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Butyl vs latex tubes

Old 09-21-21, 03:03 AM
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Jamg2412
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Butyl vs latex tubes

Hello

I usually ride with normal butyl tubes (100g Continental, Specialized), but this time I got a pair of Turbo Cotton (TC) 700x26 with a pretty good discount for my road bike. I wanted to try something different than the Continental GP5000. After riding around 500km, I can say that the TC is very comfortable compared to the GP5000 and this using normal butyl tubes. After reading in the forum and other places, everyone agrees that the combination with latex tubes make them more supple and increase the comfort of the ride. But I am not 100% convinced to give it a go because you need to pump them everyday and I use the bike for a short commute to work (10 minutes) and a ride afterwork. So, I went with Continental Supersonic butyl tubes (50g) and it increases the comfort. Less rubber makes them more supple but how close are they from latex tubes? Is it worth a shot?

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Old 09-21-21, 06:01 AM
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I can't imagine there would be any tangible benefits for any everyday ride/commute, but you can scratch this itch for $30 and a few minutes with a tire lever. In the context of bike stuff, this is a fairly minimal investment to try them out.
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Old 09-21-21, 06:40 AM
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The lightest butyl tubes I've used are Continental Race 28 Light, which are significantly thinner and lighter than the regular Conti Race 28.

And I've used latex tubes for just over a year on a couple of bikes.

The latex setup is considerably more comfortable, especially on our rough chipseal pavement and neglected roads. Maybe a little less rolling resistance, but that's a secondary consideration for me. My neck, back and shoulder are busted up from injuries. I'll try anything that makes my road bikes more comfortable without turning them into comfort hybrids. Decent supple tires and latex tubes are terrific.

I'm not sure I'd bother with latex tubes for a relatively short commute, especially if the pavement is pretty good.

For my casual ride road bike, and my hybrid, I use Conti Race 28 or comparably heavy duty butyl tubes from Panaracer, Bontrager, etc. They're all comparable quality. The main advantage is they'll hold air for weeks. Usually if I haven't ridden one of those bikes for awhile I'll squeeze the sidewalls. If it feels like enough pressure I'll just ride.

I wouldn't do that with latex. They do need frequent inflating. I've used the Silca branded latex tubes (reportedly made by Vittoria) in size 700x25-30, and Vittoria 700x18-23 (they look identical). The Silca tubes lost about 5 psi per day. The narrower, thinner Vittoria tube loses about 15-20 psi per day.

The Conti Race 28 Light are a good compromise and good value. I carry those in my seat bags for spares, since I don't try to repair latex on the road (punctures in latex can be patched, but it's easier to do at home). The Race 28 Light tube leaves enough room in my Lezyne Road Caddy bag to leave space for a CO2 cartridge, inflator, tire lever, self adhesive patch kit and small multi-tool. If I carry a regular Race 28 or similarly thicker tube, I'd need to omit something.
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Old 09-21-21, 06:53 AM
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I'm confused by the "more comfortable" assertion. You are inflating to a lower pressure? If you are using the same pressure, the comfort level will be exactly the same. I have considered it for the weight savings.
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Old 09-21-21, 06:54 AM
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Don’t forget about TPU tubes, OP, like the Schwalbe Aerothan. They’re lighter, more durable or puncture resistant, less fussy to work with, and hold air better, so are probably the perfect choice…cost notwithstanding.
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Old 09-21-21, 07:44 AM
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Originally Posted by unterhausen
I'm confused by the "more comfortable" assertion. You are inflating to a lower pressure? If you are using the same pressure, the comfort level will be exactly the same. I have considered it for the weight savings.
Latex is more supple supposedly. So at the same pressure they should be more comfortable. Pressure isn't the only thing that determines comfort.

I've never used latex tubes. I've been toying with the idea of trying them. Maybe next time I have to replace tires I'll try them.
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Old 09-21-21, 10:51 AM
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Originally Posted by Jamg2412
Hello

I usually ride with normal butyl tubes (100g Continental, Specialized), but this time I got a pair of Turbo Cotton (TC) 700x26 with a pretty good discount for my road bike. I wanted to try something different than the Continental GP5000. After riding around 500km, I can say that the TC is very comfortable compared to the GP5000 and this using normal butyl tubes. After reading in the forum and other places, everyone agrees that the combination with latex tubes make them more supple and increase the comfort of the ride. But I am not 100% convinced to give it a go because you need to pump them everyday and I use the bike for a short commute to work (10 minutes) and a ride afterwork. So, I went with Continental Supersonic butyl tubes (50g) and it increases the comfort. Less rubber makes them more supple but how close are they from latex tubes? Is it worth a shot?

Alberto






I used Vittoria latex tubes for a few years - when used with a supple high thread count tire like an Open Corsa, they're superb. I top up my tires before every recreational ride, so the increased air leakage is not a concern to me, but I don't really do that with my commuter or runaround - I want to just get on them and go, so these bikes use heavy butyl tubes that lose very little air over time. Latex has downsides - they're a little fragile, and generally require some talc when installing - not easy to do on the roadside, so I carried a butyl spare for flats. I've read the theory that the more supple and stretch latex can yield better to penetrations through the tire, thereby flatting less than thicker and less yielding butyl, but I see that as an academic distinction - a nail, screw or auto tire steel thread going through your tire is going to scupper your tube, regardless of what it's made of. My latexes would occasionally flat for no obvious reason - they would just go. In the end, I want back to Michelin ultralight butyls - perfectly good and reliable.
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Old 09-21-21, 11:22 AM
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Better sew ups all use latex... part of the reason they have such a nice ride... I do like latex, but for me, I find them a bit more prone to flats in thinner, high perform tires. But then I’ve yet to try GP 5000s... The 4000s worked well withlatex. I’m just about out of my tire stock; so maybe i try 5000s when I can get a good cost...
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Old 09-21-21, 11:30 AM
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Originally Posted by Litespud
...regardless of what it's made of. My latexes would occasionally flat for no obvious reason - they would just go. In the end, I want back to Michelin ultralight butyls - perfectly good and reliable.
It appears that the days of going to a shelf and seeing multiple brands and materials of choice are gone now. If I was still ridding the way I used to I would personally prefer latex, especially with sew ups. Now that I am ridding slower and on torn up asphalt I'll take what ever I can get...

For another thread I would like to see some data on the composition of flat fix patches. Are they latex or butyl? What composition works best with Vulcanizing cement?
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Old 09-21-21, 12:14 PM
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Latex also tends to tear or rip when punctured, something TPU doesn’t do, so in the case of a puncture, it’s more likely to be a
slow leak with TPU and sudden with latex. Butyl is somewhere in the middle.

Also, TPU patches quickly and easily with those thin, self-adhesive Lezyne patches. Just wipe the tube and stick it on; no scuffing or cement.
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Old 09-21-21, 02:37 PM
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Originally Posted by chaadster
Don’t forget about TPU tubes, OP, like the Schwalbe Aerothan. They’re lighter, more durable or puncture resistant, less fussy to work with, and hold air better, so are probably the perfect choice…cost notwithstanding.
I'm very interested in TPU tubes. As others noted, latex sometimes just goes flat. No idea why, except latex is more delicate. Why not the same issue in tubulars... Maybe has something to do with it being entirely encased in the tire...? More heat/friction wear in a clincher setup, especially if the powder isn;t well distributed? Don't know... but a bit of a PITA.
And Conti RACE butyl hasn't been a good experience... every RACE I had split at a mold ridge after a few hundred miles, it may have been the batch I got, but I'm not goin there again ... I tend to buy in lots of 4-5 or 6 at a time (for butyl).
TPU is quite a bit more cost, but if they ride nice, like latex, and hold up reasonably well - I'd go for it. putting together a newer Tarmac for myself, so I might spring for TPU and some 5000s...
now that I'm riding again, think it'll be ok to treat myself a lil...
Anyone have 'use' comments for TPU ???
ride on... (now!)
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Old 09-21-21, 02:44 PM
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Originally Posted by chaadster
Latex also tends to tear or rip when punctured, something TPU doesn’t do, so in the case of a puncture, it’s more likely to be a
slow leak with TPU and sudden with latex. Butyl is somewhere in the middle.

Also, TPU patches quickly and easily with those thin, self-adhesive Lezyne patches. Just wipe the tube and stick it on; no scuffing or cement.
Aren't there concerns about using TPU tubes with rim brakes? (I know rim brakes are dead, but...)
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Old 09-21-21, 02:56 PM
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Originally Posted by ThermionicScott
Aren't there concerns about using TPU tubes with rim brakes? (I know rim brakes are dead, but...)

It depends on the thickness of the TPU tube. Tubolito has two versions, one that can be used with rim brakes and another only for disc brakes. The last one is lighter.
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Old 09-21-21, 04:17 PM
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Originally Posted by Jamg2412
I usually ride with normal butyl tubes (100g Continental, Specialized), but this time I got a pair of Turbo Cotton (TC) 700x26 with a pretty good discount for my road bike.

Those turbo cotton tyres from Spesh are super supple and comfortable (and fast) but they don't last as long as the Conti tyres. A little more fragile too.

I wouldn't bother with Latex tubes for a commute bike unless you really don't mind pumping your tyres every single morning. While they are technically faster, the benefit on a short commute is not really worth it.
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Old 09-22-21, 02:10 AM
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A big misconception about latex is that it punctures more easily but the opposite is true. It actually has better puncture resistance because it's more flexible. However, they can be more delicate to install and accidentally pop because they fold up so easily. That can be an issue if you're installing them with tires that have really tight beads so you have to be extra careful.

I haven't tried it yet but you can patch a latex tube with another piece of latex cut from an old tube and that would be nicer than a thicker patch.
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Old 09-22-21, 03:27 AM
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Regarding a few questions and concerns about latex tubes...

Installation
Silca, Vittoria and others claim latex tubes are more resistant to punctures. I can't disagree. I've had only one puncture in more than a year, a bit of radial tire wire. I patched it at home with a Lezyne self-adhesive patch which held for a year, no problems.

Latex tubes are a bit fussier to install, especially with new tires that are tacky inside and out. A bare, clean latex tube will tend to stick to the tacky new tire, making it difficult to seat the bead without pinching and damaging the tube. It's also essential to slightly inflate the tube to minimize the risk of pinching. Silca and Vittoria latex tubes now come pre-powdered. I was already using my own cornstarch based baby powder to install all tubes and tires at home. It's tenacious stuff so some powder will remain for roadside repairs. But I carry butyl tubes to replace punctured latex tubes (again, I've had only one puncture with a latex tube in more than a year and a few thousand miles of riding).

Check the Silca website for a video tutorial. It's easier than it sounds, not really much of a hassle. They also recommend tubeless tape rather than conventional rim tape or strips. I have used Schwalbe high pressure non-adhesive plastic rim strips, which work well. However I use Gorilla tape over the valve stem hole, then use an ice pick or Philips head screwdriver to puncture the Gorilla tape to create the smallest possible hole for the latex tube valve stem. This helps ensure adequate support for the latex tube around the base of the valve stem.

I neglected that precaution on one wheel last year and after about a year the latex tube tore near the base of the valve. Over time the tube extruded into the oversized opening for the valve in the original rim tape. My fault for ignoring Silca's instructions. I'll save that tube to make patches for other latex tubes. Some folks who've successfully patched latex tubes say ordinary tube patch glue like Rema works.

Comfort
The improved comfort was immediately apparent. I'm probably more sensitive to that now after a couple of serious collisions (hit by cars twice in 20 years, with serious neck, back and shoulder injuries). Neck pain is the single worst limiting factor to my bike rides now. I used to enjoy longer rides but with neck pain I usually limit my rides to 2 hours or less. If I ride longer now I need a few rest breaks to stretch, massage the neck and shoulder, etc.

Over the past few years most repaving in my area has deteriorated from conventional smooth asphalt topping to rough chipseal, using gravel that's nearly as coarse as railroad ballast, glued down with resin. It's atrocious. If not for latex tubes and supple tires I'd have to get rid of my older road bikes and switch to gravel or endurance type frames with clearance for 700x30 or larger tires. But with latex tubes and decent supple tires I can enjoy riding on 700x23 or x25 tires. Yup, that's how much difference it makes.

I ride with the same pressure, latex or butyl tubes. Depends on the tire itself, not the tube. I weigh 150 and usually run the front tire at 65-80 psi, rear at 80-100 psi. With butyl tubes like the Continental Race 28 that ride is quite harsh on some chipseal roads, and I can feel every jolt in my neck like electric shocks. The same pressure with latex tubes is much more comfortable.

And it's not the same thing as simply reducing tire pressure. Before trying some decent supple tires I assumed reducing pressure would work with any tire. It doesn't. Tires with thicker or more rigid sidewalls -- like the Continental Sport Contact II on my hybrid -- just feel mushy and bouncy at reduced pressure, or harsh and unpleasant at a pressure more appropriate to my weight. Same with Conti SpeedRides, which I really like but cannot be described as supple.

Trying Continental GP Classics (the retro style with reddish-brown skinwalls, in 700x25 only) persuaded me to try more tires like that. The Soma Supple Vitesse SL were even better. It's difficult to describe how good those Soma tires are even in 700x23 with latex tubes.

Last night I installed a new/used wheelset I just bought. It came with a good pair of butyl tubes and 700x23 Conti Ultra Race tires (probably from around 2014, but still in great shape). Rather than redo the tires and tubes I just rode the wheelset as-is. I could immediately feel the difference from my Soma Supple Vitesse SL tires with latex tubes, at the same pressure. To make a fair comparison I inflated the rear tires on both wheelsets to 100 psi, and the front to 90 psi. I had planned to ride about 50 miles, but cut it short after 20 miles and headed home finishing with 27 miles, because the harsher ride was beating up my neck.

I'll probably swap those butyl tubes and Conti Ultra Race tires to my older steel road bike, which has a more forgiving ride than my carbon fiber bikes, so it's not quite as uncomfortable riding butyl tubes on that older bike. And butyl tubes don't need to be aired up every day, in my experience. Latex tubes do need to be checked before every ride.

The only other change I've noticed with latex is the road sounds are slightly different from the tires across the pavement. Hard to describe, more of a hollow resonance, where butyl tubed tires sound a bit muted or deadened. I'm so accustomed to it now I don't notice until I ride a bike with butyl tubes, such as last night. It's comparable to the slightly different sound of low profile aluminum rims vs higher profile rims, which tend to resonate slightly louder with road sounds. It's not "loud," just a different sound. Similar to the differences between chromoly steel and carbon fiber frames -- the latter tends to resonate slightly more with road sounds.

If my road bikes accepted 700x28 or larger tires I'd skip latex and go tubeless instead. And if I planned a century or tour with 700x23 or x25 tires and latex tubes, I'd consider using latex tube sealant to reduce the puncture hassles. I bought some Muc-Off latex tube sealant for that purpose a few months ago but haven't used it yet.
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Old 09-22-21, 03:59 AM
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Originally Posted by canklecat
Regarding a few questions and concerns about latex tubes...

Installation
Silca, Vittoria and others claim latex tubes are more resistant to punctures. I can't disagree. I've had only one puncture in more than a year, a bit of radial tire wire. I patched it at home with a Lezyne self-adhesive patch which held for a year, no problems.

Latex tubes are a bit fussier to install, especially with new tires that are tacky inside and out. A bare, clean latex tube will tend to stick to the tacky new tire, making it difficult to seat the bead without pinching and damaging the tube. It's also essential to slightly inflate the tube to minimize the risk of pinching. Silca and Vittoria latex tubes now come pre-powdered. I was already using my own cornstarch based baby powder to install all tubes and tires at home. It's tenacious stuff so some powder will remain for roadside repairs. But I carry butyl tubes to replace punctured latex tubes (again, I've had only one puncture with a latex tube in more than a year and a few thousand miles of riding).

Check the Silca website for a video tutorial. It's easier than it sounds, not really much of a hassle. They also recommend tubeless tape rather than conventional rim tape or strips. I have used Schwalbe high pressure non-adhesive plastic rim strips, which work well. However I use Gorilla tape over the valve stem hole, then use an ice pick or Philips head screwdriver to puncture the Gorilla tape to create the smallest possible hole for the latex tube valve stem. This helps ensure adequate support for the latex tube around the base of the valve stem.

I neglected that precaution on one wheel last year and after about a year the latex tube tore near the base of the valve. Over time the tube extruded into the oversized opening for the valve in the original rim tape. My fault for ignoring Silca's instructions. I'll save that tube to make patches for other latex tubes. Some folks who've successfully patched latex tubes say ordinary tube patch glue like Rema works.

Comfort
The improved comfort was immediately apparent. I'm probably more sensitive to that now after a couple of serious collisions (hit by cars twice in 20 years, with serious neck, back and shoulder injuries). Neck pain is the single worst limiting factor to my bike rides now. I used to enjoy longer rides but with neck pain I usually limit my rides to 2 hours or less. If I ride longer now I need a few rest breaks to stretch, massage the neck and shoulder, etc.

Over the past few years most repaving in my area has deteriorated from conventional smooth asphalt topping to rough chipseal, using gravel that's nearly as coarse as railroad ballast, glued down with resin. It's atrocious. If not for latex tubes and supple tires I'd have to get rid of my older road bikes and switch to gravel or endurance type frames with clearance for 700x30 or larger tires. But with latex tubes and decent supple tires I can enjoy riding on 700x23 or x25 tires. Yup, that's how much difference it makes.

I ride with the same pressure, latex or butyl tubes. Depends on the tire itself, not the tube. I weigh 150 and usually run the front tire at 65-80 psi, rear at 80-100 psi. With butyl tubes like the Continental Race 28 that ride is quite harsh on some chipseal roads, and I can feel every jolt in my neck like electric shocks. The same pressure with latex tubes is much more comfortable.

And it's not the same thing as simply reducing tire pressure. Before trying some decent supple tires I assumed reducing pressure would work with any tire. It doesn't. Tires with thicker or more rigid sidewalls -- like the Continental Sport Contact II on my hybrid -- just feel mushy and bouncy at reduced pressure, or harsh and unpleasant at a pressure more appropriate to my weight. Same with Conti SpeedRides, which I really like but cannot be described as supple.

Trying Continental GP Classics (the retro style with reddish-brown skinwalls, in 700x25 only) persuaded me to try more tires like that. The Soma Supple Vitesse SL were even better. It's difficult to describe how good those Soma tires are even in 700x23 with latex tubes.

Last night I installed a new/used wheelset I just bought. It came with a good pair of butyl tubes and 700x23 Conti Ultra Race tires (probably from around 2014, but still in great shape). Rather than redo the tires and tubes I just rode the wheelset as-is. I could immediately feel the difference from my Soma Supple Vitesse SL tires with latex tubes, at the same pressure. To make a fair comparison I inflated the rear tires on both wheelsets to 100 psi, and the front to 90 psi. I had planned to ride about 50 miles, but cut it short after 20 miles and headed home finishing with 27 miles, because the harsher ride was beating up my neck.

I'll probably swap those butyl tubes and Conti Ultra Race tires to my older steel road bike, which has a more forgiving ride than my carbon fiber bikes, so it's not quite as uncomfortable riding butyl tubes on that older bike. And butyl tubes don't need to be aired up every day, in my experience. Latex tubes do need to be checked before every ride.

The only other change I've noticed with latex is the road sounds are slightly different from the tires across the pavement. Hard to describe, more of a hollow resonance, where butyl tubed tires sound a bit muted or deadened. I'm so accustomed to it now I don't notice until I ride a bike with butyl tubes, such as last night. It's comparable to the slightly different sound of low profile aluminum rims vs higher profile rims, which tend to resonate slightly louder with road sounds. It's not "loud," just a different sound. Similar to the differences between chromoly steel and carbon fiber frames -- the latter tends to resonate slightly more with road sounds.

If my road bikes accepted 700x28 or larger tires I'd skip latex and go tubeless instead. And if I planned a century or tour with 700x23 or x25 tires and latex tubes, I'd consider using latex tube sealant to reduce the puncture hassles. I bought some Muc-Off latex tube sealant for that purpose a few months ago but haven't used it yet.

Thank you for your opinion. I will give them a chance and compare the feeling. Right now the Continental Supersonic that I am using feel better than normal thickness butyl tubes. This is a bonus but if I can get more comfort from using latex tubes it will be worthy.
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Old 09-26-21, 12:17 PM
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I got a pair of latex tubes and I did an air pressure test with a light butyl tube.

Pressure test
Bicycle at room temperature (21°C) for 24 hours.
Tyre: Specialized Turbo Cotton 700c 26mm
Topeak pressure gauge

Measurement error +/- 1 psi

Vittoria Competition Latex 700c 25-28mm 85g
Initial pressure (PSI): Rear 85 Front 75
12 hours pressure (PSI): Rear 73 Front 65
24 hours pressure (PSI): Rear 63 Front 57

Continental Supersonic 700c 20-25mm (Butyl) 50g
Initial pressure (PSI): Rear 85 Front 75
24 hours pressure (PSI): Rear 81 Front 72
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Old 09-26-21, 02:57 PM
  #19  
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I'm a fan of Latex and run a lot of Vittoria tubes. I don't think I've ever tired any other brand. They sure do feel more comfortable to me. And while I hardly ever flat I can think of only one flat over many years that was a latex tube. That was a self taping screw and would have killed anything. Otherwise I probably average 1.5 flats a year and those seem to always be butyls. I'm probably running a 50/50 mix of latex to butyl on my twenty-some bikes.

I don't find them more fragile as some are stating and really don't do anything special mounting them. I'm always careful with mounting tubes and tires, no tools, inflate lightly, press tire off rim all the way around to make sure tube isn't pinched, etc.
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Old 09-26-21, 03:02 PM
  #20  
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I don't see any upside to running Latex tubes in a clincher tire unless the tire is an "Open Tubular" design. Challenge Tires makes the Strada Bianca open tubular tire and I run latex tubes in those and OMG, it's just like running tubular tires without all the hassle. Ride quality and cornering is exceptional.

I run Perelli P-Zero tires on another bike (non open tubular) and tried them with latex tubes and no improvement in ride, so I switched to Butyl tubes and got the same ride. Plus they don't bleed air like a latex tube.
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Old 09-26-21, 04:15 PM
  #21  
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Originally Posted by canklecat
The lightest butyl tubes I've used are Continental Race 28 Light, which are significantly thinner and lighter than the regular Conti Race 28.

And I've used latex tubes for just over a year on a couple of bikes.

The latex setup is considerably more comfortable, especially on our rough chipseal pavement and neglected roads. Maybe a little less rolling resistance, but that's a secondary consideration for me. My neck, back and shoulder are busted up from injuries. I'll try anything that makes my road bikes more comfortable without turning them into comfort hybrids. Decent supple tires and latex tubes are terrific.

...
+1

Originally Posted by unterhausen
I'm confused by the "more comfortable" assertion. You are inflating to a lower pressure? If you are using the same pressure, the comfort level will be exactly the same. I have considered it for the weight savings.
Originally Posted by cyclezen
Better sew ups all use latex... part of the reason they have such a nice ride... I do like latex, but for me, I find them a bit more prone to flats in thinner, high perform tires. But then I’ve yet to try GP 5000s... The 4000s worked well withlatex. I’m just about out of my tire stock; so maybe i try 5000s when I can get a good cost...
ride on
Yuri
I used to ride exclusively sewups. Cotton, butyl tubed training tires and silks with latex for race day. The training tires were fully good enough to club race on but those latex tubed silks were a dream to ride. I have forever been spelling butyl "brutal" to reflect the difference in ride. Unterhousen, this is at the same pressure or higher on the latex. (Long, long before "low pressure and when rolling rubber was a large chunk of available funds. Yes, pinch flats happen seldom with sewups but they do happen and cost big money and/or an hour of patching time.

Since then, I've wanted to do latex in my clinchers but my one venture into them was in conjunction with Challenge tires and by experience with both was so poor, flats, bead seats, tubes blowing apart at the valve area sleeve, that I chose to just stay with the Vittoria Corsa/Open tires and good brutal tubes to know I was on rubber I could trust on high speed descents.
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Old 09-26-21, 04:30 PM
  #22  
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Originally Posted by cyclezen
I'm very interested in TPU tubes.....
Anyone have 'use' comments for TPU ???

Yuri
I have been experimenting with Schwalbe Aerothan tubes in the interest of phasing out the tubeless setups on some of my bikes. I almost never get punctures so tubeless just seems more and more like a waste of time and effort and I have decided to just go back to tubes on everything except my mountain bike, where the benefits of running low pressure make the hastle of tubeless worthwhile. But I'm considering reverting to tubes on my other bikes.

The Aerothans could be the best compromise of everything...lightweight, low rolling resistance, no mess, and hold air well. I have been running one Aerothan on my road bike rear wheel with 25mm Conti GP 5000 with rim brakes and have about 800 miles on it so far. So far so good. I installed it with some apprehension, given its extremely fragile appearance. It is unbelievably light and thin with an all-plastic valve stem. Just to be on the safe side, I use extreme caution when installing and inflating. However, thus far, I have had no flats or other troubles with it.

I can't comment on the comfort level compared to butyl or latex, but it seems to me the tire itself and small changes in air pressure have much greater effect on comfort than the type of inner tube. If you find your tire is uncomfortable, perhaps you should release a few PSI or change your tire before you consider changing your inner tube.

For the sake of comparison, I am running a butyl tube on my front tire with the Aerothan on the rear. The Aerothan looses air slightly faster than the butyl tube, but it certainly does a better job of holding air than latex. I am finding that I need to top off the Aerothan tube about every third day, whereas I top off the butyl tube about every fifth day. You may top off more or less frequently, depending on how particular you are about air pressure, but its clear to me that the Aerothan's rate of air loss is slightly faster than butyl, but much slower than latex. This rate of air loss is acceptable to me for a bike ridden daily. I have recently installed another Aerothan tube on a gravel bike with 43mm tires, but haven't test-ridden that tube enough to report anything other than that top offs are needed less frequently, but this has to do with the larger volume of the tire.

I fear the trouble with these tubes will come if and when I get a puncture. Reviews of Aerothan tubes indicate they are difficult to patch successfully. I will almost certainly continue to carry butyl tubes as a spares as I have much more experience with (and faith in) patching butyl tubes if I end up with multiple punctures on one ride.

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Old 09-26-21, 07:11 PM
  #23  
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Originally Posted by mihlbach
I fear the trouble with these tubes will come if and when I get a puncture. Reviews of Aerothan tubes indicate they are difficult to patch successfully. I will almost certainly continue to carry butyl tubes as a spares as I have much more experience with (and faith in) patching butyl tubes if I end up with multiple punctures on one ride.
I’m running a patched Aerothan nearly a month now, and it seems fine. I used a Lezyne self-adhesive, having only wiped and dried the patch area.
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Old 09-26-21, 08:13 PM
  #24  
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Originally Posted by 79pmooney
+1
I used to ride exclusively sewups. Cotton, butyl tubed training tires and silks with latex for race day. The training tires were fully good enough to club race on but those latex tubed silks were a dream to ride. I have forever been spelling butyl "brutal" to reflect the difference in ride. Unterhousen, this is at the same pressure or higher on the latex. (Long, long before "low pressure and when rolling rubber was a large chunk of available funds. Yes, pinch flats happen seldom with sewups but they do happen and cost big money and/or an hour of patching time.

Since then, I've wanted to do latex in my clinchers but my one venture into them was in conjunction with Challenge tires and by experience with both was so poor, flats, bead seats, tubes blowing apart at the valve area sleeve, that I chose to just stay with the Vittoria Corsa/Open tires and good brutal tubes to know I was on rubber I could trust on high speed descents.
WORD !
Before anodized/hardened rims, I used to keep Clement Setas on a set of Campy/Super Champ Record du Monde wheels - used only when I knew the road surface wasn't battlefield shellholes... LOL! (back east some of the race venues were quite 'extraordinary'... LOL! - maybe the same these days ?) Otherwise I had a bunch of dura ace & superbe wheelsets with either Super Champ Comps, Nisi and also used Araya (hardened), usually with Barum cottons. They were very nice, light and quite sturdy (also latex) and 1/2 the price of the Clements.. Plus the tread was always laid on 'straight', a real plus! Thankfully we had a 'guy' who went over to Europe regularly and 'imported' tires - sold thru his house or he also did 'mail-order'. He had a connection in Czechoslovakia (iron curtain) so a good source for the Barums...
When I went to 'clinchers', back in '86, it was a real shock, to say the least... that at the same time I went from 'steel' to a Cannondale R900 - LOL! I was younger then... but aged quickly after riding that gear !!! LOL!
Gonna splurge on myself and try the Conti 5000 with TPU tubes... maybe some new HEDs, maybe a new frame... LOL!
Ride On...
Yuri
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Old 09-27-21, 04:57 AM
  #25  
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TPU tubes .. I dont get it. The reason latex is such a good tube material is its low hysteresis compared to butyl. Now TPU has even MORE hysteresis than butyl, begging the question why anyone would consider such a material in the context of racing and comfort. It just has to be a worse material or they need to be silly thin to make up for the inherent drawbacks of the material. I it was any good at what you claim it would be used for tyre casings as well. That wont happen or it would really be a frozen garden hose experience.

And the price. Are you kidding!?

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