SENQI Fixed Gear Bicycle Solid Tires 700c x 23

Shipped from China to Florida in 22 days. Branded FHTYRE. It took about 20 minutes to install on a 700 x 25 rim. After struggling with tire levers, I found they worked best when used directly side by side instead of 4 or 5 inches apart. 4 zip ties were included, so I used two to hold the other end of the tire to the rim as I worked with the levers. Soapy water made installation easier. I even dipped the tire levers in soapy water to make them slippery. The last 8 inches of unseated tire were slipped on to the rim by hand. There were no instructions included, so the job required some stress and effort during the trial and error phase.I could immediately feel less efficiency in the bike on its first test ride. The deadening deceleration was very evident when coasting to stop signs. Perhaps this is good and will extend brake shoe life. I estimate a 10% loss in cycling ease compared to pneumatic tires (Only one solid tire was ordered, and it was on the rear wheel). Once I was at cruising speed, I adapted quickly and found it comfortable to use the same range of gear combinations as before. It's an 18 speed, steel framed hybrid bike. Speeds 9 and 10 are used most often. I had no problem climbing up small ascents to the highway from dead stops in speed 7.The ride was not harsh. If anything, it seemed smoother and nicer compared to a pneumatic tire. I think the sheer size of a 700c wheel is enough to smooth out irregularities in roads, bike lanes, sidewalks, and parking lots. Riding on the bumpy, textured, hard rubber edging of a sidewalk next to a big box retail store felt fine. There must be enough give in the tire's material to absorb vibration like that.I can't give the product 5 stars since it does reduce cycling enjoyment. If the tread lasts for 2 or 3 years, I'll be satisfied (one tire is about the price of a pair of basic athletic shoes, so if it lasts 4,000 miles without falling apart, it will prove to be a fantastic value). For reference, a caliper showed the inner rim to outer tire distance at 34.7 mm when new. I'll measure again after 500 miles to get an idea of its rate of wear.Having peace of mind is vastly preferable to dealing with inner tube failures, patching holes, and the hassle of removing a rear wheel. I think the trade off is good for recreational cycling and the occasional 75 mile ride. I expect I'll fully adapt to the extra energy needed to keep the bike going and my leg muscles will grow from the exercise. Cycling slowly is still way easier and faster than walking!- - -Took a 49 mile ride including 12 miles of singletrack trails. It was a constant struggle on the road, but to my surprise it was fine on the trails. I wouldn't want to go off road in wet weather, but the 700 x 23 tire handled 99.5% of the dirt and sand surfaces nicely. Deep sand was impassable. Logs were carefully walked over. It was very easy to keep the bike moving, thanks to the 28 tooth chain ring. Riding with a 700c bike felt much better than the punishment I experienced with a 26er mountain bike. A pinky fingernail sized flap of rubber was gouged on the left sidewall from something on the trail, but the rest of the tread looked good. The product rating remains at 4 stars because going downhill on the road was not good. It seemed like terminal velocity was reached in a few seconds, and going faster required a lot of effort. Adapting to this constant braking effect will take time.

For some perspective, these solid tires went on to a “budget” road bike, the Schwinn Solara. I had also considered Tannus tires due to their extremely high ratings but did not want to drop $80 per tire.As of the time of this writing, I have been riding my bike to work 5-6 days a week with a distance of about 7 miles round trip for the last few months (so about 110 miles total). Admittedly, I bought these tires as a cheap and lazy alternative to having replace inner tubes. Even though I’ve only had to do it a couple of times, it’s a sucky feeling to be halfway between home and work when your tire pops.Installing the tires themselves wasn’t too difficult. My pictures show the differences between a pneumatic tire and the Senqi tire installed side-by-side as well as how I utilized zip-ties and a 6” flathead screwdriver to work the tire on. The material of the tire stretches enough to allow you to get the tire on. It wasn’t the easiest thing I’ve ever done, nor was it very difficult. It just requires a little muscle and perhaps some patience. Just don’t forget to remove any rim tape/rim strips you may have had in there. From start to finish, I completed both of my tires in about 45 minutes. Note that you’ll need to “feed” the last little bit in the rim to make sure it seats right.As far as riding goes, I can echo the sentiments of others that these tires will indeed slow you down. Don’t get me wrong, they provide a very smooth ride but it feels like they add extra resistance, causing you to have to work a little harder. For my situation it shouldn’t be too much of an issue as 95% of my bike ride is relatively flat with only 2 very small inclines coming home. However, if your ride includes a number of steep inclines, you may want to look elsewhere.My recommendation: these will make a good alternative for the cheap and lazy who don’t feel like changing our inner tubes and whose commute remains relatively flat or with minimal inclines.

I’ve never ridden a road bike with solid tubes before. They were easier to install than changing a normal tire, and they fit and rode smoothly.Solid tubes ride a lot differently than air tubes, woah. You can really feel the difference and added resistance that solid tubes adds to the rotational inertia of the wheels. It’s almost like riding with a parachute, it’s good training if you want to work extra hard and go less fast.

Bone rattlers, definitely sluggish. I wouldn't like them on a freewheel, too much rolling resistance, but that's not as much of an issue on a fixed gear and it's nice to have a no maintenance beater that's always flat free and ready to roll.I'll caution that I've got these on an absolute jalopy. The install was so terribly difficult, I will never be able to get them off of the wheelset in one piece, and because all of the road bumps transfer right into the wheel, I have some concerns that I could taco something or pop a spoke and I wouldn't want to damage a nice bike by riding with these things.Still, cheap and useful for the right application.

This Tires are the option tu avoid punctures ( and I have a lot), during bike rides,on commute and family rides should be no issue, good option, and recommended.but for long rides, and little bit more in to training, This tires are heavy, high rolling resistance, and slow you down ( in my case at half speed) on my usual ride of 12 miles/ 16 mph speed, 46 min Ride, took me 90 min, and 2 rest point to reach the same distance, and a lot more tired.No worries about punctures, but some small rocks remain stuck and I have to stop to remove the rock, and because is a solid tire the hole remains, material didn't return to the previous form.