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Bicycle tubes

Old 02-05-19, 02:36 PM
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robrpb
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Bicycle tubes

I have a mountain bike that I haven't used in many years. I am going to ride it on the streets and bicycle paths in my neighborhood. No rough terrain. I am going to replace the tubes. The size on the tires are 26 x 2.10. I was looking on Amazon and there are many different brands. What brand tubes are good that you would recommend? Thanks.
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Old 02-05-19, 02:42 PM
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I use Slime tubes now and haven't had any problems. But a long while back I purchased a whole bunch of tubes on the bay from China for pennies apiece and they all blew up (literally) within minutes or days of installing them. I patched them only to have them blow out in another place. Some literally disintegrated when they blew up. Neighbors thought I'd taken up target practicing in my back yard.
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Old 02-05-19, 03:14 PM
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Kenda & Sunlite brands have been working fine for me from Amazon since 2009
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Old 02-05-19, 03:27 PM
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Have used all the above and the only tube I'm still using on my MTB is slime. Haven't had a single flat in about 3k mi. Pretty amazing imo. I planned to go tubeless but was waiting for my tubes to blow first. They won't quit lol.
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Old 02-05-19, 03:35 PM
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I mainly buy road tubes.

For $5 or so, you can generally find tubes at your local bike store or department store.

Wiggle has pretty good online prices for tubes.
https://www.wiggle.com/lifeline-26-mtb-inner-tube/

About $2 each for MTB tubes (Presta or Schrader). A little less for road tubes, especially if bought in bulk.

Many of the online companies have minimum orders, so things like tubes are easy to add to other orders if you need to stock up on things like chains, tires, or other parts. Hit the minimum, and get free shipping.
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Old 02-05-19, 04:13 PM
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I've got roughly the same size of tire on my new bike and tubes are readily available and pretty affordable at your nearest Walmart or bike shop.
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Old 02-06-19, 10:18 AM
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Brand doesn't matter, some with sealant is good usually. If you are going to have the wheels off may as well install a new set of slick tires as well. Smooth tire will roll smoother and give a better ride. I've found older tires more prone to flats and damage in general.
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Old 02-06-19, 02:16 PM
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Originally Posted by c_m_shooter
I've found older tires more prone to flats and damage in general.
Ditto. Depending on the age of the tire, it may be dry-rotted and may not last long before deteriorating or blowing out.

To add to my previous post (which I was going to edit but decided to just put here) there are some brands of tubes that I wouldn't recommend based on my experience. Prior to my new bike having roughly the same size of tire as your bike (26x1.95, which uses the same tubes,) I had another bike with the same tire size.

I know a lot of people are going to dislike this - but I've had bad luck with Kenda tubes. I've had really good luck with their tires, but every Kenda tube I've had has given me problems. I had a problem last summer with a Kenda thorn-resistant tube where the valve stem "patch" detached. I also found they're usually pretty thin (unless you go for the thorn-resistant tubes) and therefore slightly more prone to punctures, but also don't weigh as much.

My local Walmart carries Bell (CST) and "Goodyear" (Kent) tubes. I've had mixed experiences with CST tubes with that prior bike and Walmart got the Kent tubes after I scrapped that old bike. I picked up Kent tube for this new bike and it seems to be holding fine - it's much thicker (unfortunately weighs more) and pretty well built. Our local Walmart used to also sell Hutchinson tubes in the 26x1.95-2.2 size, but they don't anymore. Kind of a shame because they were also good for the money.
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Old 02-06-19, 05:59 PM
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Originally Posted by c_m_shooter
Brand doesn't matter, some with sealant is good usually. If you are going to have the wheels off may as well install a new set of slick tires as well. Smooth tire will roll smoother and give a better ride. I've found older tires more prone to flats and damage in general.
Thanks everyone for your replies. What kind of slick tires would you recommend?
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Old 02-06-19, 06:07 PM
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I have not used sealant for decades, but doesn't using that stuff pretty much eliminate the ability to get a patch to stick? That's my recollection, so IIRC, you really have to commit to either using patches OR sealant, not both.
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Old 02-06-19, 07:25 PM
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I like Maxxis Hookworms, but they are pretty big. If your bike doesn't have that kind of clearance, I would look at something like Schwalbe Big Apples.
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Old 02-07-19, 10:25 AM
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The best tubes I’ve found are Michelin. A pure slick tire may be more prone to picking up sharp bits of glass and flinty bits that lead to flats. I also have had Kenda presta valve tubes separated at the base of the valve stem. Slime works, but you will feel the added weight.
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Old 02-07-19, 01:02 PM
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Originally Posted by venturi95
The best tubes I’ve found are Michelin. A pure slick tire may be more prone to picking up sharp bits of glass and flinty bits that lead to flats. I also have had Kenda presta valve tubes separated at the base of the valve stem. Slime works, but you will feel the added weight.
Thanks for your reply. I was looking on the Michelin website and noticed about 6 different types of tubes for mountain bikes. Which one were you referring to?

For a tire that is not so slick what would you recommend? I live in Floida and I need to be careful of sand and having the bike slide. That was the main reason years ago that I got a mountain bike. Previously I had a bike with very thin tires and I slid on sand a couple times and fell.
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Old 02-07-19, 04:48 PM
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For puncture resistance, I've heard good things about this tube (Michelin Protek): https://www.biketiresdirect.com/prod...tb-tube?sg=501. Not sure on weight as I've never used them personally.

Last edited by fullergarrett; 02-07-19 at 04:51 PM.
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Old 02-08-19, 08:28 AM
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Originally Posted by robrpb

For a tire that is not so slick what would you recommend? I live in Floida and I need to be careful of sand and having the bike slide. That was the main reason years ago that I got a mountain bike. Previously I had a bike with very thin tires and I slid on sand a couple times and fell.
I ride Hookworms on sandy horse trails that other mountain bikes refuse to ride, as well as most of the mountain bike trails in my area. If you have problems staying upright it is riding skills that need improvement not the tire.
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Old 02-08-19, 06:41 PM
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Originally Posted by robrpb
Thanks for your reply. I was looking on the Michelin website and noticed about 6 different types of tubes for mountain bikes. Which one were you referring to?

For a tire that is not so slick what would you recommend? I live in Floida and I need to be careful of sand and having the bike slide. That was the main reason years ago that I got a mountain bike. Previously I had a bike with very thin tires and I slid on sand a couple times and fell.
I have only used the plain “Michelin Airstop MTB”. I have never seen very many shops that carry Michelin tubes, they’re out there but you will likely get them online easier. For deep sand you’re going to get best results from a bigger tire. A lot of tire choice is personal, I’m getting into dangerous waters recommending one specific tire 😀 I would ask local riders.
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Old 02-08-19, 11:20 PM
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Maybe it's just the area I live in, but most of the bike shops around here only sell basic generic, Kenda or Bontrager tubes. Never seen any carry "name brand" tubes. Also, in my experience, the tire selection is also pretty slim at the shops around here.
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Old 02-12-19, 10:21 PM
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Sorry to revive this thread. Thought I'd update this for future reference.

Scratch my experience with the Kent ("Goodyear") tubes. Went out to my bike today and discovered the tire was flat. There was a gash in the tube on later inspection. The bike is new, and both the rim and tire have no issues or any rough areas or anything that could cause the tube to gash like it did. Furthermore, there were no foreign objects in the tire, otherwise I would've either found them or they would've fallen out of the tire onto the floor. Nothing.

The tire held air well for a week while the bike was inside. Tire was mounted fine. Hmm... guess I'll add Kent tubes to the list of bike products I won't buy. I think I'm going to try that Michelin Protek Max tube... it has good reviews and looks really sturdy.

Even worse was today was the first time riding the bike on the new Kent tube. Oh well... it'll make good rubber bands.

Last edited by fullergarrett; 02-12-19 at 10:31 PM.
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