Vegan Tires

[like_to_bike]

I append below two e-mails that I received back in early 2007, which may be of interest. The first confirms the good news you already know about Michelin. The second provides some additional good news about Vittoria.

First message
*****************

Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 14:45:21
From: "James, Andy" <Andy dot James at uk dot michelin dot com>
To: vi5u0-michelin at yahoo dot co dot uk
Subject: Michelin Tyres


Dear Mr Hatton,
I have had a speedy response from our design and manufacturing departments
in France regarding your question about animal products and their use in the
production of tyres and tubes.
Pascal Pirotte has sent the following response; "The main ingredients in our
products are natural rubber, latex, silica, carbon black, natural pigments,
petroleum-derived products, Aramid, steel, nylon and oil. To the best of my
knowledge no animal based or derived ingredient is used in the manufacture
of our tyres or tubes. I cannot comment on what other manufacturers may or
may not use in their own products!"
I hope that this helps but if you do have any further questions relating to
this, or indeed, any other Michelin cycle product related matter, then
please do not hesitate to contact me again.
Happy cycling!
Andy James
Account Manager - Cycle Products - UK & Ireland

Second message
*********************

Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2007 10:52:49
From: Samuele Bressan <bressan at vittoria dot it>
To: vi5u0-vittoria at yahoo dot co dot uk
Subject: R: stearates

Dear Dan,
I'm back to you with the answer: I confirm that stearate used in our
products does not contain animal-base ingredients, it is made from palm.

Best regards,

Samuele Bressan
Vittoria & Geax Product Manager

[Simo]

First of all, hello everyone, this is my first post on here... I'm a cycling, walking, running and climbing vegan with a general interest in health and fitness.

Secondly: Ahhh! no more Conti GP4000S for me

Looks like I'll have to make the switch to another brand, perhaps Vittoria or Michelin. I've always found Vittorias to lack grip in the wet though, and Michelin seem to cut up badly.

EDIT: and thirdly, has anyone contacted Vredestein?

[GY Jon]

As a vaguely new/slightly inactive citizen of VF this is all news to me and my beloved Contis (currently on 2.5 bikes) will no longer be purchased due to their medieval practices.

Anyone heard from Spesh or Vredestein? My other tyres of choice. If not I'll chase the b'rs up.

[Herbsman]

I'll put money on Schwalbe not replying.

[GY Jon]

Emails just sent to Spesh and Vredestein in the UK. I don't normally have time for this kind of thing, but a chest in fection has most kept me off the bike for over a month, booo! Actually I'll search the rest of the board for advice on cures...

[GY Jon]

No news from Spesh but positive news from Vredestein:

Dear Mr. Saville,

Please note that we do not use animal-derived ingredients in our tyres.

I hope to have informed you sufficiently. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have additional queries.

Best regards,

Marc Ganzeboom
Manager Marketing & Sales
Two Wheel Tyres

Facebook: Vredestein Two Wheel Tyres
Twitter: @VredesteinTWT
Skype: vredesteintwt2



marc.ganzeboom@apollovredestein.com
T: +31 (0)53 4888 549




Apollo Vredestein B.V. - P.O. Box 27 - 7500 AA Enschede - The Netherlands - Chamber of Commerce number 34223268 - http://www.apollovredestein.com

[kallefs]

Nice job! Good to hear from Vredestein, can't understand why Schwalbe won't answer.

[bob_summers]

Good work Jon. And props to the tyre co's who have the decency to respond.
I'll poke Maxxis again since they make my favourite MTB tyre, not holding out hope though.

Might be worth putting together a definitive list on this page, since it's the top google hit for "vegan tyres". I don't think we can edit Dave Noisy's spreadsheet at the top of the page.

[bob_summers]

Maxxis are OK:

Dear Bob Summers,
Thank you for contacting with Maxxis. Your email is very important to us. Our Maxxis bike tires do not use any kind of animal ingredients to produce our tires, so please don't worry about this and feel free to use our Maxxis tires.
Thanks again for supporting Maxxis.

Best regards,
Maxxis Support Team

[nes]

Thanks for getting in touch, I am afraid our tyres are not vegan friendly so to speak as indeed animal products are used in the production of a Schwalbe tyre.

Regards,

Will Brown
Schwalbe UK

BOOOO!

(Herbsman, how much £ did you put on that??!!)

[fredrikw]

FUCK!
BASTARDS!

[GY Jon]

FUCK!
BASTARDS!

Language please!

Fek! Arse! is more appropriate

I was about to order Schwalbe for the coming season ahead to replace conti's, now I'm f'd as to what to get.

No response from Spesh or Panaracer btw

[fredrikw]

Oh, you want to to curse in my own language? I'll try to remember that next time I get mad

Just heard back from NoTubes, and their tires are manufactured by Kenda, so that's another brand to add to the list of brands.

[downhillingdemon]

Maxxis are OK:

Dear Bob Summers,
Thank you for contacting with Maxxis. Your email is very important to us. Our Maxxis bike tires do not use any kind of animal ingredients to produce our tires, so please don't worry about this and feel free to use our Maxxis tires.
Thanks again for supporting Maxxis.

Best regards,
Maxxis Support Team

Oh praise be to jebus

Schwable and Contis are shite anyway

[fredrikw]

Schwable and Contis are shite anyway

For a weight conscious XC racer they were definitely not shit, it really sucks that they have to meddle with animal ingredients here, when it's clearly not necessary...