Cycle News Staff | July 7, 2021
For most of our Cycle News product reviews, we share the claimed benefits and design concepts and then dive into a Rider Analysis of how that product performs. For this one, we will first highlight the pros and cons of mousse inserts and compare two options available from Nitromousse.
The mousse Platinum insert (on the left) from Nitromousse is designed to feel more like a traditional air-filled inner tube with a standard amount of air pressure. Nitromousse’s Plushie insert (on the right) is pretty much what the name implies—plush (less “air pressure”), at least plusher compared to the Platinum insert.
Michelin introduced mousse tire inserts to the off-road motorcycle market in the mid-’80s. Mousse is the French word for foam and the primary benefit of a mousse insert (inner tube) is that they will not go flat like a typical pneumatic (air-filled) inner tube. However, a mousse can fail due to heat caused by friction with the inside of the tire. They also provide a different feel than an air-filled tube and some people don’t like this “dead” feeling. And finally, mousse inserts are heavier than a tube. Despite the negatives, the upside of not getting a flat is critical for racing and can add to the enjoyment of trail riding (no trail-side fixes or carrying a tube and tools to change it).
If you do decide to go with a mousse insert, there are several brands available with different price points and performance claims. We decided to give the Nitromousse inserts a try and within their line, we compared the standard Platinum, which is designed to feel similar to 10-12 PSI and the Plushie, which is claimed to feel like a tube inflated to 6-8 PSI.
Mousse inserts eliminate the worry of getting flat tires.
Lowdown | Nitromousse Platinum and Plushie Foam Tire Inserts
List Price: $134.95 each
 |
No flat tires |
|
Option for standard or soft feel/improved traction |
|
|
 |
A Mousse adds 3-4 pounds to each wheel |
|
A little more difficult to install than a tube |
Installing a mousse insert is not much different than installing tubes but is a little more challenging since it is like installing the tire with an inflated tube. A good tire stand is helpful and a few extra tire irons is a must.
To compare the two mousse options from Nitromousse, we chose to use the Shinko 216MX front and 520DC (dual Compound) rear tires on two different bikes. One got the Platinum inserts and the other got the Plushie inserts. The 520DC rear tire utilizes a soft compound in the center knobs and harder compound on the outer knobs. It is designed for traction in extreme conditions and sacrifices tread life to help achieve that. From a tire perspective, we were happy with this choice as we tested the bikes in technical terrain.
The Nitroumousse Platinum feels like a standard tube-filled tire. All mousse inserts will break down with time and use but these will hold up for a long time in normal trail-riding conditions. High speed terrain and heat will make them softer over time and they will eventually feel more similar to how the Plushie option feels to start. Most extreme racers prefer a used mousse for the soft feel and increased traction.
As claimed, the Nitroumousse Plushie provides a much softer feel right out of the box. This is the best option if you are looking for improved traction in technical terrain. The durability is good but like any mousse, they will break down over time so a soft mousse will likely get too soft for your liking. If that does happen with the Plushie or any mousse, Nitroumousse offers wedges that can be stuffed into the tire to firm things back up (you cut the mousse to provide a place to stuff the wedge in).
Foam tubes means not having to carry all this.
It is pretty easy to decide which of these two mousse options is best for you. If you are primarily looking for the convenience of not needing to carry tools to change a tube on the trail or don’t want to risk a flat ruining your race or ride, the Platinum mousse is the easy choice. If you are looking for improved traction in technical terrain (plus no risk for flat tires), the Plushie is the go-to choice.
For more information, visit nitromousse.com
Click here to read the Nitromousse Platinum and Plushie Foam Tire Inserts Product Review Comparison in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
