What Are The Best Inner Tubes For Cycling?

What Are The Best Inner Tubes For Cycling? | Butyl Vs Latex Vs TPU

Рет қаралды 158,867

Күн бұрын

We love tubeless tyres but using clinchers with inner tubes can be just as fast and comfortable. Ollie and Alex compare the three main options: butyl, latex and TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) tubes. Which type is the lightest, fastest, cheapest, most practical and has the best puncture protection?
00:00 Intro
00:43 Why use inner tubes?
01:20 Types of inner tube
02:11 Cost
02:48 Weight
03:36 Performance
04:16 Puncture resistance
04:55 Practicality
06:21 Rolling resistance
08:00 Comfort
08:50 Which inner tube is best?
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Пікірлер: 611

@gcntech 9 ай бұрын

Which inner tubes do you use? 🚴 Let us know in the comments below! 👇

@craigfullbrook7219 9 ай бұрын

TPU and Latex sound better when rolling across tarmac, but in my experience you get far more road buzz than standard butyl tubes with these options. I think one of the more standout differences between the tubes is what happens when you puncture. In my experience TPU deflate almost immediately, latex loses air quickly and screams like you’re releasing air from a balloon (can be quite daunting), where as butyl punctures and releases air slowly giving you time to limp to a safe stop. So put yourself in the scenario, you’re descending on a lovely set of carbon rims and puncture around 50kmph+, having those extra seconds before you start grinding away your fancy carbon hoops could be the difference between a near miss, scratch, cracked rim or even a potentially nasty crash. So on that premise I think Butyl should still be the choice of the people, but TPU and Latex certainly have their place given the conditions 👌🏻

@mlee6050 9 ай бұрын

Butyl so not pump up often but no matter what one only tyre bead could cause puncture

@mlee6050 9 ай бұрын

Just curious as said about tpu and butyl what is difference on air retention

@sogamdok 9 ай бұрын

TPU is the best!!

@mikeengland8331 9 ай бұрын

@@sogamdok I use TPU and carry 2 spares. Weight = 100g. 4 x butyl weigh = 560g that's a saving of 460g or 1lb. That's brilliant bang for your buck imho.

@neilanderson6855 9 ай бұрын

I've been on latex on 2 road bikes for over one year and can deffo feel the difference, and lower rolling is a fact. Have to check tire pressure every ride, but I did that before anyhow, not an issue for me. They are diffidently Smoother and quieter. Have a tpu as a spare, they are brilliant for that, light and small.

@gcntech 9 ай бұрын

Sounds like the ideal setup! TPU are certainly the nicer option to carry as a spare!

@deanwaller1029 9 ай бұрын

Exact same set-up and it was immediately noticeable when I switched from butyl to latex. Have to be a bit more careful when initially fitting them, which is another reason why TPU are better to carry as a spare.

@ignaciosevil2157 4 ай бұрын

you think that you wont have to check tire pressure with tubeless? You probably wont even have pressure!

@bobbafett1971 Ай бұрын

Ive been on 1 bike with tubeless for 3 years and 2 sets of tires. Never had a flat.

@gumzster 2 күн бұрын

Not sure I understand why inner tubes makes a difference to rolling resistance? I mean, they are never in contact with the road? 🙃

@andrewmcalister3462 9 ай бұрын

Only Alex and Ollie could have that much fun discussing... inner tubes.

@gcntech 9 ай бұрын

We already knew they were massive nerds 😉

@Z-u-m-a 9 ай бұрын

Switched to (Pirelli) TPU over summer, from butyl, and can definitely feel a more lively but compliment ride. Like it. No punctures yet. Cost soon forgotten. What's strangely weird is NOT smelling rubber when you let the air out.

@liamkennings9833 9 ай бұрын

I also switched to the Pirelli TPU this summer and you can definitely feel the reduction in rotational weight when accelerating and climbing. I’ve been riding the Pirelli cinturato velo tires with the TPU tubes and haven’t had any problems with punctures.

@mumm-ratheeverliving3138 9 ай бұрын

Sold. Not having to deal with Fish Friday is worth it’s weight in gold.

@D4D22 9 ай бұрын

That’s what she said

@adn003100 9 ай бұрын

Just get some patches for when you get a flat. Super cheap and work great! Even if you just use the patched ones for training or as your spares.

@michaelclements4664 9 ай бұрын

Solid info here, you nailed this one. I'm a latex tube guy myself. Pumping them daily is no big deal because it's so important to ensure tire pressure is correct, I always did that daily even with butyl tubes.

@TryboBike 9 ай бұрын

Traditional tubes are trivial to repair in field and a patch kit - of 50 patches and two glue tubes - will last several years. I had tubes with as many as 15 patches applied to them before I had to trash the tube. Likewise - butyl tubes play nicely with tubeless sealant ( yes, i know ), which creates double-protection against punctures - which Is great for commuting.

@redalert2834 9 ай бұрын

They completely glossed over the issue of potential new hassles with puncture repairs. Perhaps they think our sponsors will always be there at the side of the road with free replacements whenever we get a puncture?

@3dprintersawhiteboard401 9 ай бұрын

@@redalert2834It is super easy to patch TPU tubes and they are so tiny, you can always take spares with you. If anything, TPU is better at the road side puncture repair. To be fair, I am not confident about a 16 patch tpu tube, but I never had more than 2 patches on a butyl either, because they start to feel clunky with those patches.

@veganpotterthevegan 9 ай бұрын

I definitely patched tubes like crazy before. I couldn't fathom going back after switching to tubeless though. I live in the land of goatheads. 3-4 flats a week(sometimes not even getting off my street😵‍💫😅) down to maybe plugging 3 tires a year. *sealant sucks in tubes. It's simply better than nothing

@konstantin4951 9 ай бұрын

@@3dprintersawhiteboard401 What types of patches do you use? From what I have heard, TPU tubes are nearly impossible to permanently patch (even with the manufacture supplied patches).

@daniellarson3068 9 ай бұрын

@@veganpotterthevegan Years ago I lived in goat head country. I had heavy duty tubes, Kevlar liners and tires with a lot of Kevlar. Yes - I used Slime too. After I did that the flats stopped.

@sapthuran9492 9 ай бұрын

I have been happy with the RideNow TPU tubes. (GP5000 tires & Alpinist CLII wheels.) A lot of the roads around here are pretty rough and they've held up fine.

@Mavczers 9 ай бұрын

Only problem I have with them is the shipping time.

@InfernoVolatil 9 ай бұрын

@@Mavczers to my house are only 9 days from aliexpress

@Onigure 9 ай бұрын

I ordered 6 tpu tubes last year and they all puncture within 2022. It was rough. With little hope I order the new 26grams tpu tubes from Ride Now and changed my tires from gp5000 to conti Grand Prix GT. With great pleasure I can say have been puncture free for all 2023 with this combination.

@thomaskranked562 9 ай бұрын

RideNow all the way

@OhThatsZeke 9 ай бұрын

@@Mavczers I ordered 4 and they came in 9 days, I was honestly surprised on how quickly they showed up as I was expecting at least a month wait! Looking forward to running them

@matthewblue7839 9 ай бұрын

Just switched to tpu, more compliant ride. Had a normal flat, used the pirelli puncture kit: worked great.

@nonkellambik 9 ай бұрын

Started with butyl, then for a short time TPU, and now the last 4 years I ride Vredestein Superlight Latex inner tubes with Michelin Power 25mm tyres, this is for me the best and fastest combination.

@huwrosen 9 ай бұрын

+1 vote for vredestein superlites.

@comedyman112 9 ай бұрын

Why? Isn't the tpu lower rolling resistance?

@truthseeker8483 9 ай бұрын

Michelin tyres are awesome

@nonkellambik 9 ай бұрын

@@comedyman112 The latex tubes make for a smoother, less 'bouncy' and therefore faster ride. That is: in my case. All bikes, wheels and tyres and roads are different, so are the results.

@uhis1686 8 ай бұрын

@@comedyman112 tpu is lower weight, latex is lower rolling resistance. latex also still weighs less than butyl

@jessicamccarthy6429 9 ай бұрын

Love this video! Very informative and helpful, I was wondering if there was something wrong with my latex tube because it was deflating overnight , now I know!

@user-cx2bk6pm2f 9 ай бұрын

Ollie is building quite a trusted persona. He's a smart guy. He's passionate about technical details. He's eager to learn about product performance. He's intellectually honest. Ergo... we can trust what he says.

@gcntech 9 ай бұрын

In Ollie we trust 🙌 He's well and truly earned his nerd status 🤓

@thediabeticcyclist4936 9 ай бұрын

I just swapped to TPU ridenow tubes. Very very suprised and the weight saving is great. I just put up a review up on my channel of my first experience with them. 👌👍

@xmarcika 3 ай бұрын

Hey, I wanted to ask you, is there any noticeable handling difference between butyl and TPU? Or which ones feel more comfortable on the road, thanks.

@thediabeticcyclist4936 3 ай бұрын

@@xmarcika the only difference I noticed to start with was accelerating from a stop. But after a while it becomes a normal feeling.

@nathanmcginty5755 9 ай бұрын

I use lightweight butyl tubes on some of my bikes. But I use tpu in the saddle bag, can fit 3 tubes in a smaller space, and carry a small tpu repair kit, just in case.

@gcntech 9 ай бұрын

Sounds ideal! Smaller spares are a good idea!

@eliknowsbest4946 9 ай бұрын

The editing and the camera usage was top notch 👌🏾

@eddyfung2256 9 ай бұрын

Currently using Cyclami 38g TPU, I'm so impressed with its weight/ air retention & road performance. Every time I ride w/ TPU just like ride w/upgraded wheels set. But got punctured/ leakage due to quality issue on some manufacturer is so frustrating anyway.

@ebayfield 9 ай бұрын

As a racer, I've used all three types of inner tube. And tubeless. For me, tubeless doesn't seal above 50psi. I've been stranded too many times. Much easier to get going with an inner tube setup. Latex is fast but fragile. TPU can be found cheap online and makes a cool sound when rolling. If including the spare, you'll save about 300g in weight. I'm not going back to butyl.

@doug1219 9 ай бұрын

I run tubeless at 80-85 PSI, and have no problems. I don't race, but I do high mileage and have some fast, twisty descents in my area, so I feel like I've tested them in pretty demanding conditions. I did have an issue when I first switched my road bike to tubeless, but found that you need to be more careful with the rim tape on a road bike than you do on an MTB, presumably because of the higher pressure.

@DavidWilliams-nh2nr 9 ай бұрын

I've gone tubeless on all my bikes now. However I always carry a spare tube just in case. TPU is perfect for this, the small size is biggest advantage. When I have used them they have been faultless and I haven't really noticed a difference from the tubeless set up. Well worth the additional cost and probably the best bang for buck upgrade you can make on your bike, even if it's just carrying it around unused.

@beams2002 9 ай бұрын

Have used butyl the most. Tried latex and loved the feel. But as mentioned, did not like having to maintain pressure constantly. I found this also made them more susceptible to pinch flats. Started using Ridenow TPUs. In the last 2 years, I've had one really annoying valve with a slow leak. Since then, no issues. Love the Ridenow TPUs for the balance of price, performance, and practicality

@daniellucente4409 9 ай бұрын

Recently switched to Schwable Aerothan 60mm on GP5000s with Roval Rapide CLX rim brake wheels. It’s important to mention that TPU can be used on Carbon Rim Brake wheels. I rode a 100 miler with TPU and had no issues. There were some rough roads and had no issues. I believe they inner tubes helped my climbs and speed on the flats.

@BillWiecking 8 ай бұрын

Latex tubes (green or pink), 28mm GP5000 on wide HED Ardennes rims at 38-40 psi: comfort, speed and easy to maintain. Cornering with wide rims is something you have to experience to appreciate, the 28mm and HED rims make this possible (no light bulb deformation of the tire in cornering). Great job guys, as usual. Need to come up with a new "doctor" moniker for Ollie...

@grantbeerling4396 9 ай бұрын

Been riding Ride-Now TPU for over a year. Love not having to inflate every day, tiny, light, and has no need for talc, unlike Latex. Slowly converting all my bikes to TPU over Buytl and Latex. If it wasn't for ride-now, then it would only be the best bikes.

@billkallas1762 9 ай бұрын

I always use Michelin Aircomp butyl ultralite tubes. 75g . very light weight and no threads on the valve. With no threads, the rubber chuck gasket on my Silca Track pump lasts for 10 years. With a tube with valve threads, you have to replace the chuck gasket every year or two.

@aisotton 9 ай бұрын

Thanks for an interesting video! It would have been nice to have a segment on if and how the tubes can be repaired in case of a puncture.

@andrewnorris5415 8 ай бұрын

The very expensive latex ones are the hardest to repair by far. It's throw them away most of the time. A shame they omitted that. Bad for our wallets!

@Featinwe 8 ай бұрын

You forgot to add one fact about TPU tubes - they can be risky for rim-brake bikes, especially on a downhill from mentioned Stelvio pass ;) then can be melted by the heat of the rim from braking.

@Whatsth3ruckus 6 ай бұрын

Isn't that more of a problem with latex? And also more of a problem with carbon wheels with rim brakes, not alloy wheels?

@arthurhood8030 9 ай бұрын

I’ve been using Latex (Vredestein) for 15 years now on my road bikes. I wouldn’t use anything else! Much better feel and I think my secret weapon to going fast on the flat or downhill. I carry butyl as a spare and use butyl in my commuting/ shopping bike. Would only ever consider TPU for hill climb races which I probably will never do as I’m useless uphill! Incidentally I use Vredestein fortezza tricomp (old stock), now superseded by fortezza senso. The higher TPI version not the cheaper all weather. I have not had a single puncture in 15 years due to anything getting through the tyre. The only punctures I have had are when the latex tubes age (after about 5 years) and fail typical around the valve stem or abrasion on anything sharp on the inside of the wheel such as caps covering the spoke holes which I was using instead of rim tape to save weight. Just thought I’d mention as Vredestein rarely gets a mention. Grip is also excellent (better imho than equivalent conti GP) though arguably they wear out faster. They certainly feel fast especially with latex tubes.

@user-cx2bk6pm2f 9 ай бұрын

Love that Canyon Aeroad. A superb bike!

@thecyclingmaker 9 ай бұрын

I love Ollie's commitment to the aero cause, rocking the aero bra just to make a video about inner tubes.

@neindanke1629 9 ай бұрын

switched from butyl to tpu and love it. the price is higher but if you compare it to other bike tech this is probably by far the best upgrade per $. today i found out i have been riding over 500km with a thorn in my tire and tube.

@gcntech 9 ай бұрын

No better feeling than when you find an upgrade the fits your riding style 🙌 Did you pull the thorn out or leave it in?

@neindanke1629 9 ай бұрын

@@gcntechi i was in a train and had time to change to a new tpu tube. guess i could have finished the planed 100km ride without any problem.

@chicodusty30 9 ай бұрын

Best Biking channel out by far! love these guys!!!

@BuexxTM 9 ай бұрын

Love Ollie just casually wearing the aero base layer :D

@app6336 9 ай бұрын

I am using Vittoria's butyl inner tubes with sealant inside for my commute bike - I have 28mm wide Vittoria Zaffiro Eco (allrounder) tyre. They are not lightweight and definitely they have quite high rollong resistance. But for commuting it is a good set. I think I will try tpu inner tubes in a following year.

@roberttell1587 9 ай бұрын

I wanted to love TPU, but I kept getting slow leaks from where the valve connects. I assume just a bad batch or something, but makes them hard to love. I carry one on my tubeless setup because it’s so small, but stick with butyl for my winter commuter.

@hyperseah 7 ай бұрын

Agree. I had TPU tubes and the air leak is twice as fast as butyl. The weak point is the plastic stem. After a year the plastic thread has worn out and cannot hold the metal valve tightly. Now I carry TPU as a spare only.

@nlz242 9 ай бұрын

I used to roll on gp5000 with latex tube. I loved the feeling, very supple. But they are fragile and do require a pressure check every two to three days (every day is overdoing it in my experience). Once I left my bike at the shop to get my wheels straightened, mentioned at the desk I was using latex tubes and that they were fragile, to take care while removing em, and sure enough they punctured both...

@TK-ov4hn 9 ай бұрын

I switched to TPU tubes several months ago and really like the gains with one exception. I have not been able to get a patch to hold on a puncture. I have cleaned carefully with IPA even tried different patches but nothing has worked successfully. A GCN Tech video would be very helpful.

@tfire28 9 ай бұрын

I also switched to tpu and have read they are not meant to be patched once punctured they should be replaced.

@kevvjj2629 8 ай бұрын

@@tfire28 Nonsense. I've repaired my TPU tubes with the patches provided and the Park Tool patches with no issues at all.

@kevvjj2629 8 ай бұрын

I've had great success with Park Tools Super patches GP-2 - they work!

@biamarconchi 9 ай бұрын

I'm a convert to TPU for some years, yes the most expensive but completely worth it. There's even patch kits for them. Not going back to butyl.

@francoismany5964 9 ай бұрын

What a nice duo

@mdtrx 9 ай бұрын

Switched from 21/butyl to 28/tpu and the new setup is insanely more comfortable and faster. Even tried them so low pressure that the rim was hitting sharp edges (old durable wheels, don't care), with that little experience they seem to hold just fine. Of course I will pump them up a bit (just enough, around 60-70 psi). TPU gets you most of a tubeless setup without the maintenance.

@HeibesHealth 9 ай бұрын

I’m sticking with butyl only because I had an ungodly frustrating search trying to find inner tubes for my 650b 28mm tires. Specialized had my exact size, and they work beautifully, so I’m sticking with them. LoL.

@raysmith2602 5 ай бұрын

Ive got schwalbe aerothan tpu tubes in my pinarello, pirelli in my basso which all perform as one would expect. I bought several ride now tpu tubes and two failed athe valve on day one. Ive got cyclami in my winter bike which i find are the best compromise. The are a few grams heavier , 35 grams total, because they have metal valves. Where the valve meets the tube is very well reinforced and a pump grips valve like a butyl tube. Ive patched several tpu tubes with no problems as long as the instructions are followed. However i strongly recommended the tubilito repair kit. I bought a cheap one of aliexpress along with tubes and when the patch is placed on glue it completely rolls up as if affected by glue and it is very difficult to effect a good repair. The last two cyclami tubes i bought came with a self adhesive patch which i take with me along with spare tubes. Several of my ridding buddies have switched to tpu on my recommendation and are suitably impressed with them.

@therevsroth 9 ай бұрын

I'm running latex in my kids' bikes for road and cross. Mostly did it to save weight for them. When I install the tubes I put in 2oz of latex tubeless sealant and give a 1oz top up at 3 months. I've noticed that with more modern setups, kids are running 26c tires on 20mm internal rims at 65-70psi the tires only need a top up every 2 days, usually down to 58-60psi on day two. After a couple months of the sealant being in there they can go 3 days before they drop below about 58psi and need to be topped up. When swapping to the cross tires a month ago I could also see that one of the tubes must have gotten a puncture as there was a little bit of orange liquid on the tube but the tire never stopped holding air which makes them the best of both worlds for me; light and puncture resistant.

@barrygregory 9 ай бұрын

Great video - very useful. Any info on rolling resistance compared to tubeless? Guessing tubeless is best due to lack of tube/tyre friction?

@whunderwhoiam2489 9 ай бұрын

The Ali express TPU tires are 8 dollars and they are amazing

@cyclingSausage 9 ай бұрын

Right after watching this I went out for a ride and got a pinch flat (Butyl tyre). I'm gonna go buy a couple of TPUs to try.

@nkantar 9 ай бұрын

I’ve used butyl tubes my whole life until switching to tubeless (on a gravel bike) this year. I want to get some TPU tubes as flat backups for their size (not weight).

@StanEby1 9 ай бұрын

Well done.

@christophertrapp4195 9 ай бұрын

10 and half minutes of video and you guys left key information out. 🙄 Latex tubes cannot be used on a rim brake bike with carbon clincher wheels. They're not very heat resistant and can fail in a carbon wheel as they do not dissipate heat as readily as alloy wheels. TPU can only be patched with manufacturer specific patches, if at all. Some brand TPU tubes have also had issues with leaks coming from the valve stem where the valve is plastic welded into the valve stem. Ask me how I know. TPU tubes also stretch when inflate for the first time. Subsequently, you can use the same tube to change from a 25mm tire to a 28mm tire, but once the tube is "stretched" to size, you may have issues if you step back down because it does not shrink like a Butyl or Latex tube.

@stephensaines7100 9 ай бұрын

Not mentioned for butyl is thickness and the use of talc or other dry lubricant. It used to be standard practice decades ago to dust inner-tubes with talc to prevent them from sticking to the tyre.

@overcookit1433 9 ай бұрын

I have been using the Continental Supersonic butyl inner tubes (around 50gr. with 42mm valve) since they were launched, but three years ago I switched to latex - first the Vittorias, and then to Vredestein latex (ivory coloured, and 52 grams with 50mm valve, here in Germany you can get tem already for 8,50 Euro), I also use them on my deep section carbon front wheels (62mm and 80mm DT Swiss). Although I had used the lightest butyl inner tubes available, the use of the latex was a revelation, especially on descents. The Vredesteins loose 2 bar/29psi per day (in case you pump the tyres up early, and want to use the bike the whole day, take this in account), but they are worth it. I inflate the tyres before each ride anyway (I also did so with the Supersonic inner tubes), it does not matter (and my rides last 2.5 to 3 hours max.). I even inflate all bikes regularly during winter, to prevent the tyres getting flat. It is essentially to use talkum, and to use only glued rim tape and none of plastic - it can happen that the sharp edge of those rim tapes (e.g. the light blue one of Schwalbe or the yellow of Michelin) cut the latex tubes, and be sure to refasten the valves, as most tyre companies don't attach them to strong, so it is easier to put them out in case you have to use valve extenders. As I recently had to change the inner tube of my front tyre, I saw that the drillings for the spoke nipples have quite remarkable sharp edges, at least DT Swiss should grind them away before putting on the tubeless tape (or put on two layers of rim tape, in case this is cheaper). I had to change the inner tube due to a snake bite, fortunately I did not have to change the tube on my bike ride, only when I came home the tyre felt significantly weak, it only had 4 bars/58 psi left inside, and later on the tyre went flat in the basement. For on my way, I use butyl inner tubes (Continental light, around 70gr - I always have two, to feel better when I used one), as they are easier to handle when you have to change the inner tube when the tyre is wet or even dirty.

@frodo5882 3 ай бұрын

Great to hear your insight! Why did you switch from Vittoria to Vredestein? And what do you mean with "glued rim tape and non of plastic"? Isn't rim tape always from from plastic? Thank you!

@overcookit1433 3 ай бұрын

@@frodo5882 I switched to the Vredesteins as they are far lighter (Vittoria 85gr, Vredestein 55gr). As rim tape, I always use Velox, except on the DT Swiss carbon wheels, there I left on the tubeless rim tape. There are also plastic rim tapes available which have no glue (e.g. the lightblue hp rim tape from Schwalbe, or the yellow one from Michelin), there it can happen that the edges fold up and cut the latex tube, especially where the nipple holes are, which may lead to an exploding latex tube - this happened once to me about 20 years ago. On carbon wheels you have to take care not to overheat the rim in case you still use rim brakes, release the brake lever at the latest when the brake pads start to squeak. Usually both the wheel manufacturers and the inner tube manufacturers explicit exclude the use of latex inner tubes respectively the use of carbon wheels with their products. On my Shamal HPW and a Cosmic Carbon SSC front wheel, I closed the nipple holes with Veloplugs, and put a Vélox rim tape over it, to be sure there won't appear any problems. When you decide to use vredestein latex, be sure to tighten the valves well, I usually use a small amount Pattex repair glue on the valves thread to be sure the valves are sealed, but they still loose 2 bars in 24 hours. Especially when you plan longer rides, keep that in mind.

@frodo5882 3 ай бұрын

@@overcookit1433 Because of the heat problem with Latex on rim brakes, I was planning to try TPU tubes this season. They seem to be more heat resistant than Latex. Did you try them at all? I live in the mountains, so heat resistance is quite important and so far I stuck with the normal butyl tubes. As rim tape the Schwalbe Tubeless looks promising too. It's also glued on. You may want to try it.

@perrymcguire3806 9 ай бұрын

I recently tried some latex tubes - which were noticeably lighter than the butyl tubes I'd been using BUT the latex tubes were more sensitive to handle and noisier than the butyl tubes. Also having to inflate them before each ride - even re consecutive days, was a pain. I've now changed back to butyl tubes for autumn/winter riding and will give the latex tubes another go next spring.

@clp91009 9 ай бұрын

I have used Latex tubes for years and love them. Had 1 puncture in the last 3 years so don’t believe what people say about them being fragile that’s an urban myth. You do have to install them with care to avoid damaging them with tyre levers or pinching them under the tyre bead. I also dust the inside of the tyre and rim with talc. Just this year for the first time i’ve started testing TPU tubes. Initial results are good and I’m considering making the switch as I’ve started riding audax events and TPU tubes hold pressure better over 12-24 hours.

@billeterk 9 ай бұрын

That experience matches mine. 3 flats in 5 years vs around 12 for the previous 5 with butyl. Initial installation requires a little more care with latex though, specially new tyres that haven’t stretched. I’ve used butyl for spares to not worry on the road and allow for easy patching in the case of multiple punctures.

@kpsig 9 ай бұрын

@@billeterkIn the rush of changing a tube , during those RTF events of amateur races, using a TPU is the worst thing I would do to myself. Very light butyl for me as spares and latex for the road.

@Sijray21 9 ай бұрын

320tpi tires with latex tubes was by far the most comfy and fastest ride I've ridden. Currently on tubeless for the self-sealing ability on punctures though.

@888jhs 9 ай бұрын

Good comparison, but did not hear any comments on repairability. This is related to value vs butyl which, of course, can be easily repaired. I normally use butyl, but switched to latex for recent Ironman as they seemed faster and lighter - x4 with the 2 spares (and smaller). Also nice to be able to upgrade some components like tyres and tubes on race day. How easy are TPU and latex to repair?

@R20VT100M 9 ай бұрын

I switched from butyl to latex tubes this year and noticed an increase in my average speed. Also I haven’t had a single puncture in thousands of miles. I don’t use the bike everyday so I don’t mind having to pump them up every time I go out. I wouldn’t want to keep a latex one in my saddle bag though as they are fiddly to fit compared to butyl ones

@michaelwright9860 9 ай бұрын

Really useful video guys thanks. I’ve read that TPU tubes should only be used with disc brakes as the heat caused on rims brakes can cause issues? Can you advise cheers

@kevingregoire1042 9 ай бұрын

Latex in coton clinchers for great sensations on no rain days, latex cutout patches and tiny glue tube roadside repair kit, tiny CO2 inflator and a spare ultralight TPU and tyre boot patch in the jersey pocket in case of disastrous puncture.

@khaledzaidan 9 ай бұрын

it's nice to finally have a video covering the 3 types (tube types and rolling resistance is always coming up in videos, but never in this level of detail)! could you say something about patchability? can they all be repaired/patched?

@michaelclements4664 9 ай бұрын

I find that latex tubes patch as easily as butyl. Haven't tried TPU yet.

@kevvjj2629 8 ай бұрын

TPU patch easily with Park Tools GP-2 super patches

@Alan_Hans__ 9 ай бұрын

I haven't put any on the bike yet but I have 2 TPU tubes in my saddle bag in case I have a puncture. I have had 2 tubes on the bike for many, many years and twice I've used both and once I had 3 punctures on a ride with the final a few hundred metres from home. If you're carrying a spare/s then TPU is the obvious choice.

@kenblair2538 9 ай бұрын

Having riding tubs for years, I've been slowly converting to pretty pink Vittoria latex, on my climbing and touring bikes. KB

@gcntech 9 ай бұрын

How have they been working for you?

@ProfeTa6 9 ай бұрын

Considering switching up from butyl but I have a few still going and a couple of spares so I can't justify the expense. That said my tires were pretty worn so I switched to a pair I had left over from another bike and the higher TPI count made a difference feeling faster (couldn't measure rolling resistance of course). Would love to see a comparison on rolling resistance between TPI vs Weight vs Inner Tube/Tubeless vs Sizing but I'm guessing that would be extremely hard and complex and long to manage.

@immatureradical 9 ай бұрын

Just tried a TPU tube on my rear wheel of my daily bike last week. The most pronounced thing is that my tyre felt more supple. They do hold air better than latex but still noticeably worse than butyl. I was always inflating to 110 psi once a week and it would fall to about 80 before inflating again. Tried to do the same thing now and the TPU had 40 psi.

@ruisantos5746 9 ай бұрын

There are other issues not mentioned in the video: compatibility of some tube types with rim brake bikes and tpu tubes reliability, specifically the valves when using valve extenders with deep rim wheels

@erins9271 9 ай бұрын

This came at an opportune time as I've had 2 tubes burst just sitting indoors and a number burst with gentle rides and during install.

@tintansigloXXI 9 ай бұрын

I would buy anything from these two guys, they capture the entire essence of the golden age of infomercials

@MggW 9 ай бұрын

The problem I've had with inner tubes is finding them with long enough valves for deep section wheels - i need 80mm valves. I've not yet found a suitable latex inner tube or be able to add valve extensions. And not found any fatter tubes for 32mm tyres with 80mm valves.

@alexanderkuznetsov4881 9 ай бұрын

Tubolito TPU Inner tubes and Vittoria Corsa 28mm tyres is my choice for my Giant TCR.

@kaupo80 9 ай бұрын

Very nice to know that Ollie likes latex. Even Super Nice!

@danielotero4484 9 ай бұрын

In 2021 I switched to latex inner tube combined with Specialized cotton 28 hell of the north edition knock on wood super fast and comfortable and most important no punctures

@johnhunter8724 9 ай бұрын

just switched to tpu and conti gp5000's from butyl and Bontrager R2's difference is night and day considerably faster . I bought the Green CYCLAMI Chinese tpu tubes off ali express they ended up only costing around 7 euro per tube. i did have a pinch flat but that was my fault could have avoided the pot hole

@lexington476 9 ай бұрын

I've tried using light tubes and latex tubes before, they always flatted on me. I now only use heavy standard rubber tubes. First time I used latex tubes, they both flatted on me at the same time.

@davidferris4299 9 ай бұрын

I run with latex on all my bikes, 7 bikes, both summer and winter. On average I cover 16,000km in a year and I’ve had little or no punctures. That said, the winter bike has 4 season tyres fitted. I love the feel of latex on the road and checking pressures every morning is not that much of a chore. With regard to a spare tube, I have a TPU with a 60mm valve. It packs small and is nice and light.

@treycs2 9 ай бұрын

would be interesting to compare the continental supersonic tube to a latex/tpu tube in rolling resistance. They're much lighter than all other butyl tubes.

@brianwaldrop3506 9 ай бұрын

Alex, how are you liking the Aeroad? I've had mine 3 months now, same color, Force, and LOVING it!! Is that YOUR bike?

@random666777 9 ай бұрын

Hoping you cover this Shimano Crankset recall debacle soon

@CatManDoSocial 9 ай бұрын

First, I'm curious to know which of the three is best for the environment. Being a consumable, I would like to use the most environmentally friendly product. Second, pertaining to latex tubes and air leakage, I've been riding bikes for a very long time and I can't imagine ever leaving for a ride without checking my tire pressure. Maybe it's just me but that's not even an option. Great video!

@JamesSmith-qs4hx 9 ай бұрын

Butyl for the win in 2023. ❤

@dermotbarry-murphy9451 9 ай бұрын

I thought the same about checking pressure for years until I realized that the real issue is the pressure drop you get in your tires throughout a long ride/race. You end up having to spend a third of the ride overinflated, a third about right and you finish underinflated. Adding air pre-ride has always been a red herring in terms of not using latex though..

@rachaelmurray8051 9 ай бұрын

I have had the same latex tubes in constant use since 2017.

@CatManDoSocial 9 ай бұрын

@@rachaelmurray8051 Wait. Not just the same brand but the same actual tubes? That's amazing! Good for you. Which ones are you using?

@rachaelmurray8051 8 ай бұрын

I got mine from Silca. Yes same tubes! @@CatManDoSocial

@Tgiles13 9 ай бұрын

Which one stores better? But it would be interesting to put to the test. Climate, rubbing around in a saddle bag, moisture exposure, sun exposure, etc.

@tobiasbouma4071 9 ай бұрын

Been running latex with gp5000 for a long time and have been loving the comfort from the first moment. I tend to run the tubes very low pressure though, bike+rider is around 85k for me and I’m sitting at 72 psi front and 77 psi back, lower than most calculators out there recommend for 25c

@billeterk 9 ай бұрын

Swapped bikes the other day and forgot to pump up the rarely used bike. Same combo - GP5000 + latex. Turns out they’re rideable for an 85kg rider at 45PSI :-)

@Rgrrgr175 9 ай бұрын

This is also exactly what I run and I love it.

@jeremyedwards3612 9 ай бұрын

Me too. Great Combo

@jimduyck 9 ай бұрын

Same combo here, too. 🙋‍♂️ Love it. Though I did pick up a pair of cheaper TPU tubes to carry as spares.

@gcntech 9 ай бұрын

Sounds like you've done your research!

@bzai90 9 ай бұрын

Currently running RideNow 36g TPU's (the 2nd gen with the transparent valve stems) they cost about 4 pounds each, compact & easy to carry spares & definitely can feel less rolling resistance when riding. Air retention is decent i suppose, losing about approx 5 psi+- a day. There's even a 19 gram disc only variant. (36g is compatible with rim brakes but they do caution against prolonged braking)

@sipapito Ай бұрын

How long is prolonged braking?

@simoneisgod 9 ай бұрын

Ive been using unbranded TPU tubes (from ebay) £3.88 at the time and they have been fantastic! Hoping the brand names ones come down in cost as there is no reason other then profit for the huge markup on them atm

@8807smoore 9 ай бұрын

I had to throw my cheap ebay TPUs in the bin after one month, both were leaking from the valve joint.

@mechanicaldavid4827 9 ай бұрын

There IS a difference. Pirelli has higher QC standards for their TPU, whereas generic QC is whatever was good enough at that unknown factory.

@einundsiebenziger5488 Ай бұрын

... no other reason than* profit

@alienaudaxer9827 9 ай бұрын

Made the switch to TPUs at the start of the year and have completed 5 audaxes of various distances and a failed PBP attempt. No punctures so far and a noticeable improvement in ride comfort.

@larrymcgoldrick3471 9 ай бұрын

Also don't know what butyl tubes they are buying but I was running butyl tubes that came in at 72 grams for a 25mm tire, half the weight quoted by GCN.

@bradallen8643 9 ай бұрын

Going tubeless for puncture protection and low pressure with TPU backup for space and weight saving in tool kit

@WhatxKeepsxUsxHere 9 ай бұрын

Alex - However count : 1. 1:20 2. 4:24 3. 4:43 4. 4:55 5. 5:45 6. 6:08 It felt like more - maybe because of that accumulation between 4:24 & 6:08. That is 6:14. GCN - can you loop Howerver and similar thing into 1 episode ?

@dtsybulskyi 9 ай бұрын

Didn't notice at first, but then it does trigger every time you hear that British "houea" 😅

@GeekonaBike 9 ай бұрын

What about puncher repairability? Is glueless patching the only option with both Later & TPU?

@EatMyPropwash 4 ай бұрын

Road and tri bike are tubeless, but I carry latex as backup for training, and TPU in the tri bike spare when racing purely for size purposes as I have a lot of other stuff to carry like valve wxtender, valve core removal, co2, inflator head, etc… every mm matters!

@luislemusda 9 ай бұрын

I have been riding TPU for over 1.5 years already, as Alex said, I feel the puncture resistance quite similar to traditional tubes, and even though they are more expensive, every time I puncture I always fix them, I currently have around 10 patches on each inner tube I was badly replacing traditional inner tubes almost every single time I flattened, so at the end of the day it's not "that expensive". Great video btw.

@gcntech 9 ай бұрын

10 patches wow! It's great that you are looking to repair your parts 🙌 Do you think you would ever jump to tubeless and avoid tubes all together?

@l.d.t.6327 9 ай бұрын

Interesting! Do you have any issues with the plastic valves (and thus valves breaking / becoming unusable / leaking after some months / a year?)

@luislemusda 9 ай бұрын

I have, but didn´t like it and went back to TPU, probably it was just bad luck and 1 bad experience, I´´ll give tubless another chance in the future@@gcntech

@luislemusda 9 ай бұрын

only once with 1 tube, put some white tape under the valve and it got fixed and never leaked again, I use tubolito@@l.d.t.6327

@SoloKyoto 8 ай бұрын

I have used everything from $3-$25 a piece inner tubes in my time doing BMX and I can say no matter how expensive you will end up casing a quarter inch gash in them no matter what if you really ride your bike so just use whatever your budget affords. Although If you get a lot of flats I recommend Slim's tubes with the sealant already in it. They are extremely heavy but they will survive multiple small nail punctures.

@neonfreaky 9 ай бұрын

Been riding Ridenow TPU for a while, but switched to tubeless when I punctured front and rear at the same time in a 15% decent. Front had 16! snake bites rear had 4 snakebites. Switch to a new TPU, after few days rear tire 2 snake bits. Before this I drove them 3 months without problems. Maybe it's the combination of rimbrakes and warmer weather. Tire pressure was the same whole time. Tyre is new GP5000 #askgcntech

@JamesBoz 9 ай бұрын

Interesting! I’ve been running RideNow TPU tubes previously without problems but have recently had 5 punctures -all snakebites! To be fair, one double puncture wasn’t surprising as I managed to hit a pretty nasty rock with both wheels.

@dermotbarry-murphy9451 9 ай бұрын

You got 16 snakebites in the same tube at the same time? I'm curious.

@neonfreaky 9 ай бұрын

Yes, 16 snake bites in the same tube at the same time. In a 15% decent. A few minutes earlier I hit a hole, maybe it started leaking slowly which caused the other snake bites.

@chrisbaum998 9 ай бұрын

Ollie and Alex: Follow up question that would be interesting to answers! How does CO2 affect the 3 different inner tubes? Also, Is it possible to do a patch the Latex or TPU and reuse the inner tube if you get a puncher???

@SuperDongringo 9 ай бұрын

am using ride now tpu tube. they're light and cheap works like a butyl tube also.

@archy_bold 9 ай бұрын

Good video. I'd have liked if you'd covered the reparability of each tube as that definitely affects the price. I've never had anything but butyl, but I could be tempted to other types if they're easily repaired.

@JoelBlack-kh5up 9 ай бұрын

This. I'm a big fan of TPU except that in my experience they don't repair well at all, even when using the manufacturer's special (expensive) patches and following the instructions religiously. Repairability is almost never mentioned in reviews...but it's essential.

@archy_bold 9 ай бұрын

@@JoelBlack-kh5up yeah, I like having patches in case I get more than one puncture on a single ride, as a last resort. They say TPU is compact, but I’d like to know that it’s worth carrying a spare if it can also be patched.

@kevvjj2629 8 ай бұрын

@@JoelBlack-kh5up I've had great success with Park Tool Super patches GP-2. Currently running a TPU with two patches. Been on the bike for six months so far, no issues.

@colinfisher2463 9 ай бұрын

Always had butyl but just about to trial latex for the comfort. Hoping to feel the difference otherwise I’ll go back to butyl.

@rivingtonandstanton 9 ай бұрын

Hi @gcntech, Would be cool to include additional criteria to any review like this: Sustainability Impact - in terms of their production and when it comes time to bin/recycle such items.

@markusseppala6547 9 ай бұрын

I think how easy it is to patch is an important factor. I run TPU tubes but carry a spare butyl tube and a patch kit.

@rogeramu 8 ай бұрын

Just stumbled into TPU from butyl. Seems great so far, but the whole upgrade was going from "whatever the local sports store has" to €50 more in tubes and tires, so I am more surprised by the difference going from "ok" to "good" where the wheels meet the road.

@jinkang7164 9 ай бұрын

Switched from butyl to pirelli TPU tubes. The bike feels more alive for lack of better word. It just feels better, can't really explain but I can definitely forgive the cost of the tubes for the better ride quality.

@scuzzyboy 8 ай бұрын

Any thoughts of using TPU + Tire Inserts for road bikes, especially for those who are still using 700 x 23 and 700 x 25 tires.

@shayraveh2994 9 ай бұрын

Hi, Would you still recommend using TPU/Latex inner tube when riding with a Rim Brake bike? Is there any risk from the heat dissipation through the rim and to the inner tube?

@williamcrampton394 9 ай бұрын

Guys. Thank you for this video comparison for the Tubes, but I'm disappointed that you didn't mention repairing any of them, once. It's not all about RR, weight and price. An opportunity missed on this one!

@WerdnaLiten 9 ай бұрын

It's GCN, what do you expect?

@Likelybiking 9 ай бұрын

I’ve been carrying TPU tubes for a long time as a tubeless spare. Luckily I’ve ever had to try one so I have no experience with them other than they take almost no space in my saddle bag.

@chriskotting 8 ай бұрын

I recently changed over to TPU tubes, and I was shocked at the weight reduction, rolling resistance and increased comfort. As Alex said, "it's a thing."