Review on the Tannus Airless Aither 1.1 Tires
Hi everyone, this is a first time blog for me so please bear with the "arghs" and "Uhmms" :) So after some extensive research about not having to worry about changing flat tires or carrying pumps before doing long rides or bike races I have stumbled upon a website offering puncture proof tires called "Tannus". Yes I know this was introduced way back like 2015 pa, but then I need it now so I found it. Plus news of this product died down so its better to bring it back right?
The product is called Tannus Aither 1.1 airless puncture proof tires.
From what I have gathered, ‘Puncture proof’ or ‘airless tires’ seem to be one of those inventions that emerge from hibernation periodically to be hailed as one of those bulaga moments! These ‘innovations’ seem to disappear shortly after and recede back into hibernation yet again. The reality is that this idea is viable for commuters. But to mention this to other cyclists you might be greeted with "roll of the eyes" or a simple "hmph!" or even "Nakupow!" mentality.
ORIGINS:
Aither 1.1 is the new revised foam compound used for making Tannus tires. Starting in 2015 Tannus started producing tires using the new Aither 1.1 compound. The new compound is 15% more efficient than the previous Aither 1.0 compound. The new tires are also currently being produced in a single density that offers a softer ride yet is still more efficient than the old Aither H1 (Hard) compound
The Tannus range is produced by Midas Tires in Korea who are holders of 3 patents related to the airless tires. The entire range of sizes is available in a hard or soft option, as well as 13 very vivid colours with such inspiring names as Volcano, Melon or Pink Lady to name but a few. Check out their other product ranges at this site: http://mscsphilippines.com/index.php/product-tag/tannus/
The company has a few number of distributors here in the Philippines and NOT all of them have the full technical know how on how to install these or even understand the complete technical details & specifications, so it is up to you; the customer to carefully inquire & select which reseller offers the installation.
PACKAGE & PRICE:
1 Tire cost Php2,950.00 or roughly $56.00/piece--> If you look at it in a broader perspective, not bad for a set of "puncture proof" tires which legend says it can last up to 5,000miles or 8,000kms! In this case, the only product available for my roadbike is the Musai Slicks (700x23c). I ordered the midnight black one with regular compound. My package includes 2 pcs of rubber tires, 3 sets of pins, and a tool lever.
I purchased mine online at http://mscsphilippines.com/index.php/product-tag/tannus/
or you may get it off the shelf from Built Cycles (Makati) or The Brick Multisportstore (Taguig)
PSI Equivalent:
Hard compound = 120 psi
Regular compound = 110 psi
INSTALLATION:
Now before you order this product & do your own DIY please make sure that the internal rim width of your roadbike rims (700c) are at least 17mm wide. Pls take note of this one ha. Tannus website says that the minimum is 15mm, but we have tried to install the tire to my Axis rimset which is 15.10mm wide and it was really a total waste of time. The strong rubber material made it hard to squeeze it in and the tire keeps on popping out. If you only have a 15mm internal size rim and wants to use them for this project, I strongly suggest you visit one of their reseller to have this installed and not continue the DIY.
Tannus tires can be frustrating to install until you get the technique down for installing the pins. Just like with standard tires, some rims are easier than others for installing a tire. If you have an extra narrow rim, you might want to buy the P-Tool in addition to the included stick tool which can make installing the tires a lot easier.
There are 3 sets of pins that were included in the package and each pin have a diff length. The purpose of the pin is to be inserted into the tires to hold them against the rim. It's kinda like their locking mechanism. When you insert the pin, you can hear a light click sound and it should fit snugly like on the picture below. On the picture below Obviously the red pin is measured at 17mm so technically the internal rim width must be 17mm right?
Taken from Tannus USA site
Tannus gave 3 sets of pins and here are their length sizes based on diff colors. ** unless these are not the only default length of the pins or there are many variations in which I do not know of **
So based from the above set of pins, 17mm is the smallest and I believe this is the minimum requirement for the internal rim width. Just my 2 cents.
WEIGHT:
Weight of the tires was 375g each, the pins added another 11g per wheel when assembled. This should be un-noticeable especially when you compare to using a pneumatic tires with tools, pump, CO2 plus a repair kit :)
ASSEMBLY:
Remove the rimtape. It took us at least 30-40 mins to install one tire since there are estimated 30-40pcs of pins per tire and you have to use the tool lever to push all the pins into the rim. Take note there will be a click sound for every pin pushed inside meaning it is locked.
The only 17mm rim that I have was this Girder OCR steel rims 36 holes & it's good enough for a start. Now on to test these bad boys out on the road!
INITIAL TEST
We installed the rimset to my trusty roadbike and tested it for 1-2 hours on dry and wet roads. I also used another Tannus tire before so I have an early feel as to what I will be expecting for this new one. Initially the ride feels like having a normal tire but I can feel the slight rolling resistance when coming from a full stop. I am used to riding a 25c tires so this is my first time to do a 23c that is why I am also adjusting to it. It also brakes well on wet roads. Avoid riding on painted areas, it might feel a little bit slippery.
Aside from the different response to the small road conditions and typical suburban road repairs, it felt like I was riding tired. My usual pasyal speed of 18 – 19km/hr average was down to about 15. I didn’t think much about it or i might be stressed out during the week. Subsequent rides proved however that these tires are in fact slower, and whilst some of this may be due to the softer front tire that I was running, it was more likely due to the material compound used by Midas
This was confirmed in feedback from the company where they suggested that their tires are only “1 -2 km/hr slower” than a pneumatic tire, but they point out that their tire is primarily aimed at commuting where speed is not such an issue, the slowing effect is less noticeable, and the benefit of not getting punctures offsets this minor speed impost.
Break in period?
According to Tannus Support --> One thing to consider is that there is a BREAK IN PERIOD. Like a good mattress, it takes about 50-70 miles to wear off the polymer that is used to break the tires out of the mold during manufacturing.
For humps, obviously there is no bounce. I will try to ride these more often and will provide additional reviews in the coming weeks.
INITIAL SUMMARY:
These tires are built for heavy duty use and commute rides. The increased resilience of the Tannus tires over the traditional pneumatic tire also means that these tyres are realistically better suited to the more robust style wheelsets where there are more spoke counts and sturdier rims, rather than the typical lightweight minimally spoked road wheel that tends to be found on many road bikes.
I was a little scared at first thinking what if the tires instantly popped off the rims or will it skid upon sudden braking? Luckily it didn't happen and it takes a little change in riding style to counter all the new issues found.
At the price of roughly Php1,475.00 per tire and the savings you can get from buying additional interiors or new rubber tires is already good enough. Plus, No Stress on your wallet.
We are accustomed to how well the pneumatic tires perform that the flats and punctures are just part of the normal trade off. For me, it must be the rider to adjust since the tires are there already. Give this idea a chance, something new in your cycling game.
Until next time... Ride safe!
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How to remove Tannus tires -->
