The Best Tire Inserts for Gravel?
Today, I installed tire inserts on my gravel bike for the first time.
So what is it?
I am signed up for the Lost & Found Gravel Grinder in Portola, California. The course promises to have a variable mix of smooth Forest Service gravel, chunky offshoots rife with loose rocks, and everything in between. While many riders opt for a larger tire (such as 45mm or more), I am going to take my chances with something a little narrower and will be running the Zipp G40 XPLR; however, I have paired them with a set of Tubolight Evo Gravel Inserts. My hope is that the inserts will allow me to run lower tire pressures without the additional risk of pinch flats – thus mimicking the benefits of a larger tire without some of the drawbacks.
Installation
If you’ve ever installed a mountain bike insert before, you know that it can be an absolute nightmare. Tubeless tires can already be difficult to install. Add an insert into the mix and it can be next to impossible.
Tubeless Tires?
If you’re new to tubeless or wondering why riders are opting to run tubeless tires, check out our tubeless tire series.
Learn MoreBecause of the inherent challenges of tire insert installation, I chose to run the Tubolight inserts. Not only are they some of the most affordable inserts on the market; they also have a reputation for being easier to install (and I’ll take all the help I can get).
Important Note!
For tire inserts, it is best to have a tubeless valve that is “insert compatible.” These valves have holes on the side of the valves and not just a single hole on the top – this way, air can be released from the tire without the insert blocking the flow. Tubolight makes a nice series of insert compatible valves at a very reasonable price; however, I am using the Muc-Off Tubeless Valves because I have deeper rims and needed a longer valve length.
When setting up inserts, it’s important to carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions – otherwise, it can be very frustrating. For the sake of experimentation, I tried a couple different methods of installing the tires, but quickly found that only one way would work. First, you install one side of the tire into the rim channel, then the insert can be added to the rim channel – I had success using both hands to hold onto the outside of the tire/rim while I used both thumbs to coax the insert into the channel.
The most difficult step of installation with inserts is getting the last bit of tire over the rim. Luckily, it wasn’t too bad with this setup and I was able to use a set of Pedro’s tire levers to force the tire bead into the rim. It is important not to damage the tire bead at this step. For more stubborn tires, I like to use the Kool Stop Bead Jack to help me out. With inserts, it can also be helpful to massage the tire around from the opposite end to move any slack in the setup over to the side you are working on.
With the tires fully installed, I used an air compressor to seat the bead and then removed the valve cores so I could add sealant with a syringe. It’s worth noting that there is less space in the tire for the sealant so make sure to rotate the wheel a little to allow the sealant to flow inside. Otherwise, the sealant may come back out of the valve when you remove the syringe.
Now that the tires and inserts are ready to go, I will test them out this weekend and report back about how they work.
Race Report
The chunky terrain certainly lived up to the hype. The final descent at Lost & Found this year was a minefield to navigate – filled with chunky rocks, slower riders, and plenty of flat tire fixers, it was no easy feat. But the inserts worked like magic, and I was able to bomb down the hill without fearing for my rims. I passed by many riders with wider tires. I even smashed into a few rocks pretty hard, but it didn’t seem to be a problem for the inserts (even at 30 PSI). So, needless to say, I will be running these inserts for races and rides in the future.
Insert Compatible
Tubeless Valves
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