Tire Trooper, the new tyre foam from downhill racer Johannes Fischbach, looks like a pool noodle. But instead of keeping the currently injured World Cup rider afloat in the paddling pool, the Tire Trooper is designed to prevent punctures and thus annoying flat tyres. It is no coincidence that Fischbach is launching such a puncture protection system. In the past, the 30-year-old from the Upper Palatinate has been repeatedly thwarted by punctures in important downhill races. However, the key experience, as the three-time German downhill champion himself says, was the puncture at the World Championships in Cairns 2017 had been. Back then, Fischbach pulled the rear tyre off the rim in a stone field while running in the top 10 and the race was over.
Serious competition for Cushcore, Procore & Co.
Downhill riders have been experimenting with foam in tyres for several years now, but it is only in the last two years or so that there have been various standard puncture protection systems on the market that can also be purchased by amateur riders. However, according to Fischbach, all systems have their weaknesses - whether a Cushcore, Schwalbe's Procore or the Mr. Wolf Banger: some are too cumbersome to fit, others do not offer sufficient protection and others have a negative effect on the tyre's damping due to a core that is too hard. That's why Fischbach has been working with friends on a new tyre foam. The orange Tire Trooper consists of an open-cell PE foam that remains relatively dimensionally stable and is compatible with tubeless milk. Fischbach spent a good six months fine-tuning the diameter of the foam ring and the hardness of the foam. The aim was to achieve the best compromise between puncture protection, emergency running properties, weight and ease of installation.
Enduro Light version with 76 grams
The Tire Trooper will be available in two versions, each from 26 to 29 inches: the downhill version with more volume weighs 103 grams per unit and is suitable for tyres from a width of 2.4 inches and rim widths of 26 millimetres. The "Enduro Light" version with only 76 grams per ring is also interesting for cross-country racers with flat tyres. It works with rim widths of 21-26 millimetres and tyres from 2.0-2.3 inches wide. Fischbach sells the Tire Trooper directly via its website www.tire-trooper.de. A set including tubeless valves and water bottle costs 79.95 euros, while the foam rings are available individually from 30 euros.
