Review Ratbite Tyre Inserts

[Doomanic]

Product Image:

Product name: Ratbite Tyre Inserts
Price paid: £18 inc P&P
Score (out of 10): TBD

Review: After destroying a tyre and dinging a rim at the weekend I thought it was about time I invested in some tyre inserts. If time (and cost) wasn't an issue, I would have bought the Mr Wolf Mk2 inserts as I like the idea of the small inner tube that requires no sealant, but at £100 each I decided to give the Ratbites a try.

I contacted Ratbite over Messenger at 9pm on Monday and got a reply almost instantly. I explained I needed the insert for the weekend and asked what the shipping time was. Usually it's 2-3 days between order and dispatch but I was promised shipment on Tuesday so I coughed up the £18 a single insert cost.
Darren (Mr Ratbite) was true to his word and the insert arrived in the post today complete with installation instructions and stickers, but no Haribo.

The insert is shaped to fit the tyre and doesn't seem to distort it at all.

Installation is dead easy; took me 5 minutes, if that, although the wheel was already off the bike.

I've only gone for an insert in the rear at this point as that's the tyre that gets the most abuse.

So; so far, so good. I'll update after the weekend when I've ridden on it.

 

[smokey_jo]

You can also buy backer rod in 40mm diameter which is the same material just not cut down the centre for a fair bit less. Once the tyre is inflated the foam insert contracts under pressure a fair bit. In rocky areas it seems to save a few rim dings and sidewall tears though

 

[Doomanic]

Yeah, I've seen the backer rod discussed on STW. I didn't have time to bugger about so paid the lazy tax. There is a profile on the Ratbites though, it's not as simple as just cutting backer rod in half. 40mm is too narrow for 2.8" tyres, the Ratbites are sold in a range of sizes and fill the tyre nicely.

 

[smokey_jo]

Be interesting to see how you get on. I'm thinking with 2.5 Tyres I'm not going to split the 40mm rods and run them full and see how they feel.

 

[Stumpy]

Product Image: View attachment 2989

Product name: Ratbite Tyre Inserts
Price paid: £18 inc P&P
Score (out of 10): TBD

Review: After destroying a tyre and dinging a rim at the weekend I thought it was about time I invested in some tyre inserts. If time (and cost) wasn't an issue, I would have bought the Mr Wolf Mk2 inserts as I like the idea of the small inner tube that requires no sealant, but at £100 each I decided to give the Ratbites a try.

I contacted Ratbite over Messenger at 9pm on Monday and got a reply almost instantly. I explained I needed the insert for the weekend and asked what the shipping time was. Usually it's 2-3 days between order and dispatch but I was promised shipment on Tuesday so I coughed up the £18 a single insert cost.
Darren (Mr Ratbite) was true to his word and the insert arrived in the post today complete with installation instructions and stickers, but no Haribo.

The insert is shaped to fit the tyre and doesn't seem to distort it at all.

Installation is dead easy; took me 5 minutes, if that, although the wheel was already off the bike.

I've only gone for an insert in the rear at this point as that's the tyre that gets the most abuse.

So; so far, so good. I'll update after the weekend when I've ridden on it.

Looking forward to hearing how you get on with these, sounds like a great idea

 

[Dax]

What is backer rod?

 

[Stumpy]

What is backer rod?

Google it - but its circular, tube-like foam - like pipe lagging but solid

 

[Kiwi in Wales]

Yeah, I've seen the backer rod discussed on STW. I didn't have time to bugger about so paid the lazy tax. There is a profile on the Ratbites though, it's not as simple as just cutting backer rod in half. 40mm is too narrow for 2.8" tyres, the Ratbites are sold in a range of sizes and fill the tyre nicely.

Hi Doomanic,

What tyres and pressures were you running when you dinged your rim?

 

[Doomanic]

Nobby Nic 2.8" at 20psi.

 

[Dax]

Maybe a touch low with your weight? I'm running 2.8 butchers at 23-26psi, around 75kg with gear.

 

[Doomanic]

Are you saying I’m fat?

You could be right, but at higher pressures it feels horrible; too bouncy and sketchy in the turns.

 

[Kiwi in Wales]

If you are worried about denting your rims but are not worried about weight of the tyre then I can highly recommend Magic Mary 2.6's as an alternative to inserts. The Ultra soft ADDIX DH versions.

They are 1400 grams plus each and the sidewalls on these bad boys are immense. 7 Fabric layers on the sidewall. The first 2cm section of sidewall of this tyre where it contacts the rim is so reinforced that it cannot be bent unlike so many other tyres out there which just fold like paper. This is what gives you the rim protection. That is the yellowy/orange section in the image below.

I am 74kgs all kitted up and was able to run these tyres at 18 psi through whatever rock garden I cared to throw at them when I was in the French and Swiss alps. You may have to run them at a higher psi if you weigh a bit more but recommended pressures on the tyre is 17psi to 38 psi.

I can happily assure you they will give you plenty of confidence and you will forget about doing any damage to your rims. The grip in all conditions is great even in the wet rooty sections.

The only downsides are weight and a faster wear rate but in my opinion, that is a small price to pay if you have piece of mind.

 

[Doomanic]

That's a beast of a tyre!

 

[Donnie797]

If you are worried about denting your rims but are not worried about weight of the tyre then I can highly recommend Magic Mary 2.6's as an alternative to inserts. The Ultra soft ADDIX DH versions.

They are 1400 grams plus each and the sidewalls on these bad boys are immense. 7 Fabric layers on the sidewall. The first 2cm section of sidewall of this tyre where it contacts the rim is so reinforced that it cannot be bent unlike so many other tyres out there which just fold like paper. This is what gives you the rim protection. That is the yellowy/orange section in the image below.

I am 74kgs all kitted up and was able to run these tyres at 18 psi through whatever rock garden I cared to throw at them when I was in the French and Swiss alps. You may have to run them at a higher psi if you weigh a bit more but recommended pressures on the tyre is 17psi to 38 psi.

I can happily assure you they will give you plenty of confidence and you will forget about doing any damage to your rims. The grip in all conditions is great even in the wet rooty sections.

The only downsides are weight and a faster wear rate but in my opinion, that is a small price to pay if you have piece of mind.

View attachment 3005

The Nobby Nic is pretty all-round, but not very long-lasting and tough. On the Schwalbe website you can search a tire and set some parameters like durability, protection, roll resistance, offload-grip, etc... Setting durability, protection and offroad-grip to a high level those 3 tires are recommended:

Magic Mary in the front, Hans Dampf in the back is a damn good combination. You can go with Magic Mary in the back, too but it's really heavy, has huge nobs and a high rolling resistance which will eat more battery.

 

[Kiwi in Wales]

The Nobby Nic is pretty all-round, but not very long-lasting and tough. On the Schwalbe website you can search a tire and set some parameters like durability, protection, roll resistance, offload-grip, etc... Setting durability, protection and offroad-grip to a high level those 3 tires are recommended:

View attachment 3006

Magic Mary in the front, Hans Dampf in the back is a damn good combination. You can go with Magic Mary in the back, too but it's really heavy, has huge nobs and a high rolling resistance which will eat more battery.

My first hand experience with using the Magic Mary 2.6 DH tyres on the front and also on the rear is big thumbs up ? I did not feel like I had any issues with them being too heavy or that they had high rolling resistance. What I did feel was amazing grip, confidence and strength. Remember, these tyres are on an ebike not a normal mountain bike where you would definitely feel the impact of them being heavy and a high rolling resistance especially in the terrain I currently ride in. Also, I never noticed my battery being used up sooner than it should have due to my tyres. I am sure I lost a few Watt hours but nothing that impacted my autonomy. I know Strava is not accurate and should only be used as a guide. So the guide is telling me that some of my current personal bests on a large number of my climbs were achieved using these tyres.

Putting anything less than a Super Gravity set up on the rear would mean you having to use inserts to save your rims. The key thing I am suggesting here is an alternative to using inserts so you do not dent your rims. In my opinion, using a Magic Mary 2.6 DH on the rear is not a big compromise if you know your rim is in safe hands.

On another note, I see Schwalbe have released some ebike specific tyres called Eddy Currents. These are 2.8s Super Gravity. They are a bit lighter but not much at 1350gms. These may be the next tyres that I try. I really like the middle blocks as I believe they will assist me on my quest to conquer the super steep climbs.

 

[drjarvis2003]

Just got ratbites today for my 2.8 magic Mary's, going to try milkit valves and stans race sealant. Won't be able to test till next week though, but will let you all know what happens.

 

[Doomanic]

I'm already running a 2.6" MM on the front, tubeless, no insert, but not a DH casing.

IMHO, it's too dry for a MM on the rear at the moment, but I'll be fitting one for the winter (so in about a week... )

I'm pretty happy with the grip and feel of the NN, plus I had one ready to fit which is a huge bonus when you're skint.

 

[Donnie797]

Just got ratbites today for my 2.8 magic Mary's, going to try milkit valves and stans race sealant. Won't be able to test till next week though, but will let you all know what happens.

@drjarvis2003 how did the ratbites perform? are you happy with them?

 

[LawmanMtb]

yea, how did you get on with the ratbites mate?

 

[drjarvis2003]

Sorry about the delay. I think I posted a review elsewhere. Anyway, ratbites are not for e bikes, I trashed one in about 10 miles and dented the rim too. Now running vittoria air liners and all has been good since. I know some people on here don't like the price, but as far as I'm concerned it's worth it, to save rims and a long walk of shame. I think ratbites are too soft, but having said that, I would still use them in a push bike, as they weigh almost nothing and should do their job without the e bike weight problems. Fyi, I'm 65kg, so it's not my weight that's the problem.

 

[LawmanMtb]

bugger, ordered a ratbite now :/ i wished i'd a gone for a Vittoria now too

 

[drjarvis2003]

bugger, ordered a ratbite now :/ i wished i'd a gone for a Vittoria now too

Put them in your push bike? Using muc off sealant now, seems better than stans.

 

[LawmanMtb]

yea, thats my plan now, my ebike has a hucknorris fitted

 

[drjarvis2003]

yea, thats my plan now, my ebike has a hucknorris fitted

Sorry to tell you this, but I have trashed a rim with huck Norris in too. Just out of interest, I saw an I interview with an ews rider, saying that he ran 2 huck norrises in the rear of his bike.

 

[LawmanMtb]

Double Bugger

 

[Gary]

You're trashing rims because you're choosing to run too low pressures. Grip (or comfort) really isn't that important that you need to be running so low pressures that you risk splitting tyres/rims every time you ride rocks. Unless you're racing DH/Enduro at the highest level just put more air in.

 

[Kiwi in Wales]

Sorry to tell you this, but I have trashed a rim with huck Norris in too. Just out of interest, I saw an I interview with an ews rider, saying that he ran 2 huck norrises in the rear of his bike.

Hi @drjarvis2003
What tyre pressures were you running?

 

[Dirtnvert]

I have no experience with the vittoria (Hucks on my acoustic bike), but I was looking to try them. There’s a link with a code for the vittoria in the comments of this review vid that may work

[youtube]aUoBGxXIuF8[/youtube]
^^newb embed,sorry

 

[drjarvis2003]

That's my point, I can now run any pressure I want with the air liners. I was on 2.8 magic Mary's, but since swapping over to 2.6 magic mary dh I was still clipping the rims but with no damage, I have now put air liners into them too.

 

[LawmanMtb]

ratbite turned up earlier, its going in my hardtail on a new wtb i45 scraper, a couple of extra psi and im hopefull