Hoping to change all that, the Smart Tire Company is bringing NASA technology into the world of bicycles with a nickel-titanium alloy (also known as NiTinol +) shaped tire called Metl, which they claim “is elastic as rubber, but strong as titanium “.
So, where did this technology come from? Well, the exploration of Mars presented a problem to NASA, as it is too cold for traditional rubber tires and the solid aluminum tires used in Curiosity were prone to cracking, so a new solution had to be found. The idea of mesh tires first came up with the Spring tire in the mid-2000s, which used steel wires wrapped in a mesh pattern, however, this did not withstand the abuse of the rocky surface of Mars. It took until 2017, and a fortuitous encounter between engineer Colin Creager and materials scientist Santo Padula, for a solution to be found in the nickel-titanium alloy with shape memory, which looks like a chain mail but resembles its shape and returns to it after an impact.
Smart licensed this technology thanks to a Space Act Agreement and is now applying it to a new application, bicycles. They started with the Metl tire for road cycling, but claim that the material can will be used for mountain bike, gravel and road applications in the future.
The tire must conform to the ground in a similar way to a pneumatic tire, being immune to punctures and having a much longer service life than a rubber tire. Smart is also interested in promoting Metl’s environmental advantages. They claim the tire industry produces £ 50 billion [25 million tonnes] of toxic waste annually ‘and that using NiTinol + presents a cleaner alternative.
There is no word on the weight of the tire, but Smart says it is “competitive with many conventional alternatives” and that the rolling resistance is similar to a 100 psi pneumatic tire. If you are concerned about adherence, the Smarts claim that they will coat the tires, “in a new material similar to formulated rubber, polyurethane, for a more lasting tread and grip, for all weather conditions”, although not there are details about what this really is or its effectiveness.
Earl Cole, a former Survivor champion and CEO of The SMART Tire Company, said: “Cyclists won’t be able to wait to get their hands on these really cool space-age Metl tires that don’t puncture. The unique combination of these advanced materials, along with a next-generation eco-design, become a revolutionary product. ”
Smart is currently testing the tire on bikes supplied by Felt. Eric Sakalowsky, Felt’s vice president of global marketing and e-commerce, said: “The SMART Tire Company tire solution shows an exciting new frontier and we are excited to offer our bikes to support your testing.”
Smart plans to launch Metl tires on the market in early 2022, but more details such as prices, technical specifications or how much they weigh after a lap on a muddy trail have yet to be confirmed. More info here.