Inserts + lighter tyres?

I think I want to change up my tyres. My usual Schwalbe combo is a Snakeskin front + SuperGravity rear, but I rode a lighter set of tyres at similar pressures recently (Nobby Nics) and although I was a bit scared of impacts, the extra grip was great. I could feel the rear deform over roots/rocks on the climbs, I guess due to better sidewall pliability?

All of this got me thinking: While most people seem to use inserts + heavy tyres for lower pressures and pinch resistance, I’m more interested in better grip at the same sort of pressures. Would lighter tyres + inserts work better for me? Say, a rear Snakeskin carcass + insert vs SuperGravity tyre alone?

Extra info/visibility bump: I’m in the Peak and often find myself barreling into rocks quite quickly. The rocks around here aren’t that sharp so I’m not too concerned about rips/tears but over the years I’ve had a lot of pinch flats. Having said that, I get the occasional rim dent / ding but it’s been ages since I got a pinch-flat using a the Snakeskin/SG combo. Currently on about 21psi front and 28 rear. Even at lower pressures, the carcass itself is really stiff. I could drop the pressures lower, but in the past I’ve rolled tyres off the rim doing that. My rims are 35mm which gives the tyres a squarish profile – I.e. there’s a lot of sidewall.

Possibly a bit more grip (and less weight obvs), but less support and more chance of holing the tyre, in my experience.

Haven’t compared with the same tread pattern & compound, so I can’t be definitive, but it’s worth a go with one of the new Super Trail tyres probably?

I run normal trail tyres (Vittoria trail casing) with inserts and haven’t had a pinch flat or a rip, ever. That’s riding loads of peaks/lakes/dartmoor/exmoor/quantocks and scottish rockiness.

If you don’t need the sidewall protection then a trail casing + insert is the way yo go IMO.

That’s a big pressure difference front to back, especially with the heavier rear casing.

Some of the inserts like Cushcore are good at keeping your tyre on. I don’t corner well enough to rip tyres off so have no personal experience of how Rimpacts work for that! I’m using them in Snakeskin/Exo/Grid tyres but I’m not riding super gnarly rocks that often.

To me I think it would be worth trying lower pressure on the back with the existing supergravity tyre first, if you liked the feeling of a bit of tyre give under you. I don’t know your weight etc but with similar front tyre pressure (22) I only run 24/25 rear.

With inserts on a 2.6 front and 2.4 rear I run 18psi front and 22 rear for pretty much everywhere on the FS. Would go a few PSI harder on the hardtail at the rear for lakes riding.

I’m currently running Rimpacts in Exo tyres for my lighter wheelset, but based in the SE we don’t see a lot of sharp rocks so have less of a worry about fragile sidewalls.  I also have the luxury of a second wheelset for uplifts which has heavier duty tyres (currently Michelin Wild Enduro) with a Rimpact in the rear.

currently Michelin Wild Enduro) with a Rimpact in the rear.

Did you find that went in OK?

Had a go at fitting a Rimpact Pro when I put a new Wild Enduro rear on last week, but had to give up and run it without insert for now – hoping the bead will loosen up a bit.

Wild Enduro rear seems good for the riding the OP describes anyway. Handled the mud, roots & rocks at Gwydir very well.

That’s a big pressure difference front to back, especially with the heavier rear casing.

Yeah, I think I have a tendency to straight-line smash through rocks with my weight off the back. I’d guess it’s not pretty but in my defence A) it’s quite effective on the straight patches of rock we have round here and B) I don’t have to look at my ugly self. Either way, I only really get rear pinch flats.

I don’t know your weight etc but with similar front tyre pressure (22) I only run 24/25 rear.

80kg ish.

Most of my riding is in the peak.
Used to run full DH tyres, high pressures, and still smashed up a few rims.
Now run pro-core & EXO and lower pressures.

I wouldn’t go back

NSMB had an article on this not so long ago. i didn’t read it, but it may be relevant.

As above, my first port of call would be to drop a load of pressure out of the rear. You likely don’t need so much with a DH casing tyre. I ran Maxxis DH tyres on my Enduro/Everything bike for quite a while. I certainly didn’t feel like they offered less grip than the Exo alternative. The heavier casing made the bike feel calmer and I went totally puncture free.

I now run rimpact both ends, but I still have a tough casing rear tyre. I think for the style of riding I am doing, it makes sense to keep this.

Had a go at fitting a Rimpact Pro when I put a new Wild Enduro rear on last week, but had to give up and run it without insert for now – hoping the bead will loosen up a bit.Had a go at fitting a Rimpact Pro when I put a new Wild Enduro rear on last week, but had to give up and run it without insert for now – hoping the bead will loosen up a bit.

I have done both cushcore and rimpact with Wild Enduros (hunt and e13 rims) with no issue. There are millions of videos, but this is the one that made sense to me. Never had any issues since.

That’s a big pressure difference front to back, especially with the heavier rear casing.

I used to run Magic Mary (MM) snakeskin front and MM super gravity rear, would inflate to 20 front and 25 rear in the winter and in the summer go up to 27/28 in the rear.

I recently went from the above combo to supertrail casing front and rear (front MM, rear big betty), so slightly lighter casing in the rear but heavier in the front. Still running the same pressures, weighing around 85kg with 30mm internal width rims, I also like to release the brakes and smash and have had no issues.

I have just watched the Lewis Buchanan video where he installs cushcores and goes down to 9psi but goes 5 seconds quicker on a 2min track, has made me insert curious!