Originally Posted by
Ynotnow
Having just got my first road bike, can someone please explain what TPU tubes are?
Are they different (or better) than the butyl tubes we ran in mountain bikes before the tubeless invasion?
TPU is shorthand for thermoplastic polyurethane, and yes, they’re both different and better than butyl in every way, except cost. TPU is lighter, packs smaller, is better rolling, recyclable, more puncture resistant, more cut resistant, and less likey to suddenly deflate than butyl, though they are ~3x the cost of butyl tubes.