Filed by Wyatt Peterson | Tannus Tubeless Division
Prologue: Tannus HQ, Tuesday, Rainy
The rain had been coming down sideways all morning, painting grayscale streaks of water on my office windows. It was a slow day, with only the hum of the refrigerator and the clacks of my coworkers typing to keep the silence at bay.
I was nose deep in a case involving wireless brakes glitching when a mysterious figure stepped in, soaked and silent. Their hood was up, as they slammed a manila folder on my desk. No words, just a look that told me, “You need to see this”, and they were gone.
The label was scribbled in permanent marker, half-smudged but still legible: “The Death of the Tire Insert.”
I stared at it for a while. I’d heard the rumors that tire inserts were finished. But it never sat well with me. So I opened the file and slid out the contents.
A few grainy photos, a page of test data, and a note that just read, “If inserts are dead, why do the rims keep disappearing?”
It was a case, all right, and I had a feeling I was about to crack it wide open…like a rim hitting a square edge rock at 25 mph without protection.
The Suspects: Warranties and Wide Beads
First on the list was the Warranty.
She was a smooth talking dame, and knew just what to say to keep you calm. She’d promise replacements with a smile and a tracking number, made it all sound painless. But when things went sideways on a backcountry trail or mid-race when time actually mattered, she had a habit of vanishin…without a trace.
Next up on the list was Wide Beads.
He was a burly fellow, loud, confident in his story. Always bragging about tougher rims and better engineering. Said the problem was solved, and that the industry needed to move on from tire inserts.
But every time I brought up cracked rims…he dodged the question like a seasoned pro. He’d change the subject, talk faster, and found an excuse to leave before things got uncomfortable.
The more I pushed him, the less I got.
These two weren’t talkin, and they weren’t gonna give me the answers I was seeking. So I turned my attention to the victim, because a rumor like “tire inserts are dead”, doesn’t just appear out of thin air.
The Lineup: Who’s Really in the Insert Game?
I lined em’ all up, even our own. Because solving mysteries doesn’t give you the liberty to pick favorites, you only got the facts to go off of.
The Crime Scene: PSI and the Physics of Impact
I opened the lab reports, the same wheel, same drop height, same control environment.
Standard tubeless setup fails at 29 PSI. Tannus Tubeless Pro stays intact down to 18 PSI. That’s a 38% reduction in pressure before structural failure.
It’s not a flashy number, but it’s the kind that speaks volumes out on the trail. A rider running 19 psi on an Exo+ tire now has a buffer. A racer chasing traction across flint isn’t gambling with their carbon. And someone new to low-pressure setups gets the protection they didn’t realize they needed…until they do.
And here’s the kicker, Tannus Tubeless Tire Inserts even allow for riding flat. Yeah, you go flat…you can still ride that bike back to the trailhead or home, no walking needed
The Crime Scene, Revisited: What the Trail Actually Feels Like
Most riders don’t use words like “hysteresis loss” or “compression recovery.” They talk about feel, grip, and cornering. That moment when the tire holds or folds.
Tannus uses Aither for a reason. It behaves like a secondary suspension system. You keep the compliance of the tire but gain support when it counts, under load, on compression, mid-corner when things start to lean and the casing wants to roll. It doesn’t absorb sealant, it doesn’t rattle after two months of use, and it doesn’t deaden the ride like the dense stuff.
Aither foam seemed to be the key to solving this mystery once and for all. But first I needed to talk to some witnesses. Not the reddit junkies who claimed “inserts were dead” no, I needed the witnesses who have seen tire inserts saving the day.
Evidence from the Field: Unbound Gravel 2025
Laboratory data can only tell you so much. The real truth gets revealed when riders put their equipment to test in conditions that don’t care about marketing copy.
At the 2025 Unbound Gravel Grand Prix, a race infamous for sharp flint and unpredictable terrain, three of the top five finishers rode with Tannus Tubeless inserts in their tires. The athletes are as follows: Cameron Jones with 1st Place, Simon Pellaud taking 2nd Place, and Brendan Johnston coming in 5th Place.
That means elite athletes riding at race pace, pushing gear limitations, and relying on protection that goes beyond sealant and tire casing alone. These are riders who know how far they can push traction and how much punishment their wheels can take.
It isn’t luck that puts these results on the board. Its proof inserts were still very much alive.
The Witness:
Ibon Zugasti and the 65 Kilometers of Run-Flat
Sometimes, the trail gives you the truth whether you want it or not. In the 2025 Titan Desert, Ibon Zugasti suffered a blowout in a section of the course where exits don’t exist. Most riders would be on foot, pulling the plug. But Ibon had a secret in his tires, one that kept him going.
He had the Tannus Fusion Insert system, it’s a Pro insert surrounding a Lite Insert. Built for the toughest of rides.
Combined weight? 200 grams.
Benefit? A 65-kilometer flat ride, on rim, across the Sahara.
The result? He finished the stage, with his rim intact.
The Verdict: Evolved, Not Expired
Tire inserts are still alive and going strong…they just go by a single name, Tannus Tubeless Tire Inserts.
Tannus sits at the top for one reason. It works for racers, for commuters, for gravel grinders, and for e-MTB riders who treat wheelsets like brake rotors.
The insert isn’t the backup plan. It’s part of the system.
Case Closed
The clouds were finally breaking, as that evening sunlight showed through the window, casting a golden glow on a closed folder. I leaned back in my chair, satisfied with the conclusion of the case. Somewhere, another rider was probably dropping their pressure two PSI below comfort without inserts, thinking they were fine. Maybe they’ll get lucky…maybe they'll walk.
But the evidence was stacking up, tire inserts were not dead. Which leads to perhaps the biggest mystery…how do we get the world to see the truth, to see what I’ve seen and learned?
My phone buzzed, snapping me out of my worries, it was my friend texting me about hitting the trails. I quickly packed up my things, locked the door, and headed for the trails with Tannus in my wheels.
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