View Poll Results: Do you ever actually check how a tube fits a tire?
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 6. You may not vote on this poll
Tubes - does size matter ? I mean "inner" tubes...
06-30-11, 07:51 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Rural Missouri - mostly central and southeastern
Posts: 3,013
Bikes: 2003 LeMond -various other junk bikes
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 78 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 44 Times
in
35 Posts
Tubes - does size matter ? I mean "inner" tubes...
I just had another Dick Cranium moment when replacing a tube on my hybrid rig.
It seems that the tubes I purchased from Performance - 700x28x32 are not actually anywhere near 700c in diameter. I bought about six of them two years ago.
I was changing a tube the other day and noticed how I had to "tuck" the tube up and into the rim space. I decided to lay a semi-inflated tube down on the ground and realized the tube actually fits a 26" tire perfectly.
Does this make any difference. I had a couple of these tubes fail at the valve hole after I started using a bigger tire hybrid tire. 700x32.....??
It seems that the tubes I purchased from Performance - 700x28x32 are not actually anywhere near 700c in diameter. I bought about six of them two years ago.
I was changing a tube the other day and noticed how I had to "tuck" the tube up and into the rim space. I decided to lay a semi-inflated tube down on the ground and realized the tube actually fits a 26" tire perfectly.
Does this make any difference. I had a couple of these tubes fail at the valve hole after I started using a bigger tire hybrid tire. 700x32.....??
Last edited by Richard Cranium; 06-30-11 at 07:56 AM. Reason: high light tube details
06-30-11, 08:05 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: New Rochelle, NY
Posts: 38,704
Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter
Mentioned: 140 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5777 Post(s)
Liked 2,575 Times
in
1,426 Posts
There's a ton of latitude in tube sizing, since it's only a shaped balloon to hold the air and will stretch to fill the tire.
But good fit does make a difference, more in ease of installation, than function. If the overall diameter doesn't match well there's either too much to tuck and spread out and you end up spread 2 extra inches around, or if short it'll tend to be in the way and prone to pinching as you finish mounting the tire. Either is a nuisance.
The width also makes a difference. It has to be narrow enough to actually stretch when inflated, yet wide enough not to stretch excessively. This is more important on narrow rims, where the rube first fills the tire, than the narrow section spanning between the beads stretches farther as it balloons down into the well of the rim. With overly narrow tubes, this second effort can cause splitting in the belly.
So, yes there's latitude, but you want a decent approximation of good fit.
But good fit does make a difference, more in ease of installation, than function. If the overall diameter doesn't match well there's either too much to tuck and spread out and you end up spread 2 extra inches around, or if short it'll tend to be in the way and prone to pinching as you finish mounting the tire. Either is a nuisance.
The width also makes a difference. It has to be narrow enough to actually stretch when inflated, yet wide enough not to stretch excessively. This is more important on narrow rims, where the rube first fills the tire, than the narrow section spanning between the beads stretches farther as it balloons down into the well of the rim. With overly narrow tubes, this second effort can cause splitting in the belly.
So, yes there's latitude, but you want a decent approximation of good fit.
__________________
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
06-30-11, 08:47 AM
#3
Banned
if the tube, inflated but not expanded is about the size of the Tire casing it will fill,
the rubber will remain stretched less, to fill said casing, when in use.
Do they ever label Condoms as, size: "Small"?
the rubber will remain stretched less, to fill said casing, when in use.
Do they ever label Condoms as, size: "Small"?
06-30-11, 10:09 AM
#4
Senior Member
If inflated only enough to take out the slop but not stretching it at all the tube should easily fit around a 700c rim with very little or no stretching at all needed. If your tubes easily go onto 26 inch MTB rims with no slop then it would appear that some tubes got mis-marked. Tubes often have the size molded into the wall at some point as well as ink printed. See if the molded in size matches what you thought you were buying or if they are 26's and there was a packaging mixup.
07-01-11, 09:24 PM
#5
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Rural Missouri - mostly central and southeastern
Posts: 3,013
Bikes: 2003 LeMond -various other junk bikes
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 78 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 44 Times
in
35 Posts
See if the molded in size matches what you thought you were buying or if they are 26's and there was a packaging mixup.
Whole thing sucks big time - of course some outfits have correctly size molds - but not market share nor "branding."
With cyclists mostly part of the "give sheet" group - I'm surprised at the lack of response. But as others have noted - it just a lot of air.......
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
aLonelyClone
Classic & Vintage
15
05-29-14 07:42 AM
