taz777

I think I ought to buy some inner tubes for my fat bike tyres. Whilst the rims are tubeless-ready, I think I'll see the Winter months through using inner tubes and then focus on going tubeless when the weather improves.

Inner tubes for fat tyres seem to be hard to come by here in the UK.

My rims are 26". Tyres are 26x4.4 inch Jumbo Jims. I'm trying to find suitable tubes so any recommendations would be welcome.

Hypno Toad

I run standard 26x2.4/2.75 MTB tubes, lighter than fatbike tubes, I've run Surly Nates, 45NRTH Dillinger 4, and Fat B Nimble tires with these tubes. I set it up that way early last year, and have over 2000 miles without an issue - not one flat [/knocking on wood]

However, your Jumbo Jims are wider than any of my tires.

FrozenK

What Hypnotoad said. I never used anything other than standard 2.4/2.6 tubes. Including on 4.5 inch tires.

fietsbob

My LBS stocks them .

MarcusT

Amazon has a few Chinese made tubes, Evans cycles have more expensive brands.

HerrKaLeun

So is the bike already tubeless, or just tubeless ready? In the latter case the tubes are still in. If you converted it to tubeless already, didn't you keep the tubes it came with?
if already tubeless, why not leave it that way and just take one tube as a spare with you?

quality of answers depends on quality of the question and the information provided

taz777

The tyres/wheels are stock so have tubes in them. I want to buy a couple of spare tubes in case I get punctures over the Winter. Fat tyre inner tubes are rare in the UK so I was looking for suggestions of inner tubes that would fit my tyres (Jumbo Jims 4.4x26 inch).

A couple of the replies suggest that tubes designed for narrower tyres should be fine. If this is the case then I have more options that I can go for.

HerrKaLeun

Aren't the jumbos also tubeless? and you have tubeless rims... the obvious answer:
go tubeless and retrieve the tubes you already have as spare.

prathmann

All my 23mm tubes easily expand to 5+" in width when I'm looking for a tiny pinhole puncture. So I'd expect just about any tube to work in your ~4" tires if you're having such difficulty finding some of the correct nominal size.

Rafe Hollister

I just put in a 700c tube from my road bike into my 100mm rim with 4.8 tire. It blew just as the bead was seating.

qclabrat

consider DH 26" tubes, they are thicker and you can really over inflate them without fear of blowouts.

prj71

WTF?


Why would you even do that?

Rafe Hollister

As Einstein said " Curiosity is more important than knowledge". And also for science. If a 700c tube works, then it goes to reason that all other tubes will work too.

prj71

Curiosity or lack of common sense? Holy crap. This isn't rocket science

Rafe Hollister

Actually, I am a rocket surgeon.

alo

If I was planning to go tubeless, I would not be buying tubes. If you do have major damage to a tire, replace it, and go tubeless sooner.

If you do buy tubes, you could use 26x4.0. I would not go smaller. These are readily available on the internet. I don't know about delivery with the current coronavirus.

I have decided to run tubes, with the tubeless sealant in the tubes. I think that is the best setup. If you do change a tire, the sealant is contained within the tubes, and normally should not make a mess. I have only just started with this setup recently, but I expect some tires should not have a flat for the entire life of the tire. Most punctures I have had in the past have been very small, and would seal. On rare occasions I may have a larger puncture which may not seal.

While running sealant in tubes, I do not carry spare tubes. I think it will be very rare that I may need one.

prj71

Actually 26 x 2.4-2.7 tubes will stretch and work in fat bike tires. I've done it and it works.

Set up tubeless and only carry a tube for emergency.

bikeaddiction1

Why not just stay tubeless? I run tubeless through the winter and have not had any issues. Probably the coldest I ride is -15 degrees C. Plus the tires are a bit more flexible and grip the snow and frozen dirt better.