GENERAL Q&A
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We all are aren’t we? Well at least we want to be and all Gnarly products are designed to help you become your best out on the trail. High quality products that are designed to enhance your riding experience and become better mountain bikers. Whether it’s hitting the tails with mates on the weekend, or you are battling for podiums, Gnarly will help you get there. Get Gnarly…Be Gnarly!
GNARLY RIM PROTECTORS
Mountain biking is all about getting out in the wild, pushing your limits and having a bloody good time! Out on the trail you come across all kinds of obstacles, some natural, some put there by trail builders, all designed to test your skills.
Tubeless tyres let you run lower pressures increasing tyre performance and grip. The hazard of running lower pressures is that your rims are more susceptible to impacts from sharp edges like rocks and tree roots. Gnarly rim portectors gives your rims the extra protection that they need. They are also designed to provide additional sidewall support to prevent tyre squirm, burping and also improve suspension performance.
While you are having all this ‘Gnarly’ fun, your rims can cop a beating. Gnarly inserts protect your rim and whatever you hit as well as helping support the structure of the tyre that improves handling and control on the bike so you can get out there and have a Gnarly time!
Gnarly inserts provide the addition rim protection you need
Just like your bikes suspension, Gnarly inserts absorb trail vibration and impacts, which gives you more control and reduces fatigue. The mechanics are completely different but the result is the same. The EPE system has progressive dampening, which means the harder the impact (the more the insert is compressed), the more
they absorb.
Gnarly inserts also reduce tyre squirm. They do this by creating friction at the contact interface (the point where the tyre touches the ground) countering lateral forces. The benefit of this system is two fold, it improves grip when
cornering hard and riding off camber and helps prolong the life of your tyres.
Absolutely! When you hit those nasty rocks and roots, you will feel the Gnarly Rim Protectors working, but along with the protection, the Gnarly system has been designed to improve three critical elements that effect the way your bike rides and handles; improved suspension, lower rotational mass and more traction.
Dollar for dollar, Gnarly rim protectors are the lighest, most effective and the easiest to fit tyre insert on the market. Gnarly rim protectors are the only tyre insert to tick all of the boxes without any of the disadvantages.
Awesome rim protection
Dampening effect
Reduces Tyre Roll
Improved Suspension
Lower rotational mass
Improved tyre performance
Super Easy DIY Install
Aussie Engineered
Compatible with all wheel sizes
Yes, Gnarly Rim Protectors are compatible with any tubeless mountain bike tyre setup. They come in three sizes depending on the size of your tyres and they will fit any mountain bike wheel diameter. You can even fit them to junior sizes like 20 and 24 and old school 26 inch wheels
They are light,
Gnarly Grey for 2.0-2.2 inch tyres weighs 84g
Gnarly Blue for 2.3-2.5 inch tyres weighs 92g
Gnarly Black for 2.6-3.0 inch tyres weighs 116g
These are for 29 inch wheels so they are even lighter for 27.5!
Absolutely! Your front wheel needs protection too!! But gnarly inserts are more than just rim protection, it’s also about improving how your bike rides and handles. You will also benefit from improved handling and control as the Gnarly inserts also improve tyre squirm and provide additional dampening benefits.
No. The Gnarly Rim Protectors become part of your tubeless system, so they aren’t designed to be used with tubes. Tubeless has become the accepted set up now for mountain biking so if you haven’t tried it, give it a go! It’s not as scary as you might think, and you will be amazed at the difference it will make to your riding.
That’s easy, we have made the Gnarly Rim Protectors in three sizes depending on the width of your tyre. For 2.0-2.2 inch tyres choose the Gnarly Grey, for 2.3-2.5 tyres then the Gnarly Blue is for you, while for those running larger 2.6-3.0 tyres, the Gnarly Black is what you need. It doesn’t matter what the wheel diameter is, you can trim the insert to fit 29 or 27.5 and even smaller sizes too!!
Yep, they sure do! Just check what tyre sizes you are using and match the Gnarly insert to fit,
Gnarly’s will work with ANY mountain bike tubeless tyre. Tyre choice varies between riding conditions, riding styles and personal preference, so it doesn’t matter what brand or model you use, use the tyre size as a guide to which Gnarly will suit you.
Great question! During our testing we found the insert can rest against the hole in the valve making pumping up the tyre, or letting some air out a little tricky. The Gnarly High Flow Valve supplied with your insert has some extra side portholes to allow the air to flow around the insert making the job a lot easier!
Have been engineered to sit taller in the rim bed, moving the air flow ports further away from sealant build up. We have also made the ports larger so they are less likely to be clogged by sealant and allow air to flow freely. If its Gnarly, it works.
You bet they are! We think anyone can do it and requires no specialist equipment. If you can fit a tyre, you can fit Gnarly Tubeless Inserts. All you need is a sharp knife, sealant, and I always have a couple or plastic tyre levers on standby just in case. It’s a one beer job (or favourite non-alcoholic beverage if you are not of legal drinking age!) so no need to invite mates over to figure out how to fit them, instead you will be meeting them at the trail in no time!
Check out the install video here, if Ronnie and Johnny can do it, so can you!
Nope, once you have measures and cut them, you fit them as per the instructions and you are ready to hit the train! Check out the install video here
Any! What ever your favourite sealant is, go your hardest! We have used a number of brands during testing and have seen equal results across any brand. The closed cell foam used in Gnarly Rim Protectors won’t absorb sealant.
Just a little more than normal. There is a bit more surface area now to cover with the insert so we recommend adding an extra 50% on top of what you would normally use. So if you normally put 100ml in, then use 150ml with the Gnarly installed.
Tyre pressures are dependant on rider weight, the terrain, the type and size of tyre, the bike you ride and many, many other factors.
Firstly, I definitely recommend getting a digital pressure gauge that are very accurate (shows 0.1psi) and also quite inexpensive (mine was about $40).
If you are already using lower pressures, ride a few trails that have a good mix of terrain, drop it down a bit, maybe 0.5psi, then ride the same trails again. Repeat this until you find the right balance between grip in the corners, no too much squirm in the tyres, support over rocks and tree roots and how they feel. You could even time your runs and use that as a guide.
If you are dropping to low pressures for the first time, start at around 25-26psi and follow this process until you find the right balance of speed, grip and control without too much tyre squirm.
Bonus tip: Don’t just run the same pressure that your mate does! We are all different in the way that we ride, equipment choice, personal preference. There is also a good chance they haven’t gone through any process of working out their own pressure, so they may not be getting the best out of their setup anyway!
The Gnarly Rim Protectors are not a run flat system. Riding for extended periods with a flat tyre will result in damage to the insert, your tyre and your rim.
We recommend every time you are fitting a new tyre, you wipe of any sealant build up and inspect the insert. If there are nicks and cuts in the insert it has done its job and its time for a new one. Give it a pat on the pack for a job well done, and replace it with a new one. Also check the new tyre size to make sure it is compatible with the size guide of your insert.
At Gnarly, we never take the easy trail. For our products to work perfectly we choose the right materials that can be engineered seamlessly into our Gnarly designs, nothing is left to chance. Gnarly Inserts are manufactured from a specially formulated and engineered closed cell EPE foam system. The better part of two years R&D and real world testing went into the design; some things just can’t be rushed.
Our high density EPE inserts are both incredibly durable and extremely light weight, they absorb impacts effortlessly and are impervious to sealant. Gnarly.
It all comes down to how you ride your bike. If your Gnarly rim protectors are doing there job they will wear out. We recommend every time you are fitting a new tyre, you wipe of any sealant build up and inspect the insert. If there are nicks and cuts in the insert it has done its job and its time for a new one. Give it a pat on the pack for a job well done, and replace it with a new one.
Yes, the closed cell foam used to make Gnarly inserts is a non-toxic, environmentally friendly material that can be recycled.
GNARLY HIGH FLOW VALVES
With or without inserts, Gnarly high flow valves work better! During testing we found the insert can rest against the hole in a traditional tubeless valve making pumping up the tyre, or letting some air out a little tricky. The Gnarly High Flow Valve supplied with your insert have been engineered with some extra side portholes to allow the air to flow around the insert making the job a lot easier!
Have been designed to sit taller in the rim bed, moving the airflow ports further away from sealant build up. We have also made the ports larger so they are less likely to be clogged by sealant and allow air to flow freely. If it’s Gnarly, it works.
During testing we found the insert can rest against the hole in a traditional tubeless valve making inflation and deflation a little tricky. The Gnarly High Flow Valve supplied with your insert has some additional side portholes to allow the air to flow around the insert making the job a lot easier!
Yes you sure can! The Gnarly High Flow valves will work as normal tubeless valves for any bike.
Ah, yes the cap! A great way to add sealant to your tyre is by injecting it through the valve and to do that you need to remove the valve core. Normally you get a small tool to be able to remove the core that is very easy to lose. The Gnarly valve comes with the tool as part of the valve cap so you will never lose it again!!
Absolutely, The Gnarly High Flow Valve will work with any tubeless ready rim.
You can use any sealant. We have used several brands and found them to work great. The only exception is some of the ‘race’ type sealants that are not suitable for injection through any valve.
The Gnarly High Flow Valves work with any tubeless rim tape.
Yes you can. The valve core is removable with the special tool built into the valve cap allowing you to use some of the injection systems available. However some ‘Race’ type sealants cannot be injected through any valve.
Its is possible that sealant will build up in the valve but with the Gnarly High Flow Valves large holes and with more of them, this shouldn’t affect the workings of the valve too much. The valve core is removable so if you find it does clog up a bit (sealant is designed to plug holes remember) you can get an old spoke, small screwdriver or similar and clear the sealant from the valve.
The Gnarly Tubeless High Flow Valves are 44mm long, long enough to fit any mountain bike rim, but not too long to look weird.