TPU Tubes
 

I bought eight TPU tubes mainly for spare tubes to carry in my pocket because they are so small and light. That got me wondering if anyone runs them for daily use. I mean, 36g, I'd like to try and maybe will but I'd like to get a report from people who've used them daily.

daily - no

but I’ve been running them on two bikes for a couple of years (and also have them on a third bike that should see more use this year)

I have Schwalbe Aerothan TPU tubes on two bikes - 700c Race and Endurance tubes

did have issue with the valve stem - Silca pump head would not stay on ... had to use a thread on attachment ...and one time as I removed / ham-fisted the attachment from the valve stem I pulled the guts out also

got a Hiro head for the Silca pump - but instead been using a battery powered inflator (with screw on attachment)

have Pirelli Cinturato TPU tubes on another bike - 650b - but that bike has seen little use (but will see more use in the future)

also have Revoloop Tubes tubes - but have not used them ... went with the Pirelli tubes instead (was not fond of the size / ‘flimsiness’ of the Revoloop)

in the past - years ago - I ran latex tubes - road and off road bikes ... mostly Air-B ... they were great - but as most are aware you gotta pump em up before every ride

not the case with the Aerothan TPU tubes - they hold air similar to a butyl tube

Thanks for the info. I think I’m going to set a bike up with them and see how it goes. I’ll take a butyl tube along just in case.

Take two

Running TPU tubes on my road bike right now. I also have tubeless tires, but it's easier for me to switch between my summer and winter road slicks. I'd also carry/use glueless patches. They adhere better to the TPU material and are more secure to patch up that way.

I use TPU tubes from AliExpress (Ridenow). Impressed with the weight but I feel they are not a supple as latex (maybe comparable to a thin butyl). Not a lot of miles on them but I like them generally. A good way to shed some rotational mass.

I have gotten flats and while I have a repair kit I am only 50% successful in patching (carefully and exactly as instructed). I've since found that Gorilla Glue tape works pretty well as a patch.

See how what goes? What do you imagine butyl will do for you TPU cannot?

Oh, good, sounds like you have experience. How did it go?




;)

Indeed I do…I’ve posted about them many times, and have been running Aerothan pretty much since they came out; I couldn’t even find them stateside at the time, and had to order out of shop in Germany. They’re great, is the short of it, but I can speak to attributes like repairability, too, if you’d like.

Thanks. Glad to hear it. I ordered eight from Aliexpress and a patch kit came with them. I installed them yesterday and will do my first ride today.

I switched to running Tubolito TPU tubes halfway through the season last year, largely for the weight savings. They're stupidly expensive, but fare actually not terribly in grams per dollar cost when you look at things like higher end bikes/wheels/helmets/etc. I've flatted just once in a circumstance I think a regular butyl tube also would have flatted in. So basically, so far, so good.

I've purchased two 8-packs from Aliexpress at $8 each and both packs came with a patch kit. 36g each tube.

The only complaint so far is that they seem to ride a little harsh but that might be because i'm coming over from riding tubeless the last 4-5 years.

Or it could be because in the same way we see different material properties in various alloys of metals like titanium, steel, and aluminum, as well as materials property differences in carbon fiber blends and rubber compounds, that cheap, Chinese— unbranded?— TPU has different material properties than other TPUs, such as Schwalbe’s Aerothan.

I mean, I noticed a difference in feel switching from tubeless to Aerothan as well, but I wanted call it anything like harshness. Aerothan felt a little less supple or a little more stiff, but I wonder if some of that perception wasn’t down to tire pressure; I’d been having trouble holding pressure with the Herse Bon Jon Extralights tubeless, which is why switched them to TPU, so no doubt there were times where the smoothness was caused by decaying tire pressure.

Anyway, superlight TPU at 36g I’d have expected to be very supple on the presumption the material is very thin, but again, we have to recognize that different material compositions can have different performance attributes, which is a long way of saying “plastic ain’t plastic.”

Ive got some TPU tubes as spares for n the event my tubeless plugs don’t work. Thankfully have not needed to use.

chaadster I may be overinflated. I’m going to reduce the psi gradually and see if the ride improves. They really do hold air well.

Probably more likely with tubeless you were underinflated. TL proponents like to talk about how low you can go without risk of pinch flatting, but not necessarily much support that their PSIs are optimal

What's the point of that ^ video?

Mind sharing a link to the exact Gorilla tape? there are several kinds.

Used latex tubes

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e5a798ea57.jpg
I cut a little square of this and used it to patch. I've previously used this tape to successfully seal a small leak in my showerhead.

had mixed success with Gorilla adhesives - but the Gorilla duct tape is really good

but I typically apply liberal amount of talc / baby powder to tube and inside of tire - so patching a tube (any tube) out on a ride will be a last option

Why talc and the mess that comes with it? Many many years ago I supervised mobile equipment maintenance shops and we used talc on tubes as without it the heat generated could bond the tubes to the tire in our heavy trucks. I inflate bike tire (~ 40 lbs) defleate and then inflate to full pressure and have never had a problem with a tube other than road hazzard puncture,

I run TPU for daily use

I was using TPU tubes exclusively on my clincher rim brake bikes... I loved how they felt. But, after multiple punctures during an especially-brutal winter in Southern California (and the associated crappy roads), I switched to tubeless and have been much happier. No more tube changes at 5 am while it's raining!