# Inner tubes... any differences?



## seany916 (Feb 8, 2006)

Are there any difference between the quality/durability of inner tubes?

Recommendations? I don't care about price. I just want my bike to be super reliable. Hate fixing flats on a ride. I'm 215# and sometimes carry about 5-10 pounds of extra stuff.


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## rogger (Aug 19, 2005)

seany916 said:


> Are there any difference between the quality/durability of inner tubes?
> 
> Recommendations? I don't care about price. I just want my bike to be super reliable. Hate fixing flats on a ride. I'm 215# and sometimes carry about 5-10 pounds of extra stuff.


Steer away from the lightweight tubes, otherwise they should all perform pretty much the same. Stick with tires that are puncture resistant and put über cheap tubes in them. Personally I can't be arsed to patch them.


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## Cory (Jan 29, 2004)

*All suck, Continentals maybe suck a little less*

I've never noticed a huge difference among them, and any of them will puncture if you run over a nail or a big thorn. My impression, though, based on nothing but memory, is that maybe I don't have quite as much trouble with Continentals as with other brands. They cost a buck or two more, which isn't a big deal, and they're often hard to find.
FWIW, I've completely given up on super-lite and other trick tubes. Once I get eight or 10 patches on there, they weigh as much as the regular kind anyway.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

I agree with both of the above posters. Avoid light/ultra light weight tubes. Don't waste your money on latex tuber either. I've never been able to discern any difference between expensive or inexpensive tubes; either by the way they ride, or their longevity.


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## ColoradoVeloDude (Oct 7, 2005)

You can get Continental Tubes at Bike Tires Direct. Worked great so far. 

Also, maybe a Mr. Tuffy on each tire?


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## seany916 (Feb 8, 2006)

I'll pick up some Continentals in the next week or so. I JUST bought 2 Bontrager Superlight tubes today. I like that they come wrapped in plastic already & they're smaller than the regular inner tube I had in my saddle bag. I fit both of them in my saddle bag along with: 3 tire levers, 2 CO2 cartridges, one cartridge head, patch kit, money. I can now fit 2 inner tubes in my saddle bag instead of one. I'll just change it to something more durable when I get home. I'll still have a spare after using the first.

I read on this forum about some people recommending carrying 2 tubes. I've never needed more than one (just added the patch kit last week, like no weight or bulk at all because I don't use the plastic box, just stuff them in the little ziploc baggie). I haven't patched a tube since I was in high school. Thanks for the replies, anybody else that cares to weigh in... still like to hear from you.


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## longhorn31 (Jan 6, 2005)

*Hutchinson Lights work for me*

They're butyl and about $10 bucks, but they are good tubes. Theoretically, the thickness of the rubber is more consistent, therefore the ride is smoother. They're 75 grams. I've tried lots of other tubes and they all seem about the same.


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## estone2 (Sep 25, 2005)

seany916 said:


> Are there any difference between the quality/durability of inner tubes?
> 
> Recommendations? I don't care about price. I just want my bike to be super reliable. Hate fixing flats on a ride. I'm 215# and sometimes carry about 5-10 pounds of extra stuff.


Don't go latex. They suck.
Butyl is your friend.
Conti or Michelin, cant remember which, makes some SL Butyl tubes, like 62g, if weight savings are your thing use those. Also Bontrager SL tubes are holding air very well for me - stupid LBS put one on the front tire...
-estone2


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## jlfbogey (Aug 18, 2004)

Performancebike.com has their Forte brand road tube ten packs on sale now for $19.99 with $.99 shipping (no minimum) right now. Each tube is about 0.9mm thick butyl rubber with 48mm presta valves and weighs about 117 grams. Nice and thick, but not outrageously heavy either. Threaded presta valve with the little knurled nut thingy to hold them in place, too.

Best deal on the internet right now---even cheaper than the cheapies on sale at the LBS for about $3 a piece.


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## seany916 (Feb 8, 2006)

I can't seem to locate that one. found the 50 tubes one... 
will you please leave a link to the page?


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## Woolbury (Oct 12, 2005)

But who makes the tube with unthreaded silver valves that look so good in my SL's? I keep opening different brands in the shops with no luck so far...


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## rogger (Aug 19, 2005)

Woolbury said:


> But who makes the tube with unthreaded silver valves that look so good in my SL's? I keep opening different brands in the shops with no luck so far...


Hutchinson makes them, but yet again, they're hard to find.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

Michelin A1's -- at least all the ones I've got -- have unthreaded valves, don't know about "silver" though, but they're, um, metallic.

Regarding Mr. Tuffy's, I've heard to stay away from them, since they can cause as many flats as they stop, though I've never tried them because of this.

Stay away from those cheap performance tubes. The junction between the valve stem and the rubber tends to rip easily. It sucks.


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## Malcog (Aug 21, 2006)

I have had a few brand new inners fail where the valve is attached recently. These were all cheap no-brand ones, made in China. So I only buy Continental inners. And I don't use lightwieght or latex ones, because I usually mange to trap the inner between the rim and the tyre when I'm fitting 'em, in spite of 40 years practise.


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## zooog (Mar 18, 2002)

I have bought the performance, nashbar housebrands. Been very reliable. In past, on Supersale dates I was buying the 3 for whatever price. I personally steer away from the light tubes.......


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## Spinfinity (Feb 3, 2004)

*Mr. Tuffy should sue you for slander.*



Argentius said:


> Regarding Mr. Tuffy's, I've heard to stay away from them, since they can cause as many flats as they stop, though I've never tried them because of this.
> 
> Stay away from those cheap performance tubes. The junction between the valve stem and the rubber tends to rip easily. It sucks.


I use tire liners for commuting in the winter months. Changing tires in cold weather is too horrible. They prevent flats well, especially with larger tires. I cant' recall them causing one, but I'm not sure I would know they caused the flat.

I agree with you about cheap tubes. Lately I've been using Vittorias which have been great. Kenda, Pyramid and Bontrager all gave me problems with valve stems ripping off, a problem I'd never had in 25 years and lots of miles.

Unthreaded valve stems will not work with some of the CO2 inflators that have to screw on. They work more easily with pumps and are a lot shinier, if that matters.


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## Mr Wood (Feb 23, 2006)

Here is the link
http://www.performancebike.com/shop...tegory_ID=5411&CFID=76380586&CFTOKEN=61114568

Item # TF0000492C


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## smokey422 (Feb 22, 2004)

I also usually buy the less expensive tubes that are on sale, usually in 3-5 packs. I think many of the different brands are made in the same factory (Kenda?). I've never had very good luck with the light tubes, either. They lose too much air overnight and you have to constantly pump them up. I bought some Maxxis flyweights for my MTB one time and the valve stems ripped out of both of them as soon as I pumped them up. When riding, I carry a spare tube and a patch kit, in case I have a second flat. I put in the spare tube, bring the flatted one home, and patch it. It seems wasteful to just toss them away when patches are so cheap.


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## Lt. (Jun 2, 2005)

For over a year I used the Performance tubes without a flat. I placed an order a few months back for more tubes for different wheelsets. I received the ultra-lite type but decided to keep them What a mistake... 3 flats in two months!  

 
P.S. I recently ordered Continental tubes.


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## Al1943 (Jun 23, 2003)

The best IMO are the Michelin UltraLites, no threads so the pump chuck slides on and off smoothly. Threads are hard on pump chuck "O" rings. These tubes have consistent high quality. The only risk with ultralites is in the installation.

Al


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## nachomc (Aug 31, 2006)

seany916 said:


> Are there any difference between the quality/durability of inner tubes?
> 
> Recommendations? I don't care about price. I just want my bike to be super reliable. Hate fixing flats on a ride. I'm 215# and sometimes carry about 5-10 pounds of extra stuff.


I know you're asking about tubes, however because your ultimate goal is to reduce the amount of flat tires you experience, you might look at a different tire. Our riding may differ - I commute (22 miles each way) 3 times a week and get out for some riding on the weekends, so flats are a serious issue for me. I was average 2 flats every 25 miles or so (which sucks when my normal ride is 30 miles) so I upgraded the tire to the Specialized Armadillo. They're a little heavy as they have a kevlar casing, however you can go a bit lighter by getting the Armadillo Elite. I'm running the regular Armadillo though so I can't speak to the effectiveness of the elite. Anyway, with the tires, I've ridden about 200 miles, not a flat to speak of. I have even TRIED to flat them by riding them over those little ground cover spots filled with those bastard bull thorn things and I could hear them crunching under my tires . They're all condition, so they give good traction on pretty much all surfaces. In fact, they give great grip while cornering on dry ground - much better than I expected.

If your riding is like mine, touring/commuting, these would likely be perfect for you. I'm 230lbs and carry about 10-15lbs of stuff (laptop/clothes) on my commute. Good luck


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## asciibaron (Aug 11, 2006)

cheap tubes are fine - get a good tire and if you think it will help the Mr Tuffy liner. i haven't had a flat in years because i check the tire pressure before each ride, if it's low, i stay on the couch


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## jlfbogey (Aug 18, 2004)

See the identical thread I posted on the Hot Deals page--link is there.


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## A4B45200 (Aug 28, 2004)

*Same here*



rogger said:


> Hutchinson makes them, but yet again, they're hard to find.


I'm in the same boat as Woolbury. I want smooth and silver stems on the tube for SLs. Purely for aesthetic reasons  If Hutchinson fits that bill, they have those at biketiresdirect.com:

http://www.biketiresdirect.com/productdetail.asp?p=HUTUB&tnum=2670502&c=3558599

Doesn't confirm they are silver, but I take that you have them and you can attest to that.

I have Michelin A1 Aircomp currently...they are smooth but of a bronze colored stem. :cryin: If I find those Hutchinson's locally, I may grab a pair.


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## rogger (Aug 19, 2005)

A4B45200 said:


> I'm in the same boat as Woolbury. I want smooth and silver stems on the tube for SLs. Purely for aesthetic reasons  If Hutchinson fits that bill, they have those at biketiresdirect.com:
> 
> http://www.biketiresdirect.com/productdetail.asp?p=HUTUB&tnum=2670502&c=3558599
> 
> ...


They came stock on my bike, haven't had a "chance" to replace them. But if Hutchinson makes them OEM, they should be available aftermarket as well.


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## Woolbury (Oct 12, 2005)

Thanks rogger. They came on my bike too, and no identification on them. They look a LOT better than the ugly brass monster I have sticking out of that beauty of a rim. Gonna chase down a few and see how they work. I still have my original Hutchinson(?) in the front with 2500mi on it, and have gone through 4-5 performance tubes(ultralights-I had a stack of them) on my back in same amount of time. Rear tire has been replaced also.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is switching to 25c tires. I'm bigger than you at 255 pounds and rarely get flat tires running 25c tires. However, with 23c's I get them on a regular basis.

With 25c tires you can run your psi a little lower for a smoother ride (though with my weight I still run 120 psi), but also with the lower psi the tire will wrap around objects better resulting in fewer flats.

I run basic tubes and in 1700 miles I've only had two flats. One was from a construction staple that went through the tire and the other from a piece of glass in the sidewall that tore a 3/4" gash in the sidewall. Both pretty much unavoidable.

Other than that nothing.

Also, you only give up about 20-30 grams in weight, which for the most part is negligible.


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## seany916 (Feb 8, 2006)

Picked up some 25s, they'll be on my bike the next tire change. 220# currently


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

I use Michelin tubes because the valve stems are threadless. Threaded valve stems tear up your pump chucks, which are much more expensive and troublesome to replace. I keep my eyes open for sales, and buy about 5 tubes when they're on sale. Performance usually has Michi tubes on sale a couple of times a year. I've tried the Performance house brand tubes and didn't like them. The valve stems are threaded, plus they seem to flat easier, and at least one of them tore near the valve stem.

I also do what apparently many cyclists don't bother with any more -- that is, repair my tubes. I hang on to them after flats, and sit down with a tube repair kit on a nice rainy day and fix a whole bunch at one time. Repaired about 10 tubes that way on Sunday this summer when my regular ride was rained out.


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## jabpn (Oct 14, 2005)

I wish I could remember the details but I read an article a couple of years ago that discussed whether or not tube type, lightness, and mfg determined the number of flats one got. After the experiment they found that lightness and tube type didn't affect the number of flats in any way shape or form. They attributed this mainly to the fact that no matter how thick the rubber was anything that pierced the tire itself was simply going to cause a flat no matter what. I think they also mentioned something about the inner tube needing to be EXTREMELY thick in order to provide any noticable resistance to flatting. They also found that for the most part different mfg's didn't matter either. Unless there was a serious number of reported failings for a particular mfg they all performed and had problems similar to each other. They gave personal accounts of having name brand stems ripping off the tube and the same with cheapo no namers and no noticable difference between the number of incidents. They also pointed out that "defect" failings occurred very infrequently.

From my own experience I've never noticed any difference between name brand or tube weight with regards to flats. I've gotten the same number of flats. The area I was riding was the only factor that played into the number of flats I've gotten. My personal experience backs up the article I read. I've also had only two mfg defects occur with tubes and one was a specialized tube and one was a no namer. Both defects were splits at the seam. Now, I have had a huge difference in the number of flats I've gotten by using different tires. When I switched to using tires specifically geared towards flat reduction, such as specialized's all condition pro or Kenda's Kontender's with flat protection, I noticed a big reduction in the number of flats. Tubes are there simply to maintain air pressure, no other reason. Tires are there to provide traction, feel, flatting resistance (if that's the aim of the mfg), speed, etc. etc.


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## minus9 (Oct 11, 2005)

Price Point has their tubes (both 700c and 26") at $19.98 for 10 tubes. That seems to be a constant price. Earlier this year they had 5 for $10 and I picked up 5 of both sizes. They seem fine to me so far.

I never really had problems with any particular type, but just be carefiul not to get overzealous in buying bulk amounts. I had some old tubes that I had purchased a number of years ago and never used. When I finally took them out to use, two of them had the valve stem pull right out.


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## datertodd (Mar 21, 2012)

if you don't mind a little heaver tire u could go with a sold tube like i have and i will never have a flat again :thumbsup: tho i know some don't like the extra weight on the bike


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

Standard good quality butyl for training.
Latex for the race/nice tires. Vredesteins are better than Vittoria and Michelin.
Latex is more puncture resistant than std. butyl and has less rolling resistance.
Avoid light butyl. They may roll even better than latex, but puncture resistance is very low.


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## Bill2 (Oct 14, 2007)

Don't get the threaded stems. I saved a few bucks on those at Decathlon, then had to buy new Silca presta washers that the threads ate up.


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## ClancyO (Mar 20, 2011)

I bought 20 e-cheapo performance tubes about 4-5 years ago. I still have about 3 or 4, and I NEVER patch a tube - its 1 and done for me. Sure they're heavy, but they've served me well.

The specialized branded tubes that came with my bike didn't last nearly as long. 

I honestly think the tire plays a bigger role in the longetivity of the tube.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

Talk about resurrecting a thread from the dead. OP was in 2006!


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