On 2022-02-02, Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net> wrote:
> On 2 Feb 2022 15:08:49 GMT
> Tim+ <tim.downie@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Fundamentally, they’re all seriously flawed. To provide the same level of
>> cushioning using the bit of tyre between the rim and the road as a
>> pneumatic tyre requires a much “softer” tyre.
>
> Yes if you have a uniform material for the tyre, which is all you
> can do with traditional manufacturing.
>
>> This means increased
>> rolling resistance and fuel consumption. Can work very well in specialist
>> applications where puncture resistance outweighs all other factors but for
>> cars I don’t think it’ll ever be worthwhile.
>
> What's being done by a couple of major tyre manufacturers is using
> structure so the bit that hits the road is solid but it connects to the hub
> via a complex structure that squishes properly because of its shape.
>
> Bridgestones version:
> https://www.bridgestonetire.com/learn/tire-technology/airless-concept-tires/
>
> Michelin's version:
> https://www.michelin.com/en/innovation/vision-concept/airless/
>

Far as I remember, very expensive.

--
greymausg@mail.com
That's not a mousehole!

On Wed, 2 Feb 2022 17:07:03 +0000, Tone <email@address.com> wrote:

>Not many could do that now (Repair the puncture, not eat a sandwich).

I can't, demonstrably.

Innertube leaked, pinhole puncture by glass or grit. Patched it, leaked again a
week later, from under the patch. Pulling the patch off and re-patching didn't
work, leaked immediately.

I suspect rubber cement/vulcanizing solution/ or whatever the little tube
contains had gone off. Or I didn't wait long enough.

And for not-pushbikes (and sometimes even then) it's not just puncture kit, air
pump, but also a set of tire irons, possibly talc, soft soap to ease the tire
back on the rim, etc etc.

Thomas Prufer

On 2 Feb 2022 15:08:49 GMT, Tim+ <tim.downie@gmail.com> wrote:

>Which will no doubt go the way of all airless tyres, namely vanish into
>obscurity.
>
>Fundamentally, they’re all seriously flawed. To provide the same level of
>cushioning using the bit of tyre between the rim and the road as a
>pneumatic tyre requires a much “softer” tyre. This means increased rolling
>resistance and fuel consumption. Can work very well in specialist
>applications where puncture resistance outweighs all other factors but for
>cars I don’t think it’ll ever be worthwhile.

A obscure Chinese company flooded Munich with rental bikes. There was some app
to go with it, and a solar-powered lock. There was no infrastructure support
planned, so they were built solid rubber tires, so there would be no flats.
(Just one gear, parts in nonstandard sizes to prevent theft, etc...)

These solid tires provided the worst possible ride ever. Like pedaling uphill in
sand, but without the gentle softness of sand.

(No, I did not pay for the experience. The company soon abandoned all support,
these bikes were littered all over, and no one responsible for removing the
festering junkheaps. Enterprising hackers found that a judiciously applied
chopstick opened the lock permanently... even then walking was preferable.)

Thomas Prufer

On Thursday, 3 February 2022 at 09:38:21 UTC, Thomas Prufer wrote:
>
> A obscure Chinese company flooded Munich with rental bikes....

They did try something similar in Oxford (UK), but with the "advantage" of three competing external corporations separately scattering rental bikes about the streets. All three companies pulled out years ago; the council seems to have pulled out the final bike from the river last autumn.

One set had solid tyres with holes sideways through them - a bit like a budget version of the car tyres linked above - which looked like an interesting engineering solution as you can tweak the mechanical properties of the tyre by changing the pattern of the holes, but I never got round to trying one out.

Hth

Henry

On 21/02/2022 13:06, Henry Nebrensky wrote:
> On Thursday, 3 February 2022 at 09:38:21 UTC, Thomas Prufer wrote:
>>
>> A obscure Chinese company flooded Munich with rental bikes....
>
> They did try something similar in Oxford (UK), but with the "advantage" of three competing external corporations separately scattering rental bikes about the streets. All three companies pulled out years ago; the council seems to have pulled out the final bike from the river last autumn.
>
> One set had solid tyres with holes sideways through them - a bit like a budget version of the car tyres linked above - which looked like an interesting engineering solution as you can tweak the mechanical properties of the tyre by changing the pattern of the holes, but I never got round to trying one out.
>
> Hth
>
> Henry

York has lots of electric scooters parked all over the place in batches,
for hire.

I've even seen two in use, going down the middle of the A1036 at 4mph,
with two Chinese tourists aboard looking everywhere but behind them.

Gawd knows how the insurance JBEXeth.

Tone

In article <sv04fm$5q5$1@dont-email.me>, Tone <email@address.com> on
Mon, 21 Feb 2022 at 13:35:49 awoke Nicholas from his slumbers and wrote
>On 21/02/2022 13:06, Henry Nebrensky wrote:
>> On Thursday, 3 February 2022 at 09:38:21 UTC, Thomas Prufer wrote:
>>>
>>> A obscure Chinese company flooded Munich with rental bikes....
>>
>> They did try something similar in Oxford (UK), but with the "advantage" of
>three competing external corporations separately scattering rental bikes about
>the streets. All three companies pulled out years ago; the council seems to have
>pulled out the final bike from the river last autumn.
>>
>> One set had solid tyres with holes sideways through them - a bit like a budget
>version of the car tyres linked above - which looked like an interesting
>engineering solution as you can tweak the mechanical properties of the tyre by
>changing the pattern of the holes, but I never got round to trying one out.
>>
>> Hth
>>
>> Henry
>
>York has lots of electric scooters parked all over the place in batches,
>for hire.
>
>I've even seen two in use, going down the middle of the A1036 at 4mph,
>with two Chinese tourists aboard looking everywhere but behind them.
>
>Gawd knows how the insurance JBEXeth.
>
The council is supposed to ensure that the operator insures these hazard
machines for third party risks. So if one injures you are supposed to be
able to claim. I suppose you claim against the scooter rider, like
against a car driver of a hire car. The insurer then deals with the
claim, or not.

The problem round here (in that there sarf lunnon) is that the majority
of scooters round her are not rented and have been souped up by their
owners. As only the rental scooters are legal all other scooters being
not legal, cannot be insured. In law a contract is null and void (never
existed) if it is to insure against damage while doing an illegal
activity.

Otherwise a burglar would be able to insure against causing damage while
breaking or entering!
--
0sterc@tcher -

"Où sont les neiges d'antan?"

On Mon, 21 Feb 2022 15:18:47 +0000, "Nicholas D. Richards"
<nicholas@salmiron.com> wrote:

>In article <sv04fm$5q5$1@dont-email.me>, Tone <email@address.com> on
>Mon, 21 Feb 2022 at 13:35:49 awoke Nicholas from his slumbers and wrote
>>I've even seen two in use, going down the middle of the A1036 at 4mph,
>>with two Chinese tourists aboard looking everywhere but behind them.
>>
>>Gawd knows how the insurance JBEXeth.
>>
>The council is supposed to ensure that the operator insures these hazard
>machines for third party risks. So if one injures you are supposed to be
>able to claim. I suppose you claim against the scooter rider, like
>against a car driver of a hire car. The insurer then deals with the
>claim, or not.

Round here, it worketh thus: one person per scooter, must be sober, less than
120 kg, eshew pedestrian walks & areas, and (I think) have driver's license. If
you follow these rules, then you may rent and be insured.

Seeing two on a scooter at the same time isn't unusual...

I think the are also "geofenced" -- there are some parks where they will not
work.

Thomas Prufer

Peter wrote:
> Tone wrote:
> > Just rediscovered Worcester Sauce on toast.
> > Mmmmm. Luvverly!
> On cheese-on-toast is my flavourite.

Foul! Has to be Hendo's.

jgh

On Monday, 21 February 2022 at 13:35:51 UTC, Tone wrote:
> York has lots of electric scooters parked all over the place in batches,
> for hire.

They've foisted those on to us too, but at least they have to be returned to the marked bays... the bike system was that they could be, and were, just left *anywhere* after use. At least they weren't a trip hazard at the bottom of the river!
....
> Gawd knows how the insurance JBEXeth.

They do have reasonably large and legible ID numbers on, so in principle you should be able to claim straight off the scheme operator* without having to chase (possibly literally) the rider.
OTOH, the four random character alphanumeric IDs aren't readily memorisable, but then these days a claim without smartphone pics is probably doomed anyway.

Hth

Henry

* AIUI the same idea goes for driverless vehicles - they have to have the operator/insurer's details painted on in sufficiently large letters...

In article <108c9384-c70d-406b-8cf2-4c93c0f1a363n@googlegroups.com>,
Henry Nebrensky <torty5737@gmail.com> on Wed, 23 Feb 2022 at 14:49:06
awoke Nicholas from his slumbers and wrote
>On Monday, 21 February 2022 at 13:35:51 UTC, Tone wrote:
>> York has lots of electric scooters parked all over the place in batches,
>> for hire.
>
>They've foisted those on to us too, but at least they have to be returned to the
>marked bays... the bike system was that they could be, and were, just left
>*anywhere* after use. At least they weren't a trip hazard at the bottom of the
>river!
>...
>> Gawd knows how the insurance JBEXeth.
>
>They do have reasonably large and legible ID numbers on, so in principle you
>should be able to claim straight off the scheme operator* without having to
>chase (possibly literally) the rider.
>OTOH, the four random character alphanumeric IDs aren't readily memorisable, but
>then these days a claim without smartphone pics is probably doomed anyway.
>
>Hth
>
>Henry
>
>* AIUI the same idea goes for driverless vehicles - they have to have the
>operator/insurer's details painted on in sufficiently large letters...

That will work (irony).

A couple of weeks ago, I looked out of my front door in time to see a
driver rip his number plates off (they were held in place with velcro)
and chuck them in to his car. He then drove off. I suspect it was to
beat the Low Traffic Neighbourhood cameras.

Immediately phoned the ecilop, were they interested? Were they hell.
"What make was the car?" "I do not know, I cannot drive. It was grey and
had four doors." "Thanks for calling, click"

Not everyone knows, makes, marks and year of manufacture of cars.
--
0sterc@tcher -

"Où sont les neiges d'antan?"

On 23/02/2022 22:49, Henry Nebrensky wrote:
> On Monday, 21 February 2022 at 13:35:51 UTC, Tone wrote:
>> York has lots of electric scooters parked all over the place in batches,
>> for hire.
>
> They've foisted those on to us too, but at least they have to be returned to the marked bays... the bike system was that they could be, and were, just left *anywhere* after use. At least they weren't a trip hazard at the bottom of the river!
> ...
>> Gawd knows how the insurance JBEXeth.
>
> They do have reasonably large and legible ID numbers on, so in principle you should be able to claim straight off the scheme operator* without having to chase (possibly literally) the rider.
> OTOH, the four random character alphanumeric IDs aren't readily memorisable, but then these days a claim without smartphone pics is probably doomed anyway.
>
> Hth
>
> Henry
>
> * AIUI the same idea goes for driverless vehicles - they have to have the operator/insurer's details painted on in sufficiently large letters...

Yesterday drove past a couple of kids who pushed over a whole line of
them and ran away.

But it is half term.

Tone

On 2022-02-23, Nicholas D. Richards <nicholas@salmiron.com> wrote:
> In article <108c9384-c70d-406b-8cf2-4c93c0f1a363n@googlegroups.com>,
> Henry Nebrensky <torty5737@gmail.com> on Wed, 23 Feb 2022 at 14:49:06
> awoke Nicholas from his slumbers and wrote
> driver rip his number plates off (they were held in place with velcro)
> and chuck them in to his car. He then drove off. I suspect it was to
> beat the Low Traffic Neighbourhood cameras.
>
> Immediately phoned the ecilop, were they interested? Were they hell.
> "What make was the car?" "I do not know, I cannot drive. It was grey and
> had four doors." "Thanks for calling, click"
>
> Not everyone knows, makes, marks and year of manufacture of cars.

`Gwan, Gwan, the number of your first car.'

Been driving for over sixty years. Not the foggiest idea of the number
of the first, nor the first i paid for. i have the number of the last,
its outside the door.

--
greymausg@mail.com
That's not a mousehole!