Reliable Source for Low Cost TPU Inner Tubes
12-23-23, 11:29 AM
#26
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12-23-23, 11:57 AM
#27
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I have played around with the idea, but don't get it. To purchase 2 tubes and a couple of spares I'd have to shell out over $100. How much faster will that make me? At least new wheels or a new jersey looks cool, but with TPU I fear I might be lighter in the wallet but still a mid-pack rider at best.
Probably the future, but not yet.
Probably the future, but not yet.
I am a happy user of tubeless and tpu tubes are a great spare to carry should you encounter a situation where the cut is so large a tire liner and tube is the last resort. After tens of thousands of km including month long tours in developing countries using lightweight gravel tires I have yet to need one.
12-23-23, 12:27 PM
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Rest assured no matter how much we spend and on what, unless it’s on a e-bike, mid-pack riders we will be!
I am a happy user of tubeless and tpu tubes are a great spare to carry should you encounter a situation where the cut is so large a tire liner and tube is the last resort. After tens of thousands of km including month long tours in developing countries using lightweight gravel tires I have yet to need one.
I am a happy user of tubeless and tpu tubes are a great spare to carry should you encounter a situation where the cut is so large a tire liner and tube is the last resort. After tens of thousands of km including month long tours in developing countries using lightweight gravel tires I have yet to need one.
12-23-23, 04:34 PM
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12-23-23, 06:44 PM
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i have not had that be the case. I have only used Schwalbe aerothanes tpu tubes but I have had two punctures one front one rear and both times they were slow and the one was a a fairly big puncture. they did not go instantly flat like most flats I have had.
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12-23-23, 06:46 PM
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ditto. or really cheap tpu tubes....
https://www.schwalbetires.com/bike-t...han-tpu-tubes/
https://www.schwalbetires.com/bike-t...han-tpu-tubes/
Last edited by jadmt; 12-23-23 at 06:50 PM.
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12-25-23, 08:21 PM
#32
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That sounds like user issue. With TPU tubes, it is extremely important that you not pinch the tube under the tire during installation. Because of how thin and floppy the TPU is, it's very hard to avoid doing that. What I do is, after I get most of the second bead on, I inflate the TPU tube so it's holding its shape (I think the documentation tells you to inflate to 5 psi which seems too much), and then carefully seat the rest of the bead. While you are seating the bead with one hand, the other hand needs to be pressing hard on the tire pushing towards the other side, to shift the tube as far away from the seating bead as possible. I learned this after pinching a few TPU tubes as well.
12-25-23, 08:38 PM
#33
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I’ve read enough posts where people say it’s literally impossible to mount some tires without levers or a tire jack. I’m truly curious to see how difficult these tires can be. But since I only own one bike with little incentive to get something more modern, I’ll likely never get to experience these PITA tires.
12-25-23, 09:09 PM
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it always goes back to economics theory: TAANSTAAFL There Aint No Such Thing As A Free Lunch
If brand name tubes are $26 to $38 each on sale, the chances that a 5 dollar tube have any quality are pretty low https://www.biketiresdirect.com/sear...bes?fltr=48005
OP has already blown the cost of 5 tubes if low cost is goal, get light weight, good quality butyl tubes
If brand name tubes are $26 to $38 each on sale, the chances that a 5 dollar tube have any quality are pretty low https://www.biketiresdirect.com/sear...bes?fltr=48005
OP has already blown the cost of 5 tubes if low cost is goal, get light weight, good quality butyl tubes
Based on what you posted, it would be impossible to buy a new Continental Grand Prix 5000 700c clincher at a price sustantially lower than the price found on biketiresdirect.com. I've always found those tires for 39.99.
I found that low pricing on high end bicycles can be found on ebay, by focusing on bikes offered with "local pickup only." The market is kept very small for those bikes, causing the pricing to be low. For example, earlier thus year I bought two 2008 Trek Madone bikes in perfect condition. One cost $400, and the other cost $470. To get the bikes shipped to my house, I contacted the sellers before making the purchases, asking if they were open to me arranging local pickup through a mover. In neither case did i have to get a mover to pickup the bike from the seller. The sellers were delighted to take the bikes to bike shops I found through BikeFlights.com. For $60, the shops packed the bikes in Boxes, and for $90, ups pucked up the bikes from the shops and brought them to my house.
With regard to inner tubes, i have seen quality butyl tubes selling for $15-$25, but i never had to pay anywhere near that, by looking for bulk sales on ebay. Here is a set of 10 continental butyl tubes for $65.50
I suspect tpu tubes can be found for pricrs closer to $5 than the prices you mentioned. It is possible I already found some already, but installed them improperly, creating the failures i mentioned.
Last edited by danallen; 12-25-23 at 09:17 PM.
12-27-23, 08:16 AM
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I’ve read enough posts where people say it’s literally impossible to mount some tires without levers or a tire jack. I’m truly curious to see how difficult these tires can be. But since I only own one bike with little incentive to get something more modern, I’ll likely never get to experience these PITA tires.
12-27-23, 01:39 PM
#37
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I get mounting tubeless tires might be tough. But since you’re not using a super-fragile inner tube, I don’t think it’s an issue to use tire levers to install a tire.
Just the level of difficulty you describe here is another reason dissuading me from wanting to go tubeless.
Just the level of difficulty you describe here is another reason dissuading me from wanting to go tubeless.
I have had tubed clincher I needed to use a tire jack to get on.
I have also had tires (Gravel king 28's that were super easy to get on a mavic open pro rim, but very hard to get on a mavic MA40 rim
By all accounts tubeless ready are harder to mount with stiffer side walls etc.....but I have no hands on ymmv
If a tire is hard to mount, once mounted I wait a week or two to let it stretch and then see if I can get it off and back on with what I carry with me. I do carry a metal lever now due to some difficult rim/tire combos
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Life is too short not to ride the best bike you have, as much as you can.
Life is too short not to ride the best bike you have, as much as you can.
12-30-23, 02:13 PM
#38
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I think I’ll put butyl tubes under the Conti 5000’s then pump them hard for a few weeks, then replace those with TPU tubes… Good or bad idea…???…
