REVIEWS DEALS BIKESHOPS TRAILS

Tire inserts for ride comfort (reduced arm pump) ?

2568 Views 29 Replies 15 Participants Last post by dllawson819, Jan 18, 2022

dantae

Discussion Starter · Jan 16, 2022

Hi,
I live in an area where the trails are really rocky with constant square edged hits. This results in me suffering a lot from arm pump. On many rides I have to slow down to give my arms a break. I have tried a whole bunch of things over the years, from improving my technique to buying various pieces of equipment (Ergon GA3 grips helped a lot). Revgrips and OneUp carbon bars were a total waste of money for me, unfortunately. I even ended up buying a Fox 36 with a Grip 2 damper, which helped me go much faster as it eats up the bumps but I was getting so much more arm pump with it (may be because I was taking the hits much faster)

Last year I rode a bike with Rimpact inserts for a single ride and I felt it helped with my arm pump. I was hoping to get some insights here. Was it me just imagining things or others have noticed increased comfort with tire inserts.

I am trying to decide between (open to any other ones too):

Rimpact (not Rimpact Pro as I have read that they are not as comfortable although they do perform better)
Cushcore Pro
Tannus Armour

With my singular goal of reducing arm pump, please share some insights / recommendations if you have some experience with inserts.

1 - 20 of 30 Posts

idividebyzero

· #2 · Jan 16, 2022 (Edited)

It wont help at all. Forearm workouts and more travel help the most, maybe try to point the brake levers more down/up.

Just a week of working out the forearms will get noticeable results for arm pump. Just dont waste time with those squeeze things, go straight to youtube and lookup forearm routines that use weights.

dan l

· #3 · Jan 16, 2022

When I was nursing a broken wrist, switching to a coil spring helped a lot.

Reactions: 1

cookieMonster

· #4 · Jan 16, 2022

dan l said:
When I was nursing a broken wrist, switching to a coil spring helped a lot.

This. Air forks have come a long way in the last decade, but they have a long way to go still before they can match the high-frequency/small bump performance.

I have a decade-old Fox 36 Van that puts even the highest-end air fork to shame. On a local trail that nearly puts my hands to sleep on my air fork due to braking bumps all the way down, the coil 36 absorbs EVERYTHING. It’s as if the trail were polished smooth. It handles huge hits like a champ as well…

Anyhow, maybe get inserts, but that isn’t going to help arm pump like a coil fork will.

There are several other avenues to pursue.

How are your brakes? If you even have to think about using a second finger they are not powerful enough. I use Saints with a 220 rotor up front and a 203 in the back. Very little effort is required.

Also, here’s a tip I learned from Yoann Barelli and Remy Metaillier: Try angling your brake levers up; closer to level. This puts your hands closer to parallel to your arms, especially when going down steep terrain. This opens more blood flow to your hands as well.

Consider a 31.8mm bar if you’re running a 35 right now. 35mm bars were an “upgrade” that was never needed. 31.8 bars are plenty burly and don’t break, yet have more compliance.

Lastly, do some regular workouts that pump up your forearms. You can make a good one by taking a 1-1.5” wooden rod, attach a rope to it, and about a 10 pound weight at the other end of the rope. Roll it up and down both underhand and overhand. Repeat until you get a light burn/pump in your forearms.

I am a rock climber and go about 3x a week during the winter and that totally eliminates arm pump for me, without having to do anything else.

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Reactions: 1

julianw

· #5 · Jan 16, 2022

Maybe a tire with thicker casing might dampen some of the vibration? I agree with the 35 vs 31.8 bars. I tried my friend's bike with 35mm race face bars and my hands hurt afterwards compared to my 31.8, and mine is a hardtail. I'm 160 lbs, he's 200 so the increased stiffness is better for him.

Nat

· #6 · Jan 16, 2022

How's your braking situation? If I get arm pump it's from having to squeeze the brakes too hard for too long.

Reactions: 1

dan l

· #7 · Jan 17, 2022

OP, I know you mentioned working on your riding to alleviate arm pump. In my amateur opinion, this is something you progress at and will never master. I have gravitated towards riding through my feet as bikes become longer and you sit in them more. This helps out immensely. When descending try to maintain a light grip on the bars. Try to pay attention to this while relaxing the whole body. Pay attention to your jaw, I see people clenching at the jaw, which is a clue to how hard they are gripping the bars. Easier said than done, which is why you will progress and never master.

jeremy3220

· #8 · Jan 17, 2022

Inserts can help take the edge off the impacts. It's not going to solve all your problems but there's no denying it will help.

The rub: Riders who corner really aggressively won't get as much benefit because they won't be able to lower their tire pressure the full 3-5 psi Cushcore claims. If you set your pressure based primarily on rim strikes then Cushcore or Rimpact will probably be a good option. If you set your pressure based on preventing the tire from folding (not just feeling squirmy) in corners then I'd recommend trying a DD or DH type casing first. I think this type of rider gains more from having a tire that's more supportive in the tread area than just running a thinner casing tire at low pressure with an insert. Then if the heavier casing isn't enough add an insert to it. This should really damp the impacts at high speeds.

Reactions: 1

dantae

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 17, 2022

idividebyzero said:
It wont help at all. Forearm workouts and more travel help the most, maybe try to point the brake levers more down/up.

Just a week of working out the forearms will get noticeable results for arm pump. Just dont waste time with those squeeze things, go straight to youtube and lookup forearm routines that use weights.

After reading many articles about this, I did point the brake levers up to make them more level and that seems to have helped. Its good that you mentioned the squeeze thingys. I was doing forearm exercises but just with the squeeze thing! Thanks for this tip, I will lookup proper forearm exercises.

slapheadmofo

· #10 · Jan 17, 2022

cookieMonster said:
This. Air forks have come a long way in the last decade, but they have a long way to go still before they can match the high-frequency/small bump performance.

I have a decade-old Fox 36 Van that puts even the highest-end air fork to shame. On a local trail that nearly puts my hands to sleep on my air fork due to braking bumps all the way down, the coil 36 absorbs EVERYTHING. It’s as if the trail were polished smooth. It handles huge hits like a champ as well…

Anyhow, maybe get inserts, but that isn’t going to help arm pump like a coil fork will.

This probably explains why I haven't yet ridden an air shock that feels all that good to me.

dantae

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jan 17, 2022

dan l said:
When I was nursing a broken wrist, switching to a coil spring helped a lot.

You got me really curious about coil springs. Every single one of the reviews I have been reading mention that they greatly reduce impacts but at the cost of added weight. Any recommendations for a coil setup. Should I go for something like a Z1 coil or the smashpot route. Unfortunately my current fork is old, 2016 Fox 34 FIT4, won't take the Smashpot. I will need to buy a newer Fox 36/Lyrik/Pike for the smashpot conversion. Thanks

dantae

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jan 17, 2022

cookieMonster said:
This. Air forks have come a long way in the last decade, but they have a long way to go still before they can match the high-frequency/small bump performance.

I have a decade-old Fox 36 Van that puts even the highest-end air fork to shame. On a local trail that nearly puts my hands to sleep on my air fork due to braking bumps all the way down, the coil 36 absorbs EVERYTHING. It’s as if the trail were polished smooth. It handles huge hits like a champ as well…

Anyhow, maybe get inserts, but that isn’t going to help arm pump like a coil fork will.

There are several other avenues to pursue.

How are your brakes? If you even have to think about using a second finger they are not powerful enough. I use Saints with a 220 rotor up front and a 203 in the back. Very little effort is required.

Also, here’s a tip I learned from Yoann Barelli and Remy Metaillier: Try angling your brake levers up; closer to level. This puts your hands closer to parallel to your arms, especially when going down steep terrain. This opens more blood flow to your hands as well.

Consider a 31.8mm bar if you’re running a 35 right now. 35mm bars were an “upgrade” that was never needed. 31.8 bars are plenty burly and don’t break, yet have more compliance.

Lastly, do some regular workouts that pump up your forearms. You can make a good one by taking a 1-1.5” wooden rod, attach a rope to it, and about a 10 pound weight at the other end of the rope. Roll it up and down both underhand and overhand. Repeat until you get a light burn/pump in your forearms.

I am a rock climber and go about 3x a week during the winter and that totally eliminates arm pump for me, without having to do anything else.

Thank you very much for a very comprehensive reply. I think it helps to explain my local terrain a bit. My home network is non stop big and small rocks and tons of roots littered all over but not a lot of vertical change, not that much use of brakes. When I go to a smoother trail network with no rocks, even with long descents, arm pump is non existent. So I am pretty sure the arm pump is due to rock hits. Currently I am running single piston SLX brakes with a 200mm rotor up front. I think getting Codes or dual piston Shimanos would help but I don't think weak brakes are my main issue. But I have noticed that arm pump is all about incremental gains so I think its worth a try.

Any recommendation on coil forks? I think this is something I must try.

I am running a 35mm bar right now but I did buy a Spank Vibrocore 31.8mm bar for the coming season, hopefully that will help.

And thanks for that forearm exercise you mentioned. I have only been using the squeeze ones but will get this roller setup going.

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2021Mach6

· #13 · Jan 17, 2022

dantae said:
Hi,
I live in an area where the trails are really rocky with constant square edged hits. This results in me suffering a lot from arm pump. On many rides I have to slow down to give my arms a break. I have tried a whole bunch of things over the years, from improving my technique to buying various pieces of equipment (Ergon GA3 grips helped a lot). Revgrips and OneUp carbon bars were a total waste of money for me, unfortunately. I even ended up buying a Fox 36 with a Grip 2 damper, which helped me go much faster as it eats up the bumps but I was getting so much more arm pump with it (may be because I was taking the hits much faster)

Last year I rode a bike with Rimpact inserts for a single ride and I felt it helped with my arm pump. I was hoping to get some insights here. Was it me just imagining things or others have noticed increased comfort with tire inserts.

I am trying to decide between (open to any other ones too):

Rimpact (not Rimpact Pro as I have read that they are not as comfortable although they do perform better)

Cushcore Pro

Tannus Armour

With my singular goal of reducing arm pump, please share some insights / recommendations if you have some experience with inserts.

I use the Ergon GE1 grips and have a 36 Grip 2 (phenomenal fork) with Renthal alloy Fatbar. Added Cushcore just to my rear, and can't say I've noticed any difference with arm pump.

Lactic acid and other toxins are what causes that pain, so staying hydrated and drinking water BEFORE you ride will help. And get your blood flowing by doing jumping jacks for a minute.

It's tough to prevent, but to minimize, a good pre-ride routine consisting of stretching, hydration and diet will probably help more than anything else.

I don't stretch as much as I should, but the water before riding really helps, and when I do stretch and get the blood flowing first, I always notice an improvement in recovery.

kustomz

· #14 · Jan 17, 2022

I invested in a pair of Tannus inserts paired with Hutchinson Griffus tires. This was to insure a bombproof setup when a long way from the trailhead since I travel and ride solo. It certainly smoothed out the ride, but the extra weight was very noticeable on climbs. After three rides, that whole setup is now tossed to the corner in favor of a pair of light/fast rolling WTB tires and a back-up tube on the frame. Honestly, I do not see how tire inserts will have any effect on forearm pump? For me, that issue was resolved with dialing in the cockpit to a very precise measure via a bike fit.

cookieMonster

· #15 · Jan 17, 2022

dantae said:
Thank you very much for a very comprehensive reply. I think it helps to explain my local terrain a bit. My home network is non stop big and small rocks and tons of roots littered all over but not a lot of vertical change, not that much use of brakes. When I go to a smoother trail network with no rocks, even with long descents, arm pump is non existent. So I am pretty sure the arm pump is due to rock hits. Currently I am running single piston SLX brakes with a 200mm rotor up front. I think getting Codes or dual piston Shimanos would help but I don't think weak brakes are my main issue. But I have noticed that arm pump is all about incremental gains so I think its worth a try.

Any recommendation on coil forks? I think this is something I must try.

I am running a 35mm bar right now but I did buy a Spank Vibrocore 31.8mm bar for the coming season, hopefully that will help.

And thanks for that forearm exercise you mentioned. I have only been using the squeeze ones but will get this roller setup going.

I’ve got two Marzocchi Z1s, the 160mm air version on my hardtail, and the 170mm coil version on my Transition Patrol. Both are pretty amazing so far — but as I’ve only had them for three weeks, I’ve only tested them on snow.

The coil version feels just like my old Fox 36 Van — pure butter. However, it feels a bit more progressive which is awesome. I haven’t even tried dialing up the compression yet, which goes from fully open to locked out and anywhere in between. I purchased the firm spring for it because I am right at the upper limit for the medium spring; however the progressive nature of the damping circuit has enabled me to keep the medium spring installed. I’ll see how that goes when the real trails open up in the summer. The roughest conditions I’ve tried it on so far are frozen footprints in the snow, which it has handled with ease. I can tell it’s going to be an amazing fork. It’s about one pound heavier than the air version, if that. Well worth the weight and all but unnoticeable on the bike. Also, you can adjust any of the coil Z1s’ travel by reconfiguring the supplied spacers on the spring side.

For what it’s worth, I’ve been very pleased with the air version as well, but again, I haven’t really put it to the test yet, as snow packed trails are pretty smooth. It is way better than the Z2 it replaced, however.

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Nat

· #16 · Jan 17, 2022

Overly thick, squishy grips can contribute to arm pump too since you have to squeeze them harder to control the bar.

Reactions: 2

jeremy3220

· #17 · Jan 17, 2022

Nat said:
Overly thick, squishy grips can contribute to arm pump too since you have to squeeze them harder to control the bar.

On the same note, having the contact point for your brake levers too far out will do the same.

Reactions: 1

slapheadmofo

· #18 · Jan 17, 2022

Nat said:
Overly thick, squishy grips can contribute to arm pump too since you have to squeeze them harder to control the bar.

Good point.
I get massive arm pump from thick grips, or padded gloves for that matter.

Reactions: 1

LMN

· #19 · Jan 17, 2022

Arm-pump is tricky and when it happens it just kill the fun.

Cause.
1. Being too stiff on the bike. The trails get rough and steep our natural tendency is to get tense and grip harder, which is opposite of what we should do and causes arm pump.
2. Fork set-up: In an air fork the most common issue is people run them too soft with too much rebound. When trails get rough and steep they get stuck deep in the travel.
3. Higher than necessary air pressure. There is no doubt that harder your tires are the harsher the ride is. A tire insert is a tool you can use to run lower air pressure is super rocky terrain.
4. T-rex arms.

Before you go out and spend money on a coil for or tire inserts make sure you can't fix your issues with your current set-up.

Where are you based?

Reactions: 1

jeremy3220

· #20 · Jan 17, 2022

LMN said:
4. T-rex arms.

I can't tell if this a joke or a reference to how some people ride.

1 - 20 of 30 Posts

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