Hello iSam and All,
You probably will not have the opportunity to go around a corner (on your tri bike) on ‘tweels’ very soon … but perhaps in the not too distant future.
And agreed that new ideas are difficult to sell … but if useful … and if the new concept has a bit of staying power … it can be sold successfully …
‘Tweels’ for road bicycles will sell if they help you to go faster and will sell in other markets if they are maintenance free.
The no flat concept is OK but I don’t flat very often … but a very thin wheel and tire that is measurably faster than current offerings will most likely sell me on the concept.
The bicycle market might start with commuters and MTB.
As noted Michelin is not the only company selling the product.
Michelin markets ‘tweels’ now for some construction vehicles and ‘tweels’ appear to be useful for military vehicles.
Radial tires for automobiles were said to be ‘harsh’ riding when introduced, cell phones were ‘clunky’ …
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/dont-trust-the-critics-four-apple-products-they-thought-would/
What did the critics have to say about these four “failed” Apple products when they first debuted, and which products were they?
Excerpts:
"1. The Mac
It seems absurd now, but there was a time when some critics thought the Mac would be a complete failure. They considered the mouse-driven interface “Useless.” Ponder that one for a bit. “Awkward,” “Not easy to learn,” and of course, “Costs too much” were other 1984-era complaints leveled at Apple’s latest creation. These critics were used to the keyboard-driven interface of DOS-running PCs, and from the sounds of things, they considered the Mac, with its graphic user interface and “awkward” mouse, to be nothing more than an overpriced novelty, doomed to fail.
I hardly need to tell you what happened next. The original Macintosh completely revolutionized the computer industry. Within only a short time, companies like Microsoft scrambled to duplicate the GUI/mouse combo the Mac brought to the market. Today, nearly every desktop, notebook, and netbook out there runs a GUI/mouse interface. And 26 years after the first Macintosh debuted, Apple still sells Macs by the millions every year. I wish I could fail half as hard as that."