The Air-Liner Light provides all the pinch-flat resistance and tyre performance boost of the Air-Liner MTB, but at a fraction of the weight – it weighs even less than the sealant you need to mount the tire. The ultralight construction also limits rotational mass above the bead, and it reinforces the sidewall while letting the tread ride on air. The contact patch stays fluid on terrain and punchy while pedaling, but the tyre doesn’t flop or fold under lateral loads or while cornering.
It does, of course, also prevent punctures, progressively ramping up under compression to eliminate rim strikes and snake bites when you over-send a line or catch a square edge. If – or rather – when you do eventually flat, the Air-Liner Light expands to fill the void as a run-flat. More stability, more speed, more puncture resistance, and more snappy reactivity – the Air-Liner is a force multiplier for every quality you want in a trail, XC, or down-country tire.
How does it work? A high-density polymer structure gives the Air-Liner Light all the qualities of a good shock: it mutes chatter and ramps up under big impacts, increasing ride comfort and preventing rim strikes. It also acts as a run-flat if you do puncture. The Air-Liner Light’s cross-section rides low in the rim, keeping the tread lively and reinforcing lateral stability. The Air-Liner is compatible with ammonia-free sealant, multiway tubeless valves, 29 x 2.1-2.4in tubeless tyres, and rim channels of 25-30mm. Its waterproof coating prevents the absorption of sealant. Each Air-Liner Light insert includes a 40mm Vittoria Green Multiway Tubeless Valve.