Whether using spoons or actual puncture repair equipment, it's tough removing a tyre from a bicycle wheel. Wouldn’t things be easier if the tyre just had a rubber zip running around its circumference, so that you could just unzip your tyre and pull it off your bike?
-- spiritualized, Jun 25 2005

You mean around the circumference of the wheel? I'm not sure how well any zipper would stand up to the wear and the flexing and the grime, and it would be embarrassing if your wheelflies unzipped at the wrong time.
-- Basepair, Jun 25 2005


The wheelfly situation would only be embarrassing if the inner tube was white and sprinkled with little red lovehearts.
-- spiritualized, Jun 25 2005


I think you'ld be better off with solid tyres. Incidentally, does anyone know why you can't make "foam rubber tyres" (using rubber foam in which the trapped air is at high pressure, encased in a conventional tyre-like skin)?
-- Basepair, Jun 25 2005


I'm certain this could be done with Zip-loc™ technology -- put a rubber bead on each rim instead of seating the tyre on the rim, and flange the tire. Inside pressure would "pull" the two flange edges in close for a good seal. Deflate the tyre and the mated rubber would unseal itself.

Good notion. It's been many years since I successfully changed a bike tyre -- a few years ago I gave it up to the pros as the job is just too likely to drive me inside for a box-cutter and rim straightening tools.
-- reensure, Jun 26 2005



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