
Puncture-proof tires are the future - bookofjoe
https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/design/a30653824/puncture-proof-tire/
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stevehawk
I feel like I've been reading about this tire design for as long as I've been
reading about 20xx is the year of the linux desktop". I expect neither to
happen.

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wmeredith
You’re not wrong. These are called twheels and have been around for a couple
decades. They were invented by Michelin in 2005 and started being sold
commercially in '12\. They have uses in controlled low speed environments like
warehouses employing forklifts or lawn mowers. But they're Achilles heel in
the wild is objects/matter (rocks, dirt, ice, snow) getting stuck in the
spines and then they're out of balance and useless at speed. They're also loud
at speed.

Popular mechanics has been talking about these being "the future" forever.
They probably have a twheels article template by now.

They aren't the future, they're the present and have limited applications.
They do look very cool, which I suspect is why they keep getting write ups.

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js2
Maybe I'm just a very lucky person, but my wife and I combined have driven
probably close to a million miles and I can't recall having ever changed a
tire road side. I can only recall maybe a few punctures ever, fortunately only
causing a slow enough leak that it was discovered at home or the destination.

Still, with full-size spares having gone the way of the dodo and space-savers
better than nothing but not that great, this is a welcome change as long as
tire prices don't become exorbitant.

I put a solid rubber tire on my wheelbarrow years ago. It'll outlast the
wheelbarrow. Greatest home garden purchase ever.

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dzhiurgis
I’ve never had one and then got three within 6 months (two of which within one
week).

Also you better replace them ASAP unless 30mins of tedious work is not worth
$200 or so.

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catalogia
The article mentions ride comfort which is well and good, but what about
efficiency? I don't see mention of rolling resistance / efficiency, which I
understand to be a problem with existing puncture-proof/run-flat tire systems.

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isoskeles
Apologies for a tangential comment, but I laughed at the fact that all of the
ads I am shown when viewing this article are for tires.

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hprotagonist
tubeless sealants in a tire make sense.

non-pneumatic tires are one of those Things that keep coming up and keep being
a very stupid idea.

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BoorishBears
> tubeless sealants in a tire make sense.

Does it?

They pay constant NVH penalties for the life of the tire, cost more and
sacrifice performance, all to soften the impact of an exceptional event.

And it's not like you can't insert sealant into non-run flat tires in the
event of an accident.

The overlap between type of damage that won't destroy a run-flat, but
precludes you from using canned sealant after a puncture, is tiny to the point
of practically being non-existant.

It's pretty much just marketing when they mention being able to run on their
sidewalls if the sealant fails, because most impact that does that much damage
will also damage your wheels, and even if it doesn't you'll put extreme
stresses on your suspension if you take advantage of it.

And there's also the fact once you get to the tire shop, they're much harder
to find, and can easily lead to a situation where you need to replace multiple
tires if you want to get back on the road in a reasonable amount of time.
That's a sacrifice some other tires make as well, but usually in the name of
performance, making that sacrifice in the name of convenience is a little bit
of a paradox

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hprotagonist
I suppose i should say that they make more sense than solid tires -- at least
in some circumstances.

Different world, but tubeless-with-sealant has more or less taken over mid- to
high-end mountain bikes. Lower pressures help prevent rim blowouts as well as
allow you to fully exploit grip on unstable terrain, and then you don't need
to care about sharp rocks or thorns or goatheads or whatever as much. The idea
doesn't translate as well to road bikes, which have (even now) very high
pressures -- usually 75 -- 120 psi.

The "sealant spooges you in the face" problem is certainly a real one. I don't
have sealant in my car or motorcycle tires, but if i did i would warn the
mechanics beforehand!

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chrisseaton
> Surely you've seen the light

No? I don't think I've ever had or see a flat tyre. Seems like the kind of
thing that only happens in movies. Doesn't seem like a problem in practice.

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divbzero
It absolutely happens.

For me it happened on a rental car as well. The likelihood of occurrence
probably correlates with level of tire wear, so perhaps it is indeed rare if
you stay ahead with your car maintenance.

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adventured
> The likelihood of occurrence probably correlates with level of tire wear

Or sometimes infrastructure degradation. I had a friend blow out an otherwise
healthy, relatively new low profile tire on an unseen Los Angeles pothole.

