As far as what I'd like in tubes... A rolled cylinder with no welds, seams, sprues, etc. Except perhaps whatever is needed at one joint to make it a circle.
Yet, every tube I've found in the last 30 years or so has so may seams and bumps that it is a major hassle to patch. Shave or sand it down and patch?
Originally Posted by
SurferRosa
Whatever (nib bin) costs the least on ebay with 32mm presta stems.
Fortunately I haven't had to buy many bike parts since COVID hit.
I think I did get some 20/451 tubes on E-Bay.
However,
Look at the prices at the UK distributors. Ribble, Wiggle, Chain Reaction, Merlin.
I'm seeing LifeLine tubes for about $2.99 to $3.49 depending on the size. Wiggle used to give a 25% bulk discount on tubes if one bought more than 10, but I don't see that now.
Pay attention to the shipping minimums. So, if you can get some tubes, cassettes, tires, chains, etc... then you get free shipping. Pad your order with a few tubes.
They also have had good deals on Continental tubes in the past.
Unfortunately Shimano and SRAM have tried to make a mess out of the UK distribution. But, I suppose that is OK if those brands don't want to sell to me.