Two years ago, we heard how the Ohio-based Smart Tire Company was developing shape memory airless bicycle tires. Well, the resulting Metl tires can now be purchased via – you guessed it – a Kickstarter campaign.

NASA-inspired airless bicycle tires are now available for purchase::undefined

  • waterbogan@lemmy.worldEnglish
    27·
    1 year ago

    Interesting tech but there are already decent available solutions such as the Schwalbe Marathon Plus and similar that are effectively glassproof, I have these on my bike and they work really well, one is over 15 years old now

      • waterbogan@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        1 year ago

        You should ride around the city centre here, you will have so much glass in your tires in no time flat, you’ll love it!

    • number6@feddit.nlEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      How are they for coming off ? The various reinforced tires I’ve tried (randoneur, gator, 25mm) are really hard to put back on. Like you peel the skin off your hands trying. I’ve notice that most tires, even cheaper ones, don’t give you trouble for the first 500 miles. So have gone back to a medium grade tire that doesn’t require special tools to replace.

      • waterbogan@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        I dont know, I have never had to replace one, so never had to take one off. The one time I ever had one fail was when I hit a piece of timber with multiple nails in it, and I got my local bike shop to swap it. Tyre was already over ten years old at that point, and given I ride somewhere between 200 and 600kms a month probably had well over 10,000 kms on it