Does anyone have any experience with solid or foam-core bicycle tires?

May 3, 2004 5:27 PM

Does anyone have any experience with solid or foam-core bicycle tires? I've been looking at these and these. I have always hated flats, patches and pumps. Is this a safe and worthwhile option?

I have a light touring bike (cannondale R600) and a heavier hybrid (trek 950), I would probably try them on the trek first. My primary need is for city riding.

posted by milovoo to sports, hobbies, & recreation (8 comments total)

I bought them for my kids' bikes and we think they're fantastic. No more twice-weekly flats, no expensive messy green goo.

On the other hand, my boss bought some for his bike and hated them. Said they tended to be off-balance and out-of-round, but then he rides a hell of a lot faster than my kids do.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 5:40 PM on May 3, 2004

I have never had a flat (pinch/puncture/etc) with IRC's Kujo DH tires. 2.35 front, 2.25 rear.

They've got a bit more rolling resistance than others, and weigh quite a lot, but ohh are they awesome- in all conditions.

I've had them down to ~10 psi in the snow (riding on the rims, pretty much) and then pumped them right up to 50 psi afterwards.

The secret is their foam sidewalls and beefy casing. I approve.
posted by evilbeck at 6:00 PM on May 3, 2004

You'll find the Kujo tires on this page, along with a few others that probably have the aforementioned killer features.
posted by evilbeck at 6:05 PM on May 3, 2004

They're ...ok. If you're only going down to the corner store or, like mr_cd says, for kids bikes that don't go very far from home, they can be a hassle saver. For travelling any distance, like commuting or days out, they're no fun. They're heavier than conventional tyres and they have a noticably higher rolling resistance than conventional tyres. When they wear out and need replacing they're a much bigger hassle to get on and off the wheel rim.
posted by normy at 6:05 PM on May 3, 2004

I use inner tubes with some green goo inside 'em & haven't had a flat since from having had loads everytime I went out off road. Most of my riding was in a city tho'. Unfortunately I'm 5500 miles from my house at the moment so have no idea what they're called...
posted by i_cola at 7:02 PM on May 3, 2004

Avoid solid tires. As normy said, they are heavy, have high rolling resistance and are a hassle to work with. They are also really uncomfortable to ride as they provide no cushioning. Get yourself some tire liners and perhaps some slime for inside of the inner tube to seal leaks. Here are some good bike store links, although I recommend patronizing your local bike store if they sell what you need just so they don't get put out of business by these megastores.

Bicycle Buys
Bike World
Cambria Bike
Chicagoland Bicycles
Colorado Cyclist
Harris Cyclery La Bicicletta
Licktons
Nashbar
Performance
Price Point
posted by caddis at 7:04 PM on May 3, 2004

reading the sites (especially the second, which sounds significantly better than the first), they seem to be no heavier than normal tyres and privode similar cushioning - have people who are dissing them actually tried them?

i have tried self-sealing goo in tyres and wasn't impressed (can't remember which make - they just made punctures messier), but was cycling in desert with cacti with long thorns at the time (tyre liners and always carrying spare inners was the best solution i found, but i didn't try these).
posted by andrew cooke at 7:12 PM on May 3, 2004

I have an electric bike, which with me + motor + battery was handling probably in the 230 lb range. A flat here or there made me switch to foam tires (Greentyre I think).

They Sucked.

I'm back to inflatable, despite the tire changing hassle.

The ride is rough, the cornering wasn't solid, even though I was only going a paltry 2 miles I quit after a couple months. Forget it.

Instead, get your self an oversized, puncture resistant tire. The lower you set the pressure, the less likely you're to have outright puncture flats. Too low and you'll get snakebite flats, so be careful. I'm running a 38mm Specialized Nomad Armidillo, and it's been great so far.
posted by daver at 8:46 PM on May 3, 2004