I'll just start this right off by saying the Tannus Armour Tire Inserts are awesome! I am so impressed! Let's check out the tests!
Blackberry Test
Near my house is a 160 acre wooded area that is in the process of being converted to an official park. Like most everyone else near me, we have biked and hiked it for years. The area shown in the photo was impassible with blackberry bushes. Recently, it was mowed, so I rode through the blackberry remains. And I mean, all over that field.
Sidehill and Hill Climb, Packed Dirt
In this area, the dirt is well packed from a bulldozer. Because Tannus recommends lowering tire pressure by 5 PSI when using their inserts, I thought it would be a good test for traction. But...
I decided to lower my tire pressures 10 PSI lower, instead of the recommended 5 PSI because I had a tubeless setup on the bike and am familiar with the lower pressures a tubeless tire affords.
After riding up and down and across at varying angles, I am happy to report that traction is excellent! I had no issues riding the hill.
The lower pressure is very noticeable as impacts with rocks, tree roots, etc., don't jolt through my body as much as with the higher pressures I had to use with the traditional innertube setup.
Hill Climb, Soft Dirt
Now this was a favorite area to play! The dirt is soft and the hill is steep, so it tested my ability to climb it, partly due to the largest gear causing constant wheelies with the bike. It is very hard to control in that gear.
With my original "pre-Tannus" setup, I really struggled to make it to the top. With the Tannus, I still struggled but I made it way more often than not. Tannus allows me to lower the tire pressure, which made a noticeable difference in traction. Plus, knowing the tire would handle rocks, stickers, etc. without popping meant I could keep going, without stopping to walk over the trouble areas. Awesome.
Rolling Bumps
These are just fun. The tallest bump is maybe three feet high. The area is designed for beginners and intermediate riders, but it is a really fun spot. It was great for landing hard on the inserts to see what would happen. Nothing. Just a nice, soft landing on tires with lower pressure.
Thorns!
Here is a closeup of one of the larger thorns I removed from my tires after the Blackberry test. It measured about 3/16" in length and width.
Lots of Thorns!
Here are several of the thorns I removed from both tires. The longest thorn is a little over 1/4" in length. No issues. Note that I did not find any thorns on the sidewalls, despite my leaning efforts in the blackberry field.
Unexpected Bonus
Here's what impressed me most. I have to say, I never thought about this beforehand. I rode with so much more confidence. Once I saw the blackberries, sharp rocks, or even some of the broken fencing weren't going to pop my tires, I found I was riding places I used to avoid. Before the inserts, there were times that I would actually walk the bike hazardous-looking objects, just to avoid causing a flat. With the inserts, I stormed up hills and into areas with a feeling of, "yes, I can make it here."
Even more exciting, was this discovery. The handling of my bicycle changed, but in an unexpected way. Before the tire inserts, when I shifted into my top gear, I could barely keep the tire on the ground. Every pedal stroke equated to a tiny wheelie, making tracking difficult at best. The tire insert in the front tire added just enough extra weight that the tire (for the most part) stayed on the ground when I pedaled up a steep hill in the top gear.
And if that isn't enough...
My bike has 26" wheels. I have read reviews from 2009 that mention how squirrely the bike is. I agree. The front wheel is very quick to change direction. It's a snappy, quick ride that keeps me on my toes, so to speak. The slight additional weight from the insert in the front tire smoothed out the handling, making it a little less squirrely. The tire inserts actually improved the handling of my bike. Amazing!
Final Thoughts
I am 100% sold on the Tannus Armour Tire Inserts. They improved the handling of my bike, they improved the puncture resistance, and they mimic the tubeless setup I had. I recommend these for everyone!
But... the installation is not as easy as simply installing an innertube. It took quite a bit of effort, but effort that is well worth it. Tannus has very helpful videos on their website, if you need help installing. Their customer service is some of the best around.
One final note: The inserts add a little weight. I noticed it, but in my case, it made the bike perform better. The bike handles like a sightly heavier bike, but that's a trade well worth the time, cost, and effort to use the inserts.
Tannus-- https://tannusamerica.com/
Of all the crazy things, my chain broke! I was pedaling pretty hard going practically straight up a hill, when pedaling got really easy, really fast! Fortunately, I just had to push the bike a little ways to ride down the trails, to the car. Yay! I got one more run in, which was great. I guess the tire inserts are tougher than my chain!
Chain broke during uphill climb