I asked about Tannus tyres in my LBS and he said although they will fit them in his experience riders tend to have problems with spokes snapping - which sounds believable. So now I'm not sure if I want Tannus tyres and potentially paying for two wheel rebuilds, when the Conti Gatorskins have been doing a nearly 100% job on a cyclepath which is more glass than tarmac.
Yeah, the LBS is right, I've spent thousands of pounds on new spokes since I've had the Tannus tyres fitted. Hardly a meter goes by without a spoke pinging, ohhhh hang on, nope that's completely wrong, I've done over 3000 miles on them, over all sorts of crappy surfaces / pot holes etc, do you know how many spokes I've broken, I'll give you a clue, it's less than 1. The problem is that some people will assume that because they tyres cant puncture, they can ride into holes, and cracks that they normally couldn't / wouldn't, the holes and cracks they hit, because they assume that the tyres / wheels an somehow defy the laws of physics now, would account for a wheel / spokes with a pneumatic tyre as well, the problem is that they would then have a puncture to deal with as well. The tyres can't puncture, but you still have to be careful not to extract the urine regarding bad pot holes and the like.
Hmmm but sometimes you hit one without seeing it .
That's true, but that could account for any spoke / rim / tyre combo.
No.
They aren't actually 'solid' though. The Tannus tyres have a compound in them that traps air in a matrix. There is a world of difference between 'solid' and 'airless', which is a more technically accurate description of the Tannus tyres. Anyway, people tend to form opinions of any unusual tech, without actually trying them, that's human nature, and seems to be much more prevalent in cycling circles. As the old saying goes, don't knock it until you've tried it. I tend to call a spade a spade, if something doesn't work, I'll say so, if it does work, I'll say so, but I won't form an opinion on something I haven't tried.
Not really, you're out by about 17.
Clearly
I would tend to think it is the fact that the plastic plectrums (not the technical term) that lock the tyre onto the wheel also keep the tyre suspended above the spokes on most wheels so inadvertently air is providing the cushion - something that I assume varies slightly from wheel to wheel. I'm not intending to criticise, to be honest for me "least hassle" is at the top of my cycling priorities list. Punctures are hassle and if Tannus is effectively "hassle free" over the same number of km as the Contis then I'm sold.
Again, that's not quite right. The plastic clips are there purely as a concession to elf n safety, and they don't suspend the tyre, they go through holes through the tyre, sandwiched between the bit that sits in the well and the body of the tyre, at the level of the clincher rim.the tyres were run through the proverbial wringer, by TUV ( German testing and safety people)
