Thread: Tubolito tubes
View Single Post
Old 10-27-20, 04:08 AM
  #9  
FTB
Luke
 
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 55
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 22 Post(s)
Liked 13 Times in 10 Posts
There's definitely pros and cons.
I've used them on a few sets of wheels so I'm fairly familiar with them.
first, the price. They're expensive. Unless you can get them cheaper than rrp, I can't really recommend them for training unless they're your spare tube, in which case, they are very very compact, or if you don't care about the price of inner tubes/don't flat much that could potentially justify it for this...
They are really fast.
if you've ever swapped training wheels for race wheels you know the feeling. It's that big. While I'm not a weightweenie, they ride quality and responsiveness this brings could make it worth it depending how much cash you've got. It always surprised me just how big this difference is. I personally tried them for my race wheels since I can get a good deal on them and they're easier to get for me than latex.

Keep in mind that while Tubolito claims they are 3 times puncture protective than butyl (I think something like that) it does NOT mean you will puncture x3 less. I feel that while this may be the case outside the tire that it is a pretty useless stat considering if something gets through the much thicker tire, the tube will get punctured no matter how good it is.

All of my tubolitos are toast now. My mtb ones are mysteriously flat (dented rims --> tubeless no go) and my road ones, one flatted out on my bunchie before race day to check the newly built wheels out, and the other left me with a flat tire an hour before Nats road race, soooooo not sure whether this was bad luck or not but i'll leave you to decide.

I know some older fellas who've had great results and swear by them. And I think I may have pumped them up too much outside the tire while installing them; something Tubolito strongly advises against. Unfortunately it could have been user error for me

EDIT: I didn't go mental pumping them up outside the tire, no more than I would with butyl, it just pays to read the instructions sometimes.

Also Schwalbe made a similar product but its clear instead of bright orange. I'd check both out.

Last edited by FTB; 10-27-20 at 04:11 AM.
FTB is offline