How Tyre Inserts Protect Your MTB Rims (And Why More Riders Are Using Them)

How Tyre Inserts Protect Your Rims (And Why More Riders Are Using Them)

Mountain biking has changed a lot over the past decade.

Trails are faster. Rock gardens are rougher. Riders are pushing harder and modern bikes are capable of speeds that would have seemed ridiculous not that long ago.

But there’s one problem that still ruins a good ride:

smashing your rims into rocks.

If you've ever dented an alloy rim, cracked a carbon rim or burped a tyre halfway down a rough descent, you already know how quickly a great ride can go sideways.

That’s exactly why MTB tyre inserts exist.

What Are MTB Tyre Inserts?

Tyre inserts are foam rings that sit inside your tyre between the rim and the tyre casing.

They are designed to do three important things:

• protect the rim from impacts
• support the tyre during hard cornering
• allow riders to run lower tyre pressures safely

When your tyre compresses during a hard impact, the insert absorbs some of the force before the rim hits the ground.

Instead of metal or carbon smashing into rock, the insert acts like a cushion between the rim and the trail.

How Tyre Inserts Protect Your Rims

When a tyre bottoms out during a hard hit, the rim normally takes the full impact.

That’s how riders end up with:

• dented alloy rims
• cracked carbon rims
• sudden tyre burps
• damaged tyre casings

A tyre insert sits directly above the rim and compresses when the tyre hits an obstacle.

This spreads the impact load and reduces the chance of the rim contacting the ground directly.

For riders smashing through rock gardens or landing drops onto rough terrain, this extra protection can make a huge difference to the lifespan of your wheels.

Why Modern Bikes Benefit Even More From Inserts

Modern mountain bikes are incredibly capable.

Long travel suspension, slack geometry and powerful brakes allow riders to carry serious speed through rough terrain.

That also means rims are taking bigger hits than ever before.

Add larger tyres, heavier bikes and the growing popularity of E-MTBs, and the forces going through your wheels increase even further.

Tyre inserts help absorb those forces and reduce the stress placed on both the tyre and the rim.

Running Lower Tyre Pressure

One of the biggest performance advantages of tyre inserts is that they allow riders to run lower tyre pressures safely.

Lower pressure improves:

• traction on loose terrain
• grip in corners
• control over rough trail surfaces

The problem is that very low pressure increases the chance of rim strikes and tyre burping.

Tyre inserts support the tyre casing from the inside, helping prevent the tyre from collapsing during heavy impacts or aggressive cornering.

The result is more grip without destroying your rims.

When Do You Actually Need Tyre Inserts?

Not every rider needs tyre inserts.

But there are some situations where they make a lot of sense.

Riders Who Ride Aggressive Terrain

If your local trails are full of rocks, roots and sharp impacts, inserts can dramatically reduce the chance of rim damage.

This is especially true for riders who like to ride fast through rough sections rather than picking careful lines.

Riders Running Carbon Wheels

Carbon rims are incredibly strong, but they can still be damaged by hard impacts.

Tyre inserts act as an extra layer of protection between the rim and the trail, helping protect your investment.

If you are committed to running inserts but still investigating wether to run them on carbon or alloy wheels, read our breakdown on Carbon VS Alloy MTB Wheels.

Heavier Riders

Heavier riders naturally place more load through their wheels during impacts.

Tyre inserts help reduce the chance of bottoming out tyres and damaging rims during hard hits.

E-MTB Riders

E-MTB bikes are heavier and generate more torque.

This means wheels experience greater impact forces, especially on rough terrain.

Tyre inserts are increasingly popular among E-MTB riders because they help protect rims and maintain tyre stability under heavier loads.

When You Might Not Need Them

If you primarily ride smooth flow trails, maintain moderate tyre pressure and rarely hit sharp rocks, you may not need inserts.

Many riders are perfectly happy running standard tubeless setups without them.

Like most mountain bike upgrades, tyre inserts are about solving a specific problem.

If you frequently dent rims, burp tyres or worry about damaging expensive wheels, inserts can be a very worthwhile upgrade.

GNARLY Tyre Inserts

GNARLY tyre inserts were developed with a simple goal:

protect the rim, support the tyre and keep the system easy to live with.

They provide strong rim protection without adding unnecessary weight or making tubeless setups difficult to install.

Designed to work with modern 30–35mm MTB rim widths (see our MTB Rim Width Guide for a full breakdown)…, GNARLY inserts integrate naturally with modern wheel systems while still allowing sealant to flow freely inside the tyre.

The result is reliable rim protection, improved tyre support and a tubeless setup that remains easy to maintain.

GNARLY Tyre Inserts vs CushCore

CushCore is one of the best-known tyre insert brands and offers very strong sidewall support and damping.

However, different inserts are designed with different priorities.

CushCore inserts are relatively firm and heavy, which creates a very damped ride feel and extremely strong sidewall support.

CushCore inserts mount onto the rim, this makes them hard to fit and more importantly, it changes the way your wheels handle and respond. 

GNARLY inserts take a slightly different approach.

They are designed to be lighter and more compliant, maintaining a more natural tyre feel while still protecting the rim during hard impacts.

Gnarly inserts are different, they are a "floating" system—meaning they sit in the tire cavity rather than being tightly secured to the rim—which makes them generally easier to install and remove compared to tighter-fitting alternatives like CushCore. (ambmag.com.au review)

Both systems protect rims effectively, but riders who prefer a lighter setup and easier installation often favour the simpler design of GNARLY inserts.

The Bottom Line

Tyre inserts won’t make you a better rider overnight.

But they can protect your rims, reduce tyre burping and allow you to run lower pressures with confidence.

If burping is a regular issue, check our Tubeless Setup Guide to make sure your system is properly dialled.

For riders pushing harder on rough terrain, they can dramatically reduce the chance of damaging wheels — especially expensive carbon rims.

And when you stop worrying about smashing your rims into rocks, you can focus on what really matters:

charging harder down the trail.

And when the trail gets rough… things start to feel GNARLY.