so, positives are a slight lighter weight system, more compliant tire for better grip, and better rim protection CushCore is made from closed cell foam that's been molded into sort of a T-shape, with the narrower portion sitting in the rim bed, and the upper part extending over the sidewall. CushCore doesn't just bill their system as something to protect against flats – they call it an 'Inner Tire Suspension System', claiming that the insert acts as a damper, with the air in the tire above the insert acting as the spring. That's supposed to lead to better traction, cornering, as well as a smoother ride in rough terrain. Does it work? That's what I wanted to find out.

CushCore transforms your tubeless tyre into a suspension system with a tune-able air spring and foam damper. Suspension should be supple on small bumps but firm on the big hits. CushCore responds differently depending on the As for it being lighter a Double Down or Super gravity tyre is approx 200g heavier than a trail tyre and a DH tyre is 200g further so whichever tyre you usually run one step up in tyre is only 200g vs 290 for cushcore.CushCores patented profile applies constant pressure on the tyre sidewalls. This provides protection and stability even at low tyre pressures. Tubeless tires have won-out against their tubed counterparts in mountain biking but that doesn’t mean that it’s the perfect system. Not only is it vulnerable to the possibility of burping the air out of the tire at high load or while cornering, it also needs to be a system that keeps damage and destruction at bay while withstanding a whole variety of different forces and abrasions. The Rimpact’s performance could be summed up in one sentence - the harder you push it the more it gives you. What I would term the corn flour effect where the harder you hit it the more it firms up is very apparent. Corner Harder - 35% more sidewall stability eliminates tyre squirm and burping, even at low tyre pressure. Rail corners with total confidence.

tyre load and scenario. The more the tyre flexes, the more damping it provides. Technology Go Bigger The way it dealt with compressions left a little to be desired. It feels more like a last defense rather than a full system. I don’t think the MegaNorris is something to be run with sub-20psi or for somebody who is happy to rely on the insert to do the heavy lifting duties for the tire. The MegaNorris feels like you ride it as a normal tire, with normal pressure and it will provide added protection and stability. The original full-performance version. CushCore PRO allows you to push the limits of your tyres and suspension to new levels. The best choice for the majority of wheels terrain and riders. Nice overview, but a handful of runs isn't really going to allow you to go into the details of the pressures allowed and puncture resistance of each insert.

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CushCore's patented profile applies constant pressure on the tyre sidewalls. This provides protection and stability even at low tyre pressures. OK so I got Cushcore 2 days ago, firstly the original valves are soft and the rubber heads are too narrow, I was getting leakage via the valve, upon tightening they actually pulled through my valve hole, maybe im heavy handed. lol A proprietary closed-cell, polyolefin foam controls compression and rebound forces. Its lightweight, ultra Cycle Centre Congleton Limited 2021. Cyclestore is a trading name of Cycle Centre Congleton Limited. All Rights Reserved Company No. 05107467 | VAT No: 593 733 507

Vittoria does make a larger and a smaller version of this insert to suit your needs. I think the Medium was great for my style of riding but if you wanted something a little more volumous or slender then there are options. This does give the option of mixing and matching to suit your needs. The larger size is almost a run-flat system and the smaller size is something I've used previously to give me one last layer of rim protection. A proprietary closed-cell, polyolefin foam controls compression and rebound forces. Its lightweight, ultra durable and impervious to sealant.

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If this is the future, rims need to be made for optimal mating of the tire and insert in the rim. As it stands now, inserts make installation really difficult, add a lot of weight and provide a limited improvement in terms of puncture resistance, tire support etc. I have run Tubeless with super gravity tyres (saving further weight over DH tyres) on my DH bike for years and cant remember my last puncture, even after weeks in the alps and races at Fort william. admittedly i am only 70kg, bit more with kit, but this is probably why i can get away with things more.

Many riders prefer to run 1-5 psi less tyre pressure with CushCore. The ideal pressure depends largely on your starting point - your normal air pressure with standard tubeless. Riders who already run low pressures (for example, 20 front and 23 rear) have less room to adjust than riders who normally run 30 or 35 psi. Excessively low tyre pressures increase the risk of flats or wheel damage. We encourage you to experiment and find your own preferred setting. Start at your normal tyre pressure, then drop in 1 psi increments until you find the sweet spot for your riding conditions. To reward the effort of fitting them, CushCore inserts allow for lower tire pressures, thus increasing grip while also protecting your rims and tires, and they work! You’ll still notice when you hit the rim, though the consequences are greatly reduced. Our tester Peter only had two punctures in total. On one occasion, the tire got slashed and, on the other, an impact beyond what the CushCore can fend off had bent the rim so badly that it could no longer seal with the tire. Even then, Peter was still able to roll home quite relaxed thanks to the inserts. The tire remains stable even when deflated and the foam insert protects the rim from further damage when rolling. Burping your tires becomes much harder. We didn’t manage to rip a single tire off the rim with the CushCore inserts installed. During the 24 months that Peter used these rims with the CushCore inserts installed, competing at EWS races and the Squamish enduro race, among others, he only got this one dent. He was also able to keep using the same CushCore inserts without any issues and never had to replace them. Some of the other inserts really felt as if they “turned on” as you went through the tire’s stroke. The Panzer is different in this regard. It feels neutral and there’s no place where it really feels like it switches on or times where it makes you realise “that was all insert”. There are other inserts that dominate the feel of the tire but that isn’t the case with the Panzer. There's no getting around it – installing a CushCore system can be a royal pain in the ass. A lot of that has to do with the tire / rim combination, and familiarity with the process. Once you've done one install, the next one is easier – at the very least you'll know what to expect.While i don't see harm in running this if you want i don't think the advantages are very big or outway the disadvantages. When they’re on, their impact on the tire feel is significantly less profound than with their bigger brother, the Pro. Taking up less space inside the tire and pushing against less of the tire sidewall makes them fly under the radar a touch compared with the very obvious Pro. This means there’s less support for the tire sidewall, and so as pressures decrease into the insert-demanding realm – around 22 psi in a rear tire with downhill casing for my 95kg kitted mass – a bit of squirm can begin to creep in on hard corners and off-camber compressions. Don’t get me wrong, it’s significantly better than without an insert fitted, but there’s certainly not the same level of support as the bigger brother. Similarly, at nearly half the weight, their impact on the acceleration of the wheel is also much less, though on-par with most of the other insert options on the market.