Rimpact Tire Inserts - The Best Budget Rim Protection?

To learn more about Rimpact and purchase your own set visit their website: https://www.rimpactmtb.com/ Today we're taking a look at the Rimpact tire insert out of Bristol U.K. Rimpact was kind enough to send these out to me for testing in exhange for this review....and some nudes. Are these budget friendly tire inserts worth your time and money? Stick around and find out. Rimpact is made from a high density, closed cell, cross linked polyethylene foam, and yes I totally got this info from their website. These are designed to increase tire stability, let you run lower air pressures, reduce trail chatter, and if you couldn't tell by the name already; protect your rim from impacts. Check out their website for more detailed information on how it's made and it's benefits. Once you purchase a set of these for $60 including the shipping from U.K. to the U.S. you should receive them in around a weeks time. The packaging is super simplistic, and It may look like you're receiving a ransom note, but I'm totally fine with that if it keeps the cost down. I don't need a fancy box to secure my foam inserts. In the box you'll receive a set of Rimpact tire inserts, weighing in at 90 grams per insert for 29ers and 80 grams for 27.5, two sleek looking black 44 mm aluminum valve stems, along with short and simple install instructions. On to the install which I found to be pretty easy and straightforward. I won't go into much detail on that here, but let me know if you'd like an install video seperately and I'll be happy to do one. I followed the provided instructions, didn't have to check my work on YouTube or Google, and didn't have to swear at any point during install. I've honestly never felt more manly in my life. Next let's explore the benefits, but before we even ride, let's compare tires with and without Rimpact installed. With no air pressure in either tire, you can really see the difference in tire flex and how the tire can easily contact your rim without protection. I'm already impressed, but let's head outside for some basic testing in my yard. Both bikes have 10psi in the tires with the Rimpact in the hardtail. You can see the tire with rimpact holding it's shape much better with these simple tests. It may be hard to see in the cornering footage, but I felt the tire flexing noticebly more without the Rimpact. Now onto some more drastic testing. Again running 10 psi I decided to go hit some stairs, drops, and duck infested trails. Now, you should never run your tire pressure this low, but I wanted to demonstrate the benefit of having this protection. I didn't even bother trying these clips without the rimpact because I don't want a dented rim. That last one was a serious hit. Let's go home and see how it held up. After removing the rimpact I was able to locate where the rim cut into it. Again this was an extreme example with unrealistically low tire pressure and a massive case on a hard edge. I strongly advise you not to run super low pressures like that, but I think the rimpact performed admirably under this circumstance. My rim had no damage to it so I was pretty stoked on that. Lately on the trails I've been running my tires around 20 - 22 psi. I recently went out to flat rock ranch which is pretty chunky and I was pleased to have this extra cushion in my hardtail. I feel slightly more confident in corners with the extra grip and less tire roll, I can climb easier, and I have peace of mind that I'm not destroying a rim. In conclusion I find the Rimpact to be a great entry point into the world of tire inserts. At more than half the cost of CushCore they are great for someone who rides casually and doesn't want to drop $150 on foam. Also if you are a weight weenie you'll love Rimpact's 90 grams per insert vs. Cushcores 260. On the flipside of that argument however, Rimpact is a consumable item, and they recommend replacing them once or twice a season depending on how much you ride. So if you are tire insert curious, want to see about the benefits for yourself, and are looking to keep costs down I think the Rimpact is a really impactful product. I hope you found this review useful, and again a very big thank you to Rimpact for sending these to me. I'm really enjoying your product and appreciate this opportunity to try them out. Please don't forget to give this video a thumbs up, and consider subscribing if you aren't already. A new adventure on wheels awaits you weekly and we'd love to have you here. Thank you so much for watching and until next week, stay rowdy within reason.