# Inner Tubes



## wbmkk (4 Mar 2011)

For the average road bike rider is there a big difference between the quality of the inner tubes.

I see (at one famous online store)

Air Wave road tube is £2.99
Michelin A1 £3.98
Continental Race 28 at £4.99

Is it really worth spending the extra ... after all, surely it;s the tyres that take all the wear and tear.

While i am on... 

I need a couple of new tyres (700 x 23, or maybe 25), but like red & black. Currently have Vittoria Rubino, which have been fine for about 18months, but getting bare now. As I am now cycling further, better be on the safe side and get them replaced now.

Any thoughts on these, or similarly priced tyres would be useful

Kind regards !


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## tyred (4 Mar 2011)

I don't believe there is. Some may be lighter than others but the downside is that they lose air over time so need more regular pumping up.


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## Kestevan (4 Mar 2011)

Tubes. I just buy the cheapest ones that have a long enough valve stem. Thats usually Decathlon. I'd stay clear of Specialized tubes though at any price, the valve seats are rubbish and split very easily.

Tyres - I'd go with Michelin. The racy Pro3 and the Krylion Carbon both come in several colours. I'm running Krylions and they're a superb tyre.


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## ianrauk (4 Mar 2011)

I usually buy the cheapest..they are all much the muchness


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## zizou (4 Mar 2011)

I seem to have had less problems with continental inner tubes over the years but not sure if that is just luck or if they are better than the alternatives


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## Moodyman (4 Mar 2011)

Conti and Schwalbe hold the air a little bit bitter.

Otherwise no discernible difference for the average rider.


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## subaqua (4 Mar 2011)

Kestevan said:


> Tubes. I just buy the cheapest ones that have a long enough valve stem. Thats usually Decathlon. I'd stay clear of Specialized tubes though at any price, the valve seats are rubbish and split very easily.
> 
> Tyres - I'd go with Michelin. The racy Pro3 and the Krylion Carbon both come in several colours. I'm running Krylions and they're a superb tyre.




decathlon here too. the PF hasn't visited me for a long time ( thats fooked it) and i have btwin tubes in both Btwin bikes i own.


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## billy1561 (4 Mar 2011)

Just bought a spare Schwalbe on reputation. Hope i don't need it any time soon.


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## bottombracket (5 Mar 2011)

I'm going to fly in the face of popular opinion here

but...

The best place on your bike to shave weight is at the rims.

There's an old roadie saying "an ounce at the rim is worth a pound on the frame..."

With that in mind, I buy lightweight inner tubes like Spesh's turbo tubes (I've had no problems with their tubes over the years).

The lightweight tube costs £1 more than their standard. To upgrade my wheels to save that weight would cost considerably more.

Combine that weight-saving with some reasonably light tyres and off you go...


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## biggs682 (6 Mar 2011)

i always buy in bulk and normally continentals


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## PoweredByVeg (6 Mar 2011)

What a flickin' coincidence, just had my first p******e in 800 miles!! And what's the first topic on today, Tubes!

Quite a big bit of something made its way through the rear conti ultra sport with protection and jabbed the schwalbe tube. 

Very impressed upon taking that tube out though, it was in the bike when I got it second hand and has resisted quite a few punctures looking at the amount of pinpricks in its surface.

Schwalbe tubes recommeded then, although I did replace with a conti


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## wbmkk (6 Mar 2011)

Thank you everybody for your replies !!

Which tyres do you think are the better between ..

Schwalbe Blizzard Sport (£10) 
Vittoria Rubino Tyre (£13)


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## dellzeqq (6 Mar 2011)

I rate Spesh 'red packet' inner tubes, and carry them as spares for FNRttC riders. I don't use anything else and unhesitatingly recommend them to the FNRttC crew. I don't think I've seen one valve go out of perhaps a hundred. 

On the other hand......the Spesh Pro tyres aren't just crap - they're dangerous crap. Conti 4 Seasons are great, but expensive.


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## darth vadar (6 Mar 2011)

Sorry to hijack your thread but its sort of related. 

I've just got my bike out for the first ride of the year (shame I know!), 

My bike has Presta valves and just after I had pumped up the front tyre the little thing that you un-screw before you attach the pump came off. 

Does that mean it is knackered or should it go screw back in ? I did try to screw it back but it just started to let the tyre down again so I stopped.

Am I doing something wrong or is it buggered?

Sorry for the lack of technical terms.


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## Fozz (6 Mar 2011)

as an aside, i popped into Tescos yesterday, like yer do, and they do tubes, all sizes for £1.99.........


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## PoweredByVeg (6 Mar 2011)

Hi darth vadar

Same happened to my mates. If you've still got the little knurled collar, screw it back on, and then crimp the end of the thread it screws onto with pliers to stop it coming off 

If, like my mates, the valve core has actuall gone into the tube itself then you'll have spend ages like I did working it round the tube and back through the valve


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## Rando (6 Mar 2011)

Wished I hadn't read this thread now.....feel like I have paid over the odds now ! Was in local bike shop on Saturday and decided to buy some inner tubes to carry as spares for my new road bike (1st road bike owned) and paid £4.99 for a Bontrager inner tube. Before an impulse purchase next time I will make sure I have checked out prices !!


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## darth vadar (6 Mar 2011)

PoweredByVeg said:


> Hi darth vadar
> 
> Same happened to my mates. If you've still got the little knurled collar, screw it back on, and then crimp the end of the thread it screws onto with pliers to stop it coming off
> 
> If, like my mates, the valve core has actuall gone into the tube itself then you'll have spend ages like I did working it round the tube and back through the valve




Nice one.

Thanks


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