Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

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Ross
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Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby Ross » Sat May 26, 2018 7:44 am

http://road.cc/content/tech-news/242461 ... -zip-place

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Must admit when reading the article I too immediately checked the calender to make sure it wasn't April 1st as it seems like a far fetched idea but it could be of use, depending on how well the product has been designed.

I can't see too many roadies using it due to the weight penalty but maybe it could be useful for CX/MTB riders that want slick tyres for riding on sealed roads and then want chunkier tread for riding off-road. Cheaper than having two wheelsets with different types of tyres and swapping them over.

A rider could potentailly carry a different zip tyre tread with them and swap them mid ride, if required.

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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby Trevtassie » Sat May 26, 2018 10:15 am

Stuck clagged up zipper anyone?

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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby uart » Sat May 26, 2018 11:13 am

Startup brand reTyre is offering tyres that can be adapted for different surfaces and conditions with the addition of a surface “skin” that zips into place.
If this is their main (or only) product then I strongly predict that this is one "start up" that will fail to start.

It's going to be expensive to produce and will have a very limited market in my opinion. Also, I would be very surprised if it didn't have major reliability issue when used in the proverbial "real world".

Looks slow, heavy, clunky, unreliable, expensive.

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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby 10speedsemiracer » Sat May 26, 2018 5:20 pm

I think this is the bike equivalent of snow chains. Looking at the example, there appears to be a tread designed for traction on ice. There may actually be a market for these in northern Europe and even parts of the US and Canada. Market experience in Australia though...0 units.
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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby ironhanglider » Sat May 26, 2018 9:10 pm

I still fail to see the advantage of these over a folding tyre. If studded tyres are required there is usually lots of mud and slush around by the time you have got to the point of needing them mid-trip. I think it would still be easier to fit a new tyre to the rim.

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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby 10speedsemiracer » Sat May 26, 2018 9:45 pm

I was thinking in terms of having them with, and if you poke your head outside after work and see the roads have become icy, then your zip them on.

Like I said, think they'll sell nil units in Australia.

Can't imagine they would be the quickest or most responsive thing to ride around on, but then who wants speed on an icy road?
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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby trailgumby » Sat May 26, 2018 11:36 pm

Yup, I reckon you're right. Australian sales, zip.

It's OK. I'll see myself out. :oops:

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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby Duck! » Sun May 27, 2018 12:11 am

There's a pun just begging to be let out, so I'll do it....

Funky concept, but I can't see it gaining traction.....
I had a thought, but it got run over as it crossed my mind.

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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby 10speedsemiracer » Sun May 27, 2018 2:07 am

Duck! wrote:There's a pun just begging to be let out, so I'll do it....

Funky concept, but I can't see it gaining traction.....
Well played
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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby 10speedsemiracer » Sun May 27, 2018 2:08 am

trailgumby wrote:Yup, I reckon you're right. Australian sales, zip.

It's OK. I'll see myself out. :oops:
Also well played
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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby 10speedsemiracer » Sun May 27, 2018 2:12 am

I feel I should add a pun but I have nothing...there's too much pressure
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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby Thoglette » Sun May 27, 2018 2:02 pm

Frankly, the whole conversation has left me feeling a bit flat. Deflated even.
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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby uart » Sun May 27, 2018 3:06 pm

To be honest, I find the whole concept of this tyre to be something of a side splitting joke.

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Ross
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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby Ross » Sun May 27, 2018 4:55 pm

I'm really tired of all the jokes...

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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby 10speedsemiracer » Sun May 27, 2018 5:00 pm

Of course they wouldn't be cheap, but then that's a consequence of inflation... (ok I'm done now).
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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby trailgumby » Sun May 27, 2018 9:42 pm

Duck! wrote:There's a pun just begging to be let out, so I'll do it....

Funky concept, but I can't see it gaining traction.....
Yep, you've nailed it.

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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby Jmuzz » Mon May 28, 2018 11:15 am

The ice spikes is probably the only point to it.
But I can't see a zipper lasting long especially on salted roads or cost being viable.

You could probably achieve the same thing without a zipper by using a tyre cap which installs with deflated tyre and then locks on when pumped up.

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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby Thoglette » Tue May 29, 2018 12:02 pm

Jmuzz wrote:The ice spikes is probably the only point to it.
But I can't see a zipper lasting long especially on salted roads or cost being viable.
And anyone who lives in an area where this makes sense is already used to the concept of having normal and winter wheels (equipped with snow tyres) which get swapped as the weather changes.

(Snow tyres are where the fat bike craze started - see here for some pre-history)
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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby mikesbytes » Tue May 29, 2018 4:46 pm

It's a bit like fitting chains to your car to drive over snow and ice. I can perceive the usefulness in colder climates

If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby Jmuzz » Wed May 30, 2018 12:27 pm

It would be useful, but it has to be physically reliable and financially viable.

Otherwise just change tyres for perma-ice winter period (spike tyres are common, just not here, $35) or get a second set of cheap rims to keep spikes on.

I can see how countries which get ice conditions for early morning commute but not on the way home might want a fast conversion system.
But not how zippers can not suck for reliability.

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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby Thoglette » Wed May 30, 2018 7:41 pm

mikesbytes wrote:It's a bit like fitting chains to your car to drive over snow and ice.
So why not just fit existing bike wheel/tyre chains?

It's really a clever solution (at least until the zipper ices up).
But it's still in search of a problem.
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Re: Zip tyres where tread can be changed to suit different road surfaces!

Postby 10speedsemiracer » Wed May 30, 2018 8:04 pm

Thoglette wrote:
mikesbytes wrote:It's a bit like fitting chains to your car to drive over snow and ice.
So why not just fit existing bike wheel/tyre chains?

It's really a clever solution (at least until the zipper ices up).
But it's still in search of a problem.
I think it's for those scenarios where the weather changes or there is an unexpected flurry etc. So ride to work at 730am, no rain, no ice..normal tyres. Stick head out at 5:25pm, dank and grim weather with icy roads. Throw on the Zip tyres and ride home.
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