Michelin develops bicycle inner tubes that fix their own flats

The highway that runs near my house is covered with people riding bikes on the weekends. The local cyclists ride in packs with 20 or more bikes in one group at times and each weekend I see more than a few of those guys on the side of the road, tools in-hand, fixing a flat bike tire. I can only imagine standing on the shoulder of a heavily trafficked highway with a 70mph speed limit has to be a bit nerve racking.

What these bicyclists need is one of these new inner tubes that Michelin has developed. These tubes have a special design that helps prevent the tubes from twisting inside the tires and the design that allows the air pressure inside the tube to seal itself by compressing the puncture rather than allowing it to expand. The tubes also have some sort of sealant gunk inside that finishes the sealing process.

The little round things remind me of the Kraken's arms. The tubes are called Protek Max, these things are surprisingly cheap at about $9, and they can be had in two sizes. I would use these if I rode a bike to prevent having to walk home or fix a flat on the side of the road.

[via Gizmodo]