FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany – It may have gone unnoticed in the Eurobike ‘storm’, but Hutchinson launched here a new tyre technology that could change cycling. Yes, it’s about airless tyres. However,
Hutchinson’s Serenity Airless Tyre Concept is based on a sort of half-tube special composite material, which keeps its basic shape even without air pressure.
On top of this half-tube different rubber layers are bonded depending on the performance requested from the tyre. This patented technology is not a solid rubber tube. It’s made of a light & strong composite structure, covered by a unique long life wearing and grippy rubber tread. Theoretical when the rubber layer wears out a replacing new rubber layer could be put on the half-tube again.
The new technology was developed by Hutchinson Tyres and the French R&D company Biron Engineering. It is a direct result of Hutchinson’s participation in the Paris’ Vélib bike hire scheme. In a May 2008 interview with Bike Europe the at that time marketing director Eric Vanhaverbeke of the French tyre maker said: “Our new tyre technology focused on urban mobility is expected to be showed to the market in 2009. We were not ready to supply the required products when JCDecaux specified the Vélib. With the new technology that’s going to change. The city and trekking segments are the future growth markets. More and more people will start using bicycles as a means of transport for short distance trips. Therefore we have put bicycle tyres for these segments back at the top of Hutchinson’s R&D priority list.”
Hutchinson’s marketing manager Arnoud Zumaglia said in Friedrichshafen: “This easy to use airless system will change cycling by giving riders confidence in the reliability of the tyres and the ‘serenity’ that accompanies cycling with that confidence.”
If the promissed characteristics of the new Airless Tires Technology are met Hutchinson expects that: “No more flats or punctures, tube and tyre repair or air pressure maintenance will be needed.” That sounds really revolutionary! According to the Hutchinson planning the new technology will be available to the market at the end of 2010.
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