Mousse Balls

[Bucho]

I installed Mousse Tire Balls in the front wheel of the Ultra Bee.

I believe it was 22 balls to simulate 7-8 psi. So far works pretty well. I havent ridden in anything too rocky yet. We’ll see.

So far I like it. Mousse in the front and I still have tubliss in the rear.

[juddspaintballs]

If I ever get back into it, I'll likely try mousse balls out in the front. I like the idea of it.

[smdub]

Since they are heavily lubed, and you need to have large gaps between them to simulate lower pressures, I can't figure out how they keep them from shifting around and clumping after a while.

[Bucho]

Since they are heavily lubed, and you need to have large gaps between them to simulate lower pressures, I can't figure out how they keep them from shifting around and clumping after a while.

I bought them directly from a shop Tbone&Earle’s
I asked a lot of questions and he walked me thru it. He said he thought the balls would move around too but isnt sure why they seem to stay put. Said they were given a couple sets to demo when they became a dealer for them

[Bucho]

More testing with mousse balls. If it lasts I think it will be a winner.

[Motomofo]

I haven't looked into these but what is the advertised "advantage" over a traditional mousse/bib? For instance, if the angle is "better tune-ability", it seems one could just section up a bib to allow a little more room for it to move and end up getting a similar result. Or even better, keep the bib whole, and just drill through it as folks currently do, go gain a softer feel... Just wondering. Otherwise, I'm curious to hear how they feel as compared to a bib. i.e. do they have a "dead" feel? I assume these are lubed similar to a bib, have similar total mass, etc.

[Marylander]

Seems like they would be easier to install. Is that the case?

[smdub]

FWIW, I measured one of Bucho's segments: 38.14g. So thats a little lighter than a Nitromousse which most say is around 3# for a front wheel.

[Bucho]

I haven't looked into these but what is the advertised "advantage" over a traditional mousse/bib? For instance, if the angle is "better tune-ability", it seems one could just section up a bib to allow a little more room for it to move and end up getting a similar result. Or even better, keep the bib whole, and just drill through it as folks currently do, go gain a softer feel... Just wondering. Otherwise, I'm curious to hear how they feel as compared to a bib. i.e. do they have a "dead" feel? I assume these are lubed similar to a bib, have similar total mass, etc.

Ive never used a regular mousse. I went to that store to get a reg mousse but they only had the stiffer “12 psi”.
So I decided to give the balls a try

[Motomofo]

I don't find a standard mousse/bib overly difficult to install. I have found that the Nitro bibs are significantly heavier than a michelin bib. I have masses recorded somewhere if anyone is jonesin' to know. During a sprint enduro I once ran a tire with bib combo that was not correct. I didn't have proper "fill" of the tire as the bib was likely incorrect size, despite the sizing chart saying it was good. The symptom was gapping between the rim edge and the tire bead. Related or not, I cannot say, but I ended up catching air in a rock garden and wiping out 3 ribs and having lung issues. I can't help but feel it was a result of improper "fill" (fill may just be a theory in my head, I admit). Anyway, not knowing much about the balls, their size and how they stack and move within the tire carcass has me wondering how they'll feel. I'll be curious until I ride them.

I've recently seen the Lucioli Tube. Anyone gamble on trying one of those yet? Best I could tell it looks like an ULTRA thick tube. My simple brain take away was that it looks way too heavy to justify not being entirely flat proof. If I still have a possibility of a flat, I think I'll stick with gambling on tubliss for the weight savings and the feel. The downside I've found with tubliss is I tend to get tire cuts through the carcass (generally in the front). These have been of a "pluggable" size (2 or more plugs) thus far. This may result from poor tire choice (sidewall stiffness and tread compound) for use with tubliss. Some are better than others for use with tubliss, much like tire choice for use with bibs.

In general, I like that there are growing options. I know a guy that has had good success with mousse balls in quad tires for racing. And he could "F-up" a steel ball. So, kudos to mousse balls..... Not to be confused with mouse balls. That's a very different topic....on which I'm even less educated.