Tired of Flat Tires? These Lightweight Bike Tires Will Be Made from a Titanium-Nickel Alloy

Shape memory alloy tires are being designed for bikes using technology developed by NASA for space rovers.

By Jeff Barber
March 16, 2021 Last Updated: March 16, 2021

5 comments

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The SMART Tire Company is working on an airless tire design for bikes that takes its cues from technology developed by NASA for space rovers. While the prototype pictured above is clearly road-focused, the company says their METL™ technology “will be available on mountain bikes.”

According to a recent press release, “the shape memory alloy tire is made from advanced, lightweight materials known as NiTinol+, creating a tire that is elastic like rubber yet strong like titanium, exhibiting perfect shape memory without ever going flat.”

Various wheel types and sizes using the technology.

SMART has partnered with Felt Bicycles as part of their testing and development, and the company eventually hopes to provide solutions to the auto industry as well.

For more information check out the SMART website.

In 2017 I snapped this photo at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, thinking it could be cool to see a bike tire like this.

What do you think: Would this work for your riding style? Do you see any potential problems that will need to be solved for off-road use?

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5 Comments

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Sunspot Colorado // 2019
Mar 17, 2021

Street session will never be the same! The bright white sparks Ti makes will put on a show, indeed. Might cause a wildfire in late summer tho', so not good for that time of year.

1 reply

[email protected] Utah // 2020
Mar 19, 2021

I think when I start to see pros in xc, enduro, and down hill trust this kind of tire, then I'll check it out more.

0 reply

Bnystrom New Hampshire // 2019
Mar 18, 2021

Let's see:

Metal on pavement = low traction, especially in corners and you don't even want to think about riding when it's wet.
Tires that can fill with sand, mud, snow and whatever else sounds like a maintenance headache and not a lot of fun as they gain weight on a ride.
Price? I'll bet it will be astronomical.

Bottom line? Cute idea, but no thanks.

sentientcalifornian 2018
Mar 18, 2021

The off road surface would seem ideal for the traction available from the lattice like tread surface but paved road surfaces seem sketchy...

This has the potential to become another technical money sink for riders... How many gears? 5/8/9/10/11/12 or more? Technology has a habit of becoming more intricate and costly but does it make riding better? Down tube shifters are still the most direct and lightest method of changing gears and five speeds will suffice if they are the right gears...
And batteries aren't needed to shift...

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