How rubber tyres inflated speed and comfort standards

It’s hard to imagine a time when bicycles didn’t have tyres. The first bike wheels were made entirely of wood, soon progressing to iron – but you can imagine the comfort of one’s ride was not great.

Rubber was available in the early part of the 19th Century but its instability made it entirely unsuitable for use as a bicycle tyre. It froze rock-hard in cold conditions and melted in warmer weather.

It was Charles Goodyear who accidentally stumbled across the process of vulcanising rubber – a chemical process which strengthens and makes it more pliable in all temperatures in 1844.

The solid rubber tyres he produced were a huge improvement on wooden and iron rims but they added weight to the bicycles and fitting them to the wheel rim was difficult.

Robert Thomson created the first inflatable tyre in 1845 but his invention was largely ignored by the public and soon forgotten, despite his effort and enthusiasm. It wasn’t until John Dunlop developed the idea in 1888 that it became commercially successful.

Ironically, Dunlop, who was completely unaware that Thomson had come up with the idea 43 years earlier, was dubious about the viability of his product.

His motivation came from developing tyres to make his son’s ride to school comfier. His pneumatic versions worked and not only did they make his son’s cycle comfier, they made him faster too, evident as the lad started to win races.

Dunlop’s master stroke came when he persuaded the cycle champion Willie Hume of the Belfast Cruisers Cycling Club to try the tyres out in a race at Queen’s College in the city. He went on to win all four races at the event and suddenly, Dunlop’s creations were in huge demand.

Tyre technology continued to improve, with HJ Doughty steam pressing tread patterns into tyres during the vulcanisation process. The Michelin brothers patented bead-edged tyres that improved its security on the wheel.

Perhaps one of the most significant developments at that time was the invention of the tyre valve by August Schrader, which allowed effective and quick inflation.

It is testament to his invention that Schrader valves are still used on many bike tyres today, as well as on cars.

The development of the bicycle and the evolution of materials and components, from vulcanised rubber to carbon fibre, has proved a testing ground for the advancement of technology through the industrial revolution – and that progress still has resonance in today’s modern world.

The old A9 makes a great place for a family ride.