Review of Tubolito inner tube

[prototoast]

How'd you get the old tube out without taking out the nail that was going through it?

[sokyroadie]

Originally Posted by prototoast

How'd you get the old tube out without taking out the nail that was going through it?

Not the OP but he had this newfangled technology- tubeless

[John H.]

Wheel was set up tubeless. I must have peeled the side that was away from the nail. Checked the tire, but I did not feel or check the rim.
It was wet and cold. Mistakes were made. But I got lucky and also the tube was bomber! Rode it about 2.5 hours that way-

Originally Posted by prototoast

How'd you get the old tube out without taking out the nail that was going through it?

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by John H.

Wheel was set up tubeless. I must have peeled the side that was away from the nail. Checked the tire, but I did not feel or check the rim.
It was wet and cold. Mistakes were made. But I got lucky and also the tube was bomber! Rode it about 2.5 hours that way-

2.5 hours is not too shabby.

[froze]

Except I heard on another forum that once you use that tube in a certain tire size you cannot put it into another tire of any other size. Regardless, $35 for a tube is insane, flats or no flats.

[joosttx]

Similar experience, I got a side gash maybe a under an inch long MTBing. Someone loan me a regular tube which flat in about a 1/2 mile. I replaced it with my tubolite and had no issue for the next couple of hours of MTBing. These thing work.

[jimoots]

I have these tubes in my race wheels, they are very light (save 100-150g per wheelset) and hold up well. Have had them in race wheels for the last year or so, a few flats and one pinch flat over that time… but were all instances that a regular tube would have also flatted.

[mktng]

I was intrigued. Until I priced out two for $80+shipping.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[froze]

Originally Posted by mktng

I was intrigued. Until I priced out two for $80+shipping.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

That's the same reason I can't bring myself to accept those tubes, it's simply far too much money, but I suspect in about 5 years they should drop in price.

[azrider]

Apologies for digging up old thread but was about to pull the trigger on some Tubolito after having difficult time finding my normal "thornless" tubes.

Everybody still happy with the performance of their Tubolito's ?

How have they held up over time ?

Thanks guys /gals

[slowpoke]

Originally Posted by azrider

Apologies for digging up old thread but was about to pull the trigger on some Tubolito after having difficult time finding my normal "thornless" tubes.

Just wanted to say that I appreciate you searching and trying to continue the discussion in this thread versus starting a new one. It makes future searches easier with fewer threads to open.

[azrider]

Originally Posted by slowpoke

Just wanted to say that I appreciate you searching and trying to continue the discussion in this thread versus starting a new one. It makes future searches easier with fewer threads to open.

I'm here for the people..........cheers

[jimoots]

Originally Posted by azrider

Apologies for digging up old thread but was about to pull the trigger on some Tubolito after having difficult time finding my normal "thornless" tubes.

Everybody still happy with the performance of their Tubolito's ?

How have they held up over time ?

Thanks guys /gals

I am still happy with Tubolitos, but they are not without issue/shortcoming.

The good.

- Super light.
- They are very, very tough. I've put about 12,000km on them and only two genuine flats. One race I competed in had been 'tacked' by an angry local - one of my tires had a tack in it that had failed to pierce the tube (anyone else who had been tacked had got an instant flat).

The bad

- They are difficult to reinstall after being inflated because they become 'baggy'. You don't need to do this often, but say if you wear out a tire, you'll need to reinstall them. I have pinched one of them in this process.
- They're expensive.
- Rolling resistance is similar to a light butyl tube (but better than a standard butyl tube). Schwalbe Aerothan (similar material) seem to get the rolling resistance lower than Tubolito and to a much closer RR level when compared against Latex, so I'd like to try these (https://www.aero-coach.co.uk/inner-t...ing-resistance)

Conclusion: On the whole I do think they are worth the money, and I would buy again, but they are not cheap so it hurts when you do get an inevitable flat. I am a lightweight rider and a climber so I think the price is worth being able to drop 100g from my rims. Others who perhaps have a bit of extra pudding around the waistline (or simply aren't chasing the real (and psychological) gains that I am) may not feel the same way and I can understand that.

[lavi]

I have tubos. I cannot say how robust they are as I don't really get many flats to begin with (jinx)...so I cannot comment on them being more robust.

I don't find them hard to install. Just blow them up a bit and they install just fine. Normal care on install...same as with a regular tube.

Ya. Pricey.

[jimoots]

Originally Posted by lavi

I have tubos. I cannot say how robust they are as I don't really get many flats to begin with (jinx)...so I cannot comment on them being more robust.

I don't find them hard to install. Just blow them up a bit and they install just fine. Normal care on install...same as with a regular tube.

Ya. Pricey.

Yeah initial install was fine, it was just re-install I've been caught out. When the tube deflates it doesn't return to it's original size like a butyl tube, leaving a lot of tube that just flaps around.

You can inflate the tube to avoid this, but that makes tyre install harder (impossible on some tyre/rim combos) than with a deflated tube.

Not a reason not to buy them, just something to watch out for imo. I've done a handful of reinstalls and only one pinch when installing, for what its worth.