CushCore PRO Tire Inserts

Installation took me few minutes as I got the hang of it, I got faster at it.

I installed Cush Core on both wheels, and rode with it for a while which I will continue to do. I lowered the pressure in my suspension by 20 psi, run 4 psi less in the tyres, a lot more comfortable ride, I can smash down and up stars jump off stairs no problem, I will continue to run them in both tyres. I guess I am somewhere between 72 and 80 kg with all gear on, now I use 190psi rear 90 front, 20psi front tyre, 24 psi rear. this is set up with DRCV shock & Fox 32 EVO with no after market reducers.

Later I dropped it 1 psi more so 5 psi drop, I won’t ho lower, because this would be too much for me.

Also as I got good at installing the tyres with Cush Core, installation is not an issue, you just got to push the tyre in to get as much slack as possible, as long as you do that it will be fast, it can take some practise, and of course a good tyre lever to do so fast.

After these changes I noticed I could be much more precise at jumps, I could jump further & higher it was easier to do smooth jumps, it probably has to do with the plusher/softer suspension, making it more stable, due to dropping the pressure by 20 psi, I had to run the suspension so stiff to avoid buttom-out but, it compromised control, but with Cush Core the ride got much easier, I noticed I was faster everywhere, I could plough trough obstacles like roots stairs, with ease, but of course proper tune on the fork would also help. I roller up a lot smoother, faster up stairs it was a lot easier to get up.

But I also noticed the addition support to the sidewalls, when cornering.

I managed to get intents, marks, and on one insert even damage on the side, it looked like a animal bit it, which is of course not what happen, I am note sure what happen but maybe some sort of pinch damage, but the tyre and rim were fine. It clearly did its job well.

And offered what I wanted, which is what they promised, all claimed features work, I have noticed significant improvement in how the bike rides.

Wire bead & Narrow rim with Cush Core is a bad combo:

this was not a surprise, but I tested it anyway.

I tried to install Michelin DhH22 on the 23mm rim, it was difficult the bead did not want to get into the rim so I had to keep the tyre in tention and work it in to the rim, eventually I managed to press the tyre into the centre of the rim to get enough slack but the Michelin DhH22 tyre was a lot harder to get on and to remove, removal required two tyre levers and get the levers under the bead and get them about 10 cm or more apart and work the bead over the rim. It used a Cush Core lever and Crank Brothers Speedier lever to do it.

I think a wider rim would help, with tyre installation, especially with Cush Core installed I think this is a good idea, But that's something I haven't tested.

Works well with these tyres:

I''ve used it with Maxxis Shorty, High Roller 2 3C EXO Maxterra tyres, it was quite easy to install, but was best to use a tyre lever to push the tyre into the centre of the rim, Crank Brothers Speedier lever worked well for this, later I tried Cush Core lever, which worked well.

I later got Michelin Wild Enduro tyres, which were easier to get into the centre of the rim without any levers than the Maxxis tyres.

The reason you see the nut is such rough shape is because I use pliers to secure it, so it’s tight enough, to not rattle loose, and cause air loss, this has happen before, but it still could happen, so I regularly check it to make sure it’s snug.

Cush Core, was a must, to protect the rims from hard hits when I puncture the tyres. And I use gorilla tape now, so the tape should be quite secure if I do a good job taping it you can probably notice the valve nut is quite bare, this is due to using pliers to tighten it enough to prevent it from moving and letting air out, this could happen if riding through rock garden or through area with sticks.

Yes it protects the rim some, but it won't protect it against the most brutal impacts.

but it will protect the rim against smashing the wheel into stair case when climbing stairs.

august 2020 I managed to flat spot the rear wheel with Cush Core installed, I don't know if the pressure got too low before the impact due to air leak or if the pressure dropped during the impact but the impact was brutal, I had almost all of my body weight on the rear wheel, I landed wrong, it trying to do a Huck to flat but did a rear wheel landing right on a metal support wall, the pressure was at 16 psi when I checked it at home.

These pictures show the damage done when I landed badly with my new bike.

Flat spotted rim, what happens when you land hard with too much weight on the rear wheel instead of flat, and land on a metal support wall instead of on the grass when doing urban mtb drop in the city plaza. The rim was so much bent inwards I had to use a hammer to get it back into shame, it needed many hard whacks, but it's probably new rim.

The area of impact is bulged, also a bulge near a spoke hole.

I am not sure if pressure was at 16 psi or it went down to 16psi on impact, which I think could have happen, cus I did not notice pressure being too low when riding, but after the impact I did not ride hard, but after a while of riding after the rim started to feel horrible it hor worse, spokes got very loose, and wheel was very bumpy.

this is where I did this: flic.kr/p/2jt7CJa

After many hard whacks with an Park tool hammer.

I improved it but still there the rim was too messed up, and has to be replaced. Good I had 3 wheel sets.

My Install process:

If Cush Core is a struggle its most likely wrong method. just follow the guide they have. but actually you didn't need to use a garbage can. but here is how I do it: installing insert on the rim is easy, just put it on on one spot, and then put wheel against the ground put a hammer on the rim if you wear shoes, if in socks, then just put toes there instead, then work the insert on to the rim on both sides, do that infront of you not between you and wheel, all of this should take few seconds. to install tyre: put tyre on the floor slide the wheel in, a spot on the tyre then use your hands to get tyre on then you can lift the wheel position it how you it suits you and use hands to work rest so wheel is fully in the tyre. then align logos with valve now the hard part starts, pressing bead in the centre of rim to get enough slack, you need might need to repeat this process several times, until it's enough slack, then when it will be enough slack you can pop the rest easily using your hands, then flip wheel to do the same on the other side repeat this process, but don't pop the bead on the rim fully, leave it open to fill sealant, then rotate wheel so sealant is at a closed area, then pop the bead on. and pump to until it's seated, if you did a good job taping and you use a compressor you can get it to seat at 30 psi, but if you use a track pump you will have to pump it up to 60psi.

Valves:

I was about to start a ride once and the Cush Core was clogged, so I had to clean the valve. So I had to fix this before riding, because I could not pump the tyres up.

So CushCore had been on my radar for a while and although I have only had one pinch flat in the last 2 years I liked everything I was hearing about the product. As I was sitting and watching YouTube vid's and doing some more reading up on CushCore a video cued up with a follow up from Phil Kmetz on his experience. I was sold and pulled the tigger with out even really thinking about how much I was spending. The power of marketing!! Anyway, they are expensive and for me to spend $$$ to prevent a pinch flat would seem a little silly, but it wasn't really the pinch flat that had me dropping the $$$ for the CushCore, it was the idea of improving my ride and preventing damage to my rims. My ride is already amazing and with 170mm and 160mm I'm sitting pretty (pun intended) when it comes to damping but if the CushCore claims are true in regards to damping, lower tire pressures and rim protection then money well spent.

On to the install; the first issue I really had to struggle with was which bike to install them on, the DH rig or the Daily. Knowing I wouldn't be riding the DH for another month or two made it even more difficult but I was pretty sure that I would get the most benefit on the DH rig. I thought about installing on the Daily and then swapping to the DH when the time came but I had read enough about the installto know that was not going to happen. Although I wouldn't get to feel the awesomeness for awhile I decided the DH rig was the right choice. The install is tough, point blank, not easy but not horrible if you have the mindset that it's not going to be easy and you set aside enough time not be rushing. As I installed I played around with how I was attempting every step in the hopes that I would figure out some tricks to make it easier. I was able to come up a few little tricks beyond what I had seen in all the videos and what I had read that helped. The first install took me about an hour. I was purposely being slow and again trying different things looking for the easy buttons. So with the CushCore installed on the rear tire of the DH rig I decided my arms where just to tired to work on the front and went back to watching YouTube vids. I rewatched Phils video and in it he made a comment about only running the CushCore on the rear. Hmmmm maybe I could install the second one on the Daily and get to experience the CushCore without having to wait forever. So two days later when I had recovered mentally and physically from the install I was back at it. Installing the CushCore on the Daily only took me 20 minutes and I was again taking my time. I think the combo of the little tricks, mounting into an older tire and just knowing how much force it is going to take made it so much easier. 

The experience: Can you say NorEaster!! Thats what happened over and over again.  Most of the East Coast was hit with three NorEasters in the matter of a few weeks. We went from being a few warm days away from spring riding to full on winter conditions again.  It took another two weeks and a 400 mile trip to get to play on some dirt. Unfortunately Maryland (or at least the places I rode) are not the gnarliest of places to ride. Even with what seemed to be a lot of over groomed trails I found enough chunk to really feel the CushCore at work. I had kinda forgotten all about it until I started to hit some good rough sections and then BAM whats up with this??? My bike was reacting very differently to these sections. It was then that I realized I was feeling the CushCore working to damp out these sections. It was pretty amazing. I stopped and dropped a few PSI so that I could see how that felt. I am not dialed in enough to normally feel a few PSI and can't say that I did so I will have to do some future testing for that.

Wrap up: So although very limited I am currently very happy with my experience. I will certainly do a follow up once the trails start to be ridable again. I also will be able to share some Huck Norris info because I decided to buy a set for the front wheels of both the bikes and I should be able to provide some insight about my thoughts on both products.

Update - I have been riding the CushCore on both my Meta and Tues for a while now. Love them, love them, love them, hate them. I have been pretty lazy about tire pressure recently and I knew I was getting carried away when I got home from a day at Killington and checked my pressures. 11 PSI in the front and 8 PSI in the rear. Now I knew I was running pretty low pressures that day and I kept saying on the lift up that I have to add more air at the top. I just kept forgetting to, even when I was squirming on berms and hearing faint pings of rock strikes to my front rim (not back front where I am running Huck Norris). So if I can get past the laziness of not checking pressures there will be no hating them, until I have to change a tire, then there will be far more hate than love. At least until I am done.