But... I do wonder. Composite is great stuff... but it's NOT forgiving. When you do over-stress it - running over a branch or something, it could very well take damage that won't show immediately, but which could become very hazardous 20-30,000 KM down the road.
rubber air tires have the same problem so thats really not an issue. belts can break without notice, and sidewalls are very thin. amazing how well they do hold up
i still think these airless tires will have trouble in the winter. they better have some sort of super resin to hold up when its -40F
Well, rubber tires ARE vulnerable (probably more so than these things). However, when you hit a branch or whatever with a rubber tire it pretty much gives up right away. My experience with composites (boatbuilding, bowmaking, architectural prototyping) are that they can be fundametally failed, but not show it for a while. So I'm wondering if you could hit a branch, and a few thousand miles later have a dozen of those composite 'spokes' go out in a turn and flip you over.
Probably, they've done all sorts of testing - and probably even if these have a 'problem' like this they are still much better than rubber... but I think I'll wait for some real-world testings before I buy them. I do hope they work out, though!
rubber tires are very weak, or should i say extrememly strong for rubber, but in its application its amazing they work at all.
im also betting there is some redundancy in that design, im sure a few skopes can go and the wheel will still hold shape. least until you get to a shop. i bet you would feel it, it would either feel bumpy or at high speed the balace would be off
I would think as a spare tire it would be great ,small/light weight .I was also reading in a tirebusiness flyer that they would be used in "stair climbing " wheel chairs .I imagine their would be other uses other than cars/trucks ,even though the article stated it would meet truck load carrying requirements.
why? it shouldnt cost anything near what it costs to make tires. has anyone seen how tires are made? the process is daunting, very slow too. the cost is very high, mainly because rubber is very expensive. (costly to grow and harvest, must be harvested by hand)
these seem like all fiberglass and metal with a rubber pad on them. fiberglass is basically free, and somewhat easy to work with. i would think (after inital startup costs) these things would be a bit cheaper.
edit- ok cheaper to produce, but if they can sell it as a lifetime tire, cha ching$$
Originally Posted by Hoyle
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