Tire Inserts

[eec]

I must have been living in a cave all these years, but apparently tire insert systems are a thing and have been around for a while. There's numerous takes on it, but basically it's a closed-cell foam insert that goes inside the tire to protect the rim, provide sidewall support, and protects from flats. Does anyone have any experience with these? Worth it for something like the TDR? (the one that gets the best marks is $150 US, so not cheap).
Thanks!

[harryonaspot]

Just go tubeless

[eec]

They are designed for a tubeless setup. They're primarily to protect the rims and protect from flats

[MikeC]

They're a good idea only if you find yourself constantly having flats despite running appropriately sized tires at reasonable pressures.

In other words, they're sort of a last resort.  They do work, at the cost of added weight and, um, cost.  Plus sort of a PITA to install, and a big messy thing to deal with if you flat on a multi-day trip.

I only know of a handful of people that need and use them, and they're the types that are constantly bashing through difficult terrain as fast as they can.

[eec]

MikeC, that's kind of what I thought, regarding the type of riding/rider. I rarely flat, so not really worth the effort/cost for me. I was just curious if they might be good insurance on the TDR. Think I'll pass.

[MikeC]

MikeC, that's kind of what I thought, regarding the type of riding/rider. I rarely flat, so not really worth the effort/cost for me. I was just curious if they might be good insurance on the TDR. Think I'll pass.

They're good insurance for hard riding in difficult terrain.  They are not needed on a dirt road ride.