The foam mat is located in the casing between the rim flange and the tread. If a blow punctures the tyre, Huck Norris nestles around the angular rim flange and softens the impact. In practice, the system is effective, but of course not infinitely durable. We were able to reduce the air pressure even with more unstable tyres without having to back off in rough terrain. If you take the game to extremes, however, even Huck Norris runs out of arguments. A test in the BIKE lab will show exactly how much the puncture protection increases. In contrast to Schwalbe's Procore system, Huck Norris does not ensure that the tyre remains securely on the rim at low air pressure, and the plastic rings are also powerless against attacks on the tyre sidewalls. The sidewalls of the foam are open-pored and absorb some sealant. According to the manufacturer, however, no more than five per cent.
We rode the setup with slightly more sealant as recommended and did not notice any noticeable shrinkage during the test period. A pleasant side effect of Huck Norris is already apparent during installation: the pad presses the tyre sideways into the rim bed and makes tubeless installation extremely easy. The damping rings are available in different widths (depending on the rim width), they fit 29 inch tyres as supplied and can easily be shortened to 27.5 inch tyres.
PLUS Significantly easier tubeless mounting, simple and universal application, good puncture protection
MINUS Relatively expensive, more rotating mass - therefore somewhat slower acceleration.
Weight 80 grams (29 inch)
Price 79 Euro
Info www.bike-components.de
Unlimited puncture protection in tyres is the dream of many bikers. Huck Norris' approach is so simple that many just smile at it. But the foam rings definitely deserve a chance. (Florentin Vesenbeckh, BIKE test editor)
Florentin Vesenbeckh
Editor CvD
