Tannus Armour Tubeless
Tannus Armour is an insert that sits underneath the tire and over the tube. It offers puncture resistance, comfort, and enhanced riding capabilities.
Tannus Armour is made of a patented material called Aither. It’s a high quality foam-like polymer that offers vibration damping, a smoother ride, and puncture resistance.
Why get Armour Tubeless?
There are 2 kinds of Tubeless inserts:
• Against the rim inserts
• Floating in the tire inserts
Inserts that sit tightly against your rim are great, but the insert will dissipate the force directly into the rim, leading to reports from bike shops all over the country saying that rims are breaking more often with this kind of insert than without an insert even. They will also make the ride feel "dead" and "boring" according to several riders who used to ride them. Lastly they are usually VERY difficult to install.
The downside of "floating" inserts is that they do in fact provide rim protection, but no ride quality advantages. They are adding weight to your bike, but ride just like a standard tubeless tire.
Tannus Armour Tubeless combines the ride quality benefits of an insert seated up against the rim, but with the weight and easy installation of a floating insert. This is made possible by the flexible "Wings" that allow the insert to sit higher in the tire, but still provide 20mm of rim protection.
Armour Tubeless Specifications
150g for the 27.5 and 160g for the 29. To give you an idea, a 27.5" tube weighs about 160-190 grams, so this is lighter than most tubes even!
What's the purpose of the insert?
Tannus Armour Tubeless does several things, but these are the most important:
- Help protect the rim from damage so you can ride harder and hit rocks with more confidence
- Provide a smoother, yet more playful, ride that brings the fun back into biking
- Increases speed to help win races and, more importantly, beat your friends
Make sure you are using "Tubeless Specific" sealant. If you've made some sealant in your garage, we can't guarantee anything, but props to you for trying. Also, don't use any "tube" sealants IE Slime, Flat Attack etc.
You should use around 4-6oz of sealant per tire.
Tubeless Setup
All you'll need are tubeless specific rims and you'll be all set! Make sure that you tape them well, a poorly taped tubeless system has more flat issues than anything else out there.
You can use any tubeless valves. This is made possible by the flexible wings that create two chambers within the system. You can put the sealant in, and the holes in the insert allow the sealant to pass through without getting stuck on one side of the insert.
How does the Armour Tubeless makes me faster?
As you compress your tire while you are riding, the tire has a rebounding property. This rebounding property 'propels' the bike forward. The Armour adds an extra rebounding element that adds to the propulsion of a standard tire, making for an even faster ride.
Do I need an air compressor to install these?
You do NOT need an air compressor most of the time with these! The Armour pushes the bead of the tire against the rim, so a "quick" floor pump usually does the trick in seating the bead! If worst comes to worst and the pump won't do the trick, a compressor won't hurt.
Can I use the Armour Tubeless with a tube?
Unfortunately they cannot be used with tubes.
Can I reuse the Armour Tubeless or do I need a new set?
They are completely re-usable! So go ahead and keep them when your old bike sells and you're in the market for a new one!
How far can I ride flat on the Armour Tubeless?
We like to say that you can "finish your ride" on a flat Armour setup. This depends on what kind of a ride you are on though. You can go miles on it, but we wouldn't recommend going too far. One thing to consider is that if you do have to ride to the bottom of a trail on a flat Armour Tubeless setup, watch to make sure the tire isn't contacting the frame. The insert may push the tire into the frame, causing it to rub on the frame. Tannus is not liable for any frame damage as a result of riding on a flat tire.