Tannus Tires is a Korean company and it has just launched the new Aither 1.1 solid tyre which it claims only has 2% higher rolling resistance than a regular tyre, lasts at least 6,000 miles and weighs 430g.
There have been solid tyres before, of course, and anyone with a long memory might recall early attempts that were less than successful. Tannus boldly claim its new tyres are a significant step forward, and it has been developing the tyres since 2003.
Behind the development of the new tyres is Jazz Walia, and he says, “Commuters can leave their house on their bike, safe in the knowledge that they will not get a puncture. Riders don’t have to worry about reliability. They never have to worry about getting to work late, changing a punctured inner tube in the freezing weather or worrying about what time they will get home on their bike. They don’t need the fuss of pump, spare inner tubes or tyre levers.”
The Aither tyres – there are two versions, 1.0 and 1.1, aimed at commuters and performance cyclists respectively – are made from a nanofoam polymer. It’s similar stuff to that used in trainers. The tyre has a constant pressure that's about the same as an inner tube pumped up to 100 psi, and it can withstand temperatures of -15º to + 50º.
Rolling resistance has been the enemy of solid tyres, but in this department Tannus claims the unique polymer it has used has resulted in a tyre with a rolling resistance just 2% higher than normal tyres. According to Tannus, tests against a Panaracer tyre revealed that when pedalled at the same power output the Aither 1.1 can travel at 29kph, compared to 30kph for the Panaracer.
The Aither tyres can be fitted to most regular clincher rims. Each tyre features a series of slots into which plastic strips push, and these then lock into the groove in the rim where the tyre bead normally locates.
Solid tyres have been tried before, but without much success. Tannus has aimed to make solid tyres a viable alternative to regular tyres and inner tubes, and with this new tyre claims to have significantly narrowed the gap. We’ve just been sent a pair so we’ll be testing them out with curiosity over the next couple of weeks. We’ll let you know how we get on. Not having to carry a pump and spare tube and there being no risk of a puncture are certainl attractive propositions.
Tannus will launch the new Aither 1.1 solid tyres at the upcoming London Bike Show, so if you’re heading to the show make sure to pop along to their stand to have a closer look if you’re interested.
The Aither 1.1 tyres cost £120 a pair, are available in 14 colours, and can be bought from www.tannus.co.uk
41 thoughts on “Tannus launches new Aither 1.1 solid tyres”
Take a look at the
Take a look at the installation. Crikey: http://tannus.co.uk/tannus_installation.html
I love that people keep
I love that people keep trying and trying with this idea. Some day they might crack it. This might even be the product that does it.
But £120 is more than I’ve spent on tyres in my life.
I wonder how grip, comfort,
I wonder how grip, comfort, rolling resistance will all vary with temperature.
DaveE128 wrote:I wonder how
Yeah, it’s worth thinking about why it is that pneumatic tyres made solid ones obsolete despite the puncture thing!
Hmm. Something for the commie
Hmm. Something for the commie then (or, commuter bike). I’ll happily take the 1kph hit if that means no more puncture fixing by the cold wet roadside in deepest darkest winter. 🙂 Looking forward to the full review.
Even if they worked the
Even if they worked the prices are still a bit high for me, at the moment I use schawable durano S which are 20 each and are pretty much puncture free (unless it’s a huge piece of glass) within it’s lifespan. Although I never calculated how many miles I get out of a set.
I’m wondering whether not
I’m wondering whether not needing inner-tubes, leavers and pumps makes these a good idea for light Audax Tours?
I think I know the answer already but thought I’d chuck it out there.
What no 25mm?
What no 25mm? :))
Bit of a closed loop at that
Bit of a closed loop at that price. Road.CC or any of my other reliable sources would have to give these the most glowing review ever and even then I doubt I’d risk £120.
If they maybe offered a 60 day return for refund policy people would risk it. If they don’t sell loads the cost/price is unlikely to come down.
If these do live up to the hype then certainly these would be ideal for commuting and those folk who ride a few times a year on a summers day and dread punctures as they don’t know how to fix or carry kit.
Problem I think will be if
Problem I think will be if you brake hard on them – you risk putting a flat spot on the tyre if you skid which you’d feel when riding from then on….
Infide wrote:Problem I think
Like any tyre really then?
glynr36 wrote:Infide
I don’t think so. I’d think the inner tube would partially compensate for any flat spots on a casing.
Yea. Hmm. I suffer less than
Yea. Hmm. I suffer less than one puncture a year, across multiple bikes and thousands of kilometers. And my tyres are not expensive – highest end ones are Gatorskins. So I think I shall stick to pneumatics for now.
lucky you! do you ride in
lucky you! do you ride in winter?
As well as the puncture
As well as the puncture benefits I think there are a lot of people who expect to be able to just pick up their bike and ride it, and who don’t know you need to pump your tyres up every now and again. So the low maintenance aspect is maybe a selling point too.
i suppose when it gets icey
i suppose when it gets icey you could fire a load of staples into them for extra grip 👿
Quote:and it can withstand
Hmm what about heat from rim brakes? Could that not potentially bring the temperature above 50 degrees?
Intresting idea if it can be
Intresting idea if it can be made to work, I have heard some reasonable reviews, re ride/efficiency though partically in cold wet days, grip would be intresting to know.
I’d give it a go but at £120
I’d give it a go but at £120 a pair it’s a bit pricey for my pocket. I think I’ll stick with the Schwalbe Durano Performance until such times as the price comes down.
I’m seriously tempted for the
I’m seriously tempted for the Brompton – a bit of extra weight and rolling resistance is irrelevant there
Good on them for trying. If
Good on them for trying. If this could be made to work I’d certainly stick a set on a commuter bike for £120 a pair – 6000 miles is pretty good. I don’t think I get as much as that out of the Conti Four Seasons I use through the winter, which cost plenty and which, whilst very good, aren’t puncture proof.
Is that really going to hold
Is that really going to hold on to the rim that well?
These may be different but I
These may be different but I am old enough to remember the “Green Tyres” which gave a very uncomfortable ride, lost fillings and broken spokes.
Are you allowed to use on the
Are you allowed to use on the public road in this country resilient material tyres on a vehicle that can exceed a speed of 10mph?
I’ve lost touch with the regulations that cover this issue. Will research.
As to the price This will come down over time and what price do you put on peace of mind. I can see great potential in this technology especially with regard to commuting.
Edit: There is no current legislation in this country that would prohibit the use of resilient material tyres on pedal-cycles for use on the public road irrespective of speed. God I really am a :B
Puncture free commuting is within reach. B-)
Will be interested to hear
Will be interested to hear how reviewers describe the feel of the tyres on different road surfaces and in different conditions. They could make an excellent winter tyre, or even sportive/audax summer tyre if they feel right. Love the colours!
tomturcan wrote:Will be
Shhh, let’s not let the New Forest (and elsewhere) NIMBYs know about these and just try to catch the looks on their faces as a whole sportive sails untroubled through their sea of tacks…
Never underestimate the
Never underestimate the desire for the lazy cyclist to take the path of least resistance. Although I could buy a about 3 pairs of gatorskins for that!
evojm72 wrote:Never
The solid tyres increase rolling resistance by 2%. So does the lazy cyclist have pneumatic tyres?
Puncture normally equals taxi for me, so these might be cheaper in the long run 😉
I am well up for trying these
I am well up for trying these out, if they are as good as I would hope then surely they would be ideal for transcontinental?
no need to carry 2 spare tubes, pump, patches and levers etc – thats weight and space being saved right there!
looking forward to seeing how they go!
Installation could well be
Installation could well be fun if it’s anything like fitting solid tyres to wheelchair wheels. The last one of those I did took about half and hour a tyre and left me physically drained despite using the foot long plastic lever tools supplied. B-)
Looking forward to the review
Looking forward to the review on this. Not only do I have to carry levers and tubes, but I carry a spanner due to commuting / training on a singlespeed. If these are decent and grippy, they’ll be well worth £120.
Looking forward to the review
Looking forward to the review on this. Not only do I have to carry levers and tubes, but I carry a spanner due to commuting / training on a singlespeed. If these are decent and grippy, they’ll be well worth £120.
Made from same stuff as
Made from same stuff as trainers – more material – same price as some trainers.
How long will they last? Do they do day glo yellow?
These performance claims do
These performance claims do not add up. Losing 1 km/h (from 30 to 29) means much higher rolling resistance, not “just 2%”. Computing for typical commuter weight and aerodrag, I get a rolling resistance increase of about 0.005. This *doubles* the rolling resistance of a good commuter tyre.
Sounds fantastic invention. I
Sounds fantastic invention. I plan this weekend to clean up my old tricycle in the garage. May need to increase the seat height.
The price seems too high for
The price seems too high for (what I percieve to be) their target market.
If there claims are true this could be a great product for commuting and utility riding but there are already tyres that do the job very well and are very resistant to punctures at more reasonable prices. Also, although you can’t puncture them no tyre is totally dammage-proof so there is still the possibility of a tyre-related mechanical.
If they’re not a success. I
If they’re not a success. I wonder what the big rubber stroppy black tubing could be used for ?
Have been using a pair of the
Have been using a pair of the 1.0 tyres which are 90 quid a pair since the snd of last November. These are NOT like Greentyres solid tyres. I’ve done just shy of 1000 miles commuting on these so far on track which was resulting in two or three punctures a month through the gatorskins. Have to say they’re hood (yes I remember the greentyres too, have tried 2 pairs of them in the past). These are totally different material. Light and hard wearing. They need about 70 miles to iniyially break them in (bit harsh until then) but after that they’re great. There is a bit of extra rolling resistance (which is supposedly improved in the 1.1 tyre) but not enough to be a problem for me. People writing them off without trying them should hold on. I’ll be interested in what the road.cc review has to say about the new ones.
I’ve only done about 300
I’ve only done about 300 miles so far on mine. Commuting only, I’d probably not fit them to my fast road bike. For me these were financially and time-wise, absolutely great. The price took me a little time to accept but given my fairly harsh on and offroad commute, they’ll pay me back I reckon. I was going through a rear tyre every 1000 miles or so, getting at least 1 puncture every fortnight or so, usually a big lump of glass or a huge thorn sticking out of them, Land Cruisers mostly.
Weight-wise, they’re roughly the same as a normal tyre and tube. Certainly no more if you remember there’s no spare tubes to or pump to carry. I went for the 100psi 32mm tyres. In retrospect I’d have gone narrower and softer. Width is key to getting them on the rim. I had to use the narrowest pins which suggests my rim weren’t really appropriate for 32mm. Bit of a struggle getting them on but no more than 90 minutes. The second one went on a lot faster. Once they’re on the rim though, they’re on.
The ride is what worries everyone. Yes they’re a bit harsh, certainly at first. There’s not much bounce to them, you can tell they’re solid. After a while you don’t notice though. Grip is no different to a normal tyre, rolling resistance…meh. I keep thinking I can feel a difference but my average speed is the same as before, unless I had a puncture in which case the Tannus tyres are much faster.
They’re shit in mud.
So for me, great so far. Happy I bought them. Lifespan will obviously have a bearing on repeat purchases. I’d say 5000 miles will see me better off. Any more than that will be a bonus.
Oh, and if you’re really
Oh, and if you’re really struggling with the price, try just buying one first, stick it on the back and see how you go for a few weeks.
Used their heavier tyre in
Used their heavier tyre in place of my Marathon plus, not noticed any real downsides, ridden canal paths, wet & icy roads with my mates, still kept shape after 1,000 miles