Nukeproof ARD

Tuesday, October 16th, 2018

“Nukeproof ARD”

Release date: MID NOVEMBER 2018

Punctures, are just annoying.

As fast as the industry advance tyre technology, riders and trail builders are pushing the limits of punishment further. Despite all the technological developments still the humble puncture can ruin your ride, race or season (how many EWS and Downhill racers missed out on results due to punctures).

Most tyres now have inbuilt protective casing and are better than ever (Remember the days where you had to take about 4 inner tubes with you? Or got the poor rider with the back pack to carry them for you!). But, still, hit a loose bit of shale, rock or just a turn to quick and you can be prone to the pinch flats, rim dings, tyre burps etc. often at the most inconvenient times. Building heavier and heavier casing tyres adds weight that riders don’t want to carry and also loses the feel and natural cushioning in the tyres. In discussions with Nigel Page over the solutions that MX and MX Enduro riders use got us looking, but many of the MX products are currently too heavy for bike use (we have to power our weight where they have a motor). Over the past few years engineers have been looking at ways to develop protective systems to help eliminate this.

Thus the introduction of ARD. As with most projects at Nukeproof they start off as a personal crusade to solve a problem, many of today’s systems are great but often heavy, expensive or too damn hard to put on! Over the past 2 year our lead engineer, Dale has been developing this one to see how we could approach a solution. With every introduction of new tyre saving devices got us thinking about the usage but also the cost Vs weight Vs fitting matrix. Starting off life, Dale bought and carved a £5 pool noodles and inserted them, just to see the results- turns out there are various reasons not to do this, but it was a start and a nice test.

This evolution period has really allowed us to develop this and learn to find the key features that were important to us. Key to the project was the correct density “foam” (rebound vs weight), the correct shape (to protect the rim and pinch flats), the right price and easy to fit by anyone. The foam also has to be non absorbent, so not to absorb your tyre sealant over time.

ARD has an unusual shape (only possible thanks to the manufacturing process we use) to act as a bump stop between the rim and tyre. This deflects the energy and minimises the opportunity for pinch flats. the “wings” of the ARD protect the rim from dents and dings. The wings also allow the tyres to be seated easily and the tyre is able to be fitted without the need for extra tool (maybe a tyre lever, but no zip ties or hammers!)

Due to the nature of the “foam” we use, once under pressure it clamps the ARD to the rim to protect the rim and stops the insert from moving in the tyre. As such we have developed special valves to allow the air to escape which are included in the kit (and finished in copper).

The process has been a constant development with us using our team riders, staff and select testers to test the ARD system. One thing to note is that we have run the ARD system for a nearly a full season. When removing the ARD you will notice that under strikes you may see some dents in the rim, but you can continue to use this without an issue (CRC-Mavic ace Kelan Grant has doen a full season on one ARD system!), this includes running a full EWS stage on just the ARD when he split the tyre on a sharp rock.

So there you have it, ARD.

Nukeproof ARD – Advanced Rim Defence

Available in 27.5″ or 29″

Weighs 130g per wheel for 27.5″ version

Offers puncture protection

Offers impact absorption to defend against dented rims and smooth out the trail

SRP £50 (per pair, Inc x2 ARD valves)

ARD will be available through all Nukeproof retailers in Mid November

Check out GMBN Tech channel (from 18.18mins)

First look from OffRoad.cc here

First look from Wideopenmag here

Photo: Laurence CE