[Closed] Tyre inserts. Still a thing?

I fitted some Nukeproof Ard about a month ago. Good so far.

I'm linking my Rimpact's, reasonable price and relatively easy to fit. Plus they seem to do the job, I've not had a pinch flat since fitting.

I'd say they're a thing more than ever.

Had a Huck Norris for 7 months or so, felt it was useless. Annihilated several rims and tyres during that period, next to none rim protection, no bead retention and no vibration reduction.

Now have Rimpacts front and rear. Can't recommend it enough

We have ARD's in two of our bikes.

They really to work, if you're a hard riding, fast or just like rocks kind of person. Eldest_oab punctured in over half the stages on first three rounds of Scottish Enduro series - dented rim, ripped tyre.

Since getting DH tyre and inserts he hasn't had a puncture.

And the first Enduro he placed 4th in, then 5th, then 3rd...

When you see them battering down FtWilliam DH rocks, you can see why the inserts work.

Took me more than a year to get a hole in a tyre using rimpact.

I just have them in the back of my two main wheelsets, but I'm gonna buy more and have them both ends in my new heavy duty wheels.

They do a new dual density one with more protection, and sell as a mixed pair with the original - so I'll probably give that a go next.

I use ratbites

I can’t let air out of one of my tyres using the On-Ones. They work though!

I've got Tannus Armour in the rear wheel. It works, but doesn't half feel funny on the rough stuff.

I had a Ratbite in my last tyre. When I took it off the Ratbite had ripped out the zip tie and bunched up,it had done well over 1500 miles at that point. I then tried the Planet X inserts and they seemed OK in the brief time I ran them. Getting the tyre on was actually easier as the insert helped the tyre hold shape while I pumped it up for the first time.

mcnultycop

I can’t let air out of one of my tyres using the On-Ones. They work though

Take out the valve core and poke a pokey thing in there to push the insert away from the valve base.

Thanks all. Going to give the Ratbites a go.

Running a riminpact on my hardtail on the rear with a dd aggressor tyre, I do it so I can run a lower pressure and make hardtail more comfortable rather than prevent bumping of the tyre. I did look at all options but felt the nukeproof ard and Hucks Norris didn’t/wouldn’t do much and Cush core would be overkill with not much air turnablity and too much weight (unless used with a standard sidewalls).

@mcnultycop did you use the supplied valves? The are designed to work with the insert.

Rimpact here, the original ones. Got the valves too, they're excellent.

Doomaniac the supplied valves were terrible. The inserts are the plus sized ones and they are just huge and fill the full 2.8 tyre.

I’ve poked with a pokey thing in the past Jordan. It just stuck in the insert. The pressure is OK at the moment so I’m just leaving it.

My nukeproof ones were dogsh*te, absorbed all my sealant, and expanded enough to fit on a 29 tyre (650 originally) so they rattled very noticeably while riding. CRC refunded though so maybe I was unlucky.

@lewzz10 yeah I read about the expansion issue on some of the early reviews of them and I think I read that they had done something about it. Anyway, I dont seem to have that problem yet with mine. Time will tell I guess.

Keep thinking about them, but when I enquired with Rimpact for my rims (Hope Tech Enduro) at 25mm wide, they implied that the rims needed to be wider to work properly - anyone any specific suggestions for this sort of width rim?

I have Rimpacts on both bikes, one a 150mm hardtail with 25.5mm Flow EX rims and the other a full-sis with 30mm rims. More casing stability, far harder to pinch flat or rim ding, don’t notice the extra weight. Easy enough to fit.

Ratbites in the back of mine. TBH I still think they're mostly used as a poor substitute for a tough enough tyre... But you can't always get the tough enough tyre that you want.

Randomly, I got a flat at the Mega which I'm sure would have sealed without the insert, but as it was right where the insert makes most contact with the tyre it didn't get enough sealant to seal. But I could still ride it out fine on the foam-flat, which wouldn't have been much fun on a flat front without the insert.

I’m going to go down the Rimpact route. You’re supposed to have them in both wheels ‘for balance and feel’ but realistically it’s the rear wheel that takes the bulk of the hammer...a mate of mine uses one on the rear ok with no issue to feel...anyone else? Plus has anyone done inserts and thought ‘meh, no difference’?

I put rimpacts in mine after having to change a rear rim. Don't remember a rim hit since. I have however slashed a side wall leading to rapid deflation at speed. I knew something had happened to the tyre but the insert provided enough support that I thought I had a slow leak. Was very surprised to find the tyre ruined when I stopped.

TBH I still think they’re mostly used as a poor substitute for a tough enough tyre

I have a tough enough tyre for 98% of the time and an insert for feel and for the other 2%. With a Supergravity tyre on the rear, my only option would be to go full DH casing - which means less choice.

one on the rear ok with no issue to feel…anyone else?

I haven't actually tried one in the front yet, but I haven't had any issues with just having one in the rear (fnarr fnarr) for a year and a half. Going to try one in front on new wheelset soon though, awaiting arrival of more Rimpact strips.

Ratbites in the back of mine. TBH I still think they’re mostly used as a poor substitute for a tough enough tyre…

Isn't that partly the point of them - that you can potentially get away with running a more lightly constructed tyre and even save weight overall by using a rim-strip. [Edit: I've seen a Ratbite and it seems very basic, the Rimpact strips and the Rimpact Pro in particular seem a lot better thought out].

Anyway, I've recently stuck some Rimpacts in my pinch flat prone plus-sized tyres and so far they seem to be working as claimed on rocky stuff. I briefly used Pro Core - the Schwalble inflatable system - and found that a bit pingy when it bottomed out onto the inner 'tyre'.

Rimpact seems like a good balance of weight, cost and function. The valves are good too.

I've got some backer rod in my cross bike because I like to laugh at "cyclists dismount" signs and ride up steps.

Not pinch flatted yet. But do have an annoying slow flat which I suspect isn't sealing ebcause the (35mm) tyre is mostly filled up by a 30mm backer rod, so as the pressure drops the sealent isn't able to slosh about properly.

BadlyWiredDog
Subscriber

Isn’t that partly the point of them – that you can potentially get away with running a more lightly constructed tyre and even save weight overall by using a rim-strip.

That's how a lot of people seem to use them but like I say, I think that's a poor alternative to having a tough enough tyre. That's my experience anyway. I use them to add a bit of extra safety margin, rather than to make something that doesn't work work, and that works pretty well.

rascal
Member

realistically it’s the rear wheel that takes the bulk of the hammer…a mate of mine uses one on the rear ok with no issue to feel…anyone else?

I can't say I've really noticed a difference in feel. I guess it partly depends if you're using it to drop pressures or not- I already had the pressures I wanted. I'm sure it also depends on the tyre.

Tomorrow's job is fitting Rimpacts onto WTB 129 (27.5) rims with WTB Vigilante front and High Roller back. Will I be inventing new swear words? Just watched a Youtube vid and it looks a POP* in theory, though I know deep down that will most def NOT be the case.

*piece of piss

I got a bit of a sweat on fitting mine.

Follow the instructions on the site and be prepared for a bit of a struggle.

https://www.rimpactmtb.com/installation

It's much easier the second, third, fourth... etc. time.

Hope you're using decently big tyres, that helps.

Got a pair to fit myself tomorrow.

“Follow the instructions on the site and be prepared for a bit of a struggle.”

It wasn’t much of a struggle once I followed the instructions precisely! That was even the case with quite narrow rims and small tyres (25.5mm and 2.3” on the back of my hardtail).