Tubeless tire
Encyclopedia
Tubeless tires are pneumatic tires that do not require a separate inner tube. Unlike traditional pneumatic tires which use a separate inner tube, tubeless tires have continuous ribs molded integrally into the bead of the tire so that they are forced by the pressure of the air inside the tire to seal with the flanges of the metal rim of the wheel.
in 1930. The Wingfoot Corporation, a subsidiary of Goodyear Tire were granted a patent in South Africa
in 1944. Due to technical problems, most of these designs only saw limited production or were abandoned.
BF Goodrich applied for a patent in 1946 and eventually received in 1952 in the United States
. By 1955 tubeless tires became standard equipment on new cars. BF Goodrich had to defend their patent in court several times, due to the similarities of previous designs. The primary difference between the BF Goodrich design and their predecessors was the usage of butyl rubber
, which was more resistant to air leakage than the natural rubber
used in the other designs.
Despite the inherent safety of the design, there have been numerous problems and recalls with modern tubeless tires, primarily due to manufacturing defects.
system requires a compatible tire, an airtight rim — capable of being sealed at the valve stem
, spoke holes (if they go all the way through the rim) and the tire bead seat. The main benefit of tubeless tires is the ability to use low air pressure for better traction without getting pinch flats because there is no tube to pinch between the rim and an obstacle.
with hooked edges designed to seal with specially designed tires. Several companies such as Michelin
and Hutchinson make tires compatible with UST rims. UST is the most common system of tubeless tires/rims for bicycle use. Bontrager has a very similar system called TLR or Tubeless Ready.
and Hutchinson introduced a tubeless system for road bikes. However, tubeless tires have not gained popular acceptance in road racing due to lack of sponsorship, the tradition of using tubular tires and the fact that tubeless set ups weigh more than top of the line tubular wheelsets.
History
Many patents had been filed covering tubeless tires. Killen Tire applied for a patent in 1928 and was granted in the UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1930. The Wingfoot Corporation, a subsidiary of Goodyear Tire were granted a patent in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1944. Due to technical problems, most of these designs only saw limited production or were abandoned.
BF Goodrich applied for a patent in 1946 and eventually received in 1952 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. By 1955 tubeless tires became standard equipment on new cars. BF Goodrich had to defend their patent in court several times, due to the similarities of previous designs. The primary difference between the BF Goodrich design and their predecessors was the usage of butyl rubber
Butyl rubber
Butyl rubber is a synthetic rubber, a copolymer of isobutylene with isoprene. The abbreviation IIR stands for Isobutylene Isoprene Rubber. Polyisobutylene, also known as "PIB" or polyisobutene, n, is the homopolymer of isobutylene, or 2-methyl-1-propene, on which butyl rubber is based...
, which was more resistant to air leakage than the natural rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
used in the other designs.
Safety
Traditional designs of pneumatic tires required a separate inner tube which could fail for a number of reasons, such as incorrect tire fit, friction between the tire wall and inner tube generating excess heat or puncture. Tubeless tire technology does away with the need for an inner tube thereby increasing safety. In a tubeless tire, the tire and the rim of the wheel form an airtight seal, with the valve being directly mounted on the rim. If a tubeless tire gets a small puncture, air escapes only through the hole, leading to a gentle deflation. Conversely, an inner tube could potentially burst like a balloon, leading to a rapid deflation of the tire which could result in sudden loss of control of the vehicle.Despite the inherent safety of the design, there have been numerous problems and recalls with modern tubeless tires, primarily due to manufacturing defects.
Tire sealants
Liquid tire sealant can be added to tubeless tires to prevent deflation in case of small punctures.Bicycle tires
A tubeless bicycle tireBicycle tire
A bicycle tire is a tire that fits on the wheel of a bicycle, unicycle, tricycle, quadracycle, bicycle trailer, or trailer bike. They may also be used on wheelchairs and handcycles, especially for racing...
system requires a compatible tire, an airtight rim — capable of being sealed at the valve stem
Valve stem
A valve stem is a self-contained valve which opens to admit gas to a chamber , and is then automatically closed and kept sealed by the pressure in the chamber, or a spring, or both, to prevent the gas from escaping...
, spoke holes (if they go all the way through the rim) and the tire bead seat. The main benefit of tubeless tires is the ability to use low air pressure for better traction without getting pinch flats because there is no tube to pinch between the rim and an obstacle.
UST
UST or Universal System Tubeless is a rim designed by MavicMavic
Mavic is a French bicycle parts manufacturer, its name an acronym for Manufacture d'Articles Vélocipédiques Idoux et Chanel, founded by Charles Idoux and Lucien Chanel. The company is noted as a manufacturer of bicycle wheels. Mavic is based in Annecy, France...
with hooked edges designed to seal with specially designed tires. Several companies such as Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
and Hutchinson make tires compatible with UST rims. UST is the most common system of tubeless tires/rims for bicycle use. Bontrager has a very similar system called TLR or Tubeless Ready.
DIY tubeless
Also called Ghetto tubeless or Redneck tubeless, some cyclists have avoided the price premium for a tubeless system by sealing the spoke holes with a special rim strip and then sealing the valve stem and bead seat with a latex sealer.. An even cheaper option is to cut open a 20" innertube to form a rim strip. However, tires not designed for tubeless application do not have as robust a sidewall as those that are.Road tubeless
In 2006, ShimanoShimano
Shimano, Inc. is a Japanese multinational manufacturer of cycling components, fishing tackle, and rowing equipment.In 2005, the company had net sales of US $1.4 billion. Bicycle components provided 75% of its sales income...
and Hutchinson introduced a tubeless system for road bikes. However, tubeless tires have not gained popular acceptance in road racing due to lack of sponsorship, the tradition of using tubular tires and the fact that tubeless set ups weigh more than top of the line tubular wheelsets.
See also
- Rolling resistanceRolling resistanceRolling resistance, sometimes called rolling friction or rolling drag, is the resistance that occurs when a round object such as a ball or tire rolls on a flat surface, in steady velocity straight line motion. It is caused mainly by the deformation of the object, the deformation of the surface, or...
- Pounds per square inchPounds per square inchThe pound per square inch or, more accurately, pound-force per square inch is a unit of pressure or of stress based on avoirdupois units...
- Presta valvePresta valveThe Presta valve is a valve commonly found in high pressure road style and many mountain bicycle inner tubes. It comprises an outer valve stem and an inner valve body...
- Schrader valveSchrader valveThe Schrader valve is a brand of pneumatic tire valve used on virtually every motor vehicle in the world today. The Schrader company, for which it was named, was founded in 1844 by August Schrader...