There just seems to more of it on the roads and more potholes than ever. It seems that Humans fascination with smashing bottles in the road will never end. Perhaps they are jealous of we superior beings; they may be afraid Velo Sapiens will force them out of their metal boxes.

So I though I would google again solid tyres and found Tannus. They seem to have good review and people say they don't notice much difference, but it is great not to have to worry about punctures. There is a lot of talk about rolling resistance, however no one is talking about weight, at nearly double a normal tyre. I already looked at tubeless and filling your tyres with gunge doesn't seem to me that it will prevent cut, just mean I am replacing my tyres more often.

Has anyone tried these or similar? Does the weight matter or would new wheels counter the small difference. Any idea how they wear? I don't want to be riding on squares with no cornering after a few months. Worth a try or wait and hope?

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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18 comments

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Singlespeeder | 6 years ago
1 like

Ive been running Tannus solid tyres on my commuter bike for about 2 years and they work a treat. I can run over coke cans, nails, twigs, pedest..(oops) with impunity as they are (rock) solid. Who needs to spend 10 minutes on a 20 minute commute fixing a puncture . And, as we all know, punctures happen more frequently in wet weather. The ride's a bit harsher but not having to carry tubes, patches, pumps etc. makes it worthwhile.

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Leviathan | 6 years ago
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Thanks Argos, so I am not crazy. I find an occasional inspection with a torch and scalpel can wheedle out some additional punctures. So I think the solids would be weight neutral without tubes and tapes and spares in the back pocket, however a little weight here or there doesn't matter (I can loose more weight out on a long ride,) it is how they feel, and from what you've all said they sound like dogs. Ah well, lets hope the next Kickstarter is something better. I will just have to order more CO2. Thanks all. 

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Argos74 | 6 years ago
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I can vouch for the insane amount of broken glass on the roads in south Manchester - it seems to have drastically increased along with general disintegration of the roads over the past 6 months. Ended up pulling out slivers of glass from the old tyres like shotgun pellets after a night out in Salford.

Can't speak for solid tyres. A new set of Gatorskins seem to be doing the job though.

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paulrattew | 6 years ago
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I've got Tannus solid tyres on my Brompton. I think they are perfectly good for that use. Grip is ok and the feel is ok. Punctures on a Brompton are an absolute nightmare, especially on the rear, as getting the wheel off isn't a simple task like on a normal bike. Because of this, solid tyres have given me a little bit more reassurance (not that I punctured very often with the old tyres, but it was always a background fear). Apart from the considerable investment of time and effort to get the damn things on I have not complaints.

For any bike whose purpose is utlity rather than performance then I would say the Tannus tyres are a reasonable option, especially if you are having to ride on roads that are full of sharp detritus. They wear well, last ages, and feel ok. They don't really compete well with performance tyres and I definitely wouldn't stick them on my racer. For a town bike , a folder or any sort of utility bike though I feel they are a good choice.

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StraelGuy | 6 years ago
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I run Michelin Power Endurance on my winter bike. 1 puncture in 500 miles and much faster than the 4 Seasons they replaced. Had loads of punctures as well on the 4 Seasons.

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Dnnnnnn | 6 years ago
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Another +1 for Durano Plus. Apart from puncture-resistance, the folding ones aren't very heavy and they last a long time too.

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BBB | 6 years ago
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Dunlop is probably turning in his grave right now...

Go tubeless. Schwalbe G-One tubeless, 30mm Speed or 35mmAllround version depending on your frame clearance. Wider tyres run softer will be just as fast but significantly more resistant to cuts. 

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gthornton101 | 6 years ago
2 likes

I've actually just finished my first winter commuting on Tannus tyres.  I've had the 28mm on my winter hybrid for commuting around 150km per week since November (the Aither 1.1 compound I think, not sure if they've moved on or have another version yet).

Weight: yes they are heavier than a non-solid tyre, but not drastically when you add in the weight of an inner tube, plus carrying spare inner tube(s), tyre levers, pump etc.

Ride quality: they do seem a fair bit more solid than the equivalent psi they claim to be and did need a couple of weeks to "bed in" with me (seems fairly common if you read about on them from other users) and get more comfortable.  But overall on the pothole-y roads I ride to work I don't find them too bad at all (or maybe I just got used to it?).

Grip: Not had any issues with grip or cornering in the wet (or slushy snow) and they go along a bit of gravel track or bridalways just fine.

Fitting: it's a right arse to fit them, two people definitely recommended!

 

For me the pros outweigh the cons - the complete lack of punctures, or even the fear of them when riding through debris, glass, potholes etc is what I was looking for.  Checking tyres each morning and not having to worry that a slow puncture may have been picked up the day before.

 

I wouldn't race or do a sportive on them, but for commuting I find them great!

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kil0ran | 6 years ago
1 like

Haven't tried solids but have ridden either Gatorskins or GP 4 Seasons for the last three years. Daily commute on a mix of unswept glass-strewn cycle paths and potholed roads. Also leisure riding on forest roads strewn with thorns, gravel, flints etc. averaging just over 1 puncture a year.

If you like the GPs, consider the GP 4 Seasons - expensive but worth it if you're puncturing that frequently. They're noticeably better than the Gatorskins - the only reason I  run Gators is for wider rubber when I need it (GPs only go up to 28mm)

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hawkinspeter | 6 years ago
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I've tried them on a bike (although about 15 years ago) and they don't roll nicely at all. As MadCarew says, they feel dead - no bounce at all so any surface roughness/bumps just slow you down and absorb the energy you're putting into them.

I've also tried one on a unicycle (for unicycle hockey - non-marking rubber for playing in church halls) and they work better for that - nice flat surface and you don't care about rolling resistance.

They can ruin rims if you're not careful as solids don't absorb impacts so well. Pneumatics can distribute the pressure around the air cavity whereas solids will keep the impact pressure in one place - only a problem on big bumps though.

Putting them on is tough, and I ended up removing them by hacking through them with a knife.

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madcarew | 6 years ago
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I rode some solids on a friend's wheels last year. The weight was noticeable, but beyond that the ride was appalling. It was deader than a dead thing on the day of the dead. I perservered for 3 days out on training rides, covering about 150 miles and hated every inch of it. For commuting and so on I guess there is a place for them, but for someone who's training for racing I'd say the've got several generations of development to go before they come close to a decent clincher. Anecdotally (from my LBS) they don't 'give' nearly as much as a 'normal tyre' if you hit a large pot hole and a lot more wheel truing results. 

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kevvjj | 6 years ago
1 like

So, to answer your question... and not tell you how lucky I have been with my tyres.

I have a riding mate who put them on his bike. He found them perfectly fine but a little dead and unresponsive. They are an absolute pain to install (you can get the shop to do it). They are heavy but if you consider the weight you don't carry, such as two spare tubes, repair kit, tyre levers, pump, CO2 cartridge and the saddle bag etc then the overall weight is similar. They are the perfect commuter tyre in my opinion but still lacking in the performance/responsiveness of a regular tyre.

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drosco | 6 years ago
2 likes

I use Durano plus also. Pain to fit, but still yet to flat one doing 5000 miles a year commuting.

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dottigirl | 6 years ago
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Where are you riding with that much glass?

I've been off-roading on my 4000s the last six months and they've been fine.

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Leviathan replied to dottigirl | 6 years ago
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dottigirl wrote:

Where are you riding with that much glass?

I've been off-roading on my 4000s the last six months and they've been fine.

Manchester.

GPs are supposed to be the best balance of weight, stickyness, smooth rolling, value etc, and I do love them, but they are not bombproof. It seems like I see glass glistening on the road everywhere (confirmation bias?!) And never see a road sweeper ever. I see the same roads that were relaid two years ago in a cheap way, now being ripped up by buses and cars; I just despair of anything ever being done right any more  

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kev-s | 6 years ago
3 likes

Not tried solid tyres but i use Schwalbe durano plus (folding bead)

I do 5000 miles a year commuting through a major city (lost of glass, pot holes and other debris, nearly hit an abandoned kids scooter in a cycle lane last week)

 

Not had one puncture in 5 years and i wear the tyres down till the protection belt starts to show through

 

https://www.schwalbe.com/gb/road-reader/durano-plus.html

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BrokenBootneck replied to kev-s | 6 years ago
1 like

kev-s wrote:

Not tried solid tyres but i use Schwalbe durano plus (folding bead)

I do 5000 miles a year commuting through a major city (lost of glass, pot holes and other debris, nearly hit an abandoned kids scooter in a cycle lane last week)

 

Not had one puncture in 5 years and i wear the tyres down till the protection belt starts to show through

 

https://www.schwalbe.com/gb/road-reader/durano-plus.html

 

Durano are bomb proof 3 years and not one puncture they just keep going. 

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Simon E replied to kev-s | 6 years ago
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3500 miles on 25mm Durano Plus so far. The reinforced sidewalls are a bit stiff and make for a slightly harsher ride on worn/broken asphalt but otherwise they roll surprisingly well and have been resistant to the p-word things so far. Spa Cycles have the HS464 (2015-on) and HS399 iterations, both folding and wire bead.

Weight isn't an issue IMHO. At ~250g more than a pair of lightweight tyres that's half a water bottle or about 5 seconds slower over 1,000m of climbing. Compare that to time lost sorting punctures.

Or maybe go for a compromise such as Gatorskins or Michelin Power Endurance.

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