My unprofessional review of Cushcore

Cassinonorth

Well-Known Member
So how many tire levers did you guys sacrifice to the cushcore gods?

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68nova200

Well-Known Member
None. I only used it once at the very end. Make sure the far side of the tire is as deep as possible into the middle of the rim. And lube is your friend.
 

JPark

Well-Known Member
Waiting for a review of these: https://tannusamerica.com/pages/tannus-armour-tubeless .
Supposedly lighter, cheaper and easier to install.
I've had the Tannus installed for a couple weeks now. They do what they're advertised to do and I definitely ride better with them.
It's like combining the benefits of an underinflated tire with the benefits of an overinflated tire. I have not used Cushcore so I don't know how they compare.
One nice feature is you don't need an air compressor to inflate it. The pressure the inserts put on the sidewalls seat the bead very easily.
 

one piece crank

Well-Known Member
Insert users - are you running the same PSI, or lower than your before-Insert PSI?

What is your normal Trail PSI, and how low can you go without running on the rim (if the INsert even allows that)? I'm envisioning Observed-Trials-like PSI without rim contact.
 

Ryan.P

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Insert users - are you running the same PSI, or lower than your before-Insert PSI?

What is your normal Trail PSI, and how low can you go without running on the rim (if the INsert even allows that)? I'm envisioning Observed-Trials-like PSI without rim contact.
You can def drop a few psi without rim strikes but i prefer to run the same . For my 155 pounds my go to psi is 21f 25r , I know thats higher than most but it suites my style of rock bashing . I've safely rode a couple miles out of wildcat with a flat rear tire without any rim damage .
 

bergsnj

Well-Known Member
i ride 21~22 front, 25~27 rear. Handles rock smashing very well. No need to second guess coming in really fast into a rock garden or off a drop onto rocks.
 

Cassinonorth

Well-Known Member
If you had to put that much leverage on the tire levers I'd give it a good spin and make sure the tire casing didn't get over streched and develope a wobble .

Rolling true now, rode Hartshorne this morning. After I stopped hitting my head against the wall and was smart about the process it wasn't so bad.

Not one. I use the same Pedros lever you have there. Just had to remove mine to switch it to a different wheel and had no problems. You have to make sure the bead is in the center channel and use soapy water.

Yeah I wasn't "scooping" the insert and getting the bead into the center like a normal tubeless install. Once I did that and did some soapy water it went on relatively easy.

Still not even close to as difficult as putting Continental GP5k's on Reynolds tubeless rims.
 

02camaro

Well-Known Member
Insert users - are you running the same PSI, or lower than your before-Insert PSI?

What is your normal Trail PSI, and how low can you go without running on the rim (if the INsert even allows that)? I'm envisioning Observed-Trials-like PSI without rim contact.
more actually.... im going faster now with even more recklessness. still felt some rim pings and even cracked a carbon wheel with 28psi front and 32psi rear and cush core. granted i only use inserts at bike parks. i weigh 180lbs.

i would start with the same and experiment, maybe 2-3 less will make a pretty large difference.
 

dmc123

Active Member
Pulled the trigger on Cushcore and installed them last night. I'm no bike mechanic but am pretty proficient with tubeless. That said, these things were quite a pain in the ass to install. I wouldn't recommend them for anyone not confident in their tire changing abilities. I even bought the special Cushcore tool. I couldn't imagine just using a regular tire lever. I'm kind of worried about having to remove the tire on the trail if I were to have a major puncture. Actually practiced removing the tire and it was very tough. Probably took me 2 hours altogether with the install and practice.
Haven't done any real rides on them yet but I have a bunch of trails in my back yard with plenty of rocks, jumps and berms. So far, I think these will be awesome on the trails. I can really feel how much they deaden the square hits and make the tires feel like monster truck tires over rock gardens. Before Cushcore I typically would run very soft tire pressures at 13 and 14 psi even in rocky terrain (I weigh 150 lbs). I dropped them to 9 psi tonight and they felt great. Smashed into a 12" square edge and it ate it no problem. Did not feel any tire roll around corners and berms. I'll probably will run them around 11 for my first ride. Hope that the weight won't be noticeable but loving the performance so far. As for cost, they are expensive for what they are, but cheap for what they do...
 
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Andypowerful

Well-Known Member
I installed Vittoria’s version called Air-liners. I heard they are a little easier to install and lighter than cushcore. It was still tough. I found if you place your rim on the top of a garbage can and use much hand strength. I had tacky rubber gloves that helped me get the last part of the bead on. As far as the ride, I love them. I run a lower pressure and don’t feel any rim bash or tire roll. No burps.
 

phillychris498

Well-Known Member
Got a pair of tannus inserts because of this thread. Should I wait to install until I put new tires on? Or does it not matter if I put them in with my current tires?
 

JPark

Well-Known Member
Got a pair of tannus inserts because of this thread. Should I wait to install until I put new tires on? Or does it not matter if I put them in with my current tires?
I put mine on existing tires.
The installation isn't too bad so it's not a big deal switching them to your next set.
Be sure that the notches on the side of the insert line up with your valve. There can be inflation/deflation issues if not.
 

jShort

2018 Fantasy Football Toilet Bowl Lead Technician
Team MTBNJ Halter's
The Tubolight Evo looks interesting. I may try this one if I can find a US distributor. Especially since they also offer gravel and road versions.

I’ve read a few reviews of these and they’re all good.
I’m holding out some hope that Stans will make some.
 

dmc123

Active Member
I have 2 good rides on the Cushcores now. Today's ride was on very rocky terrain and they performed beautifully. Ran 11 PSI front and rear. I really felt how well they absorbed the smaller hits in the jagged rock gardens at Moosic. Traction on these were great even on the wet leaves and snow we encountered. They feel very planted even in the most challenging rock gardens. Didn't feel like I pinballed off the rocks as much, the tires tracked over everything. My arms were so much less tired than they were the other times I've ridden there.
Also rode Stephens the other day. There the performance was also good but I felt the weight penalty a little more on the longer climbs and punchy grunts. They make up for it in the tough stuff. Overall, they seem to be a great upgrade that I would recommend to anyone not racing XC. It feels similar in benefit to upgrading from tubes to tubeless.
 

a.s.

Mr. Chainring
Installed Cush Core today on a set of wheels with Maxxis DHF and DHR II Double Down tires. The install was a breeze (even with my bad wrists). This was achieved using a few good pointers and a kick ass tire lever.

I haven’t used this bad boy in years. Gotta love Pedros!

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For anyone who plans to install Cush Core inserts, here’s a few pointers to help make it easy.
  1. If using new tires, install them onto your rims (without cushcore or sealant) and set the bead. Inflate the tires to 30-40psi and let sit for a day or two. This will stretch the new tires, making install with the inserts much easier. Depending on your rim/tire connection, you may need to re-inflate a few times. Mine held air overnight.

  2. Tire lever ... a long sturdy lever with a nice big handle will make this so much easier.

  3. Soapy water in a spray bottle is probably the most important tool for this job

  4. Put on some music and take your time. Each tire took me ~35 mins.
Watch the install video.
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After you’ve gotten the valve on and the insert around the rim, spray lots of soapy water under the insert, all the way around the rim - on both sides.

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LUBE it up real good because the tire will need to slide in there, down towards the rim channel.

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Spray the inside of the tire too and install it onto the wheel. Line up your logo with the valve (that’s an OCD thing :)). Also make sure the thread direction is correct.

Now you’ll have to mount one side of the tire onto the rim. Pull it on with your hands a little at a time. Don’t worry about pushing it down into the channel yet, just get it onto the rim.

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When it gets real tight and you can’t get any more tire onto the rim STOP. Now take your lever and push the tire that’s on the rim down into the rim channel. Work your way around slowly and really get it in there. Stuff that sucker deep into the channel then grab the tire with your hands and get more onto the rim. Again, when it gets real tight and you can’t get any more tire onto the rim with your hand -stop. Grab the lever and stuff the tire some more. Go all the way around pushing it into the channel.

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Repeat this process until the last little bit of tire is almost on the rim then use the lever to (somewhat) easily pop the final bead onto the rim. If you need to apply a lot of pressure and really jack the thing onto the rim then you haven’t pushed enough of the tire down into the center channel. Repeat the process.

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It’s exactly the same procedure on the other side.
  • Work it on with your hands
  • Use the lever to press the tire down into the center channel
  • Pull more tire onto the rim with your hands
  • Go around with the lever again
It took me three times around, stuffing the tire then using my hands, to get the whole thing on.

Lastly, don’t forget to remove the valve core and add sealant.

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I hope this helps someone out there who’s looking to install the Cush Core. I can’t wait to try these wheels out at Mountain Creek this summer!

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