RockStop MTB, the parent company of whom is a UK-based polyurethane manufacturer called Urofoam, has released a new tyre insert specific to gravel riding. Shown at the CORE Bike Show last month, the RockStop Gravel Tyre Insert was accompanied by a new chainstay protector, and narrower iterations of their proven eMTB downtube protector designed to fit a variety of carbon and aluminum frames. Here’s everything you need to know.
RockStop Gravel Tyre Insert
This isn’t the first tyre insert we’ve seen from RockStop. We tested the 43.5mm wide mountain bike version last year. It was successful in its primary objective; preventing pinch flat punctures and protecting the rim, and we very much appreciated how easy it was to fit (some tyre inserts are notorious pains in that regard). You can read the full review here. RockStop’s latest offering appeals to the gravel riding contingent, optimised for a 20mm internal rim width. It is made from the same polyurethane elastomer often used in shock absorbers in F1 cars and aerospace industries.
The insert itself is 30mm wide, so there is 5mm of overhang on either side of the rim. It is this overhang that is said to add a bit of sidewall stability to allow the use of slightly lower tyre pressures. The depth of that cushion portion at the rim edge is 5-6mm while deepest section over the central region measures at 16mm.
The 700c version of the RockStop Gravel Tyre Insert weighs a claimed 200g; a 650b version will be developed if the RockStop team deem there to be a big enough market. The foam is closed-cell in nature so won’t absorb sealant. The cut-outs seen along the entire length of the insert mean there is no need to run special tyre insert specific valves. Stock is due around early May with an expected retail price of £65 per insert.
RockStop Frameguard for Carbon and Aluminum Frames
RockStop has added to its line of downtube protectors with two new versions of the Frameguard, originally released as a protector specifically for the motor region and enlarged downtubes seen on eMTBs. Like the original, these narrower iterations are made of a viscoelastic polymer molded around an aluminum insert than runs the full length of the protector. The protector is able to mold to the specific shape of the frame.
RockStop has now released one for carbon frames that measures 58mm across and weighs a claimed 120g, as well as an ever narrower one for aluminum frames that measures 45mm across and weighs a claimed 90g. The Frameguard is mounted to the downtube via extra-strength 3M VHB tape attached to metal tabs. These can themselves detach from the Frameguard so that it can be removed quickly for cleaning underneath, and reattached via the velcro straps without fuss.
All three Frameguards retail at £45. Additional adhesive tabs can be purchased at £9.99 for four.
RockStop Chainstay Protector
Also on show at CORE Bike was RockStop’s new chainstay protector, or chain slap damper, designed to protect your paint but also keep noise to a minimum. This one made from a thermoplastic polyurethane, so is a little harder than the material used for the Frameguards. Four ratchet straps attach the protector to the stay; any excess length can be snipped off. The chainstay protector will be available in one size only, with a length of 240mm. RockStop reassure me you won’t have to wait too long to order one of these. They will retail at around the £25 mark.
