I installed Tannus tires (20x1.5 Airless) on my folding e-bike (Btwin Hoptown 500E) looking for a puncture-proof solution. Unfortunately, real-world performance fell far below expectations — I ended up returning the product.
Installation was difficult, but not worse than expected. It’s a challenging system by nature, so I can’t complain much.
For context: I weigh 110 kg, the bike is about 20 kg, and I carry a daily backpack of ~5 kg.
Comfort wasn’t the problem — I used to ride at 5–6 bar on pneumatic tires, so I’m used to a rougher feel. This felt similar.
But the rolling resistance was significantly higher than advertised.
My usual cruising speed dropped from 25–27 km/h (with minimal effort) to just 21–23 km/h with sustained effort.
Uphill performance dropped by over 30%, making rides tiring instead of enjoyable.
The biggest issue was stability. The rear tire felt soft and unpredictable, especially in corners or on slightly uneven pavement — similar to riding on under-inflated tires. During slaloms or curved roads, the rear would drift sideways, forcing me to compensate constantly through balance and steering.
It felt dangerous. On multiple occasions I had to brake hard to avoid crashing due to lack of traction and predictability.
Eventually, during a regular right-hand turn, the rear tire completely unseated from the rim. The wheel locked instantly (the tire wedged into the brake area), the rim got scratched, and I barely avoided a serious crash.
This completely destroyed my confidence in the product.
The concept is great, and the anti-puncture promise is appealing — but in practice, efficiency is poor and, more importantly, safety is unacceptable.
I’m very grateful that my return was accepted. The Tannus team was excellent throughout — professional, helpful, fast to reply, and understanding both during purchase and after-sales. That part of the experience was truly great.
Conclusion:
The product is not for me (mainly due to safety concerns and excessive rolling resistance), but the customer support deserves 5 stars.
