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In our latest series, we’re getting to grips with the brands that you deal with every day. The ‘Five minutes with’ series will present a company with five short, sharp and to-the-point questions about who they are and what they do. This week we’re joined by Tannus Tyres’ Sophie Boost.
Can you tell us the history of the company?
Tannus’s parent company is a father and son business called Fine Chemicals. Tannus began in 2004 when the father had a brainwave to create bicycle tyres; it wasn’t easy, and for nearly a decade designs kept failing due to the tyres not withstanding heat, also the drag was poor with a much lower rolling resistance to the air filled tyres. In 2011, the breakthrough came when a special, secret compound ingredient was added named 1.0 aither. In 2015, the secret compound was improved even further and word started to get out. The tyres really kicked off in Europe last summer. Now, this summer the etyres & the 700 x 25c tyres were launched using the same compound, but this time the mixture was different again, with even further improvements.
What are you ultimately trying to achieve?
We’re trying to eradicate the problem and frustration of punctures – which we believe to be the biggest problem in the biking industry.
What gives you an edge over other brands in the industry?
We have been developing this for the last 14 years. There are copycats out there who are using cheap PU materials, losing all of the benefits the Tannus tyre holds for cyclist, also these materials being used aren’t eco friendly materials. Tannus tyres are eco friendly; they can be recycled for other uses – avoiding landfills.
What innovations in the industry are exciting you at the moment?
The e-bike market is really exciting for us and we can really help them. If an e-bike rider gets a puncture it will be a real headache because you would have to be a mechanic to change the tyres, especially the rear tyre.
What does the future hold for the company?
Exciting times lay ahead for us; we’re five-to-ten years ahead in our industry and we’re the future. We are now ready to start educating riders about the solid tyre. With over half a million cyclists already enjoying Tannus tyres, we can confidently say at least 90 per cent of them are very happy. We encourage people to Ride On without fear. Ride on with Tannus!
