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How do Air Free tires compare to rubber, air-filled tires?
In most cases, Air Free tires compare favorably and can
satisfy just about every cycling application. While we may
call the Air Free tires "solid" or "airless," the tires
actually are made of dense polyurethane foam that traps
millions of microscopic air cells - so the truth is, they
have a fair amount of air in them. We created these tires to
imitate the most popular types of rubber tires on the
market, so you'll see the tread patterns and shapes and
sizes are similar. For example, our Airless 700 X 20 Daytona
TT tire is designed to imitate a street-type rubber tire in
the 700 x 20 to 700 x 23 range. Both tires would be slick
and fast and fairly hard, without a whole lot of give,
because the rubber tire would be inflated to about 120 PSI
and our tire is designed to feel and look just like that
type of tire.
How long do Air Free tires last?
Air Free tires will last as long
-- if not longer than --
comparable rubber tires. The Legacy bicycle tire collection
is made with either a high-rebound urethane elastomer or
what we call the standard foam. Tires made of either
material will last anywhere from 3000 to 6000 miles,
depending on the rider's weight and the surface on which the
bike is ridden. For example, in the Northeast, where they
use shale in the asphalt, tire life can be shorter.
Do weather conditions - extremes of heat and
cold -- affect Air Free bicycle tires in the same way they
affect rubber tires?
All of our airless tires are designed to handle just like
regular rubber bicycle tires they were meant to replace. So
whether you ride in the rain, on wet asphalt or on gravel -
in cold temperatures or in the desert - you can expect the
same performance from Air Free tires as you do from rubber
tires. However, it is the official position of Air Free that
it is only common sense that holds a human cyclist upright
in the rain, regardless of the tires being used, so please
be careful no matter what you use..
What does PSI mean?
People generally think of PSI as referring to air pressure
per square inch of surface area. We use a PSI equivalency,
which means the airless tire has the same amount of "give"
as a rubber, air-filled tire of that PSI.
Why do Air Free
tires have a PSI?
Air Free tires have what we call a "pounds per square inch
feel." If I were to pour urethane into a cup, and let it
foam up and harden, the resulting urethane would have a PSI
feel of about 25, which feels fairly squishy - like a soft
bicycle tire. However, if we spin a tire mold at about 400
revolutions per minute, the spinning motion collapses some
of the foam, which lets us add more urethane and create a
denser material - one that has less "give" to it. The faster
we spin the mold, the more urethane we can add and the more
firm the tire will be. Most of our tires have a PSI
equivalency of about 55 to 60 - that is, they feel about as
firm as a rubber tire inflated to 55 to 60 PSI. However, we
make some stock tires, such as those in the Daytona and
Teton lines, at higher PSI equivalencies for riders who need
or prefer a firmer tire. We can also customize the PSI of
tires to your specifications.
What do Air Free
tires weigh?
The weight of each bicycle tire is listed with the
individual tires. The foam weighs a little more than air,
but because it traps so many air bubbles, the weight
difference is slight. Air Free tires range from as light as
300 grams each for high-end racing tires to 1200 to 1400
grams for some of our mountain bike or more rugged
industrial tires. A 26 X 2.0 pneumatic rubber tire would
weigh about 800 grams - with a fairly thick inner tube, the
total weight would be about 1100 grams. Our airless tires of
the same size weigh between 1000 and 1200 grams, which is
right in the same range. Our Daytona 700 X 20 tire weighs
about 350 grams; most high-end rubber racing tires also
weigh about 350 grams. Some of our airless tires do weigh
more than a comparable rubber tire and some weigh less. Higher PSI tires contain
more foam and therefore weigh more.
How much weight
will an Air Free tires hold?
All airless tires can hold at least 100 pounds per wheel,
but if you want to ride faster, or if you weigh more than
180 lbs, you should get the tires customized to a higher PSI
feel. We'll make custom tires that are a little bit denser
and can take the weight. A tire customized to 100 PSI will
hold about 1-1/2 times the weight of a standard tire at 55
PSI. At 150 PSI, it will hold double the weight. So if you
weigh 300 pounds, you should have your tires customized to
150 PSI. If you weigh 240 pounds, 120-130 PSI will work
best. At 180, you can get away with 100 PSI.
Who manufactures
Air Free tires?
We manufacture tires ourselves, and we also deal with 18
different manufacturers and suppliers of airless products in
the U.S., Mexico and the United Kingdom. Bicycle tires come
from 1 of 4 manufacturers, including one run by a former
Boeing engineer, and tires for mobility vehicles (such as
scooters) come from two different manufacturers. We also
carry rims, rubber tires, and inserts manufactured by other
companies. Our bicycle tires are made by manufacturers, who
have incredibly high standards and who are leaders in the
industry. All of our products are the best available with
current technology. Depending on what you order, your tires
may be shipped to you from one of our business partners or
from us.
How well can Air Free tires hold up in rain
and extreme weather conditions?
Air Free tires will be less affected by extremes in
temperatures than rubber tires, because they contain less
air than their rubber counterparts. It is possible for the
airless tires to soften in extreme heat, and we have had
customers in very cold climates tell us the tires are extra
hard in extreme cold. But the tires are still usable in
either weather extreme. We have customers riding on airless
tires in Alaska, in the desert and overseas; all report that
the product works well for them.
Is the rolling
resistance greater for an Air Free tire than a rubber tire?
No, the rolling resistance is comparable to similar rubber
tire. We can also decrease by rolling resistance by making a
denser tire, at your request. If you want to go faster, or
weigh more than 180, you might be happier with tires
customized to a higher PSI.
Will it hurt my Air Free tire if I
ride over glass, thorns, or other sharp objects?
No. The worst we've heard is that you have to pull some of
these things back out of the tires with pliers. Some
customers have reported that if a sharp object slashes the
Air Free tire, they can just glue the piece back in place.
Riding over sharp objects is why be invented the airless
tire.
Do your tires work for rare extreme
sports such as inline boarding?
We design tires primarily for bicycles, mobility vehicles
such as scooters, and wheeled farm, industrial or
recreational carts. So we're not comfortable seeing airless
tires used for more extreme sports. If you're going over the
side of cliffs on a vehicle, or setting one on fire --
anything that would cause the destruction of a rubber tire
-- chances are, your sport will cause an airless tire to
fail as well.
Which countries do you ship to?
We can ship to any country in the world, and have sold many
tires to customers in the United Kingdom, Europe and
Australia. Two tires and an installation tool cost about
$40-45 to ship by USPS air parcel post to those areas. If
you order tires without the installation tool, it can be a
little cheaper; shipments to Asia may cost a little more. If
you live outside the U.S., just email us and we'll give you
the best shipping price we can.
See more in
our shipping section.
Is there a dealer in my area?
That depends on where you live. Hundreds of bike shops
nationwide carry our products, although many don't keep an
inventory of the tires in stock. If you want to touch an
airless tire in person, email us and we'll try to send you
to somebody in your area. If there is no dealer near you,
we'll be happy to sell you a tire by mail. Also feel free to
go into any bike shop and say, "Order me some airless
tires."
Which tires will fit my bike?
We have tires to fit almost all bicycles, and if we don't
have one, we can build a wheel for you and put one of our
airless tires on it. The easiest way to find out if any of
our tires will fit is to follow the measuring instructions
at www.airfreetires.com/sizing for your vehicle. The "quick
size" is the easiest. If you find you have a bike our tires
don't fit, or if you're uncertain, just email us and let us
know what type of bike you have, the make and model of the
rim, and what kind of riding you like to do. We should be
able to suggest the right product.
What are your prices?
Our prices are listed with each of the tires or products we
sell. Typically, our prices are in line with other retailers
and we always have a sale going on. Look for the sales and
use the coupons. We have discount programs, affiliate
program and wholesale and retail pricing as well if you
email us first and tell us about your needs. As always, we
can arrange quantity discounts for those who need more than
just a couple of tires.
What methods of payment do you
accept?
We take Master Card, Visa, American Express and Discover
credit cards. We will soon be able to accept electronic
checks. We can take purchase orders, and you can always
order COD for a small additional charge. You can also phone
in your order, talk to a live person and arrange a method of
payment.
How long will shipping take?
It just depends on the product you ordered and where you
live. Industrial tires and mobility tires usually ship the
next day and can take 4-10 business days to reach you
depending on your location. Customized bike tires can take
4-6 weeks. Stock tires can take 2-4 weeks, depending on the
manufacturer. If you need your tires fast, we designate some
items as "quick ship," which means they are in inventory and
will ship the next day.
Please double-check for any additional shipping information
in the product listing and also check our
shipping page for
updates as they become available.
Do you have a tire that will fit
these specifications?
We have tires to fit almost all applications and have gone
to great lengths to make it easy for you to find out if
tires will fit your vehicle. Sometimes, the specs customers
give us aren't enough information to allow us to determine
what tire will work best. We might need more information
about your rims, hubs and wheels to know if a specific tire
will fit your vehicle. A rubber tire can be inflated to fit
a rim, but airless tires are a molded urethane product with
a fixed width, and cannot expand. If your rim is too wide,
the tire won't fit. If it's too thin, the tire won't seat
properly. With details about your rim, we can tell you if an
Air Free tire is likely to snap snugly into your rims and
never come off. Try the easy instructions on
www.airfreetires.com/sizing and if you still have
questions, email us and we will help you as best we can.
How do I figure out what size to
order?
That's easy. Use our sizing section at
www.airfreetires.com/sizing
.
Follow the instructions; if for some reason we don't have a
tire for your application or you are uncertain, email us and
we'll help. If we don't carry a tire that will work for you,
we'll try to suggest alternatives.
Do you make custom-sized tires?
We have, yes. This is not an easy process and it cost
upwards of $20,000 to have a new mold made. It may be
possible to modify existing designs, but that's not
inexpensive either. However, there aren't many places that
can do this sort of thing. So if you really do need a
custom-sized tire, talk to us first.
My bicycle is not on your list -
how do I measure my tire?
There are easy-to-follow instructions on our "QuickSize"
page, and we also have the
tire selector, which is just like
the QuickSize except you have to actually remove the tire
and measure the rim itself.
How do I measure my bicycle rims?
There are two ways: First is the QuickSize page, which
doesn't require you to remove tire - go to our
QuickSize . Put a coin on the backside of your
rim; if your rim is just as wide as a quarter (which is 25
mm in diameter) on the outside of the rim, then the inside
of your rim, which is typically 6 mm. thinner than the
outside, will be 19 mm wide. This would tell us which of our
tires would properly seat itself into your rim. You might be
able to find the diameter of your tire by reading
information printed on your current tire. To measure the
diameter of your wheel, measure from one end of the wheel to
the other, keeping in mind that the bow of the spokes will
add several centimeters to the overall diameter of the
wheel. However, differences in wheel sizes are substantial
enough that you should be able to tell which size wheel you
have. There are also easy instructions on our
tire selector
section. To use that section, you'll need to remove the tire
and measure in between the hook beads -- the tiny little
flanges on the top of the rim which would hold a rubber
tire. You can determine the depth of the rim by measuring to
the top of a spoke nipple. Our sizing section includes
diagrams to help you understand exactly where and how to
measure.
I am an atypical cyclist: I weigh
400 pounds and only ride on wet gravel. Will your Air Free
tires work for me?
Maybe. Our tires are weight sensitive, so we suggest getting
tires customized to a higher psi if you weigh more than 180
pounds. We have high-rebound tires that can accommodate a
400-pound rider, although that is stretching the limits of
the technology. In some cases, people have rims that the
high-re wont fit, we suggest getting a new set of wheels
built for this weight, and then have high-rebound tires.
Will Air Free tires fit a European
bike?
Maybe. You should consult the sizing section and physically
inspect your rims to make sure one of the airless tires can
securely seat itself into it. Our tires are designed to fit
the most popular bikes in the world , so it's highly likely
will have something to fit. However, there are bikes with
rims too side or thin, or wrong diameter to fit. If you have
questions, email us after visiting the sizing section.
Will your airless tires fit my vehicle?
CYCLES
Bicycle - yes
Antique bikes - Maybe, depending on the shape of your rim.
If your rim round, like a half-piece of pipe, we probably
won't have something to fit. If it's squared or boxed, like
a more modern rim, we probably will have something to fit.
Custom - yes, if it has box rims.
Unicycle - yes, if it has box rims
Tandem bicycle - yes, but you'll need to get the tires
customized
Electric bicycle - yes, but you'll need to get the tires
customized.
Gas powered - airless tires are not designed for any vehicle
with a motor that goes over 30 mph; if you're not sure,
email us for specifics.
Rocket-powered bicycle - In outer space, yes. On the road,
no.
Folding bicycle - yes
Recumbent - yes
Exercise - yes
Recumbent exercise bicycle - yes
Tricycle - yes
Quadracycle - yes
I already placed
an order. Why hasn't it arrived yet?
Depending on what you ordered, shipping times vary. Please
see our
shipping page to find out what the approximate times
are.
Can I get a tracking number for my
order?
Yes, of course. However, how long it takes to get the
tracking number depends on whether we shipped your product
or whether one of our stocking partners shipped it. In most
cases, we can get your tracking number from one of our
stocking partners within 48 hours; in other cases, it can
take longer. For an explanation why, please see our
shipping
page.
How can I cancel my order?
We're always sorry to see a customer go, but we understand
there are a variety of reasons why someone might need to
cancel an order. Canceling is easy;
simply email us us and fill out the form; we'll send you a
confirmation letting you know your order has been canceled.
If the product has already shipped, before we can process a
refund, we have to know that the tires are heading back. So,
if you really don't want them and they arrive, refuse
shipment and let us know; that way, we can process the
refund as soon as possible.
I just received my order. Why do
the tires appear to be shipped from somewhere else?
That's because we deal with a number of stocking suppliers
who, through our partnership, agree to provide special
services and shipping procedures for our customers.
How do I install these tires?
Air Free tires are easy to install on bicycles, mobility
vehicles and industrial vehicles. Please see
www.airfreetires.com/installation and choose your type of vehicle
for more information.
How can I get the special
installation tool?
The special installation tool we sell is for bicycles only.
The installation tool is conveniently bundled with two tires
in many of our kits, and you also have the option to
purchase the tool with each of the tires that require it. If
an Air Free tire can be installed without the tool, we'll
note that with the product listing. Wheelchairs will need
another type of tool, which resembles a bent screwdriver.
Mobility tires may be installed without a tool, if the tire
is sandwiched between hub halves. Industrial tires come
already on the hub.
How do I send the tool back when
I'm done?
Right now, if you choose the free installation tool option,
you pay for the shipping of the tire and the installation
tool to you. We include a prepaid label so that when you're
done with the tool, you can send it back to us. If for some
reason we do not include a prepaid label, it is our mistake
and you are free to keep the tool. This policy is subject to
change.
How can I get the tire back off?
Taking airless bicycle tires off is fairly simple. You won't
need the tool to remove the tire, although it might take two
people - one to hold the wheel and another to grab tire and,
pushing with the thumbs, "peel" the tire off the wheel. You
can do this once or twice with bicycle tires, but we don't
recommend doing it more than that. The industrial and
mobility tires come off by unbolting the hub halves. For
instructions on removing an airless tire from a one-piece
hub on a mobility vehicle, contact us.
Should I plug up the hole where my
valve stem used to be?
You can, but nobody has reported any problems with leaving
the hole alone. A small piece of Mylar tape works.
My airless bicycle tires slipped
off the rims when I started riding. Are they the wrong size?
They most assuredly are. If your tires don't feel like
normal bicycle tires -- if they shim, squirm, or feel the
slightest bit unstable -- that means the tire is not seated
properly on the rim. This happens for a couple of reasons;
usually, it's because the rim is too shallow and the bottom
of the tire is coming into contact with the bottom of the
rim. This causes the balance point to be altered and, in
many cases, causes slippage - the tire can actually migrate
backwards around the rim while you ride. If your airless
tires feel at all unstable, you should remove these tires
immediately, put your old tires back on, and contact us;
we'll do our best to get you airless tires that will work
for you.
My airless tires feel slower than
my old tires. How can I exchange them?
We make it easy to return or exchange your tires. Just email
us, let us know what you want to do, and we'll reply quickly
with instructions. It's never a problem. Usually, the tires
are slower because they don't fit properly. Even tires that
appear to be seated, may be slipping.
Can I ship back my tires for a
refund?
Of course. Please refer to our
guarantee / warranty page.
Can I become an affiliate and sell
your tires in my store?
Yes. Email us and tell us who you are and a little about
your business. We will send you the details. See more at our
affiliate section.
Will you sponsor my organization?
Air Free Tires sponsors many worthy causes, and it sponsors
some just for fun. Please send us your unique requirements
and we will judge each request on a case-by-case basis.
Will you donate a tire to my
organization?
Possibly. Tell us what your organization is and what you're
looking for. Every now and then we get blemished models or
customer returns that have not been ridden. Sometimes, we
can make these available to worthy causes. We'll decide on a
case-by-case basis. Please email us for details.
Will you help me with my homework
assignment?
Possibly. Read the whole website first, because it contains
lots of fascinating information. If you still have
questions, email us; if we have the time, we might be able
to help you get an "A" on your science project.
Can I link my website to yours?
Possibly. We reserve the right to monitor incoming links for
content. So before you link your site to ours, please email
us and let us know who you are and we'll take a look at your
site and decide. If we decide to allow you to link to us, we
will then provide a link to your site.
Can Air
Free Tires damage my rims or spokes?
No. Damaged rims almost always occur when an under
inflated rubber tire is present. The Air Free Legacy tire
actually rests on the rim shoulders and the airless tire
prevents any obstacles from depressing the tire far enough
to actually contact your rim. More can be found at our "Why
Tires Fit" section.
What other information is available
to me to make an informed purchase decision?
The Air Free website is loaded with information and we
add new information all the time. Some areas of good reading
are:
The Air Free Tire and Test Data Center
The
Air Free Information Headquarters which contain relevant
information and professionally prepared articles
The
"Ask Hugh" section which features the President of Air
Free and some answers he has to more technical questions
And our
Customer Service section will help make you feel
good.
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