REVIEW
Tannus Armour TUBELESS Inserts Tested
Tannus took a first shot at inserts last year and the company came at the problem from a different direction than the conventional approach. CushCore, Huck Norris, Flat Tire Defender, Schwalbe Procore and others, put the insert closest to the rim. Instead Tannus decided to have the foam layer reside next to the tire and rather than using sealant the idea was to have a tube inside. Having ridden these several times, I can tell you they have some merit, but also a lot of heft. The inserts themselves are on the heavy side at 330 grams. Most tubes weigh at least 150 grams meaning you are adding 480g per wheel, or 1.05lbs, which is too much for me.
To set up the original Tannus Armour, first the insert (which is more of a tire liner in this case) goes in and then a tube goes inside. The inserts alone weigh 330 grams.
I have a feeling the response wasn't what Tannus had hoped and they went back to the design team to create a lighter system that would work with sealant rather than tubes. True to form, they took a unique approach. Aside from Schwalbe's ProCore system, all the inserts I've seen are solid foam without any voids. Tannus designed their inserts to contain a pocket of air that compresses more slowly than the main air chamber in your tire so the insert acts like it has a much larger volume, but without extra weight. Another bonus is that no special valves are required because the insert only touches the inner rim walls.
Install was a breeze and on the second wheel I left one sidewall seated and pushed everything together easily without tools. This is a clear advantage over CushCore.
Sidewall support is excellent for Tannus Tubeless when the system is aired up with even extremely low pressures. Once pressure is gone completely support wanes significantly unlike CushCore.
One of my favourite things about CushCore is the sidewall support provided by the teacup shape. Tannus takes this a step further by adding wings that push toward the sidewalls with the force of a spring. I have been riding the inserts in Maxxis DHR II 29 x 2.6 rubber (which have been excellent) and I wondered if, like the CushCore XC I tried earlier, they would be too wide for the inserts, compromising this support. In fact it was incredible, as long as there was a little air in the tire. CushCore continues with good sidewall support even when running flat, but Tannus Tubeless requires a small amount of air, as little as 5 PSI to provide enough support for you to ride out.
The only tricky part during the install is stuffing the insert into the tire. The inserts are packed in a box so getting them to round and into your tire takes a little effort, but nothing like installing CushCore.
The proprietary material is firm and smooth and it's said to not absorb moisture or sealant at all.
On The Dirt
As luck would have it we had a hard summer rain a few days before my first rides on Tannus Tubeless (TT) and I was able to ride them in marginal conditions. At first I started with 18 PSI rear and 16 front but this actually felt a little hard for the conditions and I dropped them to 15 and 13 which was amazing. The trails we rode were steep and technical, without high G corners, and the pressure was ample. Afterward I gave the bike to my buddies to guess how much pressure I was running and to them it felt closer to 20 PSI. Traction is impressive with TT and I could ride in the moist conditions with substantially more confidence on every surface.
There are four reliefs in the system that allow air to flow between the two chambers. The cutouts where the inserts sit in the bead may be mostly about stuffing them in a box.
I have a feeling these vents act a little like valves, allowing air to flow slowly when there is an impact and then to equalize afterwards.
Of my rides on the system, two have been on one of the steepest trails I've ridden. It's an off (North) Shore trail that is a thing of beauty, but on my first attempt it was slimy. Under the first layer of loam there is a layer that feels like clay when it gets wet, and this pushed conditions toward terrifying. Similar to my first ride on the RockShox Zeb, my buddies were struggling but I managed to ride every line but one. I could feather my way in on hanging rock entrances and then control things easily when it was time to let go of the brakes. In fact, these inserts helped so much it felt a little like cheating. Thankfully that feeling didn't last.
Compared To CushCore
Unlike CushCore, it's not clear that you have inserts installed when you saddle up with TT. Impacts don't feel dulled in the same way, despite being well-absorbed and these have the liveliest feel of any inserts I've ridden. They also corner extremely well, adding lots of traction and a predictable but firm break away, assuming you are running enough pressure. While you can drop your pressure drastically where high cornering forces aren't expected, sidewall support wanes some below about 15 PSI. CushCore in contrast, perhaps because of the absence of a void, retains decent sidewall support even after a puncture. It's possible to ride these Tannus inserts without air in your tires, but it's much less comfortable than CushCore Pro which can easily be run flat.
This marketing information was provided by Tannus and I've only tested it anecdotally, aside from weight and ease of install, and those claims add up.
Before I read Tannus' claims about rolling speed in their marketing materials, I noticed that I seemed to be carrying momentum better than usual and I could easily pump to retain speed, despite the low pressures I was running. I haven't noticed some of Tannus' other claims, like reduced vibration however, and my experience on CushCore in that regard was excellent. Rim protection also seems to be very good but TT is more sensitive to tire pressure and once, while unintentionally running extremely low pressure* with Tannus I had a loud front rim strike that would have been better protected with CushCore.
*I was down around 10 PSI after releasing too much pressure at the top of the previous trail
Comparing 29 to 29, Tannus inserts weighed in at exactly the advertised weight of 160g while CushCore Pro in that size weighs 260g. Installation is no contest and Tannus is the clear winner. It took me slightly longer to install a tire with the inserts, but only a minute or two and with the second tire I realized I could install Tannus without breaking the bead free on both sides of the tire, something I haven't been able to accomplish with CushCore despite others doing so successfully. CushCore's Bead Dropper tool was helpful with Tannus as well, but I could have done without it. CushCore seems to me to be slightly quieter than Tannus to me but I can't make any judgement about side impact/cornering support or vertical impacts but both are very good in that regard.
No special valves are required with Tannus Tubeless because the cavity of the insert sits over the base of the valve inside the tire. Tannus recommends lining up one of the four cutouts with the valve to provide a little more space, but I learned that after the install and it worked fine without that measure..
Compensating
I have been experimenting with running lighter rims and tires using various inserts with some success but it hasn't been all hits. Using the tubed-Tannus system erased much of the weight advantage while CushCore XC didn't offer enough support in the high volume Maxxis 2.6 tires. This combo brought it all home and it makes for a very reasonable set of wheels with the set of Gucci ENVE M6s I've been rolling on for a long term test. In fact I swapped those wheels in on the test bike I'm currently riding, and the combo weighed in at over 100g less than the stock wheels and tires which have no inserts installed and slightly heavier rims and tires. .
These inserts were spectacular riding steep and loose lines, but they were also great riding hard packed flow trails.
I haven't yet flatted or incurred rim damage riding any inserts so I can't make any judgement call there except to say that I'm a believer in the protection inserts provide. In terms of cost, CushCore sells for 150 USD for a set while Tannus Tubeless Armor will set you back 100 USD. Unfortunately if you order online and have them shipped to Canada, with Tannus taking care of duties and taxes, that price may rise substantially. When I put a pair in the cart with my B.C. address the cost doubled to 197.82 USD.
I'd have to think a little harder and do some back to back testing to choose an insert for DH, e-bike, or bike park riding where weight is of less consequence but for riding that involves pedalling, and climbing in particular, Tannus Tubeless has my vote for the moment. The reasonable weight, excellent sidewall support, phenomenal traction, good rolling speed and excellent trail feel put them at the top of my list.
For more info head to Tannus.com
Height - 6'/183cm (mostly legs)
Weight - 170lbs/77kg
Inseam - 33"/84cm
Ape Index - 0.986
Age - 58
Trail I've been stoked on lately - Sam's Dad's Trail
Bar Width - 760mm
Preferred Reach - 485-500mm (longer with 27.5 wheels than 29)
Comments
Merwinn
3 years, 8 months ago
My immediate attention was drawn to the blacked out frame. Well done on the headline placement.
When does that review drop?
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Mammal
3 years, 8 months ago
New Druid Big Brother?
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fed
3 years, 8 months ago
New Nomad???
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Trevor Hansen
3 years, 8 months ago
Having ridden with Cam on two greasy wet days I will say it was like he was riding dry trails with his Tannus inserts. Us regulars tire guys were pinballing off roots, sliding out on rocks and mud while he was cleaning everything while singing Willie Nelson riffs. Just when I got a new bike and started to keep up to him he took off again. Cold war starts now - my Tannus order is in.
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Cr4w
3 years, 8 months ago
How long before these types of support structures can be built into the tire carcass? It's clear that this extra meat really adds to ride quality and having it built in would save weight and simplify installation.
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Timer
3 years, 8 months ago
In a similar vein, I'm kind of missing a ride comparison between these inserts and tougher casings. If I could get the same kind of benefits with DD or Super Gravity casings without having to faff about with inserts, the choice would be obvious. I remember a lab test done by a German magazine which compared pinch flat resistance of various inserts (incl. CC) and Super gravity casings. The inserts all roughly doubled the force required to pinch the tyre. The SG casing required four times as much force.
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Tjaard Breeuwer
3 years, 8 months ago
The big difference would be rolling resistance and ride feel (at least for lighter riders)
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Axel Ericson
3 years, 8 months ago
Yes, to me this is the most important reason why I rather run a trail tyre with insert rather than a DH tyre. Weight aside, the difference in rolling resistance and grip is massive imho. The DH tyres need abit more speed and force to "come alive" than what I can get at my home trails. And the difference in rolling resistance is somthing I think many reviews neglect when they only talk about "this type of casing is x grams heavier".
Just my 5c.
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Timer
3 years, 8 months ago
Would be interesting to compare ride feel between one of the bigger inserts (Cushcore or Tannus) and tougher casings. With technology like Apex wedges, the tougher casings should provide a similar ride feel as the inserts with sidewall support.
Rolling resistance would be a bit higher, but not too much. Lots of tests have shown that rubber compound is the most important factor in MTB, with knob height and casing contributing far less to rolling speed.
However, a confounding issue is the fact that a lot of tyre companies only sell their tougher casings with soft rubber. Therefore many people think that tough casings roll worse than they actually do.
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Cam McRae
3 years, 8 months ago
An issue here is that the two would wear at different rates meaning both would be done when the least durable of the two is worn out. I personally don't see an advantage to having them attached. It's hard enough now to get the tire you want in terms of casing, rubber profile, tread pattern and size. Adding the choice of with or without inserts will make it much worse.
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Axel Ericson
3 years, 8 months ago
So according to them, even HN and riding without inserts gives less vibration than CushCore. What the actual? Also, given the very low support by the bead compared to CC I find it extremely hard to believe that it takes more force to knock of the tyre with these than CC. Seems like pure physics to me.
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Cam McRae
3 years, 8 months ago
It would be good to see some testing methodology for that claim. The design does however act like a second tire, with its own bead that matches up with the bead of the tire so that’s possible that claim is legit.
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Pnwpedal
3 years, 8 months ago
I like the idea of a balanced wheelset, incorporating the weight of the rims/inserts/tires to create a balanced solution. Up until now I have only seen the comparison of "inserts VS no inserts", which is an easy thing to compare, but not what would actually happen when building (curating?) a bike. I'm currently happy on EXO+ tires at normal pressures, but perhaps I could drop to EXO with certain inserts to offset some of the weight.
I'm still curious about the Rimpact/Rimpact Pro options, they seem like another solid middle ground for inserts.
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Cam McRae
3 years, 8 months ago
Good points. I have spent some time on Rimpact pros and I really like them with one exception; they don’t have wings so running them on a larger volume tire didn’t give much sidewall support. The shape is actually cut away there like an anvil. Otherwise they were excellent. I’ll spend some time on the lighter version, which has an identical shape but omits a layer of higher density foam and comes in at around 100 grams.
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Pnwpedal
3 years, 8 months ago
Yeah, the regular Rimpact inserts were originally what intrigued me to even consider inserts in general. I'm not too heavy (155lb) so reinforced tires like Schwalbe Apex and EXO/EXO+ usually have enough sidewall stiffness for me, but having some protection from smashing the rim into a square-edge rock at speed would be nice. But... I'm also against added weight on the bike if it's not necessary.
Off the top of my head, EXO to EXO+ is like a 50g jump for a 27.5x2.5wt. So dropping to a lighter tire could be a decent compromise.
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Tim Coleman
3 years, 8 months ago
I'm keen to give these a try. But on a more important topic; Richie Schley called and he wants royalty on the glasses with full face look. In all seriousness, I don't make the rules, but its glasses and half lid OR goggles and full face. NO EXCEPTIONS. No goggles and half lid, full face can't be ridden with anything other than goggles unless you climbing.
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IslandLife
3 years, 8 months ago
Not with the new gen of lightweight full face helmets (Kali invader, IXS Trigger, Bell Super Air R, etc)... we're trying to stay more protected on the gnar while still staying cool. A good pair of glasses can stay on during the climb and I don't want to carry goggles (I just got my pack-less set-up dialed) or keep them on my helmet blocking the ventilation I need when climbing... plus I just want to ride and not be stopping to take goggles on and off every 10 minutes.
So expect to see more of this look... and honestly, please start encouraging it vs shaming, we have enough of that bullshit in this sport already. The more people we get out here using full face protection on gnarly trails, the better. Especially the kids... my kids are full-face, full-time and use glasses because goggles are just too hot most of the summer. They are also very susceptible to the "what-looks-cool" phenomenon... I've got them both wearing knee pads, elbow pads and fullfaces with glasses... don't fuck this up for me!
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Admoore
3 years, 8 months ago
I agree island life. I wear glasses with full face.
As for your kids protection I went by it’s better to have it & not need it than need it & not have it for armour.
No socks pulled up here but quite often a fanny pack !!
A good review. I run the tube style in my commuter bike rear tire for puncture protection & so far no more punctures. I’ll be getting set of these soon.
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Cam McRae
3 years, 8 months ago
I love pissing on rules of that sort, particularly when it gets knickers twisted. Going to wear long pants today with my pads on the outside to go along with my stupid haircut that shouldn’t be seen anywhere near a man of my vintage.
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Pete Roggeman
3 years, 8 months ago
To be fair, that haircut doesn't belong on any man or woman - of any vintage.
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Cam McRae
3 years, 8 months ago
Truth. More rules broken!
But tell that to Brent Burns... Turns out I stole his hairstyle without knowing it.
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taprider
3 years, 8 months ago
I like to wear lycra to be a rebel
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JVP
3 years, 8 months ago
Run what you got, how you want, and give no f***s what others think. The weirdos, lone wolves, and oddballs are why I love this sport. I hope we don't lose that.
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Mammal
3 years, 8 months ago
And Andrew Major running bucket helmets... Anything goes, out there in the woods!
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Nouseforaname
3 years, 8 months ago
Is this the same Tim Coleman that once revelled in wearing short socks instead of cool kid long dh bro socks? Asking for a friend.
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Lu Kz
3 years, 8 months ago
Plenty of EWS riders far faster than you'll ever be have rocked the fullface with glasses look.
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MuscogeeMasher
3 years, 8 months ago
Very interesting and best review I've seen to date. Running CC pro rear and xc front on a Hightower OG with 2.3 Maxxis and love them. However, may give these a try at next tire swap. Think I'll keep the CC on the rear of the Chameleon 27.5 x 2.6 for vibration damping. Also, perhaps a blue or green would have been a less suggestive color?
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Cam McRae
3 years, 8 months ago
Thanks for the kind words. It’s interesting to consider where Inserts are most beneficial and where to put the most support. For most of us rim strikes are most common and damaging in the rear but if you imagine if you could choose being stuck on a front or rear flat going downhill the decision is pretty automatic. When I dumped too many PSI in the rear as mentioned in the article, I could ride fine, even fast enough to have fun on a flow trail, I just couldn’t pin it, and I was perfectly fine in the steeps. Hard tails add another variable. I also think this is a strength of Rimpact because the profile of the two levels is identical, while the density of one layer of foam differs, possibly making them ideal for a front/rear setup, aside from the sidewall support, which may improve on narrower rubber.
I never gave the colour a second thought, considering where they live. To me that’s like wanting to change the colour of my blood; if I see it, there’s something wrong so there’s utility to that ugly visibility! Like wearing glasses with a fullface ! Lol
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Tjaard Breeuwer
3 years, 8 months ago
And Rimpact sells pairs matched up like that.
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AverageAdventurer
3 years, 7 months ago
Hey Cam just a note to hit up your local trek dealer. They sell them at 68 per insert Canadian! We've been crusing through them.
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el_jefe
3 years, 6 months ago
Is this any Trek dealer or the Trek labelled stores?
Never tried inserts, but with Cam's review and your comments on pricing at certain stores, I'm definitely in for trying a set! I'm in Whistler but locating any store from here into Van, I'd definitely get a set
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pardus
3 years, 8 months ago
Just bought some from Amazon.com with Tannus as seller and better shipping options to Canada. $220cdn tax and duty in with priority shipping for front and rear. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DK6DSP8
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Andy Eunson
3 years, 8 months ago
Shouldn’t be any duty. Just taxes. And I’m not sure if PST should be applied either but in my case it was. For ten bucks I’m not gonna argue.
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AverageAdventurer
3 years, 7 months ago
Trek dealers bring them in at 68 per insert Canadian, no shipping or duty.
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neilBar
1 year, 5 months ago
Really appreciate reading about your experience Cam - I’d been thinking about Tannus and you got me off the fence. My thins aren’t strong enough to deal with Cushcore pro - although I did like the damping and grip upfront with a trail carcass soft Mary.
The CC is gone.
I’m definitely liking the Tannus in the rear with 29x2.35 Magic Mary soft trail casing. 15 psi works great on soft ground. Loam. Even on rocky tracks - but more pressure is needed on hardpack / berms as there’s more G force in corners - part of that could be the Mary”s edge knobs folding, but I did see sealant trails on the tyre too so it burped a bit.
20 psi fixed it.
Tried Michelin Enduro rear too 27,5 pretty good cornering grip and it rides smooth on rocky trails but soft Gironde braking is poor even at 15psi
Next test. Shorty. Maxxterra. We’ll see. Should be lovely on climbs (the grip I mean).
My 2p on valves. For me normal valves don’t cut it.
At 15 psi I think the tyre slips on the rim. When braking, I guess. This means the insert apparently moves round and blocks the valve hole. Makes it hard to test pressure, so I’m going to use Peaty’s Chris King valves. Yeah I bought the Rasta colours. Might aswell.
Cam - might you tell us what you feel about Tannus upfront specifically . you like it I think.
Would you put it in a Supergravity soft Mary or a DH G5 upfront (wonder if Andrew tested that?)?
Low pressure seems tempting. And better rolling, yes please. Such a shame Maxxgrip compound doesn’t generally come in EXO+.
I guess the 2.6 SuperTrail Mary Extra Soft (front) [edit, Mary Extra soft only comes in the smaller size] might be better if choosing Tannus. But I have the Supergravity 2.4 so that's me for now at about 19psi (no insert as yet).
Big Betty Supergravity soft is doing well on the rear without an insert but some winter mud I'll perhaps put in the Tannus so I can run it softer than the 23 psi I tend to run - or use an extrasoft Mary Supergrav. It gets soft and slippy here in South UK.
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Cam McRae
8 months, 1 week ago
Lots of good thoughts here.
I had recently become less enamoured with Tannus Tubeless but then I pulled the worn out tires off my 57lb eMTB, thinking I had Cushcore or Octamousse inside, and discover Tannus Tubeless in there. I hadn't got a flat in many months of riding - enough to completely wear out a Specialized Butcher 2.6" tire (although a lot of that was because my son used the bike to commute to parties on the road!).
Support was great front and rear and, while I have begun to run higher pressures again (19-21) grip was also excellent. The one thing I didn't have to deal with was riding out on a flat and that's where TT breaks down for me. Without air they just don't have the support to get you out. A proviso to that is that I recently discovered you can stuff a tube inside TT and ride out just fine, without having to wear the bandolier of shame.
So, since front flats are less common than rear (3:1 maybe?) I'm all for saving a little weight up there if you are willing to carry a pump, tube and tire levers, which I try to avoid for all but very long and remote rides. I always want to be able to ride out on the insert I've got in there.
I don't have as much experience on Schwalbes as most other brands so I don't have useful comments there.
Thanks for chiming in!
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neilBar
8 months, 1 week ago
Great to get your reply Cam, thanks for that. The soft grounbd season is coming in South UK so a bit lower tyre pressure will be a bit plus. I'm sure tannut will help with that- and damping on the rocks and roots
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Andy Eunson
3 years, 8 months ago
Mine arrived yesterday. With reference to mounting my experience was similar but for some reason the tires came out with a wobble. I am almost out of sealant so I don’t want to completely remove them yet but am hoping that removal, clean up and reinstall will solve the issue. Only one ride on wet trails though and my experience is similar to yours but more riding is needed.
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Tim Coleman
3 years, 8 months ago
If its a Maxxis tire, you might have a stretched casing. I had a number of wobbly new Maxxis tires last year.
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Andy Eunson
3 years, 8 months ago
I had a few too. Sometimes I wonder if I’ve damaged the casing with rim strikes. Now on Assegai front and rear both of which were fine before. I popped one bead off, inserted the insert and put the bead back on. One needed a lever and the other went on by hand. Both are wobbly. Pisses me off.
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DanL
3 years, 8 months ago
I just had to replace a wobbly Assegai yesterday. It got worse and worse until it was pulling on jumps. The shop told me that the bead was broken and the casing had detached. He mentioned that they’re seeing a lot of Maxxiss DH and EXO returns right now
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Cary
3 years, 8 months ago
Just thought I would chime in with a tip I learned while working at a bike shop. Make sure to hang the wheel/tire off of your handlebar, or repair stand, etc. while inflating, because sometimes leaving it on the ground will give the tire a wobble. It totally works, I've tried the classic leave the wheel and tire on the ground while inflating, and got a wobble. Dropped pressure, and re-inflated the tire with the wheel/tire elevated, and voila no more wobble. Give it a try next time you have a wobbly tire. Cheers!
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Andy Eunson
3 years, 8 months ago
Can’t hurt to try that. I put another pair of Assegais on that had been on my other bike. Front is good but the back is wobbly still. I rode familiar trails today but I was slow. Tired from a big Sunday hike I suppose. Plus three wasp stings this morning treated with antihistamine left me kind of fuzzy.
neilBar
8 months, 1 week ago
I managed to get rid of the wobble by deflating and massaging the position of the insert
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Vik Banerjee
3 years, 7 months ago
After riding my hardtail a lot last winter and pushing harder than I expected I started to be receptive to an insert in my rear tire at least. I ordered a set of the Tannus tubeless inserts and put one into the rear 29 x 2.6" DHRII on my Cotic BFeMAX. I bought two inserts to defray shipping costs. I may end up putting one in the front, but I've never had front rim flat/damage problems so I'm not sure it's worth it. My other two MTBs are 29ers so that second insert could also end up in the rear of one of those bikes.
I would describe installation as annoying, but uneventful. I got it in by just unseating one bead and then using tire levers to position the insert and pop the second bead onto the rim. I could see this being a real drag if you had a tight tire/rim fit. The tire inflated without using the pump's reservoir. I'd say the extra time required over a standard tubeless install was 3-4mins. The insert is not a very round shape out of the box. It's possible installing a previously used insert would be a lot easier.
First trail ride is tomorrow.
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Vik Banerjee
3 years, 3 months ago
Following up after a few months of riding the Tannus insert in the rear tire on my hardtail. I'd say it delivered as promised. I can run lower pressures for better traction/comfort with no issues with tire/rim damage despite riding with less attention to the rear end of the bike. The extra weight at the rear tire doesn't jump out at me as an issue and I am one of those weirdos that likes to climb. I don't have any negatives to note really.
That said I can run 14-15psi in my front tire 29 x 2.6" without an insert and I have no issues rolling that tire, damaging the rim/tire nor any lack of traction. So I am not motivated to put that 2nd insert in the front of my hardtail. The rear tire with insert does "feel" different. Not really better or worse than running without an insert so I'm not feeling that I need to change the ride quality/feel of the front tire with an insert.
I'm also not motivated to put that 2nd insert in the rear of my FS bike. At least here in Coastal BC I can ride that bike as hard as I want without damaging the rear tire/rim. I could see myself throwing a Tannus insert into the rear of my FS bike before heading to the SW desert for a road trip. Speeds are higher there and square edges are frequent.
I'm glad I read this review and tried the new Tannus insert. It definitely changed the rear of my hardtail for the better.
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MuscogeeMasher
3 years, 7 months ago
Report on installation for the good of the order. 27.5 x 2.6 tire on 37mm Reserve rims (asymmetric). Got it fitted and it was quickly obvious there was absolutely no way the tire was going to seat, because when the insert was pushing out on the middle of the sidewall it pulled the beads together, because, unlike cushcore, nothing was pushing out on the beads. Pulled the insert and seated the tire. Popped one bead off, put in the insert, and seated with ease. Maybe I'm not the only idiot and this will help somebody.
PS - Based on my limited experience with 27.5 and 29 Reserve rims I dispute that installing one of these is that much less hassle than cushcore once you get the hang of it, but then again I don't find cushcore to be a hassle, just an extra couple of minutes and bonus forearm workout.
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Marty Zaleski
3 years, 7 months ago
Install was a piece of cake for me. 29” Enve M6 rim, E-thirteen TRS tire. Put on the first tire bead, then the insert beads one by one. Massaged it around to get the first tire bead into the mid-rim trough, then worked the other bead in. Made sure the tire beads got under the insert and rested into the trough, and used a lever to pop the last 8” into place. Seated without drama with a standard floor pump.
Followed the advice from the shop to use a hair dryer to restore the insert’s curve before installing (giving it the right shape after it had been stuffed into its box). I think that helped.
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MuscogeeMasher
3 years, 6 months ago
For the googlers researching and seeing this, just installed on reserve 27's and it was a piece of cake. My takeaway is be prepared with a tube to seat one of the beads if the wheel is 35ish or more. Really liking the inserts, btw.
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Marty Zaleski
3 years, 7 months ago
Curious as to your thoughts on the benefits of running Tannus on the front tire. Just installed one on the rear as that’s where the flatting issues that I want to mitigate are all happening. Also looking forward to your Enve M6 review. I have one on my rear wheel and have formed some strong opinions. Spoiler: They’re not positive.
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MuscogeeMasher
3 years, 7 months ago
Hope you get a more expert opinion, but cushcore and tannus are about tire performance, not merely flats. Outside of weight weenie xc and such, in 3-5 yrs we will view not running inserts like we view running tubes today. Not normally an early adopter, but I’m all in on tire inserts.
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aaaaaaaaaaargh
2 years, 9 months ago
Just installed one on my rear wheel. Dropped one bead of a Specialized Eliminator 2.3 on a i30 rim and was able to install it without spilling a drop of sealant. Was much much easier than the couple times I've installed Cush Cores. Also like that I don't have to use special valves and it's easier to measure pressure and add sealant through the valve stem.
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