Inner tubes?

El Selb

Hi, I'm new to road cycling, although I now cycle into work each day. I'm out of inner tubes and just looking on the net....I can get some airwave tubes for 2.99 although you can pay a lot more. Are the airwave 'bargains' going to lead to loads of punctures?! Do you get what you pay for?

Vegeeta

You do generally get what you're paying for up to a point....

I work in a Trek dealership and we sell Bontrager tubes naturally, I certainly haven't had a problem with these. When I worked at Halfords we had Continental, Michelin and Bikehut tubes.

I was asked to use Bikehut/Halfords tubes only in repairs and they quite often died at the seams when you got up to road bike pressures. When I told my manager I was going to use the Continentals that's when I stopped having problems.

I'd say the best bet is to go with either a standard Bontrager/Michelin/Panaracer/Specialized/WTB/Continental tube which should be around the £6 mark as a minimum.

I prefer usng Bontrager light weight tubes which are usually around £8 and I have no additional punctures.

fatherted

http://www.cyclingbargains.com/product_ ... xed-p-1085

gbsahne001

when you say you're running out, are you not repairing the ones that you're swapping out?

desweller

Vegeeta wrote:

You do generally get what you're paying for up to a point....

I work in a Trek dealership and we sell Bontrager tubes naturally, I certainly haven't had a problem with these. When I worked at Halfords we had Continental, Michelin and Bikehut tubes.

I was asked to use Bikehut/Halfords tubes only in repairs and they quite often died at the seams when you got up to road bike pressures. When I told my manager I was going to use the Continentals that's when I stopped having problems.

I'd say the best bet is to go with either a standard Bontrager/Michelin/Panaracer/Specialized/WTB/Continental tube which should be around the £6 mark as a minimum.

I prefer usng Bontrager light weight tubes which are usually around £8 and I have no additional punctures.

Sounds to me like you were pinching the tubes on installation. They don't have seams, just extrusion flash.

Pep

I buy perhaps 1-2 new tubes every 10yr or so, just patch the punctured one and swap. Never failed yet.

Headhuunter

If yuo're just looking for cheap as chips tubes which do the job fine then Decathlon sells them for about a quid each... Or they did. I haven't been there for a while so they may have gone up. As mentioned above, I've got piles and piles of tubes that I just keep repairing....

Pep

Headhuunter wrote:

As mentioned above, I've got piles and piles of tubes that I just keep repairing....

why do you have many?

The Rookie

I like Schwalbe tubes......

We have Tesco tubes in most our MTB's which cost £1.43 each, dare say Decathlon are cheaper, but factor in the cost of getting there and back......(32 miles to my nearest!)

Simon

Headhuunter

Pep wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

As mentioned above, I've got piles and piles of tubes that I just keep repairing....

why do you have many?

Because I get incredibly busy with work etc at times and have not time to repair tubes so end up buying more. Then things get quieter and I repair 10+ in 1 sitting... Also people I ride with just chuck them away but I think that's such a waste so I take them, repair them and end up with even more tubes!

t4tomo

+1 for tesco tubes. Seem to do the trick

Vegeeta

DesWeller wrote:

Sounds to me like you were pinching the tubes on installation. They don't have seams, just extrusion flash.

Maybe I'd agree if I used levers but with the baggy Continental tyres I was fitting left right and centre they were definately not pinched.

rolf_f

If you are on a budget, Wilkinsons sell Kenda inner tubes for £2.50. They seem to be fine.

dombo6

Evans had Conti tubes in the sale at 2.99. I have a patched one that's done over 500 miles at 120psi. just make sure you patch with glue and not the self-stick patches.

Vivica

Specialized tubes from Evans - often BOGOF... Find one you like, and buy in bulk.

Pep

Dombo6 wrote:

Evans had Conti tubes in the sale at 2.99. I have a patched one that's done over 500 miles at 120psi. just make sure you patch with glue and not the self-stick patches.

I just bought a batch of self stick patches, never used before.
Are they no good?

meanredspider

I've stopped using Bontrager tubes (from LBS) as I had too many fail at the valve stem joint to the inner. All others seem better in this respect.

kelsen

Pep wrote:

Dombo6 wrote:

Evans had Conti tubes in the sale at 2.99. I have a patched one that's done over 500 miles at 120psi. just make sure you patch with glue and not the self-stick patches.

I just bought a batch of self stick patches, never used before.
Are they no good?

In my experience, they're ok for a temporary repair, but the adhesive fails over time.

dombo6

They are fine for mtb but for higher road pressures I don't trust them.

jeremyrundle

Stay clear of "slime" tubes, yes they help with punctures BUT over time the slime fills the valve making it impossible to get air in, I have removed all mine and use a plain tube about £6.50 but I only use Continental touring plus tyres, puncture proof.

simon_e

I have used various Schwalbe, Continental Race 28, Michelin and Nutrak tubes in 26" and 700c sizes. All work fine. However, the Michelin road tubes I bought recently do not have a locknut thread, so I wouldn't buy them again. The valve on Specialized standard 700c tubes (32mm?) is too short for all but the shallowest rims.

I wouldn't bother with slime/self-healing tubes, I think you're better off buying decent tyres. Same goes for glueless patches. I don't have a problem with a few minutes of waiting for the rubber solution to dry on the rare occasion I have had to patch a tube and I know it will be up to the job.