Punctures suck. Regardless of how good you are at changing a tube, they still get in the way. They invariably seem to happen to me when it is raining, which just makes the experience so much worse. An added complication is that I have pit-lock locking skewers on my bike so I don’t have to worry about my wheels getting pinched. These are a little fiddlier to remove when changing a flat than with quick releases.
I have puncture resistant tyres on my bike and have generally been fine. However, I maintain my tyres regularly and pick out some nasty looking bits of glass and stone before they make their way through the full tyre thickness. I didn’t do this to the tyres on my Brompton in time and a piece of glass worked its way through, causing a puncture.
I was first made aware of a new breed of solid tyres about 18 months ago, and I was intrigued. I liked the thought of never having to worry about a puncture, and of my tyres always being at the right pressure. I was somewhat sceptical and I have heard the critics stating pneumatic tyres were invented for a reason. But I am naturally curious and like to figure things out myself, and so when I spotted Tannus Tire at the London Bike Show a few weeks ago, I jumped at the chance of getting hold of a set to try out.
What are they?
Tannus are a Korean company who started out making running shoe sole material. In the early 2000’s they started trying to build a bicycle tyre, with the first prototype made in 2004. The first version of the tyre, using the compound Aither 1 was released in 2011, and the upgraded version of the compound, Aither 1.1, was released in 2015.
The tyres are a solid piece of polymer that attach to clincher rims – the part of the wheel that a wire bead attaches to on a regular tyre. There are some little plastic pegs that go through the tyre and hold it into the rim. These pegs have to be carefully selected to make sure the tyre fits correctly. With the pegs selected and inserted, the tyre is then pushed into the rim. It looks pretty simple. I had mine fitted at E1 cycles – these guys sell them and have a fitting machine which makes installing take no time at all. You can do it at home as well though, Tannus Europe have made a handy video.
The tyres come in a flavour to suit most bikes, including a Brompton version. I did not try these out, but could see them being a great addition. There really is nothing more infuriating than trying to put a Brompton rear wheel back on! The pair I tried out are the 700X28, suitable for most commuter bikes that normally take ‘road’ tyres. They cost £54.99 each.
Weight wise the 700×28 comes in at 430g per tyre, significantly lighter than a Schwalbe Marathon for example at 560g, excluding the inner tube and rim tape. The 700×32 is a little heavier and more comparable to the weight of a Marathon. However, you still need to account for the inner tube, rim tape, pump, tyre levers etc needed with those on the off chance you do get a flat.
In practice?
I was expecting to take some time to get used to the tyres and was cautious at first. This was not necessary however as I found that they didn’t feel any different from the Bontrager Hardcase AW1 tyres that came off my bike. The recommended tyre pressure on those tyres was 85-100 psi, and I always kept them at the upper end of that. The Tannus tyres just feel the same as a high pressure, low volume road tyre and so they just felt the same.
I didn’t notice any drag on the tyres. The ones I have are the Road Cross version at 700 x 28 and have some tread along the sides but are otherwise fairly slick. Having tried outcome Marathon Plus tyres briefly, I think the Tannus ones potentially have less drag. I had several people try them out and this was the general consensus.
I think the main difference I noticed was in cornering, but I quickly got used to the small alteration in handling as it was not worse, just different. I think this might have been in large part because I had switched from 32mm tyres to 28mm and I was feeling that difference, rather than a specific difference for solid versus pneumatic.
The good?
It is really relieving to not have to worry about whether your tyre is going to be flat in the morning or when you come out of work in the evening. It is also nice to not have to attempt to dodge around large piles of glass on the side of the road. In terms of peace of mind they are really worth it and it is hard to over exaggerate this point. Have you ever had a tyre blow up one while riding? I have, it was not something I want to experience again.
They have no discernible rolling resistance or drag compared to my old tyres. The range of tread patterns available is great, so there are slick ones if you are mostly cycling through the city. I am not a particular fast cyclist, nor do I ride a speedy bike. If I was switching from some racing slicks I would have noticed a difference, but from standard commuter tyres the Tannus do not roll slower.
The grip of the pretty slick version I have is still good enough for canal paths and city roads. After I got used to the tiny handling difference, I felt that the grip on wet roads was as good as my previous tyres. I had been a little be worried about it so had been cautious into corners, but I soon realised there was no need.
It is a fairly trivial point I guess, but I really like that they come in different colours. I like being able to have something a little different on my bike that makes it stand out, but not in a standard bling, stealable way. If nothing else, it is handy to be able to spot my bike in a bike rack sea outside Liverpool street station when I forgot exactly where I put it!
The bad?
There really are no significant bad points to these tyres really, assuming you are used to using road tyres at their correct pressure. If you regularly ride around on squishy tyres then you will feel that these tyres are quite firm. It is one of the main complaints they have received from others – especially from those who tout the ‘pneumatic tyres were invented for a reason’. Well this is true, but technology has come on a ways since then, especially polymer science.
The fitting process is unusual. It is not particularly hard or complex and it does not take forever, but it does require some thought. When I was speaking with Tannus they said the main reason people have problems with the tyres is they rush the fitting process. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this you will have to go to a shop to get them fitted, which is what Tannus recommend anyway.
Conclusions
I really like these tyres for their fit and forget nature. They grip well, they don’t have any discernible drag compared to my old tyres, and they don’t really feel any more jarring. A high performance cyclist could notice a difference over a top of the line racing tyre, but then these tyres are not really aimed at racing. I let several people ride my bike around, and none of them said they felt a difference between the solid tyres and their usual, regardless of terrain type.
At £50-£60 each, depending on tyre type, they are a little more expensive than regular tyres, but they should last longer and cut down on the amount of inner tubes you have to buy. If you are someone who takes their puncture to the shop to be fixed, your savings will rack up pretty quickly.
For the average commuter and urban cyclist, these tyres are really worth considering.
Dealers can be found at on the Tannus website, or they can be purchased online through NipNip who can also fit them for you or on Amazon.
*Disclosure – Tannus provided us with the tyres, but we approached them about reviewing them and were under no obligation to say nice things about them, we just genuinely liked them*
I have been waiting for something like this for years. Tubed and tubeless really are yesterday’s news. Not really sure that I need coloured ones though. Once you’ve had black you never go back.
What’s the weight of these like? I imaging that could be a potential negative factor.
Thanks for the question!
I have just added in the weight of the pair i tried. They are 430g per tyre, so actually very light, especially for complete protection from punctures. The 700×23 only weigh 380g each. Of course, you also don’t need the inner tubes or rim tape. Hope that helps!
Ah great, thanks.
I’ve been watching these for a while, as they might suit my rural cycling. I recall that some years ago, there were some solid tyres available at (I think) QuikFit or somewhere similar. There were, however, horror stories of rims being knackered completely in the process of fitting them, which could only be done by a tyre fitter.
As I live miles away from any LBC, let alone one equipped to fit and remove these, I’m interested, as that job can be done by me without special (particularly, expensive) equipment.
Where they’d be a winner for me is in my hub-geared machines, where the need to remove the rear wheel and all that goes with it is a real PITA.
Hi Everybody.
The idea of having Tannus Solid Tyres fitted on your bike, quite rightly, often comes with questions.
If you would like to try them out, you are welcome to at NipNip HUB in central London.
They genuinely are very good and we believe, a ‘no-brainer’ for commuters.
If you have any other questions you would like to ask you can forward them to me on david@nipnip.co.uk
Best wishes,
NipNip-Smart Cycling
I have been running a set for about a year and am really happy. The last thing anyone needs on a commute is a blowout. So now I can ride through puddles over glass , metal and rocks with impunity.
“peace of mind” in this case 😉
Ha, thanks! Autocorrect fail right there, I have changed it 🙂
Do these have a maximum weight rating?
Just wondering if 110kgs of me with panniers, laptop and everything else on top would kill them on my 30 mile round trip commute?
Also, how long before they wear out?
Hi Chris,
The new Aither 1.1 version of Tannus are tested to last for 9000KM which equates to roughly 3-4 years of cycling f you do 10 miles p/day. Skidding however is not a good idea on Tannus.
Hope that helps.
You are welcome to pop in and try a pair out. If you wish to arrange let us know when may suit you.
Hi Chris,
I am 110kg and have them on the rear of my Brompton. With our weight alone, they feel like a 60psi tyre. I get a fair bit of drag (it def makes you work harder) and I’d hate to use them on a 30mile round trip. I only have 3miles each way. I’ve been using them for 6mths with no noticeable wear. They do notice they skid off road paint (sometimes a little off-putting and they are slippery in wet weather.
I like the fact that I don’t have puncture problems but in hindsight I would have stuck with the Schwalbe Marathon. On my next service I’ll probably get nipnip to swap them over.
Just to note – I think these probs are associated with being heavy. I think I an 80kg person who probably have a good experience on them.
Buna ziua pe ce site pot comanda doua cauciucuri cu mărimea de 23-622 sau 23-700-C
The problem I do not see addressed here is that of spoke replacement.
When a spoke breaks and has to be replaced (and this happens to me almost as often as a puncture), what are the consequences for the tyre? Can the tyres be removed and reinstalled without damaging them? Is there a limit as to how many times? What tool would you need to carry around with you?
Hey Roops,
Tannus suggest that you can just remove the peg or two closest to the spoke in question, rather than removing the whole tyre. The tool is a little plastic one, like a singular tyre wrench, so not too bulky at all. I do not know how often this can be done though – NipNip might be able to help you with that question?
I can’t comment on their load capacity, that might also depend on your wheels. As for wearing out, I’ve been using them for over a year 5 days a week and the tread pattern is still there. However, if your route is over rocky roads, things may be different. But you won’t get a puncture
I’ve used them for around a year so far, 700 x 23’s. They are good for the city but I do find that I was get a fair bit of static shock, not something that I experience on my other bike with a pneumatic set up.
I tried them once on a sportive but had to stop less than halfway through as the experience of climbing with them is exhausting as was the descent, I only use them for my city bike now.
I have had them fitted on my Brompton (by Tony, Walthamstow Cycles) – very pleased. They seem a little thinner and the ride very slightly harsher, but wonderful peace of mind! the family voted for green (the bike is black) but I would have had black left to myself.
I have fitted the 700×28 red vulcano on my commuter bike that I ride 6/7 days a week! Very happy with them! As said in the article just felt a diferent experience cornering but I think was just what I rode before I try them!! I am thinking to put some in new stronger wheels to make touring around England!!
We believe there is a cerebral effect of running Tannus Tyres, where automatically, before testing them out, your head is full of questions;
Will they be harder?
Will they not be as grippy in the rain?
Are they slow?
Are they heavy?
Over the last year 1000’s of cycling commuters have made the switch from pneumatic tyres to Tannus and maybe only a handful have asked to go back to traditional tyres.
Looking for ways to improve cycling in London is what NipNip are all about and we genuinely believe Tannus Tyres are a net plus.
Let us know if you would like to test any of the NipNip Team’s bikes to see if you can find the answer to the questions you may have.
Ñipnip:
Let me do an appealing in the interestsign of the all commuter community….
I know you are “recent” company but you need to do more advertisement to these magnificent product of yours!!
As you already know the market is getting bigger and tannus tires have potencial!!
Cheers!!
I’m disappointed that there don’t seem to be any bike shops in the North of England that can supply and fit Tannus tyres?
I know I can purchase the tyres online But I want someone to fit them for me.
here are a couple of nifty videos to show you how Tannus are installed.
http://www.nipnip.co.uk/tannus-video
We would recommend that 700×23, 700×28 & 700×32, 20″ & Bromptons are quite simple.
26×1.75 are a real wrestle however!!
Has anyone done a force/distance analysis on these tyres.
I.e. take a wheel and add load at the axle, plottin load against the rim to “ground” distance.
Do the same for a pneumatic tyre, at high pressure and low.
If you look on the Bicycle Quarterly pressure graphs, 100psi on 32s is way too hard for all but the heaviest bike+rider combos. Bontrager suck, it’s a wonder your fillings didn’t rattle out and that may be why you don’t think solid tyres are less comfortable. I suspect I’d feel the difference from my plush 37s@60psi.
Dont bother with these tyres,if you live outside london there is no dealers.videos are false,have. Been to 5 pro bike shops and not one can fit these tyres,what chance me ?
Hi Dave, sorry to hear you are having trouble fitting the tyres. Regardless of where you may have brought them – why don’t you bring them to NipNip HUB in central London and we will assist you.
If you cant visit us, them have a look at these fitting videos. It is only the 26″ tyres that are difficult to fit alone if you haven’t done them before. The rest of the sizes should be quite simple.
http://www.tannus.co.uk/videos/
It is possible you have ordered the wrong size. Feel free to contact service@nipnip.co.uk for assistance.
I live in Norwich and work in a bike shop called bicycle links, they stock and fit these tyres, I’m about to get a set myself
I am going to have to stop reading this colum as it is costing me too much!
After reading about the tyres I decided to buy one to try especially for my Hy-Bred rear wheel.
But “BEWARE”, fitting them can be a nightmare. Only DIY if your built like Garth!
Will report back in the fullness of time…..
Foam-type “airless” tires or tire inserts use only the air in the compressed segment as a spring, and do not spread the load. Airless tires have been obsolete for over a century, but crackpot “inventors” keep trying to bring them back. They are heavy, slow and give a harsh ride. They are also likely to cause wheel damage, due to their poor cushioning ability.
– Sheldon Brown
Brown passed away in 2008, its possible he were he here today he would be extolling the virtues of this relatively new product.
For me, the choice is simple. I do a 30 minute each way single speed commute and, given the choice of a few bumps to that of spending at least an extra 10 minutes in the wind and rain fixing a puncture, would opt for a few bumps anytime .
I have to add my experience to warn any others thinking of purchasing these tyres. I bought a pair for my Brompton a year ago. Yes, they slowed the bike down a bit and yes, they slipped about a bit particularly on paint on the road but I thought it worth it for piece of mind. They were not cheap with no change from £100 for the pair. I am not particularly heavy at 12 stone and the only riding I have done is normal commuting on public roads. I have completed in the region of 2,000 miles since fitting the tyres and my rear tyre is now worn to the point of being completely flat across the middle third, has no tread, is square in cross-section and completely unroadworthy. I bought the tyres expecting 2 to 3 years’ wear out of them based on the manufacturers’ claims that they last in the region of 6,000 miles. I had a single response from my request for a replacement or refund but since providing photographs and proof of purchase have been ignored since. I have now purchased a decent pneumatic tyre and inner tube for the rear wheel (at half the price) and will be complaining to Trading Standards regarding Tannus’ blatantly exaggerated claims about their tyres.
I got mine from Malaysia £20 for the pair 700x 23 delivery included got them in 3 weeks from ordering
In the year before I bought some Tannus Types, I had 15 punctures. I commute 24 miles a day and small flints are usually the problem. A couple of times I had a double puncture and there is not much more stressful when you are late. So, I took the plunge after seeing the types at the NEC cycle show, and since then have done approx. 5,000 miles. They have easily paid for themselves as when I was getting many punctures I kept upgrading my tyres to more and more puncture resistant ones (which really were not!). The handling is good, after the first day of getting used to them – they were slightly thinner than my previous tyres. If you hit a pothole, the shock absorption is slightly better than a normal tyre, if you go over a rough road surface, the vibration is worse, but all in all I have saved myself several hours of kneeling in the rain changing goddam inner tubes.
I’ve had a similar experience to Shaun Dutton above. I bought Tannus Aither 1.1 (700 x 23c) and within 8 months and about 2000km the rear tyre was completely flat. This made cornering extremely dangerous and I stopped riding the bike in damp weather after coming off twice in one journey on corners in the wet whilst cycling slowly! Given the cost (they were more expensive than my bike including fitting) I consider them bad value for money and have gone back to pneumatics.
Last week I got nipnip to supply and fit tannus tyres to my winter bike and hybrid bike.
I can’t yet comment on the durability but am impressed with the ride quality and whilst they don’t perform as well as a lightweight racing tyre, the performance is comparable to Continental four seasons or other similar tyres.
It’s great going for a ride knowing you are not going to get a puncture and not having to carry spare tubes, pump, tyre levers etc.
Many thanks to nipnip for their efficient service as well.
Similar to Continental four seasons? That’s so funny. Why isn’t there a Tannus team on the Tour de France then?
You people should stop reviewing your own product.
Amen, I cut the Tannus crap off and put conti 4 seasons on, no comparison!
Tannus are for commuting not racing. Having used them for a couple of years, I can confess to the raising of many smiles when running over glass, twigs, cans etc. knowing that it won’t be followed by the dreaded hiss of a deflating tyre.
When they were sold to me I was told about them being used by a racing team!!!!!!!
Ukraine racing team use them when training
http://road.cc/content/tech-news/216675-tannus-solid-tyres-get-ukraine-national-track-team-seal-approval
Always review there own producst and say its a great product not rolling resistance is like 8% than ordinary wheel like the “HONEST REVIEW GUY SAID” cut that crap he receive it like a gift for the review, I cut it from my bicycke that crap of tannus usually in my work I move from 2 places in a oil refinery like 4.8km in 5 o 8 minutes with my single speed bicycle with tannus instead of 5 or 8 minutes change to be 15 or more the same rute a street in straight line without vehicles or intersections also very tired too due to rolling resistance.
Bought these recently for my Brompton a week ago. Rolling resistance is higher whilst stability and traction are lower – to the point of feeling unsafe whilst cornering. Reluctantly, I remove them and gone back to pneumatics.
Anyone who owns a Brompton will be acutely aware of the horrors of dealing with a rear wheel puncture (and it’s ALWAYS the rear), only mitigated by the fact that the type of riding they are put to often means that the bike can be transported to home or work and the puncture repaired in relative comfort. With this thought in mind and having been persuaded by several positive online reviews I parted with £90 of hard earned and fitted Tannus Aither 1.1 tyres to my Brommie this summer. I can only presume the reviewers were paid handsomely to give a favourable opinion. My own experience is-
DIY fitting is manageable but hard work. Took me around 3 hours struggling, straining and sweating on a 30+ degree C day to get them both on. There are videos on Youtube which clearly show the technique and it is not beyond the capabilities of a modest (albeit fairly strong) mechanic.
From the outset the ride was terrible. They rode like my Marathons would if I ran them around 40 psi rather their usual 100 psi. Very, very hard work especially on hills. I always found myself needing to be in a lower gear and work much harder than normal. Cornering was also “interesting”: very difficult to hold a line and it felt like the tyres were squirming on the rims. Road paint also caused them to skit about all over the place, particularly the raised white zig zags approaching pedestrian crossings. Certainly not confidence inspiring and I have been riding all sorts of bikes and conditions for 40+ years.
For me the convenience of not getting a visit from the P fairy was hugely outweighed by the very poor riding characteristics and sheer extra pedalling effort needed and I’m sorry to say that after three months I cut them off the rims and binned them as I could not get them off intact. I’m now back to Marathon Plus front and rear which stand up to the rigours of my daily commute admirably.
Dear Ian Dobson, I completely agree with everything you said in your comments. The only things I would add are it’s not just the cornering that is interesting. I am finding riding even in a straight line a bit precarious and I am almost stopping on corners !
(I have fitted the Tannus tyres to the Brompton).
Hi Paul
This brings back bad memories!! I believe that Tannus are available in different levels of hardness and can’t remember which I had, so it’s possible that a stiffer tyre may have alleviated some of the unpleasant characteristics, but at £90 a pair (plus the blood, sweat and tears of getting them on) I was not inclined to experiment. I would also be concerned that the lack of cushioning provided by a stiffer tyre might lead to spoke breakage which would be even less fun than normal with a tyre you can’t get off.
You’re right, they were a bit vague and wandery on straight lines too, just not to the same heart stopping, buttock clenching extent as on a fastish bend. Nothing ever happened, they just gave the constant impression that it might.
A shame; I really wanted to like these tyres but after persevering for three months I was SO glad to be back on the Marathons again.
I’m now back on the marathon plus tyres as well !
I have had Tannus tyres fitted to my cyclo-cross bike for the past 5 or so years to commute around London. I often frighten the motor vehicle drivers on, for example, the Edgware Road by filtering more quickly in between the two lanes of traffic so can attest to the ability of the tyres to maintain me safely on normal road surfaces under most weather conditions at speed. I would describe their feel as hard but not harsh and I have not found them slippery except on painted road markings or diesel contaminated surfaces. They are about as grippy as my previous Swalbe Marathon Plus tyres but a hell of a lot lighter. They are indeed slightly smaller, dimensionally, compared to equivalent sized tyres. I have found it entirely possible to fit the 700c tyres onto clincher rims without problem, it just takes a little more effort using the supplied plastic tool and time – which is obviated by the correspondingly significant amount of time saved not having to inflate pneumatic tyres periodically (usually at the most inconvenient times rushing when late for work) or repairing punctures. I have had a spoke break while my wheel was fitted with Tannus; provided the spoke nipple is still accessible a new spoke can be replaced (which I have managed to achieve). I guess it’s possible to find an implement to break the plastic retaining pegs if the spoke nipple has been lost inside the rim to loosen the tyre to get to it so as to effect a replacement, but I haven’t faced that problem yet. It might just be wise to buy decent wheels and spokes to begin with before fitting Tannus tyres for peace of mind to minimise the chance of spoke breakage. One other thing I have found useful has been to fit Pitlock security skewers so my wheels cannot easily be stolen. This makes sense when you don’t need to take the wheels off very often (because of the lack of punctures). That way, it makes securing the bicycle far easier.
Overall there is no reason not to have a set of Tannus tyres fitted for commuting, even fast commuting (as in my case) is possible with them. If I had a separate (n+1) road bike I would definitely have a spare set of training wheels fitted with Tannus, they really are that good and quite revolutionary. These days, whenever I see articles or adverts for puncture resistant tyres, inner liners, extra thick inner tubes and slime compound I laugh at such obsolescence!
Hi! I have tried the 20″ for my rear wheel. I am sorry to tell that but I was very excited to think I needed no pump anymore and even though it is guaranteed for 5,000 miles, I have used it for a few weeks. It absorbed no shock at all!!! As it was for my rear wheel, the shocks were pretty impressive and the wheel started getting folded. As a consequence, I will really not recommend them. I have seen other kinds of solid tires with axial holes that make me think they can absorb shocks!