Flow’s First Bite: Huck Norris Anti-Flat Tubeless Protection


The not-so-minor details

Product

Huck Norris Anti-Flat Tubeless Protection

Contact

Mountain Bikes Direct
www.mountainbikesdirect.com.au

Price

AUD99.95

Weight

80gm

Positives

Drastically reduces your chances of pinch flats.
Protects your rims.
Very simple installation.

Negatives

A bit expensive? Not if it saves your rim once!

Huck Norris is a nifty product that could be a godsend for heavy handed riders.
Huck Norris is a nifty product that could be a godsend for heavy handed riders.

Here at Flow, we’ve got one of these riders who works with us, and he’s an each way bet to get a puncture or damage a rim on every ride.

Dinged rims are no fun.
Dinged rims are no fun.

Other than the annoyance of having to stop, get tubeless sealant on everything and pump a tube up to flat-proof pressures, having a habit like this can be costly, both in terms of lost riding time and the dollars handed over for new rubber and rims.

We like tubeless sealant in bottles and tyres, not all over our riding kit.
We like tubeless sealant in bottles and tyres, not all over our riding kit.
Damaging expensive rims might not be as bad as losing your wallet, but they both have similar outcomes.
Damaging expensive rims might not be as bad as losing your wallet, but they both have similar outcomes.

Where are we going with this?

You’re probably wondering right now if this is a First Bite for a product or an opinion piece about how annoying getting flats is, so let’s jump into what instigated this rant in the first place.

This is one of those ‘why the hell didn’t someone make this earlier?’ kind of products.

Huck Norris is a very exciting product for anyone that runs tubeless and hates flats and dinged rims. Described as an ‘Anti-Flat Tubeless Protection System’, it utilises a closed cell foam insert that goes on the inside of your tyre and acts as a barrier between the tyre and your rim. Sounds pretty simple? It is! This is one of those ‘why the hell didn’t someone make this earlier?’ kind of products.

Huck to Flat anywhere without worries!
Huck2Flat anywhere without worries!

The foam is a fair bit thicker than your average yoga mat, and it springs back into place quickly upon impact- we mucked around whacking and stabbing it using things like forks and hammers before installing it into our tyres and we were pleasantly surprised with how sturdy it is.


What does Huck Norris do inside the tyre?

The benefit to having this additional layer between tyre and rim is when the tyre bottoms out onto the rim (as it tends to in reckless hucking situations, hence the name), the tyre won’t pinch against the rim and cause a flat.

The Huck Norris acts as a shield between tyre and rim.
The Huck Norris acts as a shield between tyre and rim, as well as protection against nasty rim-killers on the trail.

The secondary benefit is that the offending rock, root or piece of usually immovable trail that’s caused your tyre to bottom out won’t ding or destruct your rim. It’s a rim-win situation!


How does the Huck Norris go on the trail?

We’re yet to give the Huck Norris a solid thrashing out on the trail, but if anyone is going to see whether Huck Norris allows you to run lower pressures without the risk of pinch flats and rim demolition, it’s our very own Destruction Dan here at Flow, so stay tuned. 


What wheelsize options does it come in?

All of them! Huck Norris comes packaged in the 29” size, but to adapt the strips to 27.5” or 26” wheelsizes simply cut the inserts at the marked spots and strap them together with the attached Velcro- simple!

We used eight centimetres of velcro to join the strip together.
We used eight centimetres of velcro to join the strip together.
This is the most difficult step of installing the Huck Norris.
This is the most difficult step of installing the Huck Norris.

Huck Norris is also available in three different width sizes for different sized internal rim widths. See below for the available options:

HCKNRRS
Huck Norris comes in three sizes for different internal rim widths.

Size S: 21-28mm internal rim width

Size M: 27-35mm internal rim width

Size L: 34-45mm internal rim width

We're using a Medium Sized Huck Norris for the 28mm internal rim width on our Bontrager Line wheelset.
We’re using a Medium Sized Huck Norris for the 28mm internal rim width on our Bontrager Line wheelset.

As an added bonus, Huck Norris also comes packaged inside of a fender for your fork, a very inventive use of packaging indeed!

The included 'Facekick Fender' is a great use of packaging.
The included ‘Face Kick Fender’ is a great use of packaging.

How do you install the Huck Norris?

The installation of the Huck Norris is pretty simple. If you’re putting the system into an existing wheel/tyre combination, you’ll need to take one side of the tyre off the rim and slip the Huck Norris in (you’ll have to cut it to size if you’re running 27.5” or 26” wheels).

The strips press easily into the carcass of the tyre.
The strips press easily into the carcass of the tyre.

Once the strip is pressed against the inside of the tyre, simply reinstall the tyre, add tubeless sealant (you’ll need to add a little more than usual as the strip will begin to absorb drips and drabs over time) and pump your tyre back up.

The inventors of Huck Norris claim that because the strip pushes the tyre outwards and therefore forces the bead into the side of the rim that only a track pump is required for installation, and in our experience this was the case, with our Bontrager tyres sealing up easily with a floor pump.

All sealed up!
All sealed up!

If you’re still struggling, or you just want to watch Huck Norris’ funky homemade installation tutorial, see below.


How much does it cost?

The Huck Norris retails for $99.95, which might seem a bit steep for what is essentially foam rubber, but if this system saves just one tyre or rim from destruction, it’s paid for itself already. If you’re rolling on an expensive set of carbon hoops, it would seem that Huck Norris is a total no-brainer – $99 seems like a very cheap insurance policy for a $2000 set of wheels!

If Huck Norris saves your rims from an intimate date with a rock, then it's worth every cent.
If Huck Norris saves your rims from an intimate date with a rock, then it’s worth every cent.

Adding to this, Mountain Bikes Direct, who’re the exclusive distributors of Huck Norris in Australia are having a sale on Huck Norris products, making it an even more appealing purchase.


Where to now?

As we said at the outset, we have the perfect person in our team for testing the Huck Norris. He combines an apparent magnetism to solid objects on the trail with a fast riding style, and we’re looking forward to seeing if the system can hold up to the abuse he dishes out, so stay tuned!

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