Are Lightweight Inner Tubes Worth A Go? | MTB General | Mountain Bike | Forums - BikeRadar

Darra8 · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 10:36 am

Hi Guys,

As ever, I'm trying to save some weight off the bike. I have knocked a pound off it by changing the tyres, so thought about the tubes too. The ones I have do seem very thick and heavy...Are the lightweight ones usable for general MTBing? If so, any recommendations?

Cheers,

Steve

38 year old pussy who hates the thought of falling off!!

bomberesque · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 10:42 am

Maxxis fly weights are 90 gr each, a saving of about 100gr over a standard tube which is a great saving for a tenner, especially out at the rim, where rotating weight is worth the most. The trouble (ofc) is that tubes are essentially a consumable item so you need to keep spending as you puncture ... so it kinda depends how much you puncture. I have them on my weightweenie SS bike but wouldn't use them elsewhere.

I've not worked out the weights, but tubeless maybe almost as light and a year without punctures on my Evil (pinchflat) Sovereign has convinced me of the joy of not stopping twice a ride to change out tubes.

Everything in moderation ... except beer
Beer in moderation ... is a waste of beer

If riding an XC race bike is like touching the trail,
then riding a rigid singlespeed is like licking it
... or being punched by it, depending on the day

The Beginner · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 11:11 am

Tubless works out heavier than the lightest tube/tyre combo's.....

Schwalbe tubes tend to be a little lighter (around 120g) without the cost/expence of 'proper' lightweight tubes...

Simon

FCN9 using a home built hybrid (believed to be a Carrera touring frame) also building an MTB from a Kraken frame.

bomberesque · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 11:23 am

The Beginner I didn't know that about Schwalbe tubes and I must admit I was a bit wary of the claim but weight weenies says you're about right (they say 130gr average). that is good value as they're only 5 quid each. That means the difference to Maxxis fly weights is 5 quid more for an extra 40g off per tube. Probably only worth it on a bike that is already very light to start with

Go Schwalbe tubes then!

Everything in moderation ... except beer
Beer in moderation ... is a waste of beer

If riding an XC race bike is like touching the trail,
then riding a rigid singlespeed is like licking it
... or being punched by it, depending on the day

Darra8 · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 11:40 am

I have just weighed one of my tubes, and they are 200g. Don't know if that's heavy or not for a cheap tube.

Steve

38 year old pussy who hates the thought of falling off!!

ride_whenever · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 11:51 am

tubeless isn't any lighter, but they make the bike accelerate faster because the tyre is more supple, so less rolling resistance.

----------------------------------------------

456!
silly little bike

VWSurfbum · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 12:18 pm

i bought some michelin latex lightweight tubes, apart from being vivid green they recon that they reduce rolling resistance? (it could be my imagination but it does seem to?)

delcol wrote:
my wheel and tyre and legs forks and frame looked like a randy elephant had made love to them....

joshtp/mbukman · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 12:37 pm

i swaped a thick "normal tube for my mates superlight one once, he kept getting punctures, so it made sence, and i put ti on the front, i dont puncture very often, and virtually never on the front, it always seems to be pinches on the back. it hasent punctured yet and the increase in accelaration speed and genneral dynamics has been huge, really good dif! i wouldnt risk it on the back tho, i dont like fixing punctures!

"oh dear, i seem to have hit a tree."

GT Aggressor XCR 09 + shiny bits

The Spiderman · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 1:07 pm

After years of using reliable Specialized 160g tubes,I tempted fate and tried the Schwalbe 130g tubes recently(which unusually for presta have the advantage of a removable core) and they have been OK so far,though I don`t tend to get many pinch flats.

Probably OK for most general xc use.

"Some days you're the statue.Some days you're the pigeon."

2006 Giant XTC SX
2006 Trek 1200

Surf-Matt · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 1:42 pm

I tried a Conti Supersonic tube (£10!!) - inflated it very carefully to 50PSi - it burst. So I stick to lightish weight but not the lightest tubes.

1994 British Eagle Strike - ratty bike
1997 Specialized Stumpjumper - still fun
2007 Stumpjumper Comp with upgrades - main bike
2008 Rockhopper Disk - for the wife
2010 Allez Elite - for goin faaaast

http://www.cornwallmtb.kk5.org

bomberesque · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 1:50 pm

Surf-Matt

you inflated it inside a tyre on a rim to 50 and it burst? That is surprising.

As I said I have Maxxis flyweights on my weight weenie bike and run them at about 30psi. No punctures (yet, benn about 3-500km I guess) but for sure I will get them. When I run out of the 5 pack of tubes I bought I may swap up to the schwalbes depending on how ascendant the pikey in me is on the day.

Everything in moderation ... except beer
Beer in moderation ... is a waste of beer

If riding an XC race bike is like touching the trail,
then riding a rigid singlespeed is like licking it
... or being punched by it, depending on the day

Surf-Matt · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 2:10 pm

Bomber - to be fair CRC did send me two "normal" tubes as replacements - must have been faulty but put me right off.

1994 British Eagle Strike - ratty bike
1997 Specialized Stumpjumper - still fun
2007 Stumpjumper Comp with upgrades - main bike
2008 Rockhopper Disk - for the wife
2010 Allez Elite - for goin faaaast

http://www.cornwallmtb.kk5.org

Northwind · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 2:10 pm

I used Schwalbe XXlights (about £7 from Dotbike) for a good time before I went to tubeless, they're great- light (100 grams-ish) and though they're rated for 2.1s they were happy inside my (massive) 2.35 Nevegals. Despite being stretched out past their official size they weren't at all fragile, I got about the same number of flats as I did with heavier tubes- they weren't phased by a day of uplifts at fort william frinstance Wink

You wouldn't want them on a dh bike but as long as you're not trying to run low pressures, you should be fine. Only time I ever had any problems was when I flatted one at high speed on a rocky descent- the puncture was from a big thorn I think but by the time I stopped, the tyre had been mashed off a hundred edges so it had about 7 pinches in it from rolling along while flat. But then that can happen with normal tubes too.

My tubeless setup's lighter, but only because I have one of the lighter tubeless solutions, stans strips + sealant are heavier than these tubes. But of course there are other advantages to tubeless.

Personally I can't feel any difference at all in rolling resistance between tubes and tubeless from "suppleness", at the same pressures I'd say they act exactly the same other than the weight. But that's not to say there's not a difference, I just can't feel one.

We still do it because we're forever chasing what we've already found

Darra8 · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 5:12 pm

Thanks Guys.

I have ordered a couple of the Maxxis flyweight tubes to try.

38 year old pussy who hates the thought of falling off!!

llamafarmer · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 8:17 pm

Hoathy · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 8:29 pm

i supprt the use of ghetto tubeless, cheap and excellent. light and fast. What more do you want?

-Kona Hot '96 - Kona Lava Dome '94 - Cannondale Synapse Carbon '06 - Kona Caldera '98

mattbarnes · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 9:05 pm

I've been using Conti Supersonics on my xc bike for nearly a year and have only punctured once. Yeah, they aren't cheap but if you're hoping to lighten your wheelset lightweight tubes are the way forward.
I've tried tubeless and it was a nightmare. I found that I could buy two tyres, same make and model and it would take five minutes to fit and inflate one but the other would take hours to seat and inflate and would, more often than not, end up lying thrown in the corner of the shed while I nursed my bleeding thumbs from trying to force them onto the rims. Plus, what do the vast percentage of people do when they puncture using a tubeless setup? Thats right, they stick a tube in! The thought of puncturing out on the trails with a tubeless setup filled me with dread because of the grief of fitting/seating/inflating etc. Does anyone carry soapy water with them out on a ride to ensure ease of fitting? I dont think so. God, it makes me angry just thinking about them. Evil or Very Mad

bails87 · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 9:34 pm

Dazzza · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 9:39 pm

I refuse to use schwalbe and conti tubes, i constantly pick up thorn punctures from them, yet oddly im running very light specialized tubes and so far i get on great with them.

I poke badgers with spoons

Giant Anthem X

Hoathy · **Posted** Fri Nov 6, 2009 10:31 pm

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