New airless tires by Michelin

[Rosstones]

New Wheelchair tires!!! OMFG

[MaGi kOz]

New Wheelchair tires!!! OMFG

heh lol

[Zemyla]

What is so much better about these tires that you would wanna switch over from air to non air? So far I haven't heard anything wich actually made it worth while to switch over, besides the fact that you never have to put new air into them ever again. I guess you can still get a flattire, but then in a different way.

Well, the main cause of wear on an inflatable tire is from air leaking out, which causes underinflation, which in turn causes parts of the tire to bend and eventually break. With these tires, tread wear is the main problem, but that is much slower and can be fixed, so the ultimate limit on tire length would be the flexibility of the spokes.

Also, I found an article on this which says that with these tires, improving cornering would not mean making the ride harsher.

A main reason the tires are so noisy, I believe, is that the spokes are exposed to the air. Sealing them in a layer of plastic would solve this noise, and also make them look much like regular tires. This sealing would not be expensive because the sidewalls would not have to be thick like those of regular tires.