FAQs
Tannus Frequently Asked Questions
TANNUS ARMOUR
Tannus Armour is an insert that sits underneath the tire and over the tube. It offers puncture resistance, comfort, and enhanced riding capabilities.
The price is per inserts, for a set double the price on the product page.
ARMOUR SIZE | GRAMS |
20″ x 1.75-1.95″ | 190 |
20″ x 1.95-2.5″ | 220 |
24″ x 1.95-2.5″ | 270 |
26″ x 1.6-1.9″ | 260 |
26″ x 1.95-2.5″ | 300 |
26″ x 4.0-4.8″ | 500 |
27.5″ x 1.95-2.5″ | 310 |
27.5″ x 2.6-3.0″ | 330 |
29″ x 1.95-2.5″ | 320 |
29″+ x 2.6-3.0″ | 350 |
700 x 28-34c | 200 |
700 x 35-40c | 230 |
700 x 42-47c | 290 |
We recommend not running the armour in a tubeless set-up. By using a tube you get improved puncture resistance and the full benefits of a smoother ride and no-hassle that you don’t get with tubeless.
ARMOUR SIZE | RECOMMENDED TUBE SIZE |
20″ x 1.75-1.95″ | 20″ x 1.0-1.5″ |
20″ x 1.95-2.5″ | 20″ x 1.5-1.95″ |
24″ x 1.95-2.5″ | 24″ x 1.5-1.95″ |
26″ x 1.6-1.9″ | 26″ x 1.1-1.5″ |
26″ x 1.95-2.5″ | 26″ x 1.5-1.95″ |
26″ x 4.0-4.8″ | 26″ x 3.0-3.5″ |
27.5″ x 1.95-2.5″ | 27.5″ x 1.5-1.95″ |
27.5″ x 2.6-3.0″ | 27.5″ x 1.9-2.3″ |
29″ x 1.95-2.5″ | 29″ x 1.5-1.95″ |
29″+ x 2.6-3.0″ | 29″ x 1.9-2.3″ |
700 x 28-34c | 700 x 18-23c |
700 x 35-40c | 700 x 23-28c |
700 x 42-47c | 700 x 28-32c |
You can find it here, or pick them up at your local bike shop.
Tannus Armour is made of a patented material called Aither. It’s a high quality foam-like polymer that offers vibration damping, a smoother ride, and puncture resistance.
One of the great features of the Tannus Armour is that if you get a flat during the ride you can ride a few miles without hurting your rim. However, if you do get a flat please avoid rougher terrain.
The armour will compress some after it’s installed depending on the pressure of the tire. The higher the psi the more condensed the Armour will become. If you wish to keep the Armour as thick as possible then maintain a lower psi. You may also deflate your tire if you’re not going to be riding for a longer period. This allows the Armour to rebound back to its original size.
While they were designed for mountain bikes and gravel bikes, they are great for your commuter and road bikes. They will help with the puncture resistance and overall comfort.
ARMOUR SIZE | TUBE SIZE | TRIM TO FIT – If your tire is one of these sizes you’ll need to trim the Armour. |
20″ x 1.75-1.95″ | 20″ x 1.0-1.5″ | No |
20″ x 1.95-2.5″ | 20″ x 1.5-1.95″ | 20″ x 1.95-2.1″ |
20″ x 3.0-4.0″ | 20″ x 2.5-3.0″ | Trim As Needed |
24″ x 1.95-2.5″ | 24″ x 1.5-1.95″ | 24″ x 1.95-2.1″ |
26″ x 1.6-1.9″ | 26″ x 1.1-1.5″ | 26″ x 1.6-1.8″ |
26″ x 1.95-2.5″ | 26″ x 1.5-1.95″ | 26″ x 1.95-2.1″ |
26″ x 4.0-4.8″ | 26″ x 3.0-3.5″ | Trim As Needed |
27.5″ x 1.95-2.5″ | 27.5″ x 1.5-1.95″ | 27.5″ x 1.95-2.1″ |
27.5″ x 2.6-3.0″ | 27.5″ x 1.9-2.3″ | No |
29″ x 1.95-2.5″ | 29″ x 1.5-1.95″ | 29″ x 1.95-2.1″ |
29″+ x 2.6-3.0″ | 29″ x 1.9-2.3″ | No |
700 x 28-34c | 700 x 18-23c | No |
700 x 35-40c | 700 x 23-28c | No |
700 x 42-47c | 700 x 28-32c | 700 x 42-44c |
TANNUS ARMOUR TUBELESS
Airless tyres have, as they say, no air in them whatsoever. That’s great for road and commuter bikes, but mountain bikers like the ability to change their air pressure based on the kind of riding they’re doing.
They will run a “tube” system or “tubeless” system depending on the style of bike. Our Armour (tube) is built for users who prefer tubes, and helps protect the tube from all kinds of flats. For riders who run Tubeless (A system that has just the tire, some sealant, a valve and tires that are built to hold air in) the Armour Tubeless helps protect the rim from damage while smoothening out rough mountain trails.
Tannus Armour Tubeless does several things, but these are the most important:
- Help protect the rim from damage so you can ride harder and hit rocks with more confidence
- Provide a smoother, yet more playful, ride that brings the fun back into biking
- Increases speed to help win races and, more importantly, beat your friends
150g for the 27.5 and 160g for the 29. To give you an idea, a 27.5″ tube weighs about 160-190 grams, so this is lighter than most tubes even!
- Help protect the rim from damage so you can ride harder and hit rocks with more confidence
- Provide a smoother, yet more playful, ride that brings the fun back into biking
- Increases speed to help win races and, more importantly, beat your friends
There are 2 kinds of Tubeless inserts:
- Against the rim inserts
- Floating in the tire inserts
Inserts that sit tightly against your rim are great, but the insert will dissipate the force directly into the rim, leading to reports from bike shops all over the country saying that rims are breaking more often with this kind of insert than without an insert even. They will also make the ride feel “dead” and “boring” according to several riders who used to ride them. Lastly they are usually VERY difficult to install.
The downside of “floating” inserts is that they do in fact provide rim protection, but no ride quality advantages. They are adding weight to your bike, but ride just like a standard tubeless tire.
Tannus Armour Tubeless combines the ride quality benefits of an insert seated up against the rim, but with the weight and easy installation of a floating insert. This is made possible by the flexible “Wings” that allow the insert to sit higher in the tire, but still provide 20mm of rim protection.
Make sure you are using “Tubeless Specific” sealant. If you’ve made some sealant in your garage, we can’t guarantee anything, but props to you for trying. Also, don’t use any “tube” sealants IE Slime, Flat Attack etc.
4-6oz per tire is usually a good gauge.
As you compress your tire while you are riding, the tire has a rebounding property. This rebounding property ‘propels’ the bike forward. The Armour adds an extra rebounding element that adds to the propulsion of a standard tire, making for an even faster ride.
All you’ll need are tubeless specific rims and you’ll be all set! Make sure that you tape them well, a poorly taped tubeless system has more flat issues than anything else out there.
Nope! Any tubeless valve will get the job done. This is made possible by the flexible wings that create two chambers within the system. You can put the sealant in, and the holes in the insert allow the sealant to pass through without getting stuck on one side of the insert.
The Armour Tubeless inserts are MOST of the time an easy installation! Feel free to use tire levers on the inserts as they won’t damage them. Here’s a basic installation video link:
You do NOT need an air compressor most of the time with these! The Armour pushes the bead of the tire against the rim, so a “quick” floor pump usually does the trick in seating the bead! If worst comes to worst and the pump won’t do the trick, a compressor won’t hurt.
Unfortunately they cannot be used with tubes.
Individual units.
Our specialty over here is in high end foam manufacturing. With our airless tires, we spent a decade creating a material that would make a smooth ride and be fast. That material is called Aither. For the Armour Tubeless, we’ve used a similar foam material to the Aither that, according to our engineers, is something that you “don’t just cook up in a basement. This requires labs, experienced technicians, and years of research.”
They are completely re-usable! So go ahead and keep them when your old bike sells and you’re in the market for a new one!
There are several things that can cause a tubeless system to leak, and no exceptions with Armour Tubeless. Here are the main things to check:
- The rim tape – Check for holes in the tape, this is the main reason for leaking tubeless.
- Loose valve – Make sure the valve is tight and air cannot escape through the sides of the valve.
- Hole in the tire – check to make sure there are no holes in your tubeless tires. This will be evident if you hear/see air or sealant leaking out of the tire.
- Sealant has dried up – You’ll have to pull the tire off for this one, but sealant needs to be replaced in any tubeless system every 4-6 months.
We like to say that you can “finish your ride” on a flat Armour setup. This depends on what kind of a ride you are on though. You can go miles on it, but we wouldn’t recommend going too far. One thing to consider is that if you do have to ride to the bottom of a trail on a flat Armour Tubeless setup, watch to make sure the tire isn’t contacting the frame. The insert may push the tire into the frame, causing it to rub on the frame. Tannus is not liable for any frame damage as a result of riding on a flat tire.
TANNUS TYRES
Tannus Tyres are not insert. They are an actual tyre.
Keep your wheelset but you won’t need your rim strip, tube or tire. If you want to order a complete wheelset with Tannus Tyres already installed please click here.
Some of our tyres come with “Soft” options and some have “Hard” options. If the option is available for the size you’re buying, we recommend riders over 200lbs going for the “Hard” compound, riders between 120lbs & 200lbs riding the “Regular” compound, and riders below 120lbs going for the “Soft” compound. If the tyre you’re looking for doesn’t have a hardness option, don’t sweat it! The difference is most notable on the road sizes.
Unlike other solid tyres, Tannus has made technological advances that make the tyres lightweight, comfortable and durable. Most people don’t notice a difference when they switch except they don’t get flats or have to worry about psi.
Tannus Tyres are for road. If you’re looking for an off road option check out Tannus Armour.
While they can last longer they have a 5,000 mile guarantee.
Most of the tyres come in three different densities: soft, regular, and hard.
You can buy them through us but we also encourage you buying them through your local bike shop.