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CushCore...yes or no?


TheX

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Ok. First ride with cush core is completed and the verdict is in....I have no freaking idea if it made any difference. Problem is in addition to the cush core install, I also threw on a set of tires I have never used before. Went with the tried and true Minion DHF 2.5/DHRII 2.4 combo. I was previously running a Schwalbe Nobbie Nic 2.6 front and rear. Quick aside...NN makes an awesome rear tire from cradle to grave. NN is a decent front tire when new and a below average front tire with a 1,000 miles on the clock. The DHF/DHRII set up has grip for days. Also lowered both the front and rear pressure down to 16PSI halfway in the ride. Very little tire slip on 1/4 in places i typically loose traction. Not sure whether to attribute that to the minions or the lower pressure afforded by cush core.

Anyways, I bought cush core not to improve the performance of the ride but to protect my poor wheel set against rim strikes...which I have done many a time. See pic for the carnage. I have a total of 5 dings on the rear rim and 1 ding on the front rim. All have been straightened out using a crescent wrench. I am amazed this wheel set is still holding air and has not imploded on me. 

rim.jpg

Edited by WLemke
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23 hours ago, Barry said:

First world problems. But I'll be damned if this isn't the single most frustrating thing in cycling. I'll check, and double check, and still 1 of 10 times, I install the tire in the wrong direction.

If you're running Maxxis, the white writing goes on the drivetrain side (not the disc brake side) makes it pretty easy. but yes, when installing my conti road tires, it take me like 20 minutes to get the direction correct. although there is probably a similar easy cheat on those. i just don't install them often enough to know.

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Yeah, every tire has the model name on the drive side, my guess is that bike pics are almost always drive side. A few brands do both sides so in those cases look for the direction indicator. But 95% of the time just make sure the model name is opposite the rotors and you are fine. 

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41 minutes ago, Barry said:

I never have trouble identifying the direction it's supposed to go. The branding, sure. But also the ramps and the arrows. It's the implementation that's the problem. 

Exactly. I'll find the arrows, remember "stickers away from the disc," whatever it takes to know which way they go. Hold the tire up to the rim, pretend like it's rolling down the trail, etc. Mount the tire, and then realize the next day that I still managed to out it on backwards.

There's obviously a failure point in the process somewhere in there, but despite my efforts I still have no idea where it is 😄

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37 minutes ago, schoolie said:

Exactly. I'll find the arrows, remember "stickers away from the disc," whatever it takes to know which way they go. Hold the tire up to the rim, pretend like it's rolling down the trail, etc. Mount the tire, and then realize the next day that I still managed to out it on backwards.

There's obviously a failure point in the process somewhere in there, but despite my efforts I still have no idea where it is 😄

If you start to pedal and the bike rolls backwards, you will know they are def on backwards!

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8 hours ago, Chief said:

I've gotten really good at dismounting tires that already have sealant in them and remounting without spilling any due to me mounting the tire backwards🤣🤷‍♂️

The 'been there done that' is strong  with this post.

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Just installed a set of 27.5+ Cushcore in 40 minutes including taking wheels and breaking tires down. Not sure if I watched the right videos to get it done or doing it with tires that have about 60 miles on them made it easier, but that was a piece of cake. 
 

Plan to run about 15-16 in rear and 11-12 in the front to start. If I don’t dip into the bourbon tonight may test them out first thing in the morning 

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14 hours ago, AustinBike said:

So tell us how he morning test goes. 

Okay so I skipped the bourbon because it was a Tuesday. 
 

Full disclosure here. I installed the Cushcore on new wheels with 36mm internal width, that weigh a total of 300 grams lighter than my previous wheelset. The Cushcore came in a total of 580 grams, so my net weight gain is only about 280 grams. Since I changed 2 variables here between the Cushcore and the wheels, I can’t attribute everything to the Cushcore, but man what a treat this setup is.

I like to run low pressures as most of us do, especially in the front. However I have always fought the issue of tires burping in corners which makes me be a bit reserved after the first time I almost eat shit every ride. 

I started the ride at 12f and 16r and ended the ride at 11f and 14r. Amazing and nothing noticeably different on the road or path than my previous 14f 18r standard tubeless. 

The biggest things I noticed, I am absolutely able to rail corners with zero hesitation with this. It’s amazing. Per strava I beat my pr on PP by 50 seconds and honestly I was only giving it ~80%. The first time I broke 17minutes I went there to do PP at 100% and was thrilled. I’ll probably break into the low 15min if I give it 100% with this setup soon. TBD. 

Vibrations are muted to nothing. I tend to catch myself hanging on for dear life with a death grip and get terrible arm pump. Even when I did catch myself doing that this morning there was zero arm pump to speak of. On this a bit more, hard impacts are muted to not really exist anymore. It’s just absorbed and makes for a much better riding experience. 

Traction is increased dramatically. Obviously by default of running lower pressures and a wider rim I have more tire on the ground. This makes for a huge difference. I was able to claw my way up everything that I’m usually 50/50 on. On this a bit more, with all this new traction roots are never even second guessed about anymore. I will charge a 15-20degree to the side root no problem and trust that the Cushcore with the big tire and wide rim will grab and hold no matter what. 

Overall I have to give it a 10/10 and I’m not one for gimmicky things. All that said I haven’t even discussed the fact that it can save your wheels and help prevent flats. Some people may buy these for those benefits alone, but I’m more impressed with the benefits I listed above. 

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20 minutes ago, Bart said:

What did you end up paying for the whole setup?

A pair of 27.5+ Cushcore inserts with valve stems using discount code  HTparty20cush at checkout got them shipped to my door in 4 days for $126.65. 

Edited by bestbike85
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24 minutes ago, RedRider3141 said:

I know I'm in the minority but, reading these threads really doesn't make me want to give up inner tubes. Then again, I don't race and I'm lucky if I ride single track more than once a week. 

inner tubes are even more prone to pinching and punctures than tubeless, that's the whole point. if I rode tubes, I would have to stop multiple times every ride to fix them. I'd rather just not ride at all if that was the option. tubeless means I get a real problem once or twice a year. rim protector inserts should reduce that even more. I don't race or ride more than 2-3 times a week either.

Edited by mack_turtle
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1 minute ago, mack_turtle said:

inner tubes are even more prone to pinching and punctures than tubeless with inserts

I'm not arguing that this isn't true for you but I'm after 3+ years of Austin trail rides and 2 bikes I've used 5 tubes total. I carry everything with me to change a tube on the trail but I've never had to. Yet. I'm not saying I won't ever. 

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Red- You need to start buying stocks in anything and everything. tell me what you buy so I can do the same and get richer than my wildest dreams, because that is the luckiest tire track record I have ever heard. grab me a few lotto tickets while you're at it. I'll pay ya back and we can buy some yachts just for the helluvit.

Edited by mack_turtle
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The first two years I lived here not a single flat on the trails. Then 4/5 rides got a flat, switched to tubeless! In the 4 years since one puncture requiring a plug, and two burped tires requiring some extra air. 

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  • 6 months later...

Revival

Tore the lugs off my maxxis griffin and decided to mix thing up a bit. Pulled the DHF off the front and installed a v2 hans dampf with the new rock razor super trail in the back along with a vittoria tire insert. The new rock razor carcass and lugs are way beefier than before but with a 200 gram weight penalty. When I contacted schwalbe they said I wouldn't need an insert as the new carcass was so stable, so who knows what made the most difference. All i can say is this bike used to ping all over the place in the past but the tire/insert calmed down a notoriously harsh carbon wheel. Vittoria for the win again.

 

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IMG_20201130_131401956.jpg

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Edited by ATXZJ
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ATXJZ, thanks for the review.  With Santa bringing some new carbon hoops, I am super interested in the Vittoria airliner.  From what little I have found about them them seem like a better fit for me than crush core.  

 

super interested how you feel after significant miles on them or if anyone has put a lot of miles on them and has a strong opinion either way on the Airliners.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Put a few more rides on the airliner on the XC rig, and so far so good. Without a doubt it made the bike way less harsh in the back, enough so the fork now feels rough. Certainly worth $60 and 150 grams. The only thing i wish id done different was getting some multi-directional valvestems as the liner can cover up the standard valve making inflating/deflating difficult.

 

Gonna buy a pair and replace the ones on both bikes.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/nukeproof-universal-presta-tubeless-valves-pair-/rp-prod191137

https://www.fanatikbike.com/products/peatys-mk2-tubeless-valves-60mm?variant=32739375677486&gclid=Cj0KCQiAw_H-BRD-ARIsALQE_2MgEKSFKiOJTNNFJVvqdtdij3Q_aHu_bYiiLYUHVjHfq06bW1PrJR0aAtWyEALw_wcB

https://www.jensonusa.com/Cush-Core-Valve-Set-6

 

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