The nonlinear dynamics of microtearing modes in standard tokamak plasmas are investigated by means of ab initio gyrokinetic simulations. The saturation levels of the magnetic field fluctuations can be understood in the framework of a balance between (small poloidal wave number) linear drive and small-scale dissipation. The resulting heat transport is dominated by the electron magnetic component, and the transport levels are found to be experimentally relevant. Microtearing modes thus constitute another candidate for explaining turbulent transport in such toroidal systems.