ASK MBA: ARE TIRE INSERTS WORTH THE HASSLE?

Q: Over the last few years I’ve been racing in quite a few enduro and downhill events around the United States. I’ve never run inserts in my tires, but I see more and more people using them at the races and bike parks. Is the extra protection worth the additional weight and hassle of installing tire inserts?
Josh Jacobsen
Midway, Utah

A: While there is still a determined group of riders who are adamant about not running tire inserts, there are a number of advantages to having some sort of protection between your bike’s tire and rim. As you’ve observed, more and more riders, amateurs and professionals alike, are using tire inserts on their enduro and downhill bikes to not only protect their wheels, but also increase their bike’s grip on the trail.

Whether you run tire inserts or not largely depends on the type of terrain you frequently ride. In general, riders who typically find themselves on rough and technical trails or areas with lots of sharp rocks will benefit from using tire inserts. The insert will protect the rim from rock strikes and can help prevent tire punctures and flats. If you have carbon rims, this can mean the difference between riding away from a rock strike or breaking your wheel, or it can save your alloy rim from a nasty dent.

Another significant advantage of installing tire inserts is the ability to run lower tire pressures with a lower risk of rolling or burping the tire. Lower air pressure in the tire means more of it is in contact with the ground, giving you more grip while riding and when pushing through corners. A larger contact patch also gives you more traction through off-camber sections and when bouncing through rock gardens.

In contrast to the advantages, there are also some drawbacks with tire inserts. The first one would be the additional unsprung weight to the bike. Most tire inserts weigh anywhere between 120 grams and 300 grams per wheel, which can be significant if you’re a cross-country rider or weight weenie.

In addition to the added weight, tire inserts aren’t necessarily cheap. A set of CushCore inserts will run you $150, which can seem expensive for two rings of foam.

The final, and perhaps biggest, drawback is the installation. I’m sure you’ve heard the horror stories from people trying all sorts of different methods to install their inserts. Some brands are easier to install than others, but in our experience, the first time is always the most difficult. Once you’ve figured out a method that works for you, it only takes a few minutes longer to install a new tire with an insert than one without.

In our opinion, we think the advantages of running tire inserts outweigh the potential drawbacks. One of our assistant editors has a set of CushCore Trail inserts constantly installed on their trail bike and has nothing but positive things to say about them. Between the puncture and rim protection and the increase in grip, it has only improved our experience when out on the trail. If you’re racing enduro and downhill pretty often, we would definitely recommend installing a set of good tire inserts.