Not an expert, but based on their narrower size and the massively reduced weight placed on them, I’d imagine bicycle tires barely contribute to this situation.
Yeah, road wear scales with mass⁴ afaik, so if the average bike with biker weighed 100kg (it doesn’t) and the average car weighed 1000kg (it doesn’t) you’d need 10000 bikes to make as much impact as that one car. Since cyclists are generally lighter and cars heavier, the ratio is much higher.
I would also imagine that the lower speeds and acceleration a cycle is involved in contributes—the tyre just isn’t subjected to as much force.
Here is a 1905 Herrenrad Victoria Model 12, from Germany. It had all-metal wheels, composed of metal contact surfaces supported by individual metal springs.
I sure do love my all metal wheels on my bicycle 💀
Not an expert, but based on their narrower size and the massively reduced weight placed on them, I’d imagine bicycle tires barely contribute to this situation.
Yeah, road wear scales with mass⁴ afaik, so if the average bike with biker weighed 100kg (it doesn’t) and the average car weighed 1000kg (it doesn’t) you’d need 10000 bikes to make as much impact as that one car. Since cyclists are generally lighter and cars heavier, the ratio is much higher.
I would also imagine that the lower speeds and acceleration a cycle is involved in contributes—the tyre just isn’t subjected to as much force.
Here is a 1905 Herrenrad Victoria Model 12, from Germany. It had all-metal wheels, composed of metal contact surfaces supported by individual metal springs.
I can only imagine the horrendous noises from that thing’s tires
I mean, the springs are neat, but you’re kind of glossing over the fact that there’s a frickin gun mounted to a bike. Also, no bell. Coincidence?
Comin’ up from behind! Bang bang!
I do wonder if a woven wire wheel, like the ones on the lunar rovers, could be in any way workable on Earth. Maybe with a grippy coating of some kind.
Grippy coating likely to be some kind of polymer, unfortunately.
i heard rubber is a great polymer for this usecase
What’s wood?
Tree meat, but that’s not important right now.
They’re made of meat
But what do they think with?
The brain does the thinking, the meat.