You can now buy bike tires made with NASA’s bizarre shape-shifting metal. These airless Metl tires as you should know are completely made from nitinol which is a shape-memory alloy that reportedly ‘stretches like rubber but is strong like titanium.’
NASA’s Bizarre Shape-Shifting Metal
The Metl bicycle tire in question as you should know is the very first consumer product that we are aware of to make use of nitinol, which in case you don’t know is a NASA-developed shape-memory alloy that is made of nickel and titanium that can effectively be trained with heat in a bid to remember its shape.
When compared with traditional bicycle tires, Metl tires will never go flat and they will also last a lifetime, well, at least that is the promise that is made by The Smart Tire Company, which is the former Shark Tank contestants that are now hailing from Akron, Ohio, which is also home to the Goodyear Tire and Rubber firm.
Just be careful as the tires in question are being sold through a crowdfunded campaign on Kickstarter and that in question brings with it risks, which I would rate as high for something as cutting edge as this from a new and small startup.
Prices of the Tires
You should know that you are also looking at a pledge of $500 for a pair of blue or clear Metl tires (reportedly weighing 450g with an equivalent size of 700x35c) that are “DIY easy install” onto the most popular and common road or gravel bike rims. That in question is about 10x the price of good bicycle tires, with their prices on the other hand exceeding $1,300 when going for a pre-assembled bundle that is inclusive of aluminum rims, or $2,300 on the other hand if it is that you prefer carbon rims.
Features and Functions of the Tires
And despite their memory-metal construction, the tires in question do help to provide grip all thanks to an integrated all-weather tread that offers users “medium-low” rolling resistance, as per the campaign. The tread just so you know is rated for up to 8,000 miles with retreads priced at $10 per tire. The Metl bicycle tires for those that don’t know are said to offer a “lightweight, smooth ride, with superior handling as well as durability” that can also “increase traction” when compared to typical air-filled tires.
The Estimated Delivery of the Metl Bicycle Tires
The estimated delivery of the Metl bicycle tires is listed as June 2024. And as of right now, the campaign in question already has 128 backers, thus earning triple its reported goal with 28 days still to go. Stretch goals (if it is that the campaign earns enough) include making wider Metl tires for e-bikes as well as mountain bikes, and many more road/gravel sizes and tread patterns.
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