Cynthetiq

someone sent this to me and I did some looking on the site and cannot believe what I'm looking at...

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JStrider

i remember seeing a thing about these tires being under development a couple years ago... i thought they were really cool then...

it is a bit weird seeing through the tires on the car... but i could get used to it.

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cyrnel

Those were making the show rounds a few years ago. They weren't claiming them as anything beyond a concept. "Much testing remains." I remember most of us were skeptical. Cold weather flex, flat spotting, etc. Kudos if they've nailed it.

I won't relish the thought of cleaning the spokes.

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politicophile

That's amazing. Perhaps I'll have to explain to my grandchildren what a "flat tire" is...

I would imagine that in production form the spokes would be covered by a protective layer of rubber that gave the tires a similar appearance to a conventional tire, but that's just me.

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powerclown

Very interesting. A "tweel" eh?
Seeing through the tire is kind of strange.
Amazing what the French can do when they aren't stopping riots. (...joking.)

I was thinking the same thing. A protective cover -- the rubber 'spokes' look vulnerable.

Mordoc

If they work, I can't wait for some performance motorcycle tweels. If you don't have to worry about air pressure, flat tires, or getting the friggin' things off the rims...

That would be amazing.

laconic1

http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=84099

Cool concept, would eliminate flat tires, and morons driving with 5 psi in the tires

Sue

Those are weird looking. Cool invention, but still weird looking.

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cyrnel

Watch your paint on gravel roads.

I'd like to know more about the materials. Using plastics instead of air means the rigidity and ride will be vulnerable to temperature changes. That they're air-cooled instead of enclosed means they'll stay near ambient instead of warming. Might be good for competition but I still question them for a daily driver anywhere that sees real winters.

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tenchi069

one of the things i thought of when i saw these was snow, slush and that could get in there and unbalance it, but then after thinking it over, at any real rpm nothing is staying, and at low rpm balance doesnt mean much. also, i could think that there will be some sort of fashion covers, like hubcaps, but nylon to go over the sides.

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superiorrain

Looks cool, i think they would have a hard time bringing it to market though. Strange concept and people won't believe their safe. A long up hill battle if you ask me, for them to catch on.

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Cynthetiq

covering the sidewalls would suffice... make them look like normal tires..

call them like runflats2.0 or neverflats and charge extra... once people see the fact they don't have to have a spare nor change tires ever... they'll come around.

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Xazy

I expect there to be some type of defect in the new tires, if not a flat something else. It is like a better battery, or a new lightbulb that cannot break easily, it is just not in the interest in the company to make them.

Psycho Dad

They'll still wear out like any other tire and have to be replaced. But in the meantine you wouldn't have to worry about flats. The tire companies have nothing to gain from making sure tires go flat.

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Xazy

By allowing flats to be possible, it allows for more sales.

Mordoc

If someone has a tire go flat, they'll be less likely to buy a tire of the same type and even manufacturer. Tires that go flat are dangerous, and dangerous products don't make good business sense. Nearly all replacement tires are for worn tires, not flats.

Cynthetiq

I fall into the nearly category then, as one sunday I got a flat and had to replace 2 tires since @ 20,000 miles since it was sidewall damage on 1 tire.

I bought the same manfac and model to match the rest that were on the car. As you go to higher end tires, chances are you'll keep the same model and brand as the costs go upwards.

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Mordoc

You're absolutely right. I was mostly referring to lower-end tires, where selling lots of replacement tires for flats could conceivably result in highter profits- but there is so much competition at that level that it is not a good business model.

Higher quality tires will get replaced by the same thing, usually- but they probably shouldn't go flat too often .

Psycho Dad

Usually when I have a flat it costs me 7 bucks to have it patched instead of replaced. :shrug: Also I've never noticed any difference between the brand of tire and the number of flats I’ve had. And one really can’t hold the tire manufacture responsible for getting a nail or some other object in a tire. Separated belts on the other hand…

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Scorps

Those are cool looking...no more curbing

tec-9-7

This makes no sense to me. Every flat I've gotten has been due to a puncture. That would happen whether it was a $40 General or a $240 Michelin... When I get a flat I usually replace two tires and the make depends on how happy I was with the originals.

Carno

So what happens when you run over a nail in one of these things?

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PredeconInferno

Upon reading this, I immediately thought of the following:

RadiKS Mark IV smartwheels: sprockets (hub w/ spokes), adjust to terrain, sonar, laser rangefinding, millimeter-wave radar

hehe

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tspikes51

Wow, if this works it will be one of the biggest innovations in automotive history. Here's to hoping...

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fresnelly

Nifty! I'd like to see these run on F1 cars or some other such high performance racing series. That would really help sell the public on their reliablity etc...

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IanSturgill

That sucks, Lets see a Baja Claw Version.

FngKestrel

Can I stick a playing card through the spokes?

cyrnel

I still believe that's going to be their biggest headache. Rocks & mud will get into the spoke areas and mess with balance. Cosmetic covers won't prevent anything but polite intrusions unless they're molded to the tread.

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There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195

stingc

They're not going to be sold like this. It's just to show off the concept. Any marketable tire is going to look normal (at least for a while).

cyrnel

Ah, well color me stupid. I didn't seen that in their information. Their dog & pony people didn't mention anything but cosmetic wheel-attached covers when these things first made the rounds.

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There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195

muckluck

If this becomes the standard, then that means no more cool light shows during high speed chases at night . What are those "amazing video" T.V. shows going to do!? No more cool "spy cars" that unload alot of nails to shake off people chasing them, and the nail strip police use will be useless. Other then that, seems like a cool concept. I bet you alot less tire related accidents would happen if it never flattens.

-- edit--

Did anyone else think that the wheel on these looks like the big white K'nex piece? Hopefully it wasn't just me .

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Redlemon

There's a mention of these in the November 21 Time Magazine. According to them:

"The Tweel has been tested on the IBOT robotic wheelchair and military vehicles. But you won't see it on your Honda anytime soon. Michelin says it is still too noisy for automotive applications.

Availability: Now for the IBOT; about 2020 for cars"

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NudeAutoMall

It's good to see consepts, but I concur with the dangers of such especialy given the reputation of a pore company such as Michelin, a company that states in their warenty that they are not responcible for defects in workmanship or design.

SteveoTG

The question remains...can I bling them out? that and how are the spokes about getting worn out? mmmmmm, blingy tire spokes..........