Believe it or not, I have actually read complaints from people on cycling forums where they whine about having to pump up their tires once a month. Presumably these slobs never wash the dishes, either. Or even get out of bed.
But while I can’t fix their filthy kitchens, I can point them to the PumpTire, the “Self Inflating Bicycle Tire.”
This Kickstarter project is ingenious. The tire has another thin tube running around the outside. As you ride, this tube is squeezed agains the tire and air is squished out. Inventor Benjamin Krempel says it is like squeezing toothpaste from a tube. This air is then passed into the innertube via a specially designed valve assembly, and once the desired (user-selectable) pressure is reached, the valve shuts off.
The tire itself is actually connected to this valve, which is how the air gets from the length of thin pump tube into the innertube itself. You won’t be pumping up a tire from flat this way, but as long as you remain puncture-free, you’ll never need to top up the tires again.
I can’t see myself bothering with this. It’s easier to carry a small pump in my bag along with a spare tube. But I can totally see something like an electric bike coming pre-fitted with these tires. I doubt electric bike riders are the kind to do their won maintenance anyway, so this could be a good fit.
If successfully funded, there will be two tires. A $65, 65psi “City Cruiser PumpTire” and a set of two adjustable-pressure (up to 100psi) 700 x 25c tires for $150. The minimum pledge to get a tire is $45.
About this project
Imagine taking your bicycle out of the garage and never having to fill up the tires or even check the pressure. Or imagine yourself being able to change your tire pressure on-the-fly with a simple adjustment from the handlebars. Our project is to bring two self-inflating bicycle tires to market, the City Cruiser and City Pro. Both tires are intended for the urban cyclists and both tires incorporate the patented PumpTire technology.With your help we can bring this patented technology to cyclists everywhere!
Why Bicycle Tires Lose Pressure
Bicycle tires lose pressure due to air molecules diffusing through the rubber sidewalls. This requires cyclists to fill their tires on a fairly regular basis due to the high operating pressures (up to 120 psi) and thin sidewalls of most bicycle tires. PumpTire solves this problem by incorporating a pumping mechanism directly into the tire. And this means ... fewer pinch flats, no more pumping, hands stay clean, less time getting ready and more time on the saddle.
Overview of the PumpTire System
Each PumpTire set consists of 3 components – a tire, a detachable valve and an inner tube. Unlike traditional tires, the PumpTire inner tube clips into the tire to enable air to pass from the tire to the tube. When the pump is working, air moves from the atmosphere, through the valve and into the lumen surrounding the outside of the tire. From there the air is pushed into the tube. Once the desired pressure is reached, the valve senses the increase in pressure and closes the air pathway so no more air is pumped into the tire. The system works on normal rims and does not require any special equipment or modifications.
The valve assembly works by simply screwing it into the valve stem on the inner tube. Although the valve stem looks similar to standard Presta/Schrader stems, it’s actually a custom design that allows air to enter the tire before being pushed into the tube. The valve is either a fixed pressure valve that shuts off once the desired pressure is reached or it’s a user adjustable valve as shown in this drawing. Turning the valve, adjusts the pressure higher or lower to reach the desired setting. The top of the valve has an air inlet and is compatible with Schrader or Presta fittings to use with a traditional pump if desired. A filter keeps dirt, water and other debris from entering the tire.
City Cruiser for Casual Riders (26" x 1.5" tire)
The City Cruiser is designed for the casual, urban cyclist. It’s a 26” x 1.5” tire with a set pressure valve. The pumping mechanism will pump from a flat up to 65psi. It has a moderate tread design and is intended mostly for pavement.
City Pro High Performance Tire (700c x 28mm)
The City Pro is a high performance tire with a 100 psi maximum pressure. It’s a 700c x 28mm tire. The tire works in conjunction with a high performance user-adjustable valve which allows the user to set the pressure from 65-95psi. This tire is designed for the avid cyclist who is constantly seeking better performance from themselves and their equipment.
How the Money Will be Spent
We are looking to raise $250K to make PumpTire a reality. This is a large sum of money for Kickstarter projects and equates to about 5,000 tires. The money will be primarily used for four purposes:
1. Completing the engineering design. This will require us to work with vendors and engineering firms to find the right materials and processes to make the product robust and lightweight. Although we have various working prototypes, we’ll need money to make sure each part of the system works properly.
2. Testing. Once we’ve completed the production design we will build and test prototypes to see what we got right and what needs additional engineering.
3. Purchasing tooling. We will need to have molds built for each type of tire as well as the lumen and the individual pieces in the control valve assemblies.
4. Purchasing materials. And finally, we need to pay for the materials and components that go into each tire assembly.
We are very excited about the technology and bringing these products to market. By pre-ordering your PumpTire on Kickstarter, you're helping to make this technology available to everyday bikers, commuters, professional cyclists and bike enthusiasts everywhere!
We appreciate your support!
The PumpTire Team
(Ben, Will P, Fredo, Marcus, Nikki, Yunita, Han, Will H, Beau, Dring, Billy, Nate and Jason, Sebastian)
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