dmanthree

For those of you who have switched to latex tubes, was it worth it? Any downsides?

Homebrew01

From what I hear: More expensive, harder to patch, goes flat faster.
What are the upsides ?

CliffordK

I haven't used them with clinchers, although I think I've had a few sewups with them, I think, and always seemed to get them patched. Do they have fewer of those annoying seams, and thus would be easier to patch?

However, if you use tire sealants, this test seems to indicate that the latex tubes fare somewhat better with most sealants.

Sealant Test - Part 2 - Slowtwitch.com

AnkleWork

Worth what?

dmanthree

The additional cost per tube and the potential downsides, like air loss. I've never ridden them, and that's why I asked.

Homebrew01

They allegedly cut rolling resistance by .001%, so if a championship time trial were on the line, I would give them a try.

FBinNY 

Top quality tubulars have traditionally come with latex tubes which are (supposedly) more supple and provide lower rolling resistance than butyl tubes. As far as I know, the slight reduction in rolling resistance is the only upside (and it is slight). OTOH - latex tubes are more porous to air so you need to top off more frequently (daily with my tubulars).

Besides the air bleed issue, latex tubes are more prone to aging damage, and it's not rare for an older tube to shatter when you flat vs. a simple, easy to repair puncture. I have no hard numbers on this but it's been my experience that tires more than 3 years old are prone to this age/oxidation issue.

andr0id

I tried them a few years back and didn't notice any difference other than getting flats really easily.
Not worth the trouble. I was running them with Michelin Pros.

I've since switched to Conti tires and use Forte light tubes. They seem to be a decent price/performance ratio for me.

chasm54

I've used them. I'd say the improvement in ride quality is perceptible, but only if you're using high-end racing tyres. For my purposes that small improvement isn't worth the price, and the fact that it is much essier to damage them when fitting a tyre.

The air loss isn't really an issue for me, I top up my tyre pressure every time I ride anyway.

alcjphil

+1 If my bike has been sitting a couple of days I will check the tires anyway before riding. I check them by attaching my pump to the tire valve. I know that doing this will drop the tire pressure a few psi anyway. If I have to take a couple more strokes of the pump because the inner tubes are latex, so be it
So the downside is that my tires go soft quicker. The possible upside is perhaps lower rolling resistance, a more supple ride, and possibly a bit better resistance to pinch flats. I was looking for a more supple ride without losing anything on rolling resistance, so I went from 700 x 23 to 700 x 25 tires(similar quality) and latex inner tubes. It worked, ride quality on bad pavement is better, there is no noticeable change in rolling resistance, and I have not experienced a pinch flat (mind you these are rare)
The minor inconvenience of latex inner tubes losing air isn't even on the radar for any cyclist who uses them

dmanthree

Perfect. I want to remain the champ 61 year old of my street. ;-)

chriskmurray

The claimed benefits are like mentioned above, better rolling resistance and a more supple ride, and lighter weight all by very small amounts. I personally can not tell much of a difference in any of the benefits mentioned above and think if there was much chance at noticing those improvements you would already need to be on tires with extremely supple sidewalls to begin with such as the 300+ tpi cotton casing Vittorias (or have them sewn into top notch tubulars).

trailflow1

I recently tried some Michelin latex tubes for the first time. I definitely noticed the extra suppleness and smoother ride with my Veloflex Corsa's at 80 psi (320tpi). When used with my Vittoria Rubino Pro 3 Slick's (150tpi) the extra suppleness was not so noticeable. Are they worth the extra cost ? No i dont think so. I have never finished a ride and thought my tyres/tubes felt harsh with normal tubes.

After a month i removed the latex tubes, on 1 tube found some deformation and stretch marks to the latex which looked to be a failure waiting to happen. It looked like the tube had got twisted and trapped and pulled. Some area's were noticeably thinner than others almost about to tear. Glad i inspected them. This was with lots of talc powder and very careful installation. My wheels (Zonda's) have no spoke holes in the rim bed so no rim tape to get trapped under either.

The other tube was fine or so i thought until i tried to re-install it. Turns out it had stretched around 2-3cm. So when i came to feed it into the tyre and wheel. The extra length would stick out no matter how many times i tried to reseat it. If i tried to squeeze it all in it would of most certainly got trapped and failed. So that's 2 latex tubes in the bin.

Pumping them up before every ride just became a chore.

Would i buy them again ? probably not.

I've gone back to using the Planet X Lightweight thin butyl tubes which are only 10 grams heavier (85g vs 75g) and they only cost £1.99. Performance wise they are similar.

FastJake

I've never bought them but I have a few that came on bikes. I'll use them until they flat and then probably throw them away. I've never noticed a difference but they do weigh less if you care about that. If I remember correctly, something like 30-40g for a latex tube versus 90g for a butyl tube (700x23.)

Anyone that believes they can notice a difference in ride quality should take a flat latex tube and bend it back and forth in their hands, then do the same with a flat butyl tube. Then do that with an unmounted TIRE. And tell me that the tire isn't about 20 times thicker and stiffer than either of the tubes.

ciderguy

Are they smaller / do they pack easier than butyl tubes? Most of the time I don't care about weight, but I'd like to cut down on space during my longer fitness rides. Butyl tubes that fit 700c x 40 tires barely leave any room in my seat wedge for keys, multitool, ID, and cash.

T Stew

65g butyl tubes... Schwalbe SV20 X-Light Presta Tube - 700c | Inner Tubes | Merlin Cycles

Michelin air comp latex on the other hand is ~75g

So I guess it is at least possible that butyl can be lighter than latex...

KBentley57

I made two changes at once, so I can't say which is causing the better feel, but I switched from 23c + butyl conti GP4ks2s's @ 100/110 psi to 25c GP4ks2's + latex @ 80/90 PSI, and the ride is delicious .

trailangel

Latex the same weight and twice the price.
The suppleness difference people are feeling is in the tire and air pressure, not the tube.
How do I know. I tried them all.

bbbean 

I use them in my race tires. Ride quality is a tough call. They ride smoother, but I expect them too. So it may be psychological. They do have improved rolling resistance, and they're lighter, even if the differences are small.

Worst case scenario is that I'm paying an extra $10 for a tube that I only think rides better and maybe improves my speed by an incremental amount. Best case scenario is that the extra few grams, watts, and ride quality will help me finish ahead of where I would have otherwise.

FWIW, they are prone to pinch flats on installation, but if I'm careful enough to install them properly, my experience is that they're just as durable as butyl tubes.

Personally, I can afford an extra few dollars for tubes I may only need to replace once a year or less and that may improve my performance.

BB

RR3

1.8 watts savings per tire. Is having to add the lost 15 psi once per day worth the savings? It is to me. Yay.

I use Challenge latex tubes in Veloflex master, Conti GP 4000si, Vittoria Open EVO Corsa, and Compass Extra Leger tires.

I got my second flat in 20,000 miles the other day. The valve stem developed a slow leak where it attached to the latex tube.

They cost $13 compared to $8 for decent butyl tubes.

Latex tubes require a more careful hand when installing. I carry a butyl tube as a spare.

Schwalbe Pro One tubeless in 28mm is interesting.

Continental Grand Prix 4000S II Latex Tube Rolling Resistance Review

trailangel

^^^^. I don't consider that a valid comparison.
They compared a 100 gram butyl tube to 75 gram latex tube.
Why not compare a 75 gram butyl tube to a 75 gram latex tube????
Why? Because it would come out the same and they would not sell any latex tubes.
The latex usually go bad around the valve stem.
Only snake bite flat I've ever had was with latex tube.

Hey, they are great in tubular tires!!

ThermionicScott 

One (1) key, ID, cash should all go in your jersey pockets anyway.

ciderguy

If this was a CF plastic wonder bike, sure I wouldn't have a problem with Rule 29. However, I wouldn't be riding on 40mm tires on such a steed anyway. Besides, the rule clearly has an exception for European Posterior Man-Satchels on MTBs, and my commuter bike is more akin to a rigid 29er than a road bike anyway.

All kidding aside, I don't own a single jersey. Maybe when I shed more of this weight and stop being a Clyde, except in height, I'll invest in some. For now, they seem prohibitively expensive for something that will stop fitting me in two or three months after purchase.

RR3

I don't consider it valid for another reason. Drum resistance is not real world. The elasticity of latex shines on bumpy roads.

The last page shows a lightweight butyl tube vs latex on a Veloflex pave tire. 2.7 watts per tire lower for latex. This squares up with my observation

If you have data showing equivalence, please share.

www.biketechreview.com/tires_old/images/AFM_tire_testing_rev7.pdf

dmanthree

That's my setup, as well. I'm running the HED Belgium+ rims with 700x25 Conti 4Ks tires. As you said, you made two changes, so it's hard to say which one made the difference. Maybe worth a shot, though. I can always switch back easily enough.