zacster

I just looked up those tires. That is a lot of money for a tire, even if they sound good. But given their name, and their intended use, they sound like overkill for "mostly clean asphalt". I myself now have GP5000 in 28 and 25 and I'm pretty impressed with the ride. You are looking into a category of tire that is far too expensive for most of us, and is it really worth it? I know the answer, as I rode Clement Criterium Seta tires for a while because there was nothing like a silk sew-up. This was 30+ years ago. But at some point I tried the Contis and decided that it was plenty supple for me.

Bad Lag

When I looked around for the GP5000's, I found they are only made in black wall. That disqualified them for me.

noglider 

Thanks for weighing in, @canklecat. At least one person likes latex tubes.

trainman999

Bad Lag My favorite is Specialized Turbo Cotton with latex tubes, ride is equal to the most expensive tubulars the stop watch always likes them.. They are expensive $60-$80 each and will not last long if abused. II you take good care of them 1500-2000 miles. I talc, tires, tubes, and rims when putting them together and pump them up to 100 lb before each ride I rarely have a problem with them

Bad Lag

I have had nothing but trouble finding what I want for inner tubes.

The stems are too long - 60 to 80- mm long, instead of 25 mm.
It only fits 23-25 mm (but not 28 mm).
Another fits only 28-32 mm (but not 25 mm).
It costs $30 per tube + tax and shipping.
It is not in stock, call to confirm delivery date.

What a PITA.

Will it be any better if I go to my local bike shop (there are none close by)?

canklecat

The standard valve stem length for Presta tubes is 43mm. Some cyclists with deeper rims still use those and add valve extenders.

Which tubes are you looking at that cost $30 each? Even latex tubes generally cost around $30 per pair. Butyl tubes cost around $3-$7 each for cheaper, thicker tubes, and around $7-$10 each for the very thin, lightweight tubes like the Continental Race 28 Light.

Seriously, if a cyclist is willing to pay around $50 each for a tire, it's worth trying latex tubes as well rather than the least expensive butyl tubes. Or at the very least try some thinner butyl tubes like the Conti Race 28 Light. Those make regular tubes feel like deadweight, and harsh on long stretches of chipseal. Most of our rural roads are being resurfaced with chipseal so it's worth paying a little more for better tubes.

Bad Lag

Yes, I am sure you are correct. It is just such a mixed bag of junk I'm finding online. I can can find some of my desirements but not all of them in one product.

So you don't think I am completely full of it, here are some examples.

Q Tubes lists their product as usable on 700CX23-25mm tires, then, on the cardboard box it also shows them as being usable on 27"X 1 1/4" tires. Well, which is it, Q Tubes? Q Tubes, you guys need to get your act together. They are also the ones listing products that fit 700CX23-25 and a different product for 700CX28-32 but nothing for 700CX25-28 (the two sizes I use).

Tubolito cost $41.50 each (including tax and shipping).

The online reviews of latex tubes are not particularly favorable and they are expensive. Silca latex tubes cost $23.65 each + shipping. Do I need a special patching kit for latex?

Conti Supersonic tubes top out at 700CX25mm tires, so ostensibly, I need a different tube for my 700CX28 rear tire. Supersonics sell locally for $31.21 each, including tax.

Overlaying all of that noise is the lack of availability of the desired product (Schwalbe in particular). Is this caused by COVID-19 restrictions?

If you show me a tube out of its box, does it come in a box? Is it genuine or grey market or a genuine counterfeit? I want a box.

I have spent hours and hours researching and searching for these tubes and have nothing to show for it except frustration.

Dfrost 

27” and 700C tubes are interchangeable. It’s fine to use a size in width too small, but can be hard to install one that’s too big.

Plenty of reasonably priced tubes here. I’ve had great experience with the Michelin Airstop butyl in the 25-32mm size with a 40mm (unthreaded - yeah!) Presta valves that look fine in my tb14 rims. They aren’t light weight but never a split seam or other evidence of quality problems. Ten bucks each.

https://www.universalcycles.com/shop...p?category=600

Bad Lag

Do I need a different patch kit, in particular a different adhesive, to go along with latex inner tubes?

zacster

Look at what I just saw: GP5000 in gumwall! Not available yet but coming soon.

Bad Lag

Well, I ordered some Vittoria latex tubes and some Conti Race 28 butyl tubes. Both are advertised in the 25-28 mm size range I need and both have short, 42 mm stems.

That seemed much more difficult than it needed to be.

Next, is the purchase of some tires. At least the size won't be an issue with these.

SurferRosa

I've been throwin' 'em away, but if there's a market for the empty tube boxes, maybe I should put 'em on ebay. Should I include the little nut and cap, or sell them separately? Auction or B.I.N.?

Bad Lag

LOL!

Well, it isn't the box I am after, it's the tube inside the box that I desire or, more correctly, I desire the new tubes to be inside a box.

They spend a lot of money on the boxes - colorful, eye-catching graphics, information about the product and product installation, etc. Why not show the box in the advertisement? In my mind, no box implies grey market or counterfeit.

zacster

Or just a bulk buy, or an OEM lot.

I bought a 5 pack of tubes from Ukraine, not bike tubes but vacuum tubes. They came wrapped in bubble wrap. Those same tubes in boxes cost twice as much, and they aren't original boxes anyway. The USSR didn't believe in consumer packed boxes, but these tubes were probably meant for nuclear warheads. I went to buy some Schwalbe tubes, also a 5 pack, but they were gone from Amazon the next day. 40mm stems, and 25-28 ready, just like I need.

Bad Lag

Well,... the Vittoria latex tubes are in and pumped. The tubes weigh 82 gr.

The wheels are noticeably lighter, especially the front wheel. They are bouncier, too, although that might just be the lighter weight.

I'm going for a ride.

canklecat

Yup, the bouncy feel was the first thing I noticed. Felt odd the first ride or two. But it quickly felt very normal, much better. My road bikes with butyl tubes feel dead now.

Then I rode my favorite hybrid with 700x42 Conti Speed Rides (which really measure closer to 700x38), my longtime favorite tires for all terrain and rough pavement riding. That bike is my go-to whenever my neck and back are aching and I don't want to be jolted around.

The 700x25 Conti GP Classic skinwalls and Silca latex tubes felt better on chipseal than the fatter Speed Rides at lower pressure.

Good tires with latex tubes also seem to have a wider acceptable pressure range. Sometimes those skinnier road bike tires feel better at higher pressure than I usually ride for really rough chipseal.

zacster

I just got a batch of Vittoria butyl tubes in 700x25-28 and these come in at 105g. I'll have to see how they feel, if I can feel them at all. But I went back on BikeTiresDirect to compare these with others and they no longer have them, nor the Schwalbes or for that matter much of anything else for 25 or 28. Bike stuff is just disappearing.

Bad Lag

Tires are needed next. The rear tire's tread is showing signs of wear. The front tire's more uniformly worn but the labels are all scrubbed off from turning.

mech986 

Of course, you are correct and speaking for a big portion of C&V members where value and making every dollar count is important. However, I would suggest that supple wall Compass / Rene Herse tires are very well suited to running on Los Angeles / Orange County / So Cal asphalt which isn't always mostly clean, nor smooth IME. Plus the number of transitions from smooth to rough, chipseal edges, driveways and ramps, and the occasional trail or off road is also easily handled. Plus my Eroica experience of 72 miles of which 55 miles of ashphalt and 17 miles of gravel and dirt was done with confidence on my Compass tires. Of course, with my particular choice of 700C x 35 Bon Jon Pass, I have no problem with riding over worse roads than usual, which allows me to try other roads and trails rather than just stick to "clean" asphalt.

What bike are you putting the tires on and how much clearance do you have both front and rear? Will you have any problem with brake clearances top and at the brake pads?

Cougrrcj

There's this...

https://www.amazon.com/SCHWALBE-18-2...723307&sr=8-17

mech986 

I used to be a smaller guy, then I got older. For now, I'm about 5' 9", 210 pounds plus 24 pounds of bike so about 235-240 all loaded up. To some, my Compass 700C x 35 tires look low and "cushy" when inflated to 45F / 52R and it took some getting used to even for me to look at them. But they feel very smooth and supple, and I can ride easily over most road irregularities, of course, not attacking pot holes or major road disruptions. I'll bet right now you're running close to 90+ pounds on the 28's. With the RH tires, you might be able to drop that to around 80-85. Let me know by PM where you are and where you tend to ride. I've got a proposition for you regarding the tires.

Here's what my Italvega Super Speciale looks like set up for Eroica:

Classtime 

Consider the Gravel King Slicks. I've got some in 32s on my fat tire road bike. I imagine the compass 700c tires are "nicer" like my Rat Trap Pass.
Go Compass with your latex tubes and Gravel Kings with Butyl.

Bad Lag

The rear triangle will not accept tires much bigger than the current 29mm width of the "28mm" Challenge tire. Offhand, I don't know about clearance at the brake bridge but down near the bottom bracket, it's already tight.

mech986, that ITALVEGA is a good looking bike. I'm sure with me, my bike, water bottle and tool kit, I am in that weight range. I am just bigger. I could not fit large profile tires like that on my bike.

mech986 

Thanks for the info and the kind words. Yeah, I'm running my rear axle pretty much all the way back so I have as much clearance from the rear chainstay bridge and the crimped sides of the stays. That's where the clearances are the tightest. If you take the adjuster screws out or reverse them, you can take the axle back a tad more. Sometimes that helps if you're also using a large cog freewheel depending on rear derailleur. My front fork crown is sloping which provides a nice bit of clearance for tires, on other models even for fenders. That may or may not impact your front tire choice as well from a vertical clearance standpoint.

Bad Lag

Here's a bit of an update, a small update.

The latex tubes have not worked out too well for me. The rear tube blew out and was replaced with a thin/light butyl tube. I have no idea why it blew out.

The front latex tube is still in but has me a bit worried. I haven't ridden in about a month (lazy, distracted?) and the tire has gone almost flat despite two pumpings. Left on its own, it would go completely flat in a couple of weeks. I'm concerned the weight of the bike would then kill the tire. Butyl tubes just don't do that, at least not that fast.

I'm still running the old tires. Someday,...