First Look: Nukeproof ARD Tire Inserts

 Ribbed for more pleasure.

 Nukeproof's Got NARDS!!!

 @woodybepierced: Wow. Monster Squad reference... Well played.

 I've been using regular Tire ARDs

 @endlessblockades: You got the TARD's? I had one but lost it. Got another now I'm re TARD.

 Nard dog

 @drunknride:

 Nukeproof cant afford Randy. He's going straight to Goodyear to help them develop some shit.

 @Boardlife69: Ive seen Randy mentioned in like 5 different posts. Who tf is Randy? Are tou referring to Marco Osborne?

 @chillrider199: Marco is the Anakin while Randy is the Darth Vader. Randy is your daddy young Skywalker.

 @chillrider199: A big name gravity rider for Cannondale is what I hear. He's headed out Californiway in search of some internets.

 @casman86: I hear they gots all the internet's you need out Californiway!

 @chillrider199: Chuk Norris's mofo enduro son

 @casman86: Californiway even has a snapcrap app because.....well....nevermind.

 #Randy is so #Sniper He's gonna destroy EWS 2019

#Top40 for sure.

 they are now

 Seriously who the he’ll is Randy???

 Pinkbike trolls, you have made my year with the continuing of these Randy comments. I hope Randy’s sponsors hook his friend up for all of the publicity. Big city shoots! Snipeys.

 @fattyheadshok: Well l,think that is a joke, but Randy Spangler is a good option ????

 I ‘ard they were going to stop all me flats and protect me rims too!

 PB throwing us curve balls this whole time. Not Cannondale... Ratboy on Nukeproof?

 or even farkin ard like Sam Hill.

 drop a few psi if you want to hear and feel the sensation of smashing your rim and damaging your wallet!

 I think this is another one of those setups that depends on where you live and what the trails you ride are like. In the West of the US there are lots of zones with cactus, goat head thorns and high speed rocky sections. Tubeless in these situations is massively beneficial, before switching to tubeless I had 1 or 2 punctures a month, now I average less than that in a year. On the flip side i've ridden many other areas where I'm sure running tubes would be no problem.
I have Cushcore on my DH bike and I've been impressed with it, running pressures in the low 20's without noticeable tire squirm and no punctures in a season, also seems to damp the trail noticeably. I did burp once, probably had 10psi left after, I knew something was wrong but (stupidly) carried on riding hitting all the features on a jump trail. Put a small dint in my rim, the tire reinflated and sealed with a CO2 cartridge on the side of the trail and has been fine since. I wouldn't however fit them to my trail bike as if you get a tear that won't seal I'm not sure if you could fit a tube and ride out.

 I used to puncture a tire before it was worn out. Would go through 6-8 a year. Started using cushcore this year and haven’t punctured a tire yet this year. I’m a believer. It weighs more but in the end saves me money and the bullshit of patching tires and throwing a tube in.

 @catweasel: I am using cushcore on my trail bike and I have yet to puncture. However, I had to change tire recently and it took me 5 minutes and 1 plastic tire lever to remove the tire and cushcore, so it would be perfectly possible to fit a tube on the trail (I wonder if that would make sense since you can ride it flat anyway). If you know how, mounting/removing cushcore is rather easy. My only problem with cushcore is the price.

 I use huck norris in the rear wheel of my bikes, it was working perfect, but i didnt puncture much before using it anyway. Then I read a review/comparison of cores on another site which essentially said huck norris was useless, so I took it out. Went to a bike park and punctured 3 times that day. Won't ride without an inner core now

Also, I originally put them in my tyres when I cracked 2 carbon rims without puncturing, I think this is the main benefit of inner cores.

 @powderturns: Or leave those few psi in your tubeless and spend the money on beer instead. The carbs in beer and the lighter wheels will make you faster all round!

 @powderturns: Im already down to 22 psi at the back and 20 at the front and still cant bottom the 2.6 tyres out

 @treggs: I require no further evidence, I am on board with your logic

 For normal riding, sure.

 @CM999: Beer will help you blow through tire and more weight on those lovely knobs on your tires to dig through soft loam and get traction. Seriously my 9 old son needs more pressure on his tires than you do!

 Nope, I've had 0 flats running tubeless for 4 years. I do run relatively heavy and tough tires tho.

 @JOHN8LAZE: With you, I'm going to test the hell outta that theory tonight!

 I have to fill my tires with solid rubber, no tire can hold up under me.

 @lkubica: what tire and rim combo allowed you to do this with cush core installed?

 @max1131: fr570 + dhr 2 Exo. But its's only about technique. Just like when you put it on, you need to push the tire away from you, then pressing it move towards, the core will then twist and you will be able to squish tire under the cushcore.

 Banana laffy taffy.

 @fullfacemike: Grooooossss

 Exactly, the higher pressure you run, more this foam will shrink (all the way round) and the looser it will be inside the rim.

Looks a decent product but coming out with such rubbish puts me off buying it.

 @FBM-BMX: There's a possibility it'll do what they say. If the foam when pressurised shrinks in all directions, one of those directions is around the circumference of the rim. Whether the foam is too dense to actually do this at 20psi is anyone's guess.

 @dannyboybiker: Yep that is the logic I took from it. The bubbles shrink in diameter, bubble chain shrinks in length, hoop diameter reduces.

 @spudlord: Theres also another thing causing it to shrink, it's down to the outside of the rim protector having a larger area due to curvature than the inside and therefore an imbalance of forces with greater force from the same pressure acting toward the hub. Same way as if you put a ring donut in a pressurised chamber the whole thing would shrink not just it's circular cross-section.

 PB should figure out how to test this and prove it with a see through tire. If it really does tighten down on the rim, then I’m sold.

 you raise a good point, but what if the foam is able to let air enter it's core? it's sealed for liquid ingress, however, gasses may still be able to enter it's core, in which case, the pressure acting on the outside may be equal to pressure acting outwards from within (since air could pressurise air pockets)? just a possibility, i could be wrong. either way, i'm not sold. I ride bike park, i've given up with tubeless, i can never seem to prevent air escape. tubeless is a pain, but it works better for me.

 @wda1wustl: Take a bike tube by itself and start pumping it up. The inner diameter will grow. Same thing with this insert but instead of growing with more internal pressure, it'll shrink with external pressure.

 also doubt it, if this works like advertised hats off

 The diameter of the foam insert stays the same. Instead they inflate the rim until it sits snug against both tire and insert, reducing the risk of burping as well and makes them conform to future yet to be defined wheelsizes.

If you like to go scientific/mental about a press release/RC article, I'm happy to join .

 When I insert this hairbrush into this tire, the hairbrush will turn into a pony! Unfortunately, when exposed to the outside air, the pony will change back into a hairbrush, so I cannot prove there is a pony in there. But at this price, how can you afford to not have a pony in your tire?

 @phile99: Well, that's pretty wicked. Does a pony make for good rim protection material? I'd do this right away but I need to find a way to inflate my tires with inside air only. I don't want a hairbrush in my tire.

 The insert just rattles around. It does not shrink or compress. I am about to pull them out and throw them in the trash.

 @Strick76: File under "Load of old bollocks!" from Nukeproof.

 That sucks. Did the manufacturers honor the warranty in those cases where the cushcore caused your issue?

 Sounds like a good reason to look for a different type of wheel, does it not? I understand the $ bit and running what you got. But if this is a reoccurring event, it seems like this is the logical conclusion.

 Interesting, I would like to know more about this.

That said, it makes sense to me though....
Rims, generally speaking are likely engineered around the idea of installing a tire (and sealant or a tube) and filling it with air. Structural integrity is developed based upon standard abuse and application, IE shots to the rim walls, etc, not the structure in between. If these products are applying force in a way that wasn't anticipated by the rim designers, I can see this being an issue. Makes me wonder, how long before wheel manufacturers modify the design accordingly, or issue a statement saying that use of inserts may void warranty?

 I have often wondered about that with cushcore! Seems like the new huck norris DH version would be best. Impact still goes to only the normal spot

 I've been pondering something similar to this. It hurts my head to work out how the load actually gets transferred from the floor through the tyre into the rim, as the side wall is sort of rigid and sort of flexible (you could ride for a bit on just an inner tube) but also rigid when inflated. I expect that for a normal tyre the load is spread across a fairly large area. But when you run an insert and low pressure there are effectively lots of more local impacts as the insert takes the load. Is there an increased risk of low cycle fatigue? Does that outweigh the benefits from rim protection for one-off rock strikes?

 Don't support weak tires. Not worth it.

 @mxben13: I am with you on that, but obviously it depends on your use. I'd make sure to run something hefty if I was taking the lift up to whistler, but on my local trails the schwalbe nobby nic tires with snakeskin work great on all of my bikes, both the prior evo line and the newer addix versions. I run them currently just standard tubeless with no issues... but they are definitely not as solid as my e13s on my other bike... in any case, I would use this product for some applications on my full suspension bikes if the reviews show that it works. Somehow the additional weight of 130g per wheel doesn't seem like too much, where cushcore's additional weight of more than double that seems like too much to lug around even if it does work.

 Yeah, it's great to see tire inserts at a halfway decent price - at least compared to the prices of the competition. It is foam after all.

 You can easily cut a section out and glue it together.

 I'd also purchase a 26" version if it was made available. Tons of people still running 26" that would be interested in this. I bought 26" cushcore this year for my park bike.

 that does not happen -you wont get it out in the first place. i had 2 punctures with cushcore each time i just rode home on the insert, the tire even survived

 Well we don't flat mostly. I carry a tubeless repair kit which fixes sidewall holes so if something goes through the tyre and the sealant won't stop the leak that works 99% of the time, and I don't even need to take the tyre off, if I do it quickly I only loose a small amount of air to top up.
Worse case if I absolutely destroyed the tyre I would roll home without air slowly as the foam is protecting my rim.

 Just put it in a green doggy crap bag and leave it by the side of the trail for someone else to deal with like the dipshts who do that. Or be cool and bandolier it.

 Yes you pull this out and stuff it in a bag. I had to do this trialside when my procore valve was gone.

 @acali: I like the idea of hanging a slimey insert off me only slightly more than Poo bags. :-}

 @Serpentras: Shoulda got cushcore

 @gnarnaimo: it looks even more painful to mount and dismount then procore if I need to change the tire what is often. That's why I don't run with any Inserts at all again. I also don't believe something can absorb more then procore.

 I just put Cushscore in last week and had my first ride last night. The main benefit, besides flat protection, is how the insert damps the trail. Even running pretty high pressure around 29 psi, the rear tire just felt better and seemed to dampen baby head sized rocks. I run a 2.5 Exo aggressor and after one ride, I’m impressed with the improved ride quality. I assume it will decrease the number of flats as well.

 Agree that in general side wall stiffness should increase but wouldn't the reduced volume affect small bump too much in the same way low profile tyres on cars are harsh ?

 @kiksy: is right

 It's called a DH tire mate ... For the same "not dinging my rims" properties I have to ride 0.4 PSI higher with a non DH casing, This goes with much less grip than what the DH casing is giving as casing rebound makes a massive difference in grip, higher pressure and thinner walls defo gives very fast rebound speeds that no foam can fix.

 @Balgaroth: that rebound argument is actually not true. i hate fast rebounding tires -racing dh i always liked the maxxis slow reezay or the slow rebound intense tires, anyways. if you look at the rimstrike vid at the cushcore page, you can see that the foam has a massive impact on rebound speed and calming vibrations. physically the foam acts a bit like a damper it absorbs energy hence the rebounding force is much less. you can feel the difference on the trail, deflection and tirebouncing is drastically reduced

 @WAKIdesigns: I run a Cushcore in the rear of my bike and disagree with most of your points. I would recommend trying one out for yourself. I do however think that the fact a Cushcore is stretched tightly around the rim is key. I wouldn't buy this loose insert. There is more "stability" at lower pressures mostly because of the massive reduction in air volume. I run mine only a tad softer than I would otherwise, right around 30psi. Im sold on mine to ensure I can finish a race stage on a rear flat and not destroy my wheel. The feel is a bonus.

 @WAKIdesigns: I think you miss understood. My reply was to @andylund comment about general tyre design. Nothing to do with inserts.

 @WAKIdesigns: your keeping the testosterone high in the male population on pinkbike is a god send!
www.google.com/amp/s/www.nationalreview.com/2016/08/male-physical-decline-masculinity-threatened/amp
Keep up the waki comments my friend!

 @MX298: I don’t know how I keep testosterone high by commenting, I am sure I am more likely to raise cortisol which lowers restosterone... but I do prescribe everyone Barbell medicine. Stop pussy talking to sexy yoga teacher, stop working on your mobility with runners using functional movements, nothing stretches your hamstrings better than squats in fhive sets of fhiiiiiive! Round off with romanian deadlifts. Kill the arm pump!

 @WAKIdesigns: Or you can just climb which gives you coordination, overall body-tension, super strong and resilients grip strengh. Then hit the gym for the legs and here you are, ready to be as slow as before (sure skills are 95% of the speed on the way down, who gives a crap about going up ?).

 It’s just a squishy copy of the flat tyre defender which offers no rim protection?

 Yes . "Great comment "because the racers know what's going on.

 @dhrideruk: I dont think so.
Maybe you do not really konw how PTN works ? Three WorldChampion titles in one year and many many national titles are not enough. But be sure we can do even better with new PTN RokkLine product soon .

 How does it prevent tires from sealing?

 @WAKIdesigns: it’s closed cell foam so it won’t absorb sealant thus you don’t need to add more.

 @dhrideruk: closed cell or not, I’d still use more sealant than regular tubeless setup because some of it will stick to the insert and some will stay behind it. For instance Procore sucks in sealant almost as well as Pinkbike negpropping squad sucks my balls.

 People please - 'affects', not 'impacts' as used above.

 Carry the sealant with you in small bottle and put it in when you need it.

Also can coat these inserts with NeverWet to keep the sealant from coating/sticking to the inserts.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZrjXSsfxMQ

 @dhrideruk: It still adds more surface area for sealant to grab onto, thus making you need more sealant.

 @iamamodel: People use impact because they don't know when to use affect vs effect.

 @jayacheess: The insert reduces the total air volume within the tire, so the tire will run flat more quickly then w/out an insert. there is not enough air volume to get the puncture to clot completely before the tire runs flat. The other issue is that riders want to run even lower pressures with inserts than without so we are talking about substantially reducing the total air volume... this results in a complete flat in a much shorter amount of time = not enough air volume to clot a puncture.

Would be interesting to test total air volume required to completely clot/seal a puncture with the top tubeless sealants such as Orange Seal and Stans then compare to what air volumes you have with the leading inserts.

 @N0R415CAL: Oh, good. I just started running inserts in my rear tire. I've found that my tire punctures (non-pinch flat related ones) are *usually* severe enough that stan's alone isn't enough. I'll have to pop a tire plug in and then air it up with a co2 cartridge. Also, I've only really dropped my tire PSI few points, so it's not that big a difference in that category, either.

So yeah, for me this isn't really an issue.

 DH casing gives much harsher ride, so it really depends where you ride. I typically ride on natural trails consisting mostly of rocks and roots and using an EXO vs DH makes a VERY noticeable difference (at least on an enduro bike, I guess that things get different on a DH monster with coil suspension).

 @lkubica: Thing is I have both (DH and Enduro rigs) and I ride Onza DHC casing up front on both, Onza EDC casing at the back on the enduro. The stiffer DH casing allows me to ride lower pressures (much lower) than any exo style casing I ever used while offering great sidewall support, damping and grip. With high pressure and thin wall the tire rebound is very fast making for a terrible grip, lowering the pressure was making the tires burp all over the place and squirm which I hate. I have a hard time thinking that throwing a pool noodle in a paper thin tire will give the the riding attributes of a DH casing while saving 300g. Rocks are not sharp where I ride and my tracks are mostly rocky (sandstone), roots and loam so sidewall slash are not an issue.

 @lkubica: I find the complete opposite. The revelation of DH casings for me was more profound than any head angle or other stuff everyone talks about. I still don’t know why nobody (besides @Balgaroth) ever talks about it. To me they are far and away better than everything else.

 I ve raced dh for more than a decade and must say, that a maxxis exo with cushcore has better damping abilities than a maxxis dh tubeless.it also rolls way faster, as the insert does not create noticeable drag. rimstrike protection is actually better with the dh tire but you pay the price of a somewhat harsh tire at low speeds. around here i have to cover about 40km to link the cool trails, i do not want to do this with draggy dh tires. on the other side -coming from dh- i hate the feeling of singleply tires so inserts are a good solution. so it depends massively on terrain and rider -as with most bikeparts

 @optimumnotmaximum: that’s great to hear. I haven’t heard many direct comparisons on the feel of DH vs a single ply and insert. Everyone talks about the protection etc but not about the ride characteristics. I’d love to ditch the dh casings, they’re a bastard to climb with and not ideal when I hit the dirt jumps but didn’t wanna give up the damp ride and stability of the things. Have to say I have exactly the same feelings as @Balgaroth, scepticism. Even my terrain sounds the same.
Now I may have to try but d’you think these Nukeproof inserts will offer a similar ride to Cushcore?

 @iqbal-achieve: i dont know but i tried insulation and poolnoodle first -to make sure i am not dumping money in something i do not like. even the insulation had a similar effect as cushcore, actually i liked the feel even more ( it broke after 35 km into my tour and created drag because of the foam sitting very high in the rim, though). considering this, i would speculate that the ridequalities should be compareable. i also like price, weight and shape of that thing, for that kind of money you cant go wrong. (cushcore is a massive pain to work with, at least with my rim/tire combination)

 @Balgaroth: Maybe the difference is in brand, I ride Maxxis and of course tried lowering pressure but still It was bouncing like crazy compared to EXO.

 @optimumnotmaximum: interesting, thanks. I’ll have to try it sooner or later.

 @lkubica: Before riding on Onza I used Maxxis for years, DH casing, TR and EXO, the EXO and TR up front forced me to run something like 1.8psi up front while 1.5/6 in the DH casing offer much better properties in my opinion. Onza DH casing is slightly stiffer than Maxxis which is one I'm rougly 0.1bar lower for the same result. As for the rear I do run a EDC casing (equivalent to DD Maxxis) as I don't mind as much to have bouncy tires, with 2.0 bars they pedal correctly and have good grip.

@optimumnotmaximum exactly the same back-ground than you, I tried single ply casing 4/5 years back before foam inserts and that was not my cup of tea. Considering that your front tire has very little effect on up-hill efficiency and massive impact on the way down I'm not willing to sacrifice that. On the other hand I could run a EXO at 3.0 bars at the back and be reasonably happy, on my enduro bike anyway. I find DD type casings are a good comprimise.

Another topic not many people talk about is the fact that often it's hard to find some good rubber on light tires. Personnaly I don't ride anything harder than 45a up front and no piece of foam will transform hard rubber into sticky rubber.

 Well dude... These look like fuckin pool noodles though..

 You mean that these look like Circus Peanuts candy?

 @cmcrawfo: the shape has been engineered plus they are denser than a pool noodle, same material but different. Better analogy: that's like saying bars are just aluminum cans

 @cmcrawfo: I highly doubt these will break down like pool noodle foam. I have actually tried using plumbing insulation (similar foam to pool noodles) just for the heck of it. The foam breaks down and compresses very quickly.

 @cmcrawfo: tried plumbing insulation and poolnoodle -that stuff works for 1 ride then its done -definitely not the same material.

 My wife recently needed some foam tubing for her car's crossbars to cushion her stand up paddle board. There were different types of pipe insulation available ranging from pool noodle consistency to a denser, spongier foam like tire inserts use. Comparing the materials used for these to pool noodles is just wrong. That said, I still won't be adding this level of complication and cost to any of my bikes. Maybe I just don't ride as hard as I used to, but it seems like more than is necessary over and above tubeless and EXOish casing tires. I ride in VERY rocky New England and still don't seem to have any issues with flats since simply going tubeless on all bikes. I suppose I'll be posting back later this evening about how I smashed my rim, tore through my sidewall, and had to hike two miles back to the car now that I've completely jinxed myself.

 The valves are still underneath the ARD but have a grove cut in the top, instead of the conventional hole. This allows the air to escape from the side of the top of the valve instead of the top alone.

 They pass through as the air pressure apparently is supposed to push the foam into the rim.

 I bought 26" cushcore this year and would buy this too, for my other bike.

 I use your (red) product here in the USA and like it very much. Curious if it will hold up under Enduro riding. Kind of hard to get them, had to order from the Netherlands, also English mounting instructions would be nice.

 @SunsPSD: Thank you!! We try to make a better English manual asap .About the red one that's the ultra-light Race line very popular by Racers. 3 World Champion titles in one year. In a few weeks we will start production of an additional product PTN Rokkline . These noodles are different, new material and size. The new material is a little bit heavier but much stronger and high performance damping characteristic

www.facebook.com/PTNPepisTireNoodle/photos/p.497472927404793/497472927404793/?type=3&theater

www.facebook.com/PTNPepisTireNoodle

 @pepibsc: I look forward to trying the new version out. Where/ when can I buy it?

 @SunsPSD: We should get the basic material within November and then the assemble of PTN RokkLine will start. The first PTNs should be in store by beginning of December. THANKs a lot for your interest. We will check out the best way how you can get them in USA .
cheers PEPI

 Garunteed there are some of the same people bitching about trends and gimmicks, while also praising tire inserts. And it’s ok. Because tire inserts are not a gimmick. They solve a problem that many people have, and they do a good job at solving that problem. Are they the future solution? Probably not - but they are a solution for right now.

Do I get more benefit/value out of a tire insert than boost spacing? Heck yes. Than 35mm handle bars? Heck yes. Than carbon wheels? Heck yes. Than a carbon frame? Heck yes. Than 12sp vs 11sp? Heck yes.

I think you get the idea I’m putting down.

 @ciszewski: agreed, hands down best upgrade I have made. Allows me to ride harder and faster with more confidence that if I slam into a rock it will normally be no problem. The change in feel of the traction is an even better benefit. Changed the ride of my bike better than any other component

 I went from constantly denying rims and burping to never burping or denting because of cushcore. It has literally saved me hundreds if not thousands and kept me riding without issue since I started using cushcore.
Note: Still destroyed two rims with Huck Norris, they don't work so well.

 @aushred: +1 to this, inserts make a huge difference to how the bike rides and how hard you can push it.

 @gnarnaimo: yep. Mousse tubes are proven in offroad motorcycle racing. inserts are the biggest jump in MTB for me since droppers

 @ciszewski: I get the idea.... you´re one of the people who buy this tat.

Save your cash. You´ll need it for the next fad.

 Exo + inserts is 100% the way to go

 9x3=27

?

 One of the big names right there.

 Send me some!

 so ruining a ride and walking out and the time spent replacing a rim is of no value to you?

 @tcmtnbikr: you can kill a rim with only one ride? Man you are a real beast

 Almost every rim is $100+ retail

 If only.......

 EPE is not the same as EVA foam. EPE is no where near as dense and has pretty poor elastic deformation so won't really protect your rim. I had a look into making my own inserts because all the alternatives were so expensive. Turns out a similar density EVA foam (compared to cushcore) is very expensive- almost the same price as a set a cushcores! It's great Nukeproof have managed to work direct with an EVA manufacturer to get the price down.

 I was looking though all the media to see if he has been and cant see anything to indicate so. You would think if he was involved they would be raving about it in their media releases to get people on board. Kellan Grant has been running them in EWS though.

 You mean Sammy Hagar, right?

mbaction.com/photo-of-the-day-throwback-thursday-sammy-hagar-1989

 Is Sammy a friend of Randy?

 @aer0: I know blenki runs procore. boooooo.

 On a 26"

 @DarrellW:

and probably on Garry Fisher AL1...

 I agree...

 Plus size riders are looking for more than foam noodles to survive.

 Yeah but have you tried pool noodle with sealants/tubeless? Not ideal. 50 seems like its getting closer to reasonable yet there's still going to be hacks and bodges no matter what price point innovation has. Try running a dh tube and sealant, two valve rim, tube holds 10-15psi, tubeless system for the rest, it's kinda ok-ish

 @TrailworksNZ: Have been using pool noodles for almost a year now, makes a big difference to how the bike rides, they weigh less than these inserts even with sealant and you can cut them to whatever size.

 $50 for some inserts that's just some ignorant bitch shit!

 Half the price of similar alternatives - got my attention.

 It's just ridiculous. Thing is they know people will pay that. I would rather risk getting a flat than pay that price for a bit if foam.

 @Matt76: in my favourite pub beer is too expensive im gonna drink out of the toilet -tricked

 @dirtbeard:

GBP buddy, not a USD....

 @Matt76:

We call this: f*ck in the as without vazeline...

 Cost is in the tooling and new to market trendy bollocks whatever.. give it a few years they will be $2.50