Panzer are the latest to scale their lightweight, anti-pinch flat tire inserts developed for gravity mountain bikes down to a lighter, more narrow application for gravel bike riding & racing. In addition to Panzer Gravel bringing light flat protection to mixed surface riding, Panzer went out and developed their own sealant to eliminate the pitfalls of many latex-based solutions…
Panzer Gravel anti-flat, foam tire liners
Using the same basic 5-sided shape as their MTB tire liners, the new Panzer Gravel scales down for 38-45mm wide gravel bike tires, making it one of just a handful of gravel options (with CushCore & Mariposa Tyreinvaders a couple of similarly sized alternatives.)
This pentagonal, or diamond-shaped insert is said to float more inside the tire volume, allowing the tire to flex & move unrestricted at low pressures, while still always being in place to protect against pinch flats. The Panzer liner is made of high-density, closed-cell foam with a smooth finish that allows sealant to move around freely within the tire volume without absorbing or collecting much sealant.
The new gravel liner uses a slightly higher density foam than the mountain bike versions to account for the use of narrower tires. Another big plus is the ability to more safely ride out on a flat or cut tire that can’t be patched or sealed with regular sealant. Panzer says that after refining something like 70 prototypes for their original MTB tire liners, they were able to dial in the Panzer Gravel with around 7 generations to get the material, shape & width perfect for high volume gravel tires.
For the time bing Panzer Gravel is limited to 700c gravel setups, but Panzer is tooling up to produce a 650b size later this year that will work for Road Plus sized gravel tires too. Each gravel liner weighs 75g, and they are sold in pairs for 100€.
Panzer Tubeless Sealant
At the same time as they have been working on new tire inserts, Panzer also developed their own tubeless sealant in-house. Designed to stay liquid in the tire longer, the sealant is entirely polymer-based (no latex & no ammonia, with a neutral pH) which is said to prevent it from balling up inside the tire in everyday riding.
The sealant still manages to plug holes effectively, drying quickly when exposed to the outside air through a puncture. The sealant is of course compatible with tire liners, and it is distinctly yellow keeping with Panzer branding.
The all-discipline tubeless sealant comes in an 11€ small 250ml bottle & a 17€ 500ml bottle intended for consumer use, and will also be available in a larger 3L bottle for bike shops.
Panzer products are available through about a dozen global distributors, with the greatest coverage in Europe.
