Inner tube seems too long?

TakeTurns
TakeTurns Posts: 1,075
edited June 2013 in Workshop
Hey guys. First topic created here. Hope you can help me out.

I usually buy Specialised inner tubes from my LBS, which have proven to be quite good, but pricey.
So I decided to take a different angle on things and head over to Ebay to find me a good deal. I found a seller selling "Brand new Continental Race 28" inner tubes at a reasonable (cheaper) price.

The tubes arrived today. According to the information on the Ebay listing and the printing on the tube, these should fit. However, they seem to be 1-2 inches too long. I ordered 4, so I thought, maybe it's a one off manufacture fault. They're all the same.

They're 700c x 23/25 and my wheels are 700c x 23 ...

Images:
Specialised inner tube fitted: 2dca43n.jpg
Continental tube from ebay: xevbp.jpg


So what I'm asking is...is this normal, if so, what's the reasoning behind this excess length and would it be safe to use?

Thanks!

Comments

  • estampida
    estampida Posts: 1,008
    err it will expand in all directions and the tyre is there as well... have you fitted 1 and does it work?


    probably easier to say that spesh tubes are tight on the rim

    if it was a tub then you would be worried
  • TakeTurns
    TakeTurns Posts: 1,075
    I've tried trying to fit a tyre, after forcing it in, it bulks into one area where the excess tube is. After having inflated it however it doesn't look abnormal.

    My question really is whether it offers the same performance and is it safe to use.
  • wheels50
    wheels50 Posts: 8
    I have had this - you fit the tube and there's about 3" excess sticking out. I just squeezed it all in, pumped it up - never had any problems!
  • TakeTurns
    TakeTurns Posts: 1,075
    Thanks wheels50 for the reassurance.
  • Burnsey#23
    Burnsey#23 Posts: 29
    Hi....I would like to pick up this thread again!!

    I also bought these

    http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/productDeta ... ctID=52262

    Thinking they would slot straight onto my new rims, I thought the (700cc) was the circumferance of the wheel!!

    But on trying to fit there was a good 3/4 inches of extra tube, the whole thing just didn't look right but I tried as best I could to evenly spread out the excess rubber under the tyre.

    Job done or so I thought, whilst pumping up I got to about 90psi and the tube popped, blowing a cm hole in it's side. Luckily I had some specialized tubes knocking about in the garage so I was able to fit the new tyres.

    Question is, have I had a complete brain fart and ordered the wrong tubes for a standard sized road wheel or is this a bad batch of tubes that I should be sending back to Cyclestore :?
  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 16,551
    for the tube to burst like that it has to be outside the tyre

    chances are that with the slack tube you pinched a bit of it between tyre and rim, then as you inflate it the tube pushes through the gap and bursts

    before fitting, inflate the tube just enough to give it shape, then it's much less likely that it'll get pinched
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • Burnsey#23
    Burnsey#23 Posts: 29
    Yeah I gathered that's what I had done after it had popped....cheers!!
    However what's the deal with the extra long tube....I mean these things are huge, I didn't know they made wheels this big ?

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