Inner tube help

super_davo

daniel_b said:

Pretty sure @super_davo has been using the marginally heavier ones for a while.

Correct, and no issues so far. Used with GP5000s which aren't the most robust tyres, but taken anything thrown at them. Been on a trip to Sicily with them, on some dreadful roads, including up and down Etna.
I've packed my spares in a sandwich bag wrapped in kitchen roll to be on the safe side, but still end up about a third of the size of a regular tube.

daniel_b

Duplicate

daniel_b

ibr17xvii said:

Just had a look at those Pirelli tubes, they are frighteningly expensive.

Indeed, I bought 3 from somewhere in pukka Europe, Alpinetrek, Mantel or lordgun possibly, as the price posted was better than anywhere here.

It's for my very best bike, so thought it warranted it, but I think that's what makes these ones so attractive, at a far more palatable ~£5 (once taxes and shipping are added) each iirc.

Still not 'cheap' I'll agree, but I popped a couple of repair kits in there too, so hopefully able to give them a longer life and improve the value aspect.

Like superdavo, mine will end up under 25 & 28mm GP5000s.

pblakeney

daniel_b said:

Me neither, nice 400g weight saving when on the bike carrying two spares, but also means more room for food/clothing should I want it.

I normally take a small saddle bag with a butyl inner tube, tyre levers, latex gloves, then in my back pockets one is usually filled up with innertube no 2 plus a mini pump, phone/keys maybe some clothing layers in the middle pocket, then bars/clif bloks in the one remaining pocket.

These would probably mean I can pack two in my saddle bag, plus a gilet, and have almost an entire pocket free on the back of the jersey.

I'm guessing the only caveat might be if you pack them in the saddle bag, that nothing in there can damage/rip/tear them.

Here's a thought. I usually wrap my spare tube in a J-cloth to give it protection and give me something to clean my hands with. But that adds bulk and weight.
How about putting your spare tube inside the latex gloves? Win, win. I think.

ibr17xvii

super_davo said:

daniel_b said:

Pretty sure @super_davo has been using the marginally heavier ones for a while.

Correct, and no issues so far. Used with GP5000s which aren't the most robust tyres, but taken anything thrown at them. Been on a trip to Sicily with them, on some dreadful roads, including up and down Etna.
I've packed my spares in a sandwich bag wrapped in kitchen roll to be on the safe side, but still end up about a third of the size of a regular tube.

Good to know. I run 25mm GP5000's as well on the best bike so same setup.

The weight saving with these is really appealing so I think I might order a couple & maybe just put 1 in the front initially just to see how they hold up.

EDIT: Bizarrely on that link to Aliexpress they've put the product is no longer available?!?!? Why do they all say French valve in the description as well?!?!?!

@daniel_b Did you go for the 700x18-28 or 700x18-32?

daniel_b

Hey @ibr17xvii I went for the 24g one, which I think only go up to 28, which is my widest destination tyre anyway.

When I look though, all 3 weight options are showing as available:



*Though admittedly I have not checked each and every combination of size/number of tubes/weight.

I also noticed some multiples were poorer value compared to others, and not always what you would expect, ie some of the higher multiples were more pricey per unit than some of the smaller volume bundles.

ibr17xvii

daniel_b said:

Hey @ibr17xvii I went for the 24g one, which I think only go up to 28, which is my widest destination tyre anyway.

When I look though, all 3 weight options are showing as available:



*Though admittedly I have not checked each and every combination of size/number of tubes/weight.

I also noticed some multiples were poorer value compared to others, and not always what you would expect, ie some of the higher multiples were more pricey per unit than some of the smaller volume bundles.

Cheers.

They are showing as available but when you scroll down to the description the notice about them being unavailable is in large writing there which is a bit strange.

Plenty of other sellers on Aliexpress but seeing as you'd used them without an issue I wanted to go with him as well.

daniel_b

Oh this bit - sorry, I thought it was small text - I don't recall that being there last time, and what a shame if they have literally just stopped selling them, very odd :-(



I think the brand is available through other sellers though, very strange the listing is still up though.

ibr17xvii

daniel_b said:

Oh this bit - sorry, I thought it was small text - I don't recall that being there last time, and what a shame if they have literally just stopped selling them, very odd :-(



I think the brand is available through other sellers though, very strange the listing is still up though.

I've messaged him to see what the situation is but like you say they are pretty widely available.

Like you I probably would've bought some Pirelli as cheap as possible to try them out & TBH I still have that in the back of my mind then you have some kind of comeback if something goes badly wrong but these are so cheap it seems nuts to pay the Pirelli price when these will be pretty much identical anyway.

daniel_b

I'd be very keen to hear if and what they come back with, as I was planning to give some repeat business, probably for the 'weightier' and wider ones too for other bikes, well when the butyl ones run out anyway.

I did have a quick look elsewhere at other sellers, but I thought (and it was a brief look) that prices seemed to be higher, and I saw no mention of the 24g ones - not that that is the end of the world of course.

If you happen to find a goo alternative, would be keen to hear about it.

ibr17xvii

daniel_b said:

I'd be very keen to hear if and what they come back with, as I was planning to give some repeat business, probably for the 'weightier' and wider ones too for other bikes, well when the butyl ones run out anyway.

I did have a quick look elsewhere at other sellers, but I thought (and it was a brief look) that prices seemed to be higher, and I saw no mention of the 24g ones - not that that is the end of the world of course.

If you happen to find a goo alternative, would be keen to hear about it.

I'll update the thread if / when he comes back to me.

In the meantime after what appears an eternity of browsing Aliexpress (which isn't the most user friendly experience) I've come across this seller:

https://aliexpress.com/item/1005005044251602.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.0.0.7325zZYlzZYlCU&gps-id=pcDetailTopMoreOtherSeller&scm=1007.40000.327270.0&scm_id=1007.40000.327270.0&scm-url=1007.40000.327270.0&pvid=c9ec843f-2fac-473b-b373-dd34b03e91c1&_t=gps-id:pcDetailTopMoreOtherSeller,scm-url:1007.40000.327270.0,pvid:c9ec843f-2fac-473b-b373-dd34b03e91c1,tpp_buckets:668%232846%238113%231998&pdp_npi=3%40dis%21GBP%214.15%210.4%21%21%21%21%21%40211b801816831864301882356ea301%2112000033167478914%21rec%21UK%21

Similar price but limited to 1 set per customer.

I'll see what the other guy says 1st though as I know he's legit & the shipping time is good.

i.bhamra

I've just ordered some of these from Ebay. No idea what the quality will be. I run tubeless on most bikes but always carry a tube (never needed one in 3 yrs of tubeless!) but figured for the space saving these are worth a punt.

https://ebay.co.uk/itm/134513406691?var=434004590119

I do have one set on non-tubeless rims which I sometimes use so might fit them here as a test case for reliability.

Ordered yesterday, already marked as dispatched with an expected arrival by 22nd May.

Will update when they arrive.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

^^^ At ~£6 each, they sound a lot more affordable than the Pirelli ones, looking forward to hearing how they perform and how durable they are.

For now, I'll stick to Vittoria latex tubes, that typically cost ~£10 each on a good day.

One day I might get around to trying tubeless, my still to be setup VEL 50 RL wheels come with tubeless tape fitted, but that means spending out on some tubeless tyres... A few years ago, I think Malcolm from cycleclinic on here, reckoned https://www.merlincycles.com/hutchinson-fusion-5-all-season-11-storm-tlr-folding-road-tyre-700c-116846.html (~£40 each) were a good balance of price/performance/durability. But things may have moved on, I'm not ready to spend ~£68 each for tubeless GP5000s.

daniel_b

ibr17xvii said:

daniel_b said:

I'd be very keen to hear if and what they come back with, as I was planning to give some repeat business, probably for the 'weightier' and wider ones too for other bikes, well when the butyl ones run out anyway.

I did have a quick look elsewhere at other sellers, but I thought (and it was a brief look) that prices seemed to be higher, and I saw no mention of the 24g ones - not that that is the end of the world of course.

If you happen to find a goo alternative, would be keen to hear about it.

I'll update the thread if / when he comes back to me.

In the meantime after what appears an eternity of browsing Aliexpress (which isn't the most user friendly experience) I've come across this seller:

https://aliexpress.com/item/1005005044251602.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.0.0.7325zZYlzZYlCU&gps-id=pcDetailTopMoreOtherSeller&scm=1007.40000.327270.0&scm_id=1007.40000.327270.0&scm-url=1007.40000.327270.0&pvid=c9ec843f-2fac-473b-b373-dd34b03e91c1&_t=gps-id:pcDetailTopMoreOtherSeller,scm-url:1007.40000.327270.0,pvid:c9ec843f-2fac-473b-b373-dd34b03e91c1,tpp_buckets:668%232846%238113%231998&pdp_npi=3%40dis%21GBP%214.15%210.4%21%21%21%21%21%40211b801816831864301882356ea301%2112000033167478914%21rec%21UK%21

Similar price but limited to 1 set per customer.

I'll see what the other guy says 1st though as I know he's legit & the shipping time is good.

Random at one set per customer - just found this seller as well, only the middle weight ones, but a similar price by the looks of it, though postage is slightly more, so probably about even. Not many sales though, and looks like slow delivery.

*Edit - just noticed this is the exact same seller you posted, but a slightly different listing I think.

https://aliexpress.com/item/1005005213459823.html?spm=a2g0o.cart.0.0.704238danUKA56&mp=1

I looked on ebay, some people are trying to knock them out for £17 a pop

ibr17xvii

I had a look on eBay & Amazon as well - they are taking the mickey with some of the prices.

I'd pay the extra for the Pirelli if they were all that price.

daniel_b

The other bonus with the pirellis is that they are the far superior black and yellow combination, which some forumites seem to love!

*I do realise it will be invisible within the tyre
They could make transparent tyres perhaps........
What a shame they did not make the entire valve stem out of the same yellow

I believe I also did them a disservice earlier in the thread, saying they were 70g - it appears that's for the porkier one, but this one that caters for up to 32mm tyres is an inconsiderable 35g.
Still over 50% heavier than the pink ones mind you ;-)

When I ordered the pirellis a year ago, they were £17 each, which is a bit more than your average latex tube - that was from lordgun, and they are still doing them for £19.

ibr17xvii

I notice that on some of the pages that 72psi max is mentioned:

"Tire inflation pressure must not exceed 5 bar/72PSI When using rims with a no-ring-lip system according to ISO/TC 31"

I run 25mm tyres around 85psi on the front & 95psi on the back. As I'm only around 66kg that may be a wee bit too much but that's what I've always run (this is on a rim brake bike with Giant SLR42 wheels from 2019 which I believe aren't hookless).

Should I be concerned with the 72psi max?

Never bought anything at all from these Chinese sellers & not gonna lie it makes me nervous.

Merlin have the Pirelli's at £22.99 which don't get me wrong is still expensive compared to these but I can't weigh up if it's worth paying the extra for piece of mind.

I'd probably only buy 1 initially anyway to see how they go on.

JimD666

ibr17xvii said:

I notice that on some of the pages that 72psi max is mentioned:

"Tire inflation pressure must not exceed 5 bar/72PSI When using rims with a no-ring-lip system according to ISO/TC 31"

I run 25mm tyres around 85psi on the front & 95psi on the back. As I'm only around 66kg that may be a wee bit too much but that's what I've always run (this is on a rim brake bike with Giant SLR42 wheels from 2019 which I believe aren't hookless).

Should I be concerned with the 72psi max?

I'd read it as "no-ring-lip"="hookless" so figured I would be fine.

Admittedly my planned use case is possibly slightly different to others. I'm only planning on using them as the emergency get me home spare. The reduced bulk interests me more than the lighter weight.

ibr17xvii

JimD666 said:

ibr17xvii said:

I notice that on some of the pages that 72psi max is mentioned:

"Tire inflation pressure must not exceed 5 bar/72PSI When using rims with a no-ring-lip system according to ISO/TC 31"

I run 25mm tyres around 85psi on the front & 95psi on the back. As I'm only around 66kg that may be a wee bit too much but that's what I've always run (this is on a rim brake bike with Giant SLR42 wheels from 2019 which I believe aren't hookless).

Should I be concerned with the 72psi max?

I'd read it as "no-ring-lip"="hookless" so figured I would be fine.

Admittedly my planned use case is possibly slightly different to others. I'm only planning on using them as the emergency get me home spare. The reduced bulk interests me more than the lighter weight.

I must admit I didn't know which way to take that comment. You may well be right.

So if you have hookless rims it's 72psi max - if you don't (like me) that doesn't apply?

JimD666

ibr17xvii said:

JimD666 said:

ibr17xvii said:

I notice that on some of the pages that 72psi max is mentioned:

"Tire inflation pressure must not exceed 5 bar/72PSI When using rims with a no-ring-lip system according to ISO/TC 31"

I run 25mm tyres around 85psi on the front & 95psi on the back. As I'm only around 66kg that may be a wee bit too much but that's what I've always run (this is on a rim brake bike with Giant SLR42 wheels from 2019 which I believe aren't hookless).

Should I be concerned with the 72psi max?

I'd read it as "no-ring-lip"="hookless" so figured I would be fine.

Admittedly my planned use case is possibly slightly different to others. I'm only planning on using them as the emergency get me home spare. The reduced bulk interests me more than the lighter weight.

I must admit I didn't know which way to take that comment. You may well be right.

So if you have hookless rims it's 72psi max - if you don't (like me) that doesn't apply?

I think so.

If you're looking at running them full time I'd drop the seller an email and hope their English is better than my (and possibly yours?) Chinese!

JimD666

After a bit of googling found that this https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/specials/tpu-inner-tubes

They ran their tests at a range of PSI upto 100psi. So I think you're going to be fine at 95

ibr17xvii

JimD666 said:

After a bit of googling found that this https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/specials/tpu-inner-tubes

They ran their tests at a range of PSI upto 100psi. So I think you're going to be fine at 95

Cheers mate.

Just read that article & whilst I'm not really bothered about rolling resistance the results of it are very interesting.

ibr17xvii

@daniel_b Just had this reply from the seller you bought from:

"my friend,all have in stock,welcome to purchase"

Not sure why he has that message on his page then but there you go.

Think I'm gonna take the plunge & order a couple to try out. At £8.60 for 2 of the 24g 700-18x28 it's worth the gamble.

JimD666

The other thing that occurred to me while I was out walking the dog was: as far as I know I there are just the two rim types. Hooked and hookless. The "no-ring-lip" description can only apply to one of them and it fits hookless better.

seanoconn

What kind of air do we need to put in these tubes to maximise weight savings?

ibr17xvii

seanoconn said:

What kind of air do we need to put in these tubes to maximise weight savings?

You have to inflate them?

Surely that will just add weight?

seanoconn

Slightly off topic. Giving my bike a quick hose down I must have managed to get some water into my tool bottle I keep on the bike. Needing an inner tube a couple of weeks later I find my latex inner tube had developed a rather nasty latex eating mold 😕

JimD666

seanoconn said:

What kind of air do we need to put in these tubes to maximise weight savings?

Hydrogen for first choice. Helium in a pinch.

daniel_b

seanoconn said:

Slightly off topic. Giving my bike a quick hose down I must have managed to get some water into my tool bottle I keep on the bike. Needing an inner tube a couple of weeks later I find my latex inner tube had developed a rather nasty latex eating mold 😕

That isn't good - not cheap are they.
The only way you can try and salvage the situation is to use that tube for patches to repair other ones - there is a specific glue type you can buy that would then enable you to cut patches out and stick them onto a compromised new latex tube.

Looks like it is rubber cement you need.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Not that I'm in any great rush to finally setup my VEL 50 RL wheels, but the other day I realised the shocking news that the new Vittoria latex tubes sitting on the wheel box with 48mm valves aren't going to cut the mustard with a pair of 50mm rim wheels... The tubes and wheels have been sitting there for ~6 months!

So I need to buy my first ever set of valve extenders, pretty confident the latex tubes have removeable cores...

Merlin have 30mm variants of https://www.merlincycles.com/continental-valve-extensions-pair-80397.html for £11.50 (buying from them would help bridge the ~£35 shortfall I now have to regain "gold" loyalty).

Merlin also have https://www.merlincycles.com/schwalbe-tubeless-compatible-valve-extensions-148960.html in 30mm for £7, but not sure if these will work, bit thrown by item title. Also have 20mm and 30mm https://www.merlincycles.com/token-valve-lengtheners-131756.html

Alternatively, I've seen the evil Amazon have Vittoria extenders at £11.27 a pair https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vittoria-Valve-Extensions-Black-Pieces/dp/B01C4CHRSY

Go with Vittoria extenders for a better seal as likely to be designed to work nicely with their tubes?