Inner tubes

Lowride

Hi, I'm new to road cycling

I've got Specialized All Condition tyres 700 x 23c. Will 700 x 18\25c inner tubes fit okay?

The reason I ask is that I've been having a lot of punctures recently and when I've taken the tyre off I've noticed that the inner tube is sometimes folded over on itself by maybe one inch which makes me think I may have the wrong size

I went in to Halfords but the two lads in the cycling section were as clueless as me

Thanks

simon_e

Lowride wrote:

Hi, I'm new to road cycling

I've got Specialized All Condition tyres 700 x 23c. Will 700 x 18\25c inner tubes fit okay?

The reason I ask is that I've been having a lot of punctures recently and when I've taken the tyre off I've noticed that the inner tube is sometimes folded over on itself by maybe one inch which makes me think I may have the wrong size

I went in to Halfords but the two lads in the cycling section were as clueless as me

Thanks

Yes. They are intended to fit any tyre from 700x18 to 700x25. It would be OK with 700x28 too. A folded inner tube is not a good sign and would suggest to me that it's the wrong size.

Matthewfalle

Head to chain reaction cycles and buy a load of these - I use them and find them to be really good: easily as good as stuff costing loads more

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/au/e ... prod155230

redvision

Matthewfalle wrote:

Head to chain reaction cycles and buy a load of these - I use them and find them to be really good: easily as good as stuff costing loads more

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/au/e ... prod155230

Or get them from wiggle and get a multi buy discount.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-road-inner-tube/

Matthewfalle

redvision wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

Head to chain reaction cycles and buy a load of these - I use them and find them to be really good: easily as good as stuff costing loads more

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/au/e ... prod155230

Or get them from wiggle and get a multi buy discount.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-road-inner-tube/

Good call dude!

OnTheRopes

Lowride wrote:

Hi, I'm new to road cycling

I've got Specialized All Condition tyres 700 x 23c. Will 700 x 18\25c inner tubes fit okay?

The reason I ask is that I've been having a lot of punctures recently and when I've taken the tyre off I've noticed that the inner tube is sometimes folded over on itself by maybe one inch which makes me think I may have the wrong size

I went in to Halfords but the two lads in the cycling section were as clueless as me

Thanks

Sometimes if you are new to fitting tyres and don't ensure the tube is fitted correctly inside the tyre you can stretch it a little and you end up with some spare. Obviously this is not what you want so it is important to feed it back round the tyre to get rid of the spare rather than folding it in.

bungle73

OnTheRopes wrote:

Lowride wrote:

Hi, I'm new to road cycling

I've got Specialized All Condition tyres 700 x 23c. Will 700 x 18\25c inner tubes fit okay?

The reason I ask is that I've been having a lot of punctures recently and when I've taken the tyre off I've noticed that the inner tube is sometimes folded over on itself by maybe one inch which makes me think I may have the wrong size

I went in to Halfords but the two lads in the cycling section were as clueless as me

Thanks

Sometimes if you are new to fitting tyres and don't ensure the tube is fitted correctly inside the tyre you can stretch it a little and you end up with some spare. Obviously this is not what you want so it is important to feed it back round the tyre to get rid of the spare rather than folding it in.

Not sure how that can happen tbh?

What you want to do is put a little bit of air in the tube before you put it in the tyre, that pretty much ensures that it will go in right.

OnTheRopes

Bungle73 wrote:

OnTheRopes wrote:

Lowride wrote:

Hi, I'm new to road cycling

I've got Specialized All Condition tyres 700 x 23c. Will 700 x 18\25c inner tubes fit okay?

The reason I ask is that I've been having a lot of punctures recently and when I've taken the tyre off I've noticed that the inner tube is sometimes folded over on itself by maybe one inch which makes me think I may have the wrong size

I went in to Halfords but the two lads in the cycling section were as clueless as me

Thanks

Sometimes if you are new to fitting tyres and don't ensure the tube is fitted correctly inside the tyre you can stretch it a little and you end up with some spare. Obviously this is not what you want so it is important to feed it back round the tyre to get rid of the spare rather than folding it in.

Not sure how that can happen tbh?

What you want to do is put a little bit of air in the tube before you put it in the tyre, that pretty much ensures that it will go in right.

It used to happen to me 30 years ago when I was clueless. You are right about adding a little air to the tube.

Frank Wilson

OnTheRopes wrote:

Bungle73 wrote:

OnTheRopes wrote:

Lowride wrote:

Hi, I'm new to road cycling

I've got Specialized All Condition tyres 700 x 23c. Will 700 x 18\25c inner tubes fit okay?

The reason I ask is that I've been having a lot of punctures recently and when I've taken the tyre off I've noticed that the inner tube is sometimes folded over on itself by maybe one inch which makes me think I may have the wrong size

I went in to Halfords but the two lads in the cycling section were as clueless as me

Thanks

Sometimes if you are new to fitting tyres and don't ensure the tube is fitted correctly inside the tyre you can stretch it a little and you end up with some spare. Obviously this is not what you want so it is important to feed it back round the tyre to get rid of the spare rather than folding it in.

Not sure how that can happen tbh?

What you want to do is put a little bit of air in the tube before you put it in the tyre, that pretty much ensures that it will go in right.

It used to happen to me 30 years ago when I was clueless. You are right about adding a little air to the tube.

I think we all learnt the hard way ☺️

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Are latex tubes worth paying that bit extra for (eg. Vittoria latex £7.50 at PBK) the lowered rolling resistance, or it it just hype?

Matthewfalle

NitrousOxide wrote:

Are latex tubes worth paying that bit extra for (eg. Vittoria latex £7.50 at PBK) the lowered rolling resistance, or it it just hype?

No. Not at all.

Don’t believe the hype.

bungle73

Matthewfalle wrote:

NitrousOxide wrote:

Are latex tubes worth paying that bit extra for (eg. Vittoria latex £7.50 at PBK) the lowered rolling resistance, or it it just hype?

No. Not at all.

Don’t believe the hype.

Really? Because I've heard from several different sources that they are the bee's knees as far as the quality of ride they give.

They do come with several serious downsides though, chief amongst which is that they lose air really, really fast, which means you need to pump up your tyres before every ride.

pblakeney

Bungle73 wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

NitrousOxide wrote:

Are latex tubes worth paying that bit extra for (eg. Vittoria latex £7.50 at PBK) the lowered rolling resistance, or it it just hype?

No. Not at all.

Don’t believe the hype.

Really? Because I've heard from several different sources that they are the bee's knees as far as the quality of ride they give.

They do come with several serious downsides though, chief amongst which is that they lose air really, really fast, which means you need to pump up your tyres before every ride.

A single mm (ish?) of butyl or latex compressed by 100+ psi is going to feel very similar under another few mm of tyre. Inner tubes don't have rolling resistance. Hype. Except the air loss part. That is true.

Matthewfalle

Bungle73 wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

NitrousOxide wrote:

Are latex tubes worth paying that bit extra for (eg. Vittoria latex £7.50 at PBK) the lowered rolling resistance, or it it just hype?

No. Not at all.

Don’t believe the hype.

Really? Because I've heard from several different sources that they are the bee's knees as far as the quality of ride they give.

They do come with several serious downsides though, chief amongst which is that they lose air really, really fast, which means you need to pump up your tyres before every ride.

Really unless you also enjoy pumping up your tyres every day, increased risk of punctures, more hassle fitting them, more expense buying them and inderscenible difference in ride quality as it's down to your tyres and the state of the road.

But hey, fill ya boots if that's what floats your boat.

bungle73

Thanks, but I think I'll go with the opinions of people who have actually tried them rather than those that haven't, if it's all the same with you.

PBlakeney wrote:

Inner tubes don't have rolling resistance.

That just isn't true.

cooldad

Fitted those mudguards yet?

Or are you still taking the box apart?

pblakeney

Bungle73 wrote:

Thanks, but I think I'll go with the opinions of people who have actually tried them rather than those that haven't, if it's all the same with you.

PBlakeney wrote:

Inner tubes don't have rolling resistance.

That just isn't true.

Well I found a Google search which showed some on big fat mtb tyres but I have my doubts on equal pressure road tyres. Based on personal experience. To anyone interested, buy a set and draw your own conclusions. You have nothing to lose except a little cash and a lot of air.

simon_e

PBlakeney wrote:

Inner tubes don't have rolling resistance.

Really? How do you know that?

Many top end tubulars have a latex inner, and Vittoria claim a 5 watt gain for their latex tube over a standard butyl one. However, these test suggest the difference is around 2 watts in a road bike tyre and a little more for the MTB:
road tyres - https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.co ... s-clincher
MTB tyres - https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.co ... utyl-tubes

Whether it is worth the cost & hassle is for the individual to decide. I currently use latex tubes for racing TTs in lightweight tyres but I'd never bother on a commuting/training bike. 2 Michelin latex tubes cost me £20 from Halfords and have done 4 seasons so far, so hardly a big outlay.

You can make far bigger gains with a good bikefit and choosing tyres with low rolling resistance run at appropriate pressures.

Alex99

The only times I've seen inner tubes all stretched and folded up is when a tyre has been run severely under inflated (usually the neighbors kids bikes that I sometimes sort out). Check that you've got them properly inflated.

Regarding latex inner tubes, there is plenty of data about that shows that they do make a measurable difference. In fact, they make roughly the same difference as the difference between a mediocre and a top end racing tyre. A layer of butyl rubber adds a measurable amount of rolling resistance which is why the latest and greatest tubeless tyres have some kind of thin internal coating instead of thicker rubber of previous iterations. IME, you can feel the difference on the road too.

You have to be just a little bit more careful when fitting them. They don't puncture more easily, but the Vittoria ones do seem to give up around the valve after a year or two which can cause a spontaneous deflation (in my case, when being pumped up). I'd advise annual replacement if you decide to use them. Some people report that they just explode when pumped up for the first time. I think it's highly likely that they have some kind of other problem (damaged /inadequate rim tape or a hole in the tyre) that a butyl tube might tolerate. You have to pump them up for each ride, but then if you are going to ride on fancy tyres you'll be checking your pressures before each ride anyway.

svetty

Alex99 wrote:

Some people report that they just explode when pumped up for the first time.

I think it's that a tiny rim of tube gets trapped under the tyre bead which when inflated rips and hence the tube explodes. Using talc and care to ensure no tube is trapped under the bead resolves this issue.

Alex99

Svetty wrote:

Alex99 wrote:

Some people report that they just explode when pumped up for the first time.

I think it's that a tiny rim of tube gets trapped under the tyre bead which when inflated rips and hence the tube explodes. Using talc and care to ensure no tube is trapped under the bead resolves this issue.

Yes, the latex is just less forgiving of this kind of thing. No fundamental issue, just care needed.

Moonbiker

inner tube is sometimes folded over on itself by maybe one inch

Check when you put inner tubes on that they don't do that or it will casuse a puncture where the fold is.

As others have said add some air and move the inner tube around the rim to avoid the fold.

Moonbiker

Also learn to patch tubes if you don't already do it.

milemuncher1

I’ve found that folding bead tyres are worse for ‘tucking under’ than wired bead tyres. Nearly all of they tyres on my bikes are folding bead. I’ve found I have to be a little bit more vigilant, than with wired beads, when reinflating, to ensure that the bead has located properly, and uniformly around the circumference, before giving the tyre full pressure. I find it’s particularly important when using ‘valved / tapped’ CO2 inflators, to just give a short burst, then check the tyre carefully for tube traps, and that the tube moves up into the tyre slightly, at the valve position, before going to full pressure. The springy valved inflators https://www.decathlon.co.uk/co2-inflato ... gJ3gfD_BwE

Like this, are easier to control.