Tubolight EVO HD Insert – Review
Let’s face it, mountain bike components are expensive and yet the very nature of mountain biking is to ride terrain that pushes those components to their stress point. So from time to time, it’s inevitable things will break and one of the most common things is rims.
Tyre inserts can be a lifesaver when it comes to protecting rims and there are now many brands offering their own version of rim protection. The Tubolight EVO HD tyre insert has been saving world cup riders’ rims for years. Did you just say “Who?” Don’t worry, we did too.
Tubolight have completley gone under our radar and we can guess they have with you, too. They are not the most marketed brand of inserts but they have created a fantastic rim protection product. But don’t take out word for it, just go and talk to the team at Trek and Commencal.
Tubolight offers four tyre insert models to choose from depending on your discipline. EVO Road, EVO Gravel, EVO SL (XC/Trail), and EVO HD (Enduro/Downhill). The EVO HD is aimed at enduro and downhill riders and will suit the more aggressive rider on harsher terrain. Click here to find out more about Tubolight’s full range.
Features
The Tubolight EVO HD insert is targeted at the Enduro and Downhill market suited for more aggressive riding and stronger casing tyres from 2.35” to 2.80”. the EVO HD model offers wider and taller dimensions and a much harder compound than the other models in the Tubolight range.
The top section of the insert that sits directly under the tyre has a large coverage area that has been designed to overlap the rim bead. The portion that sits over the rim bead has a 30% to 60% increase (depending on rim width) in coverage and features a harder compound to drastically reduce breakages from rim strikes.
The EVO HD features two air channels. An inner channel sits on the rim-facing side which is deep and narrow, whilst the other air channel sits on the outer side underneath the inner tyre, and this is much broader and shallower. These air channels act like a valve during a big impact event. On impact, the air inside the tyre is forced from the outer portion of the insert into the inner channel, causing a difference in pressure. This process equalizes the outer and inner portions which stabilize the tyre.
Due to the insert being very tight on the rim, the air gets trapped and only takes a fraction of the time to re-establish an even pressure between the outer and inner of the insert and tyre. It may sound a little complex but essentially air has to go somewhere when it’s being forced at high speeds and these channels help distribute that air evenly around the rim. This effectively maintains rolling speed and efficiency which is what we all want when bouldering down rock gardens at high speed.
The minimum inner rim width is 26mm, and the maximum overall width is 46mm. All Tubolight inserts are super-lightweight with the EVO HD coming in at around 90 grams for the 29” version. The EVO HD is the heavy-duty option in their lineup and are also suitable for e-bikes i.e. heavy bikes hitting sharp unmovable objects at high speed.
Studying how pinch flats occur and how tyre inserts interact with the tyre and the rim, Tubolight moved material right where it needs to be, over and outside of the rim bead.
We paired the insert with Tubolights valves but any decent tubeless valves will work just as well.
Installation
As we know, some inserts are just insanely difficult to install and often leave us broken and deflated. Thankfully, installing the Tubolight EVO HD Insert is a pretty simple affair and mercifully sits low on the frustration meter.
Tubolight does not recommend using the valve to fill the tyre with sealant on the first installation as the sealant will most likely remain in the inner channel and not find its way to the outer channel, where it needs to be. If like us, you ignore this advice and stubbornly charged ahead then beware as you will likely experience a slowly deflating tyre the next morning.
Although we made sure to follow the usual process of spinning the wheel and making sure the fluid was making its way around (or so we thought) as it appeared solid, it obviously wasn’t. It’s worth noting that we didn’t take the bike for a ride, it stayed in the garage overnight. The next day when we entered the garage, the tyre was down.
We jumped online to check if there were any special tricks to installing, and there actually is one to be aware of.
On the 2nd attempt, we followed Tubolights advice and kept a small section of the tyre off the rim and poured the fluid into that, old-school style. This ensured the outer section had fluid and would seal properly. This time it worked. Surprise eh? However, when it comes to topping up with fresh sealant you can use the valve from here on in as the sealant has done it’s job at this point.
Photo credit: ©Sam Clarke
On The Trails
We decided to hit our local trails which offer plenty of sharp edges and brutal rock gardens. On many occasions, we had some damn awful ring dings, the ones that you pull over to check the rim for damage, but nothing, nada, zilch. It seems Tubolightwas in its element.
We decided to only run the Tubolight on the rear as this is the true test of a tyre insert. We tested air pressures from 28psi down to 22psi without any issues. The insert has a tight fit within the tyre and this creates excellent lateral stability and reduces tyre burp. We also noted how the tyre retained its form and shape under lower pressures which gave us excellent cornering grip and stability. Depending on the terrain we played around with the pressures just to see how low we could go. We got down to 18psi and found, for us, this was the limit before things got a little sideways.
What we did notice was on the lower pressures the rolling speed and rebound were still impressive. It didn’t feel draggy or squishy like some inserts can due to their overall bulk and weight so if playful riding is your thing, then the Tubolight allows you to still throw the bike around on the trail without the sluggish feel.
As we know, reducing tyre pressures can help with technical climbing to reduce the tyre from spinning out. The EV HD insert offered plenty of stability, support and traction and a positive trail feedback rather than a sluggish mattressy feel. The ability to go low and still retain tyre shape impressed us the most when it came to climbing.
The Tubolight EVO HD is an insert that may not be as well known as some other brands on the market but in our opinion offers equal performance, if not better.
Conclusions
There are a lot of tyre inserts on the market but we feel that Tubolight is one of the simplest to install and offers the same if not more than the most expensive versions out there. At about half the price of Cushcore and ten times easier to install, the Tubolight EVO HD is real contender on the tyre insert stage.
What you get with the EVO HD is an insert that can consistently retain its shape after big impacts which offers stability and rolling speed, resulting in a very efficient insert even when the tyre goes down. It’s no wonder the Trek and Commencal teams are using Tubolight as their choice of inserts.
Price / Where to Buy
Tubolioght EVO HD tyre insert: RRP: $79.99 single
Imported by: fesports.com.au
Head on over to the Tubolight website to find out more about all the models.
