Does anyone know if there are inserts for 35mm cx tyres? I’ve seen them mentioned, but don’t seem to be able to find them. Thanks!
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Update after a week of vacation and riding on the inserts. Golden and Revelstoke BC. Golden is mix of hard pack dirt and small but not super sharp rocks, and Revelstoke is loamy but with tons of roots and some rocks (both are amazing places to ride, if you are interested).
Tested out riding at 16 psi and 15 psi. No tire issues (other than that the Racing Ralph is now worn out and needs to be replaced). The grip for climbing technical singletrack is amazing. I had no issues even at 15 psi. I don’t think I will go any lower, and depending on the course and conditions would choose either 15 or 16. I think a rowdy descent with rocks and/or big g-outs would demand the higher pressure.
I will weigh the insert when I take it out to change the tire - we’ll see how much sealant it absorbed.
I’m sold on the benefits.
https://tubolight.bike
Looks like there is an off-the-shelf CX option now.
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Great, another thing to think about buying. 17g for the cx size seems ridiculously light.
Have you found any that are distributed in the USA besides CushCore which are sold out or back ordered and weigh a ton.
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So what happens when you get a side wall tear or some other puncture that is not responding to sealant/dynaplugs during a marathon? Normally, I would throw in an inner tube but what happens when you are using an insert?
You’re going to have to pull the insert and shove it in to the back-inside of your jersey and put a tube in. I would probably fold it into an hourglass shape and stuff it inside my jersey on my back and then toss it when I came around for another lap. Not too many great options because they are more bulky than a tube so you can’t roll it up and stick it in a pocket.
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Yes, that is what I would do too. Or leave it at an aid station if you know you will get it back. No way would I put a tube in there with the insert.
Based on the adoption at the pro level, I think you will see North American distribution soon (maybe next year).
I made another insert this afternoon for my wife - adds about 5min to the process of changing out a tire. I did without the zip ties this time and will see if just duct tape holds up. I’m also thinking I may not do the front tire in future. You’re getting down to pressures where rollover is possible and would have bad consequences. I love the grip, but if it disappears…
Someone who uses inserts should use that quarq smart tire gauge and see what it says on recommended tire pressures
Kate Courtney’s mechanic mentioned using one last weekend on the xc race in the rear tire. Maybe let their secret out but this makes sense since we have seen Nino use them
@Jonathan mentioned in the latest podcast he is going to be putting inserts in for his racing next year. He WILL geek out with all the sealent stuff and probably even quark the pressure.
Checking back in at the end of the season:
I flatted my rear Racing Ralph last week - cut casing between knobs in the tread. The tire was extremely worn, and I had thought about changing it out weeks earlier. It wasn’t a catastrophic rock / rim strike, was “just riding along”. I don’t think I’m blaming the insert or low pressure. The tire is now in the garbage.
With the tire change, I pulled out the homemade insert and weighed it to see if it’s picking up sealant. There was still ample liquid sealant in the tire, but there was some of the solids “growing” where the zip ties punctured the duct tape. I think the zip ties punctured the tape because I rode it out flat for the last 1km of a ride (in a thunderstorm).
The insert was 56g when I put it in. Coming out, it was 74g “wet”, and then I wiped it off with a shop towel and it was 67g. So I think the fears of the inserts soaking up all of the sealant are a bit overblown.
I put the same insert back in, but I removed the zip ties and just used new duct tape.
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Anyone find a place that sells the xc versions of these in the USA besides huck Norris and cushcore?
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Competitive cyclist has the Vittoria one, and also Cush core XC.
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My friend had a scary moment last week riding just behind me on a road bike, we have been going through a tight corner at around 60km/h when his rear inner tube exploded. He made a miracoulos save, but it got me thinking - tubeless that I use would have been no help in this case, he got a big slash, so the same immediate air lost and bang you are an unstable rim. I don´t want to ride tubulars, so - if you eventualy could fit something like Pepi´s Noodles inside a tubeless tire + sealant - would that work and save you in such moments?
@Jonathan mentioned he is thinking about getting them on the road - did someone actualy tried it? My problem is that my inner rim width is 21mm and the smallest Noodles are specced at 23-32mm. So I am affraid if this could eventualy fit and be really safe and beneficial…
Any thoughs?
Rode my tire inserts for the first time this weekend. I ride exclusively XC, technical climbs, lots of rocky terrain, but nothing resembling enduro/DH roughness.
Almost all of the reviews and comments I have seen are regarding “rim protection and pinch flat protection,” but I think there is much more to running the inserts than that. They change the entire dynamic of the tire, which is why some of the inserts are better than others. Inserts that only provide pinch-flat protection are missing the picture. Cushcore sells their product as “tire suspension,” and I think they are spot-on. Much improved sidewall stiffness, improved rolling resistance over bumpy terrain, and improved traction over technical climbs are all aspects of running good inserts that people might overlook.
Protecting from broken rims and massive gashes are some benefits for DH guys, but for XC I think the benefits are of a different nature.
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I believe tubeless tires are not as prone to catastrophic blowouts as tubes - assuming the tires are on the right rims and inflated to right pressure - and in particular not too high a pressure.
If I were you I’d stick with tubeless. Noodle inserts would offer further protection, but you may have to wait for a few years for narrow ones to be launched.
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Just size the correct size of closed cell foam backer rod and try it out. With a road tire it is going to be a lot easier to source it locally due to the smaller size. I’m sure you can find it at your local hardware store and make a set for like $10 bucks.
I’m planning to make sets for my tubeless cyclocross set up when we start racing again to try it out. I really think on the CX bike this could be be bees knees to run lower pressure, better sidewall support, cheaper tires, easier to fix flats, protect rims, etc. I’m done screwing with tubulars, they just aren’t worth it.
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100% agree! Inserts are so good I find myself telling my non cyclist friends about them! 
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If he had an inner tube blowout and a “big slash,” it is likely that the sidewall gash was a consequence of the blowout and not the cause. When inner tubes blow out in high stress situations (such as hard braking on a descent at 60 km/h), the tire sidewall suddenly finds itself pinched between the rim and roadway, which can lead to big sidewall gashes.
Tubeless tires are made stronger than their inner tubes counterparts. I do not in anyway claim to have scientific backing for this, but my observation has been that dangerous “blowouts” along the lines of the one you described are less frequent on tubeless tires/wheels due to the frequency of flats being so much lower.