02-23-2005, 11:01 AM | #1 (permalink) | |
Drifting
Administrator
Location: Windy City
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Reinventing the Wheel - Tweel
Has anybody else happened to catch wind of this?
Michelin has been introducing a new "wheel" : Photo gallery : http://www.michelinman.com/promo/200...ery.html?pic=0 (Click on link for images in article) http://www.gizmag.com/go/3603/ Quote:
For some reason, I find it hard to envision the performance of these to fly - they just look so FLIMSY.
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02-23-2005, 11:15 AM | #2 (permalink) |
Junkie
Location: Pats country
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I was going to say ugly, but flimsy works too. I wonder what material they used to make these? It's hard to imagine it withstanding the punishment a regular tire (sorry "tyre") goes through over 30,000 miles.
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02-23-2005, 11:17 AM | #3 (permalink) |
Addict
Location: Baltimore MD
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for how much they claim to be revolutionizing performance, why do they keep insisting on entering them on low-speed, low-weight vehicles.
i wonder if they work with 18's? how would they do in a burnout? these are the questions I am concerned with
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02-23-2005, 11:28 AM | #4 (permalink) | |
Drifting
Administrator
Location: Windy City
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While I don't see them releasing material specs maybe for competition reasons, here's the
info from the Michelin site: *** EDIT: I just realized this is the same article as before - but different site ** http://www.michelinman.com/differenc...01102005a.html Quote:
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Calling from deep in the heart, from where the eyes can't see and the ears can't hear, from where the mountain trails end and only love can go... ~~~ Three Rivers Hare Krishna |
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02-23-2005, 11:42 AM | #5 (permalink) |
I change
Location: USA
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Yep, heard of these on Paul Harvey's show a few weeks ago. Evidently the cost is very high at this point. But it's bound to come down with mass production. Always good to hear of advances in automotive and vehicle technology. Thanks for the additional info.
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02-23-2005, 11:56 AM | #6 (permalink) | |
Devoted
Donor
Location: New England
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I love it when science fiction comes to life. Neil Stephenson had these in Snow Crash (1992), both on motorcycles and skateboards.
Quote:
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02-23-2005, 01:08 PM | #7 (permalink) |
Psycho
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this just seems kinda.....dumb honestly. And i see its from the inventor of the segway?....the retarded invention that had horrible sales and was non-reliable and possibly dangerous if the batery was low? No thanks, i dont want to have my little mobility thing to die on me in the middle of a busy freeway.
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02-23-2005, 01:50 PM | #8 (permalink) |
Junkie
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That is an interesting concept if nothing else. It would be good from a maintenance standpoint since you wouldnt see people running around on tires that have maybe 5 psi left in them and are virtually flat because they never check their tire pressures. No more blown out sidewalls from low pressure either. I'd be interested to see how they perform in situations such as panic stops. They look like they would fold up in a panic stop. I can understand starting out with lightweight stuff while they learn and figure out all the bougs that are bound to crop up, before moving on to some of the heavier things like skidsteers that they have planned.
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02-24-2005, 09:06 AM | #10 (permalink) |
That's what she said
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they might go in a straight line or over a pothole just fine... but they don't look like they could handle many lateral G's. i doubt they'll become mainstream for cars without some serious redesigning, but maybe for low-speed vehicles like tractors or fork lifts. even then, i don't really see any advantage over normal tires, especially after considering their high cost.
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02-24-2005, 10:53 AM | #11 (permalink) |
Insane
Location: Champaign, IL
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Actually the design and spoke material allows it to handle G's just fine. Also, it allows for sole replacing of the band with the tread instead of the whole tire, which means instead of swapping whole wheel sets for summer/winter you can just switch the band. Also, flats are an impossibility with the lack of pressure.
As for performance, it can be varied depending on spoke material/design and wheel diameter. I see these becoming commonplace in 20 years maximum. They just make too much sense not to work.
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Tags |
reinventing, tweel, wheel |
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