Best Things since Sliced Bread

What are they?

 

 

4 clues:

1. They have been out in the world for a couple of years but in NZ for a couple of months
2. They were created by 5 time USA GNCC champion Scott Summers & his dad
3. They’ve been tested and are used by Paul Whibley
4. With them, you are guaranteed against punctures for 12 months.  

The answer : TIRE BALLS

Tire balls are inflated balls or cells made from state of the art materials that are 10 times more puncture resistant than conventional heavy duty tubes. The balls are fitted inside the tyre, are suitable for any brand and are easily retrofitted. Punctures are still possible, but they are very rare.

However, the beauty and the simplicity of the whole system is that if you do get a puncture, then you don’t lose all the air in your tyre, it is only one ball that goes flat.  In fact, if you were unlucky enough to get 6 punctures, it wouldn’t matter. The other “untouched” ones just spread the workload.

The tire balls are sold as a kit, 40 balls for a front tyre and 30 for a rear. All kits include lubricants, adhesive rim liner, rim identification sticker, mounting instructions and a rounded tipped inflation needle.

Sounds like a dream.  No more lost races, no more ruined weekends just because of a cursed flattie. And as a bonus, the tire ball system is geared to improving traction, enhancing suspension performance and increasing cornering speeds as well.  You can even “create your own feel”  by adjusting the pressure or the number of balls.

Multi USA GNCC champion Scott Summer and his Dad have developed the tire ball system over the last 6 or 7 years, making sure it is absolutely bulletproof. It has been tested and retested by some of the best names in the enduro world including NZs own GNCC champion, Paul Whibley.

The tire ball kits have been available here since January. The NZ agent is Scotty Brooker who runs Race Pace Services. “I only sell quality products that I’ve used myself as a factory mechanic,” states Scotty.” And he has the creds behind him. Scotty has helped out Whibley and spent time in the international enduro fast lane as spanner man to David Knight. (... more about Scotty’s life)

If you’re interested in the tire ball system, check out Scotty’s website www.racepaceservices.co.nz   or the American home site www.tireballs.com   or have a look at the pictures below and see Paul Whibley getting his tyres all set up.

The cost of the tire ball kit in NZ is about $300 per tyre. However, the tire balls last for several seasons as opposed to several months. The system is only for off road bikes but there are ATV tyres and industrial commercial sizes as well.