I want to fill bicycle tubes with FLEXIBLE soft foam for "no-flat/no soft" tires.

Discussion in 'Materials' started by Squidly-Diddly, Sep 21, 2019.

  1. Squidly-Diddly
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    Squidly-Diddly Senior Member

    What sort of expanding foam-in-a-can might be good to fill inner tubes that be remain sorta soft and springy, so I don't need to bother with flats from screws and nails, or even going flat after a few weeks of disuse? Most canned foams are for sealing cracks and aren't very soft or flex once cured.

    I'm asking here because I'm hoping there might be boat building use for such foam, or should be.

    This would not be to win the Tour de France, or even actual bike riding.

    More like using 12" or 16" bike wheels, tires and elements of frame to put on a shop cart for use "off road".https://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-C...VPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=EPNK6X755HF6TMF19Z70&th=1

    I've worked with smaller pneumatic tired carts but I want about 16" bike wheels. https://www.amazon.com/4pc-set-Pneumatic-Tires-White-Wheel/dp/B01DAZDR5Q
     
  2. philSweet
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    philSweet Senior Member

  3. Squidly-Diddly
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    Squidly-Diddly Senior Member

  4. kapnD
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    kapnD Senior Member

    I’ve used them for motorcycles, and they were quite difficult to install!
    For muddy races, the rim was screwed to the bead to prevent slipping, but I don’t foresee your cart having that kind of problem.
    Hopefully the bicycle items will be proportionally easier to install.
     
  5. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    I recall an eon ago, I rode a bicycle along a 40 kilometre beach, when I turned around to return to civilization, I got a flat. I had no repair kit. I can't remember what tool I used to pry the tyre, but the dune grass made good stuffing in place of an inflated tube ! Rode back the 40km without incident.
     
  6. Yellowjacket
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    Yellowjacket Senior Member

    The biggest problem is that if you use a foam you end up with a lot more hysteresis losses compared to air, the bending of the foam is a loss and that results in a lot more work to pedal. If the foam is a an open cell foam there are also aerodynamic losses, pumping air in and out of the foam, so, from that standpoint a closed cell foam is better. The reality is that if there was something that worked and didn't result in a lot more drag it would be on every bike..
     
  7. Eric ruttan
    Joined: Jul 2018
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    Eric ruttan Senior Member

    The efficient answer is to carry a repair kit.
     

  8. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    That was a very long time ago, and the end result was "no problem" !
     
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