inner tube recomendations

stumpmagnet
stumpmagnet Posts: 88
edited November 2016 in Cyclocross
hi all just wondering what innertubes are best for clinchers for CX racing, i know tubeless or tubular are best but im on a budget, I had a double puncture at the weekend on vittoria tubes in conti x king tyres running about 40psi the tubes dont look to have pinch flats but both have a tiny hole near to a seam on the tube on the inside? no thorns in the tyre either does anyone bother with latex tubes or are Continental cx the best bet.

Comments

  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    Stumpmagnet wrote:
    hi all just wondering what innertubes are best for clinchers for CX racing, i know tubeless or tubular are best but im on a budget, I had a double puncture at the weekend on vittoria tubes in conti x king tyres running about 40psi the tubes dont look to have pinch flats but both have a tiny hole near to a seam on the tube on the inside? no thorns in the tyre either does anyone bother with latex tubes or are Continental cx the best bet.

    Double puncture on the seam, what size is the tube? Had some under sized tubes do that.

    I've not noticed a difference, other than don't try to use 23-28 as lighter they may be but they are more prone pinch/stretch type punctures.
  • stumpmagnet
    stumpmagnet Posts: 88
    they were the correct size for the 35mm contis maybe a bad batch as a mate just told me he's had the same problem with the same tubes?
  • trek_dan
    trek_dan Posts: 1,366
    Some folk racing on clinchers swear by latex tubes.
  • Alex99
    Alex99 Posts: 1,407
    trek_dan wrote:
    Some folk racing on clinchers swear by latex tubes.

    Yes, they are supposed to be more resistant to pinch flats because they are so flexible. I'd give them a shot.
  • stumpmagnet
    stumpmagnet Posts: 88
    Can't seem to find them in the right size though
  • devhads
    devhads Posts: 236
    It's the Challenge CX latex tubes you need but they are out of stock everywhere at the moment.
  • stumpmagnet
    stumpmagnet Posts: 88
    £18 for an innertube!!!!! wow
  • keith_freel
    keith_freel Posts: 22
    Shop around you can usually get them for £12-13 and they are great - I gave up on normal tubes after a fair few flats... these seem to work great for me.
  • Chris James
    Chris James Posts: 1,040
    By way of balance, I use Schwalbe 28-47mm tubes and haven't ever had a pinch flat in a race, running around 28 -35 psi depending on which tyres and the ground conditions. They are only £4.50 each and can easily be patched if you hit a thorn whereas the internet suggests patching latex tubes is a bit of a palaver.

    I've looked a few times and have never seen the Challenge CX tubes in stock anywhere. Like tubeless, they seem to me to be a more expensive, more complicated solution to a problem that doesn't really exist. But like tubeless, others have very different views!

    If I wanted to run lower pressures than I can currently then I would get tubular tyres rather than trying minor tweeks on clinchers.
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    Chris James wrote:
    the internet suggests patching latex tubes is a bit of a palaver.
    Really? I use latex tubes on the road, and never had an issue fixing punctures.
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • VamP
    VamP Posts: 674
    I use latex tubes on the road and never GET punctures. They're great!

    I wouldn't be afraid to use regular sized latex tubes, they're a lot cheaper and I've never had issues running them.
  • Chris James
    Chris James Posts: 1,040
    TGOTB wrote:
    Chris James wrote:
    the internet suggests patching latex tubes is a bit of a palaver.
    Really? I use latex tubes on the road, and never had an issue fixing punctures.

    Fair enough, as I said, I use butyl inner tubes so have never had to fix a latex tube.

    From googling, opinion seems to be split between people who find it no different at all, to people who say that you should cannibalise old latex tubes and use them as patches.
  • Chris James
    Chris James Posts: 1,040
    VamP wrote:
    I use latex tubes on the road and never GET punctures. They're great!

    I wouldn't be afraid to use regular sized latex tubes, they're a lot cheaper and I've never had issues running them.

    I never get punctures on the road with butyl inner tubes either. The puncture strips in most road tyres seem to defeat the type of hazards you get on the road, even when you have worn the tyre down so much that you can see the puncture strip.

    For cyclocross then the tyres are very thin and easily puncture on thorns and the like, although often these sort of thorns stay stuck in the tyre and you tyre goes down the next day, rather than an instantaneously deflation. The guy who runs my local bike shop has been riding cross since he was a nipper (now late 40s he's done the 3 Peaks 23 times), and I asked his advice about inner tubes and he just said that they need to be as big as possible. Mind you, he runs tubs ...
  • VamP
    VamP Posts: 674
    At the risk of this sounding like a pantomine, I don't really get punctures in cross either. The only ones I can think of were rotten sidewalls blowing out. But then I use tubs (with latex tubes ;))
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    VamP wrote:
    At the risk of this sounding like a pantomine, I don't really get punctures in cross either. The only ones I can think of were rotten sidewalls blowing out. But then I use tubs (with latex tubes ;))
    I had my first the other week; mahoosive thorn, like the end of a cocktail stick.

    I never cease to be amazed by how well a bike handles on a flat tub...
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • VamP
    VamP Posts: 674
    TGOTB wrote:
    VamP wrote:
    At the risk of this sounding like a pantomine, I don't really get punctures in cross either. The only ones I can think of were rotten sidewalls blowing out. But then I use tubs (with latex tubes ;))
    I had my first the other week; mahoosive thorn, like the end of a cocktail stick.

    I never cease to be amazed by how well a bike handles on a flat tub...


    Maybe you should race on flats then ;)
  • stumpmagnet
    stumpmagnet Posts: 88
    Thanks all for the replys I have purchased some conti cx tubes and will try those

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