Latex inner tubes

VTech

Do they really offer a better ride feel ?
The guy at Decathlon was convinced and I did believe him so has anyone else used them and would you concur ?

imposter2.0

In short - no, they don't.

Cleat Eastwood

there was some discussion about them last year

this a thread where they were mentioned - they deflate quickly, it seems

napoleond

They are great if used with fast tyres. They do improve the ride unless you use them with hosepipes like continentals... They even sound nice!
You need to pump them up after each ride but I do that with normal ones anyhoo.

VTech

Ive got one fitted on the trainer with a schwable trainer tyre and it is sooooo quiet, I didnt think a turbo tyre could be that silent.

markyone

I use them with veloflex tyres and imo they are better,as nap said you need to keep pumping
them up every ride.

imposter2.0

VTech wrote:

Ive got one fitted on the trainer with a schwable trainer tyre and it is sooooo quiet, I didnt think a turbo tyre could be that silent.

did you previously try the trainer tyre with a butyl tube, for comparison ?

ShutUpLegs

Imposter wrote:

VTech wrote:

Ive got one fitted on the trainer with a schwable trainer tyre and it is sooooo quiet, I didnt think a turbo tyre could be that silent.

did you previously try the trainer tyre with a butyl tube, for comparison ?

Computer & wind tunnel tests, but it's secret.

VTech

Imposter wrote:

VTech wrote:

Ive got one fitted on the trainer with a schwable trainer tyre and it is sooooo quiet, I didnt think a turbo tyre could be that silent.

did you previously try the trainer tyre with a butyl tube, for comparison ?

No, the one I was using before was from the mountainbike so twice the thickness and with water guides so I expected a drop in noise from that alone.
I only asked as the guy seem convinced they were better to ride on so after some googling it seems people agree although they all agree that you need to keep pressure up too.

Velonutter

I will switch over to Latex this summer, but the thing that strikes me is the number of people who don't check their tyres before every ride, I find my tyres lose between 5-10psi overnight, that's enough to cause a pinch puncture!

Using latex isn't going to be a problem if you check them before each ride, it's also a good basis to check your tyres out before each ride in case your tyres have been damaged.

imposter2.0

VTech wrote:

Imposter wrote:

VTech wrote:

Ive got one fitted on the trainer with a schwable trainer tyre and it is sooooo quiet, I didnt think a turbo tyre could be that silent.

did you previously try the trainer tyre with a butyl tube, for comparison ?

No, the one I was using before was from the mountainbike so twice the thickness and with water guides so I expected a drop in noise from that alone.
I only asked as the guy seem convinced they were better to ride on so after some googling it seems people agree although they all agree that you need to keep pressure up too.

Ok - so based on what you just said, it's quite possible that a butyl tube could be just as quiet, no ?

Latex tubes make no discernible difference to ride quality or performance in my own experience. The biggest single improvement you can make to ride quality (regardless of tyre or tube choice) is running them at an optimum pressure based on your weight and riding style.

Secteur

Velonutter wrote:

the thing that strikes me is the number of people who don't check their tyres before every ride, I find my tyres lose between 5-10psi overnight, that's enough to cause a pinch puncture!.

+1

VTech

Imposter wrote:

VTech wrote:

Imposter wrote:

VTech wrote:

Ive got one fitted on the trainer with a schwable trainer tyre and it is sooooo quiet, I didnt think a turbo tyre could be that silent.

did you previously try the trainer tyre with a butyl tube, for comparison ?

No, the one I was using before was from the mountainbike so twice the thickness and with water guides so I expected a drop in noise from that alone.
I only asked as the guy seem convinced they were better to ride on so after some googling it seems people agree although they all agree that you need to keep pressure up too.

Ok - so based on what you just said, it's quite possible that a butyl tube could be just as quiet, no ?

Latex tubes make no discernible difference to ride quality or performance in my own experience. The biggest single improvement you can make to ride quality (regardless of tyre or tube choice) is running them at an optimum pressure based on your weight and riding style.

You have mistook what I wrote to mean that the inner tube has made the cycling on the turbo much quieter, I actually thought it was the tyre that helped, obviously in much moving from mountain to road (turbo road)

rolf_f

This is another of those "I bought something - should I have bought it?" threads!

Anyway, I'm planning on trying them this summer with a pair of Viittoria Open Corsas instead of the butyl lightweight inner tube plus Schwalbe Ultremo combination I've used on the Look in the past. I'm not sure how much I'll notice the difference explicitly but surely it is one of those marginal gains things. Each individual change makes little difference but a lot of changes in combination adds up to something more tangible.

VTech

Rolf F wrote:

This is another of those "I bought something - should I have bought it?" threads!

Anyway, I'm planning on trying them this summer with a pair of Viittoria Open Corsas instead of the butyl lightweight inner tube plus Schwalbe Ultremo combination I've used on the Look in the past. I'm not sure how much I'll notice the difference explicitly but surely it is one of those marginal gains things. Each individual change makes little difference but a lot of changes in combination adds up to something more tangible.

Couldnt be further from the truth, I bought them as I trusted the guy who was assisting me, as long as the tyre rolls im happy as im realistic in the fact that even if they dont make me go quicker or offer a softer ride I probably wouldnt have noticed if they did.
Ive bought plenty of things and regretted it afterwards but thats life.

sungod

with a decent tyre, yes - and i have tried both with the same tyres and wheels - as above, no point using them with contis :-)

they may be a bit more resistant to punctures than butyl tubes, but i could be imagining that

downside is they lose pressure, maybe 2bar/day, have to reinflate before every ride

vittoria has just opened a factory using a new compound that it says (among other things) allows latex tubes to retain air as well as butyl ones, be great if it works

rolf_f

VTech wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

This is another of those "I bought something - should I have bought it?" threads!

Anyway, I'm planning on trying them this summer with a pair of Viittoria Open Corsas instead of the butyl lightweight inner tube plus Schwalbe Ultremo combination I've used on the Look in the past. I'm not sure how much I'll notice the difference explicitly but surely it is one of those marginal gains things. Each individual change makes little difference but a lot of changes in combination adds up to something more tangible.

Couldnt be further from the truth, I bought them as I trusted the guy who was assisting me, as long as the tyre rolls im happy as im realistic in the fact that even if they dont make me go quicker or offer a softer ride I probably wouldnt have noticed if they did.
Ive bought plenty of things and regretted it afterwards but thats life.

Couldn't be further from the truth? Really?! You bought something (at a premium price unless you got a great deal as latex tubes are normally more expensive than butyl) and are now asking whether one of the two main advertised reasons for buying them is infact justified. How does that make my statement 'couldn't be further from the truth'?!! If you trusted the bloke you bought them off, why are you asking the question?

ShutUpLegs

Rolf F wrote:

This is another of those "I bought something - should I have bought it?" threads!

From people who spend too much time on forums, and not enough time riding.

lawrences

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

This is another of those "I bought something - should I have bought it?" threads!

From people who spend too much time on forums, and not enough time riding.

+100000000

smidsy

Latex tubes and vittoria open corsa evo cx 320tpi tyres have certainly improved the ride on my ac 420aeros

Bobbinogs

At this moment in time, ride feel is the least of my priorities. Getting out without ice/snow/rain/wind/potholes is number 1 for me. Anything else is a brucey bonus.

VTech

its funny how the only people to argue with me are the same ones who always argue with me, the inspirational few im going to call you.
Everyone else who has actually used them has said they are good so to the "inspirational few" I thank you once again for giving me that motivation when the legs start to hurt on the trainer, using the trainer bike, soon to be located in the man cave, where the trainer, using a trainer bike, with trainer tyre, filled with latex inner tube will be sat in front of a 102" screen.

themekon

I don't think they make a spit of difference and if you ever puncture one don't try to refit it cos it will have stretched to about twice the length.
You might just as well bite the bullet and fit a good set of tubs on some good quality sprint rims. Now that will make a difference.

Crozza

themekon wrote:

I don't think they make a spit of difference and if you ever puncture one don't try to refit it cos it will have stretched to about twice the length.
You might just as well bite the bullet and fit a good set of tubs on some good quality sprint rims. Now that will make a difference.

s'funny how "good quality tubs" all use a latex liner isn't it

themekon

Crozza wrote:

themekon wrote:

I don't think they make a spit of difference and if you ever puncture one don't try to refit it cos it will have stretched to about twice the length.
You might just as well bite the bullet and fit a good set of tubs on some good quality sprint rims. Now that will make a difference.

s'funny how "good quality tubs" all use a latex liner isn't it

Yes I do know that. I'm just saying that a good quality tub with latex tube on a decent set of sprint wheels will make a noticeable difference.
I still don't think that you would notice the difference fitting latex tubes to a clincher tyre/rim.

napoleond

themekon wrote:

Crozza wrote:

themekon wrote:

I don't think they make a spit of difference and if you ever puncture one don't try to refit it cos it will have stretched to about twice the length.
You might just as well bite the bullet and fit a good set of tubs on some good quality sprint rims. Now that will make a difference.

s'funny how "good quality tubs" all use a latex liner isn't it

Yes I do know that. I'm just saying that a good quality tub with latex tube on a decent set of sprint wheels will make a noticeable difference.
I still don't think that you would notice the difference fitting latex tubes to a clincher tyre/rim.

I notice an improvement with latex tubes with my vittoria clinchers. The ride is smoother. Don't notice a difference with Conti Force/Attack or GP4000S 24mm though.

smidsy

smidsy wrote:

Latex tubes and vittoria open corsa evo cx 320tpi tyres have certainly improved the ride on my ac 420aeros

Well my American Classic 420 Aero wheels are clincher and I stand by my above statement.

cougie

Velonutter wrote:

I find my tyres lose between 5-10psi overnight, that's enough to cause a pinch puncture!

What tubes are those ? My Sunday bike gets a squeeze of the tyres but it can be weeks before I feel the need to pump the tyres up. By your calculations it could have lost (28x 5) 140 PSI- which would be an effort from a 95 PSI tyre. :-)

I've not had a pinch puncture for years - so my tubes must be pretty stout.

mercia_man

I've used Michelin latex tubes for several years and found them the perfect match for supple tyres like Veloflex Pave and Black, Vittoria Open Corsa and Michelin Pro 3 Race. I can feel the difference. The tyre floats better over rough road surfaces and gives a more comfortable and seemingly quicker ride. You can mend punctures easily with ordinary patches and glue and I have not suffered the stretching mentioned by themekon. You do have to pump them up before every ride. Like NapD says, I don't reckon they make any diference to stiffer tyres like Conti Attack/Force. I've had very few punctures with Mich latex tubes. But I've twice suffered catastrophic failures when I had major sidewall gashes on a Veloflex tyre and a Michelin tyre. But I don't reckon a butyl tube would have survived those incidents. That's why I carry a spare bit of old tyre as a get me home aid if I suffer a sidewall gash. I've also had a couple of Mich latex tubes perish - both times when I carried them as a spare for a long time and never had to use them. The tubes had perished along the lines where they were folded. So I now carry a butyl tube as a spare.

rich164h

Any recommendations for latex tubes?

napoleond

rich164h wrote:

Any recommendations for latex tubes?

I've only used Michelin tbh.