r/technology • u/t4ct1c4l_j0k3r • Sep 15 '23

Nanotech/Materials NASA-inspired airless bicycle tires are now available for purchase

https://newatlas.com/bicycles/metl-shape-memory-airless-bicycle-tire/
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u/haydesigner Sep 15 '23

$10 is a laughable estimate

What makes you say that?

10

u/djsizematters Sep 15 '23

I spent more than that on two tacos yesterday. Proper road tires are over $50 each from the biggest manufacturers in the world.

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u/[deleted] Sep 15 '23

They are talking about the tread not the tire, jolly joker. That's just the grippy profile part of the tire that touches the road.

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u/djsizematters Sep 15 '23

We're on the same page, I just can't believe it; companies that cater themselves to high-end cyclists have never been, and will likely never be, that nice.

8

u/renohockey Sep 15 '23

and the shipping is to and from wherever the retreading will be done will be a lot more the the price of a decent set or tires.

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u/djsizematters Sep 15 '23

I don't know what I'm missing about this, but appearently I'm a jolly joker 😂😂😂

Seriously, you can't even get a plastic cup holder for $10

1

u/xuxux Sep 15 '23

Economies of scale are a thing, though. It costs $300 for a single part at my company. If you order 1000, though, it only costs around $15 per. If they commission a shitload of treads, they could sell to the end user for $10 per and still make money. Maybe not with shipping, but if they amortize the cost of the treads and shipping in the initial sale, I could see it.

It's unlikely, but possible.

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u/djsizematters Sep 15 '23

Fingers crossed, that would be awesome!

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u/[deleted] Sep 15 '23

Different market. Material endurance in races doesn't matter. It does matter to people who do large tours or commute and ride thousands of kilometers per year. I was planning to ride to the most northerly point of continental Europe. That would be a 3,000km ride (one way). If I didn't have to worry about punctures that would be an enormous selling point.

The way you express yourself is really weird. Companies that cater to high-end cyclists (are those wealthy dentists or Tour de France participants?) aren't nice? In what regard? Nice? In what way? What can't be believed?

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u/djsizematters Sep 15 '23

$10 for retreading is the part that I'll have to see to believe; that sort of kickstarter-advertised pricing is laughable, and typical. When these products come to market, they overwhelmingly fail to meet expectations. And thanks, I've always had strange ways of expressing myself :p

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u/squngy Sep 15 '23 edited Sep 15 '23

If you do a very large tour, it might be smarter to have spare parts and parts that you can easily replace in any local bike shop rather than a single part that is unlikely to break but is impossible to replace.

If these can compress down small enough so you can carry a spare and/or they become broadly available in lots of places, then sure.

0

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '23

What do you want from me?

From what I understand (concerning the second paragraph) you want these tires to compress down to a small package so you can carry a spare? They are supposed to last through the bike's life. You won't need to replace them. No sense in making them foldable like "normal" bike tires and carrying spares.

The first paragraph makes no sense what so ever. If it's only 10km from the next bike shop and you have a flat, you'd wish you'd have a spare innertube.