MTB Tyre Inserts Guide

Mountain Bike Tyre Inserts are one of the best upgrades you can make to your mountain bike; they are fantastic for so many reasons - and in our opinion, it’s very rare that you would not benefit from adding them to your wheelset.

At Westbrook, a lot of the staff here are pretty clumsy riders - and on our regular rides out we smash into all sorts of obstacles, varying from rock gardens to big features and jumps. This style of riding leads to plenty of ‘offs’ and ridicule and plenty of bust tyres - despite most of us using tubeless setups. Tyre issues include punctures, pinch flats as well as sidewall cuts.

Part of the reason for an increase in tyre and wheel damage is just how capable mountain bikes have become - frame and suspension technologies continue to evolve - allowing riders to tackle more severe terrain than ever before. Thanks to the introduction of electric mountain bikes, mountain bikes are also heavier and burlier than ever before - creating more pressure on the wheels and tyres.

Unfortunately, all kinds of mountain biking on rough trails do lead to flat tyres and, sometimes, damaged rims. Foam Tyre Inserts are a handy and inexpensive tool in your armoury against flats & wheel damage. Despite the mountain bike industry creating larger and wider wheels and tyres to help prevent damage, it can never be eliminated.

What Is A Tyre Insert For Mountain Bikes?

The very first tyre insert was a foam insert which was used mainly on off-road motorcycles - While effective, this was too heavy to use on mountain bikes - which of course, rely on pedal power versus engine power.

Tyre inserts are manufactured from closed-cell foam - and the insert is mounted between your tyre and the rim - providing important cushioning. These products look incredibly simple, although, like anything involving mountain bikes, they have been engineered to almost perfection.

Tyre inserts have been designed to work with a range of different size tyre rims and wheels - and we sell most of our tyre inserts to riders using expensive carbon fibre wheels, which need protecting because of their high cost. It’s not just riders tackling the extreme terrain on carbon wheels who have chosen to use tyre inserts - many riders choose to run them simply to add extra protection against knocks and avoid potentially expensive mishaps.

Do Tyre Inserts Improve Mountain Bike Handling?

The benefits of using MTB tyre inserts continue, with riding and handling benefits also reported. The increased support a tyre insert provides for your wheel and tyre - avoids tyre squirming when tackling extreme terrain and cornering. This increase in structural support helps keep your tyre welded to the rim - reducing the chances of the tyre coming off the rim.

This benefits all MTB riders, especially trail and enduro riders who regularly tackle downhill terrain - and run lower tyre pressures. Tyre inserts mean a rider can run lower tyre pressures, again with the risk of punctures being reduced.

Do Tyre Inserts Add Rotational Weight?

Rotational weight is one of the biggest challenges that many riders face when cutting weight from their mountain bike setup, and it’s one of the biggest reasons that riders switch to carbon fibre wheels. Tyre inserts do add weight, so if you have been shaving weight off your frame and components, it does not make much sense to add tyre inserts that can weigh up to 250g.

The additional weight, however, in our opinion, is worth it for most riders - reducing the downtime of the bike and meaning you can save money on replacing tyres and wheels.

You can view our complete range of tyre inserts across our site, and if you have any questions about the effects of using these inserts or the compatibility of inserts with your wheelset - get in touch, and we will be happy to help.