Bulk buy innertubes

wannabecyclist

Anyone know if buying innertubes off auction websites are a good idea. I see listings for buy 10 for £25, sometimes continental tubes which I use anyway. They are sold not in boxes though, potentially for postage reasons but do these just tend to be some kind of factory rejects?

Reason I ask is that I have brought some and I do still get a couple of punctures a month on my commutes and find they are hard to inflate with cannisters or I get slow punctures quite often. Not sure if it is just me being a newbie or if others have had the same problems.

dowtcha

You need better tyres like gatorskins. What tyres are you using ? After a puncture check that nothing is still stuck in your tyre. Tyres inflated with CO2 will lose their pressure in a few days, use a pump to re inflate when you get home.
I just buy lifeline tubes from wiggle, 6 for £12.5 and repair them after a puncture.

wannabecyclist

To be honest I do have cheap tyres, it is a cheap bike, I save my good tyres for my decent bike. I was just hoping it was the innertubes so I didn't have to buy some decent tyres for it! Was trying to keep the cost of the commuter bike down so that it pays for itself rather than buying extras for it, will teach me for being tight.

One thing I can't do is fix an innertube, I take them home and put a sticky on but air still sneaks out. I used Wiggle patches but still no luck. Never noticed those innertubes on Wiggles website just looked them up, they actually work out better value as well!

Moonbiker

You need to use the old style patches that come with the glue in a tube if you aren't already other other type are no good for high psi tubes

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TYRE-INNER-TU ... 4897.l4276

For innertubes i bought theese ones £2.60 each

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-t ... itttube210

Should last me years.

Tyres px has a deal atm:

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TYMICP4SC/ ... -bike-tyre

Tiesetrotter

cheap tyres tend not to have the decent protection in them. For example I use Vittoria Rubino Pro Tech which have an extra layer in them. I go a long time between punctures.

cougie

Decent tyres are what you need. Once the tyre has been penetrated any tube will burst.

Semantik

Got to agree with the new tyres thing but also make sure pressures are optimal- under inflated is asking for trouble. I only get 3 punctures a year on avearage over 6k miles.

passout

Decent tyres (Michelin Pro Race 4 endurance for eg), correct pressure through using a track pump with gauge AND bulk buy tubes I reckon. I got a good deal on planet x tubes a while back.

Sometimes, especially on cheaper wheels, you need decent (better or more) rim tape too - this has only been an issue on some cheap Rodi wheels I had; otherwise they were fine though.

dabber

^^^
I agree.