It's the new dropper post. Maybe.

A pressurised hub on a crowdfunding website (where else?) can alter your tyres’ pressure at the flick of a switch.

Wha’?

It’s called the WhiteCrow Hub and its inventors’ hope it will take off in an mountain bike market that’s getting more and more used to bar-mounted adjustable doohickies and gadgets.

“Meet the WhiteCrow Hub, your new tire pressure adjusting hub that allows you to deflate and inflate your tire while you ride and as often as you like… Founder Xavier Serret thought of a breakthrough solution to the longtime wish of mountain bike riders to make tire pressure adjustment easy and practical without having to stop.”

Why?

The basic idea is that it will enable you to firm up your tyres for climbing or smooth sections and then when you get some rough stuff you can soften up your tyres for traction and grip.

Leaving aside the whole debate as to whether hard tyres roll faster or soft tyres grip more, let’s just have a look at it how it works. Because we all like a bit of tech don’t we?

Essentially the WhiteCrow Hub system uses an internal reservoir inside the tyre. The reservoir sits inside the tyre against the rim and is run at high pressure to prevent pinch flats. The rest of the tyre space runs at low pressures. Much like Schwalbe’s Procore. Okay, a lot like Schwalbe’s Procore system.

It’s the outer main part of the tyre that is able to have its pressure tweaked. In the middle of the wheel sits a big hub that acts as the air compressor for the system.

None of this adjustment of air-moving requires external power supply. It’s all powered by wheel movement. Kinda like a dynamo for air pressure magic. You never run out of air pressure either as the system is kept topped up as you ride along.

Some answers to your questions

It works with normal tubeless tyres.

It’s aimed primarily at Plus and Fatbikes.

It requires a WhiteCrow Hub in each wheel if you want to adjust pressure in both wheels.

Inner reservoir chamber weighs approx 200g.

WhiteCrow weighs approx 350g more than a “typical hub”.

Can run lightweight thin carcass tyres that would otherwise be “too risky” (to save the weight back).

Pressure adjustment range: 15psi.

Minimum pressure is defined at the start of each ride.

There doesn’t appear to be any display to show what pressure you’re at or adjusting to.

$499 SRP.