Foam tyre inserts ?? Are they worth it

chrismechmaster

chrismechmaster

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So as far as I can see the point of foam tyre Inserts are to protect the rim and to run lower pressures

is there any other advantages? Do they make the bike more stable etc ??

Are they worth it or a waste of money ?
Cheers
 
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chrismechmaster said:
Do they make the bike more stable etc ??
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Can do. by adding sidewall stability but some inserts are better than others in this regard. They also change the tyres damping quality. Again, more so for the pricier options such as cushcore.
The main downsides are that some rim/tyre/insert combinations can be a right bastard to fit. So if you like to change tyres for the conditions you may find yourself spending as much time faffing around swearing than any of the riding they're going to help with . And the other main downside is added weight to an already heavy bike.

If you're not racing at the sharp end my personal opinion would be to just run sensible tyre pressures and appropriate casing in the first place.
But plenty no hopers still do like to have every advantage possible on their gnarly blue grade runs ;)
 
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Gary said:
Can do. by adding sidewall stability but some inserts are better than others in this regard. They also change the tyres damping quality. Again, more so for the pricy
ier options such as cushcore.
The main downsides are that some rim/tyre/insert combinations can be a right bastard to fit. So if you like to change tyres for the conditions you may find yourself spending as much time faffing around swearing than any of the riding they're going to help with . And the other main downside is added weight to an already heavy bike.

If you're not racing at the sharp end my personal opinion would be to just run sensible tyre pressures and appropriate casing in the first place.
But plenty no hopers still do like to have every advantage possible on their gnarly blue grade runs ;)
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Cheers Gary I appreciate the reply I am defo not at the racing end and haven’t really Experimented much with pressures I will save my money I think 👍
 
I'd add. Most average riders you find who ding rims regularly simply aren't running supportive enough pressures for their choice of tyre (volume/casing).
But if your riding does consist of a load of gnarly rock strewn descending fitting inserts will obviously help protect your rims from denting more than not having them.
 
I was chatting with another no hoper gnarly blue trail Levo rider yesterday on top of Pleasanton Ridge who was super happy with his Cushcores. His main points were added stability on washboard/rocks/roots and the ability to go faster on flat corners without the front tire washing out. I'll probably end up trying a set so I can experience the difference for myself, much like why I bought coils despite not being an aggressive downhiller.
 
For UK riders I'd go for rimpact. Similar damping and side wall stability, but much easier to fit, lighter and cheaper than cushcore. I use original on the front and pro on the rear on my normal bikes. On my ebike I've got to admit that I fitted a cushcore on the rear, strangely they are the only tyre I have pinch punctured because of the designed gap in the insert being right where a sharp rock hit. Cushcore last longer than rimpact apparently.

If your trails are rough and rocky, running lower pressures allows a heap more grip and damping of the trail. If anyone reads/watches Flow mtb, I'm on the same trails as Wil, so inserts are a game changer for us. I would puncture nearly every ride with tubes, frequently with tubeless, nearly never with inserts. High pressures just have you bouncing around the trails here.
 
weighting your front tyre correctly is hard right enough
 
Depends on the insert for me. Cushcore inserts and the like that allow you to tune your tire pressure were a huge benefit for me. I was able to lower tire pressure to a point that it dampens trail chatter from roots and rocks even further than what my suspension is already doing without putting my wheels at risk. The insert acts as a spacer and pressure in the tire will ramp up like a shock when enough external pressure is exerted on the tire.

I think some inserts are not designed for this and are meant solely for rim protection.
 
Makes me wonder how long it will be until we're being offered solid foam/rubber tyres of specific density. Super soft through to
firm.
 
I use the lightest maxxis tyres - just exo. On the rear I use a tannus; the front is fine as it is. My pressures are close to what they were; I'm not into denting rims though and I've been practicing drops and jumps. I can still feel the tyre working (compressing / absorbing bumps) on climbs and rocky stuff. If I had heavier side walls on the rear, I'd forego the insert as Gary says. I can always find exo tyres very cheap compared to the other stiffer walled variants. Maxxis also don't have a dd in 2.6 - I like the extra volume on the rear (I've got mullet). I have since found double compound maxxis that have a slightly stiffer sidewall due to lower thread count (90 vs 120 tpi). I still run the tannus with that.
 
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Another Rimpact user here and very happy with them. With the extra weight of the e-bike I went for Pro at each end.
I personally (your opinion may vary, especially if your first name is Gary) but I found Double Down casings pretty dead feeling. Yes, they offered good support but obviously also lacked suppleness. I ride a lot of woody stuff with big roots and run lower pressures and a lighter more flexible for better traction but with extra sidewall support around the rim from the insert and protection against pinch flats.
Also great in the Scottish Highlands where they love water bars on all the trails.

Extra weight for Rimpact is 95g or for Rimpact PRO it's 160g. Extra weight of a DD or DH casing compared to trail casing is around 100g per tyre.

Not the cheapest but for me (and again I'm sure some of you will disagree) it's money well spent.
 
Cushcores take about 30 minutes per wheel in my experience when changing tyres etc once you have done it a couple of times. Definitely improve the ride IMHO but watch the two to fit video's and get yourself the CC dabber or whatever its called ordinary tyres levers just won't do the trick. Also use of a plastic barrel or water butt is great for resting the wheel on while you persuade the tyre to seat over the CC.
 
Clubby said:
it's 160g. Extra weight of a DD or DH casing compared to trail casing is around 100g per tyre.
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EXO is generally around 3-400g lighter than DD and DH casing adds another 100-150g over DD
(dependent on tyres n volume obvs)

So you're happily running exo (or similar single ply) casings with rimpact with success? Sorry wasn't clear from what you said.
 
Have been using a Rimpact in the rear wheel for 3 years with Schwalbe Supergravity tires. It's a bombproof setup. No punctures, no dents.
 
I had cushcore at the rear for approx 1000km.
When I replaced the tyre, the cushcore lost all its form, it was as flat as an additional tube, just a little thicker on the thread side.

I didn’t have any puncture with cushcore, so it has done it’s job.

Nowadays I ride tubeless with snot/liquid gunk inside.
 
Gary said:
So you're happily running exo (or similar single ply) casings with rimpact with success? Sorry wasn't clear from what you said.
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Yes, on my enduro bike as well. Wore the original DD down, so have plenty of time on that casing, but I prefer the feel of a lighter casing used with a Rimpact pro. Only insert I’ve used, so can’t comment on others. Rocky stuff I do is smoother, lumpy rocks rather than sharp stuff. Never been bothered with sliced casings on Exo. If you ride I am area where you’re slicing tyres, heavier casings make more sense. Also not a tyre swapper, so the extra faff fitting isn’t an issue.

Not trying to say they’re for everyone, we all managed without them before but for me they’re worthwhile.
 
Nah.. I massively agree you don't need super heavy duty tyres on an Ebike. I run exo on my normal Enduro bike and my Emtb. Always have. Just at sensibly high pressures and without any inserts. Mainly as I love the extra nimbleness, acceleration and pingyness of lighter tyres/wheels
An EXOs sidewalls lack of support is far too foldy cornering for me not to have to run fairly high pressures. An insert such as rimpact wouldn't make a huge difference to sidewall support but cushcore may.
The only wheel I run an insert in is my DH bikes rear and that's with a DH casing tyre.
 
I run Tannus Armour with tubes on both my eBikes because I ride most frequently in an area that has lots of sharp rocks. Also like running lower pressure, the added stability, and I absolutely hate having to fix flats. I dont care about a little added weight. Worth the money imo.
 
I have been running the Cushcore front and rear for 2 yrs. When I change tires (tyres) I inspect the foam and there are many slices in it from strikes but my rim and tires have none. They definitely do the job they are intended to do. They are also potentially faster. 2yrs ago and XC racer won his event in the PNW a on them and claimed faster rolling conditions etc. Then the guys at CC had an independent firm do a real study which showed a small but clear benefit to efficiency with the inserts. Maybe someone can find that study.

What I notice with CC is that I can now take straighter lines through the knar. And hit obstacles that I might have otherwise avoided without. But another thing that others haven’t directly mentioned it that with CC my front tires deflects less and has a better tracking character to it due to its support and bump compliance. It’s the same thing with mousse inserts on the Dirtbikes. Once I switched to the mousse I gained speed and confidence because the tires stopped deflecting so much. It’s a dead feeling that you get accustomed too and once you go back it’s terrifying.
 
I bought a wheel and tyre with an insert. It was hard enough getting tyre off and gave up refitting, figuring that is I ever had a tyre gash that needed an inner tube I wouldn't want that wrestle with the tyre insert in the wild.
 
maker said:
I bought a wheel and tyre with an insert. It was hard enough getting tyre off and gave up refitting, figuring that is I ever had a tyre gash that needed an inner tube I wouldn't want that wrestle with the tyre insert in the wild.
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I have the nukeproof tyre inserts in my levo I swopped a tyre out today butcher over to assegia and was all sorted in 5 mins . If your trying to get the tyre off just try to push the insert up a little to allow the bead to pop over the rim and also this needs doing to re fit a tyre. Being 96kg rider on a turbolevo and normally riding rocky droppy trails I didn't want damaged rims . Got to say I love mine
 
Nukeproof inserts are piss easy to fit and remove
Cushcore a lot less so
 
Schwalbe magic mary front /hans dampf on rear both 2.6 with slime tubes and tannus armour- if i ever get a flat it's chess for me.
Started with Bontrager XR4 2.8 tubeless on front and rear. Lost knobble off casing mid-ride - pffffttt!!
Getting used to the new set-up but running 10psi less.
'orses for courses 😁👍
 
I found cushcore to be slightly more difficult, but only about a minute more fitting time. Just make sure you get the bead into the rim channel. You can do it with a regular plastic tyre lever. I'd still suggest rimpact though.

Depending on your trails, inserts are either a nice piece of mind or an essential addition to keep you rolling and give you a better, more grippy ride.
 
I've been running cushcore rear & exo+ then changed to a DD . For my new rim I'll just be running DD casings. They're pretty meaty.
FWIW I ran low pressures until burped a front tyre & ended up walking out
 
I love my Vittoria Air Liners. I run them in all my bikes, both analog hardtail, enduro dual sus and ebike. Relatively easy to fit.
 
Futant said:
I have been running the Cushcore front and rear for 2 yrs. When I change tires (tyres) I inspect the foam and there are many slices in it from strikes but my rim and tires have none. They definitely do the job they are intended to do. They are also potentially faster. 2yrs ago and XC racer won his event in the PNW a on them and claimed faster rolling conditions etc. Then the guys at CC had an independent firm do a real study which showed a small but clear benefit to efficiency with the inserts. Maybe someone can find that study.

What I notice with CC is that I can now take straighter lines through the knar. And hit obstacles that I might have otherwise avoided without. But another thing that others haven’t directly mentioned it that with CC my front tires deflects less and has a better tracking character to it due to its support and bump compliance. It’s the same thing with mousse inserts on the Dirtbikes. Once I switched to the mousse I gained speed and confidence because the tires stopped deflecting so much. It’s a dead feeling that you get accustomed too and once you go back it’s terrifying.
Click to expand...
This is pretty much exactly my experience too. The end result is that I'm much faster with CC than I was without them and I also have fewer pinch punctures and (touching wood) no impact damaged rims to date. Riding with higher pressures on the loose stuff is just a joke when it comes to grip, just ask any experienced trials/motocross/off-road buggy/quad rider/racer who has good results. Lower pressure gives a bigger contact patch which gives more grip, of that there is no doubt because it's simple physics.

Cushcores, less pressure, you won't go back I promise.
 
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