CushCore 27.5+ Insert CushCore's tire inserts are probably the most well-known flat tire solution on the market right now, but CushCore's Adam Krefting also emphasized how their closed-cell foam inserts are effective at changing the spring rate of the tire for the better, too. That's right, your tire is essentially an air spring, and using a foam insert is kinda like putting volume-reducing tokens into it: It shrinks the volume of the air chamber and means that the rate will ramp up quicker.
This changes how the tire reacts with the ground, Krefting explained, and how the closed-cell foam damps the tire's reactions.
And now you'll be able to run CushCore in your 27.5+ tires, too. The new size isn't just a lot wider than their previous offerings, though, as that would add a load of unneeded weight. Instead, cutouts on the underside keep the wider insert to within just 40-grams of the standard width version. The price is the same - $149 USD for a set - and that also gets you the required valve stems that play nice with the inserts.
Smanie Seats Smanie is a relatively new saddle company who say they've put a hell of a lot of research and effort into their seat designs, and the N.spire is their fresh mountain bike offering. You'll be able to get it in 136mm, 146mm, and 156mm widths, all of which you can test out via their demo program at participating bike shops. Smanie says that they've employed finite element modeling to design the N.spire, and that it's the brainchild of a pro mountain biker and biomedical engineer who simply wanted the seat to feel invisible.
New HT Pedals I think HT has debuted a new, or at least a revised, pedal at every single tradeshow in recent memory, and Eurobike 2018 was no different. This time around it's two fresh, less expensive versions of existing models, with the T1 and D1 being joined by the GT1 (pictured above) and GD1. The former is a trail-style pedal that features a medium-sized cage and looks a lot like the T1 that we reviewed back in 2017, but it costs $70 USD instead of $135 USD. HT is able to slash the price in half thanks to going with a slightly taller die-cast body rather than a forged one, with this also allowing for larger bearings to be used inside. It's also powder coated instead of being anodized.
The result is pretty much half the price, sees larger bearings that might last longer, and weighs just 20-grams more than its more expensive brother. Sounds like a good trade-off to me.
The other new offering, the GD1, is, you guessed it, the less expensive version of the D1 that's a single-sided clipless platform pedal. The normal D1 is pretty much just a one-sided X2 DH pedal for those who want a hybrid setup (please comment if that's what you've got as I've never seen anyone using these the wild), and the GD1 (pictured above) features the same die-cast body treatment as the GT1. It's thicker and has larger bearings, too, and also goes for $70 USD.
does it make a huge difference? I haven't felt it, the tire seems a little more stable thought. but the peace of mind I get from it is worth it
Also Flat tire defender inserts are great too.
As for feel I'm 190 lbs, probably 200 with gear and went from 27/30 to 24/27 psi and immediately felt a night and day difference. I ride all over vancouver island which is a strong testing ground. Tire is softer and dampens the trail like crazy. Noticed improved grip immediately which I expected. Took them to some hard berms and tried to get them to squirm and nothing, tires feel locked in and solid. Smashed some really rough trails and I always seem to dent rims. Nothing so far.
In summary, less arm pump, more traction improved my cornering overnight once I found out how solid your tire is still at low pressure. No rim damage, no flats. I one hundred percent recommend.
it doesn't burp, even running stupid low pressures (thats around 13psi).
confidance it's high enough to drop inner spare tube and pump, and that was what I did a few months ago on my weekend rides.
weight penalty of 200g per wheel is ok considering all the advantages: rim protection/lower pressures/no burping.
:-{
The "V" shape of cushcore holds the tire onto the rim. Once you mount a set, you'll see that it's impossible for it to come off while riding. The only way to get it off is to squeeze the tire by the bead to break the bead, then use a tire lever to get underneath the insert to pull the bead out.
That being said, I started running tubeless about a year ago. I run 23psi front, 25 psi rear and have not had a single flat. *Knocks on wood*
www.varnahandcycles.com
He kinda has to lace custom wheels, as his designs are so custom. He got down to 12 minutes or so per wheel from sitting down with the correct number of spokes, rim, and hub, to having a correctly trued wheel ready to ride.
He could check tension by the pitch of the plucked spokes.
It was amazing to watch.
Practice practice, practice.
Unfortunately, that didn't rub off on me, still takes me 1 hour if I build multiples in a row, but since I have no need for multiple wheels, it usually ends up being 3 hours and 4 beers.
You can also flat a cushcore
You can also ruin a rim with cushcore
I bet its a lot harder to ruin a rim with procore
@moroj82:
I have ridden a mile of black diamond trail then 4 miles back up the hill on a cut tire with procore the rim ans procore was fine after.
Doubt the cushcore would be ok after that
Foam is the new carbon.
But yes, Cushcore is extremely hard to install, particularly with heavy duty tyres. Super Gravity or Double Down casings will make your life hell when you go to install these. It took me somewhere in the range of 1-2 hours or so to do an install on one wheel, and I had to do it again because I somehow blew the tyre off the bead when inflating it, except this time with tyre sealant all over the place. I also destroyed my plastic tyre levers, so highly recommend metal tyre levers...
Once Vittoria start selling their Air Liners in Australia I'm going to chuck one of them on since they seem like they might be slightly less frustrating.
- I wanted to protect my rim, especially now that really has to hold air now.
- I wanted to run proper low pressures without the risk of burping air or pinch flatting.
- I wanted to be able to install the tire out on the trail with my bare hands and the mini pump if need be. Yes I even refilled the tiny 60ml bottle of sealant and leave it in my bag.
Cushcore seems to tick the first two points though the third one could be difficult, I guess.
@johan90: Should I be concerned about the spokes? According to the tire sidewall, they can be inflated up to 4bar. Not saying anyone would do that, but it would be odd if the tire can be inflated that hard but the wheel can't take it, would it? I know Stans rims only accept lower pressures so wheels built with those in mind may not be up to it. But my wheels (Syntace W35, 26") came with a label (Procore ready) so I suppose I should be fine.
Of course anything can break or puncture. Greg Minnaar had quite a mess dangling off his rear wheel at the WC finals last season. But the tire shouldn't be easier or harder to cut than if the system weren't present. As for the tube, can be patched or replaced too. Which brings me to my only gripe with the system. I don't like the Presta valve. The Procore system comes as such but too often do I unscrew the valve core when I just want to take the valve cap off. So I'm planning to just drill the valve hole up the Schraeder size and use a standard Schraeder tubeless valve (for bicycles). My rims already have another valve hole at 90 degrees for the tube, which should just be a regular narrow 26" tube with Schraeder valve. No more silly Procore specific Presta valve. My life will be complete.
The spring rate thing is probably the most notable improvement (I now can use 2.6 tires without them feeling like balloons), then the damping. The rim protection is honestly just icing on the cake (really good icing!)
I fit these regularly at work (I have them in my own double down casing tyres) and can do it in about 10-15 mins per wheel. I fitted some today on carbon rims and it was easy as. You guys either need to get a grip or learn how to fit a tyre properly.
Also, they are awesome - no more dinged rims, no more burping, they feel great in the corners. Love them.
Oh, looking back it seems like I've been repeating myself. Sorry for that. It's been a while. Who woke me up in the first place? Is it Summer again? Ahhhh... Summerrrr....
The trash can helps, but in all honesty you can do it on the floor, it's not really that hard. The secret is pushing the bead to the centre of the rim with a tyre lever. Then again that's the 'secret' to fitting any stubborn tyre. Lots of people just don't seem to know it
Not true procore holds tire on and stays inflated when your outer tire gets cut, reduces exagerated tire folding, It supports the bead and tread when tires flat. It also reduces tire casing cuts and and makes the tires pressure increase more as the tire is compressed, so more support
... so just like literally every other engineered product?
To answer the question what was wrong with the two-sided clipless pedals that I used before - I found that when balancing with one foot off the pedals and the balance shifting so I would quickly have to change which foot I'm balancing with (thus returning the balance-providing foot to the pedal in an exuberant fashion) I would often unintentionally clip back in, with the tired leg then too slow to clip back out to re-establish balance, thus causing me to tumble sideways down a steep loam-covered hillside at a comically slow speed.
(oh yeah, and I'm fully conscious of the fact that this sort of application is probably not what the designers/engineers had in mind... but hey, it solved my problem)
And has anyone put one of these things in a pressure vessel with a window to see how much the closed cell foam closes up in a 25psi (for example) tyre? All very well seeing cut sections but that's with no pressure on it... I happen to have just such a pressure vessel...
When I saw the single sided Funn ones I thought it was a good idea, like to use clips for climbing and flats for descending. Also, the heavier clip side should keep the flat upside when you go flat out-foot out. Had I have some clip shoes and I had give them a go, but not the case so I ended up with Spank Spikes instead.
I love my HT T1's but man it took a little getting used to the pins for extra grip. I have countless scrapes on my calves/shins because normally my pedals just clank against them when I am hike a biking.
Reading the cushcore marketing presentation is such a bone-blocker.
Thoughts?
Been running tubes for over 30 years on everything from road,bmx,DJ,DH,XC never had any problems with simple tubes. In every terrain ther is. Easy in, easy out, easy patch when you need to.
Not that latex crap, just plain old tubes.
People trying to run ridiculous low tire pressure is the driving force behind all this crap.
It’s alway tubeless guys wasting time on their “simple” set up. Always tubeless guys destroying rims at the DH tracks. Then trying to find fixes for a tubeless set up like the one mentioned.
But whatever, to each their own. I’ll keep my bike life simple.
And think about it, there must be some reason that virtually every pro racer/pro rider rides tubeless. Maybe investigate that? But in the meantime, have fun with your 'simple' setup. I'll be sure to think of you next time I see a tubed rider fixing their flat.