wirides

I have a new Cannondale Synapse that came with Vittoria Rubino Pro's 700 x 28. I am considering switching to 32c GP5000's with latex tubes. Do you think the switch will make any appreciable difference to be worth the expense? Are latex tubes more hassle than they are worth? It's hard to find consistent opinions on them.

veganbikes

I think with a super supple tire latex would be great. I would swap to Vittoria Corsa G2s and use latex there if I was looking to go latex. Me personally I am fine on butyl tubes or I would just go tubeless. I do think the GP5000s are great tires but I haven't found them to be as soft and supple as the open tubular varieties from say Vittoria or Challenge and others. From what I understand latex makes more sense if it can move and flex a bit more and in a stiffer tire it won't be able to do that and therefore the benefits aside from weight are negated.

wirides

I'm not necessarily looking to go latex but searching for the best overall combo. The benefits of a wider tire are pretty clear while tube benefits, not so much.

delbiker1 

Like all of these kinds of changes, it depends on what kind of and what style of riding you do. Latex tubes have a more supple feel, but that depends on the tires. I have no experience with GP5000's. Latex tubes are lighter but, in my experience, they also flat easier. and need quality tires that are in real good condition. Does the weight and feel make them worth the extra cost? Only you can decide that.

qajaq

Just changed from Vittoria Rubino Pro's 700 x 28 to Conti GP5000TL (tubeless) on a new Wilier Treistina. To me the difference was definitely worth it. I wouldn't bother with latex tubes at all. Others surely have differing opinions but that doesn't mean anyone is wrong.

Just have to be certain that 32's will fit your bike and your wheels are tubeless compatible. Most likely your new Synapse will be fine on both counts. Road tubeless isn't that difficult in most cases.

Plenty advise on how to do it on this site and elsewhere. At 180lbs I've run tire pressure as low as 70 psi for a fairly plush ride and no problems.

Sy Reene

It's been a while since I considered latex, so not sure of the answer, but are there latex tubes covering a 32mm width tire?

Ross520

Yes... HUGE!

Those same tires that came on my Optimo 105. I ran them for ~1000 miles and thought to myself “there has to be something better than this”. At first, I was weary of upgrading to a “racier” tire for fear of less durability and more flats. I finally decided to try them out, frustrated with how poorly the Rubino slicks cornered and rode. After man-handling the Contis onto my wheels (I could remove and install the Rubinos with just my hands, the Contis required two levers for me to mount), I went for a century ride to put them through their paces. Far better grip, much more supple casing, giving them a much improved ride, and they just seemed “faster”.

I now have around the same amount of miles on the GP5ks as I do on the Pros, and actually have had less flat tires.

I wouldn’t hesitate to make the switch, and once you do, you’ll never go back,

wirides

https://www.amazon.com/Vittoria-Comp...7DS?th=1&psc=1

I belive these are for the wider tires, no?

SethAZ 

I think the biggest issue you'll find is finding latex tires specified for 32mm wide tires. The common ones I used in the past were available only for smaller tires, and I'd hesitate to stretch them out to a 32mm tire. Edit: just saw the link to the tubes above that would cover 32mm, but for me they'd still be useless, as I need 60mm valve stems and don't like extenders.

I've used latex tubes many times before with tires like 25mm Conti GP4K and noticed an improvement in the feel. I'd have no a priori reason to believe that wouldn't carry over to the GP5K. Latex were a little more troublesome than butyl tubes, but I liked them. I didn't use them consistently, but bounced back and forth between them and butyl.

I'm currently using the CX-sized Tubolito tubes on my bike with my Compass 32mm tires and quite like them. They hold air better even than butyl tubes, and definitely way better than latex. I always topped the air off on my bike every day before a ride, but if I topped off the day before I usually won't bother with the Tubolitos, and even a week later I'm only down like 3-5psi. They're much lighter than butyl, also thinner, and feel very much like latex tubes. Their primary drawback is that you have to sell your second kidney to buy them, at like $35 a pop. One I bought was bad out of the box (slow leak from the base of the valve stem), I've since replaced it, and haven't had a flat with one yet, though flats for me are seldom enough that I'm not sure I should have expected one by now. They do feel nice though.

jadocs

Are your wheels tubeless ready? If so forget about inner tubes and get the GP5000TL and go tubeless.

wirides

The wheels are Fulcrum Racing 600 DB. I definitely have to give more consideration to tubeless.

dmanders

Having ridden sew-ups for forty years I just made the switch to clinchers a few years ago. At first I wasn't crazy about them -- vittoria high end in both cases. Then I switched to latex tubes. My gosh what a difference. Still not tubs but darn close. This was on an F8 in 23 width and now 25.