Tannus tubeless mtb tire insert review.

Dave Taylor

Rex kwan Do
I am writing a review of the Tannus insert(the solid one). I had a great track record of minimal flats while running Bontrager Rhythm Pro, Stans Valor and several other carbon and aluminum wheels but once I purchased my latest wheels they have been a pain in the ass. I bought Crank Brothers Synthesis XCT 11 carbon wheels that come in 25 rear and 27 from internal width.They are lifetime warranty and come with I9 Hydra hubs. Awesome right? Not. I bought them new/used(one ride on them for $1000(retail for $2300 new).The other issue I had was breaking front spokes(bladed spam spokes are dumb on an mob and I had minimal history of broken spokes).

Anywho, onto the real issue. I am not sure the reasoning but it doesn't matter if I run 2.1 or 2.4 tires I am constantly getting rim strikes and pinch flatting on the sidewalls. Same Aspens I have run for years. Well, to speed this up I decided to try an insert as I was stuck with pinch flats, too many psi or tires would roll over. On to the Tannus. I decided to try this after @jShort and I both tried the Pepi's tire noodles(absolute great feeling and absolute junk). These are stamped "2.2-2.6" on the side of them indicating tire size they can be used with.

Installation: M%^&er F*^%er! I used them with a Maxxis Rekon Race 2.4WT only on the rear. I used dish soap and 3 levers to get this thing mounted(the second time was no easier). The insert is light but fairly rigid making it near impossible to compress the sidewall enough and get the bead in the center of the rim. The design is good though and you can use standard valves and supposedly run on a flat(I believe this).

Performance: I have approximately 1000 miles on this on my Pivot Les SS hardtail and have had zero flats. I can literally bomb rock gardens and run a low pressure(21 vs my old 25 and lower may be possible). They handle awesome and give a real great feeling railing berms. I have hit some rocks really Find hard and have not been able to strike the rim.When I took the insert out briefly at about 600 miles it showed ZERO signs of wear. In my book this is a win. I raced Shenandoah and the mtb marathon nationals with it as well as the Lewmo XC race. Highly recommended if you want stability and lack of flats.

Dave
 

serviceguy

Well-Known Member
I decided to try this after @jShort and I both tried the Pepi's tire noodles(absolute great feeling and absolute junk).
I'm a little confused by this statement, if they provide an absolute great feeling why are they junk? Durability maybe? I have been eyeing them for a while but not really needing them so never pulled the trigger...
 

shrpshtr325

Infinite Source of Sarcasm
Team MTBNJ Halter's
i assume hes reviewing these


weight is 150g according to the website

which i have been running for almost 1.5 years at this point, i must say i have not had the same fight getting the tires mounted (even new) that he has, i have done hans dampf magic mary nobby nics and rekons with them in that time.

i can run down to 16psi in the rear without any problems 21 would be hard as rock
 

jShort

2018 Fantasy Football Toilet Bowl Lead Technician
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I’ve been riding these, and they’re pretty good. I changed my rear tire and the insert looks new still. Ove been running 16/F and 18/R on Rays/Ralphs. Only 60ish grams too.

 

Dave Taylor

Rex kwan Do
i assume hes reviewing these


weight is 150g according to the website

which i have been running for almost 1.5 years at this point, i must say i have not had the same fight getting the tires mounted (even new) that he has, i have done hans dampf magic mary nobby nics and rekons with them in that time.

i can run down to 16psi in the rear without any problems 21 would be hard as rock
I am 200lbs
 

Bikeworks

Well-Known Member
@Dave Taylor nice writeup. I've been using the Tannus inserts since last year, both on Schwalbe Hans Dampf 2.35 Supertrail Soft 29s. One is hooked up to a Roval Control on my HT, the other to DT Swiss EX511s on my Enduro. While I haven't had the chance to put their run-flat assertation to the test (thankfully), I will say I do find that the reduce the chatter and errant hits I have on the rough stuff.

As for install, I cannot recommend highly enough that you invest in the Cush Chore bead dropper. Using it as instructed will make your life sooooooo much better when having to mount/re-mount. Also, don't get too caught up in trying to make sure the entire insert is seated prior to using the dropper. As long as it is 2/3 or so, you can make the bead dropper do the hard part.

EDIT- I'm about 235 geared up, maybe 230 on a good day. I'm running about 24/25 out back on these, might be able to get a bit lower I think
 
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Pearl

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
I’ve been riding these, and they’re pretty good. I changed my rear tire and the insert looks new still. Ove been running 16/F and 18/R on Rays/Ralphs. Only 60ish grams too.

I know rider weight and terrain is a big difference, but for reference, what would you be running without those inserts?
 

Joe J

Well-Known Member
I’ve been riding these, and they’re pretty good. I changed my rear tire and the insert looks new still. Ove been running 16/F and 18/R on Rays/Ralphs. Only 60ish grams too.

Just ordered a set of these the other day how was the install?
 

JPark

Well-Known Member
I've been using the Tannis inserts for over a year now. I don't know how they compare to other inserts, but I like how my bike handles much better with them than without an insert.
As far riding a flat, I have had a flat with them before. I was able to slowly ride over 2 miles downhill back to the parking lot without damaging the rim and the tire bead remained seated (Maxxis Assegai tire). The ride quality when flat was definitely squirmy but it did the job.
 

Cassinonorth

Well-Known Member
I’ve been riding these, and they’re pretty good. I changed my rear tire and the insert looks new still. Ove been running 16/F and 18/R on Rays/Ralphs. Only 60ish grams too.


Ugh that shipping. If anyone wants to jump in an order with me to try these out without getting crushed by shipping shoot me a PM.
 
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