Tannus Tyres (South Korea, USA) – Tannus Tyres has agreed two new deals with bike manufacturers, supplying the puncture-free tyres as standard. In one of the deals the Aither 1.1 tyres will be fitted to a range of five bikes produced by Alton Sports, South Korea’s second biggest bike producer with around 20% market share. The company owns a number of licensed brands and Tannus Tyres will come as standard on its Benetton hybrid and children’s bike, on a Chevrolet Electric bike and folding bike and on the Raleigh ‘Mini Bell’.

Initially the company will supply tyre for 10,000 bikes in 2017. Discussions to increase this in 2018 are already underway. Separately the company has agreed to supply tyres to a US start-up Ezra Bikes, which is running a Kickstarter campaign for its range of children’s bikes. The company uses the Tannus Tyres as a major part of its pitch to raise $27,500. It is just $7,200 off the target and has more than a month to go. The company named after the founders’ child who died aged four, aims to provide ‘high quality kids bikes at a family friendly price’.

Ezra’s pitch says: “We have been long time advocates for flat proof tires and have researched many different companies and designs. Through our research, we’ve partnered with a company called Tannus Tires to bring a flat proof tire to all models of Ezra Bikes”.

The deals with the Korean and US bike manufacturers come on top of Tannus’s deal with Specialized last year to supply an unbranded tyre for the Californian company’s Alibi hybrid and sales of more than 160,000 Chacle ‘shopper’ bikes fitted with Tannus in Japan.

Tannus European director Jazz Walia said: “We are very pleased to be supplying tyres to these fantastic bike businesses. “Alton is one of South Korea’s leading manufacturers in what is a very competitive market, so it is no small achievement for the company. Ezra are an exciting and motivated new company which has great potential and we hope both deals will be the basis for a long-term relationship.”