Advice on which decent quality inner tube to buy.

[wl3o9g6k]

Hi there,

I have a bike with 700 x 37 tyres and 700 x 32-38 inner tubes which need to be replaced.

I initially wanted to buy these:
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-parts/inner-tubes/halfords-presta-bike-inner-tube-700c-x-28-38c

but I don't want them failing after a short period of time.

So I was thinking of getting one of these two:
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bik...tal-tour-presta-bike-inner-tube-700c-x-32-47c

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bik...lbe-long-presta-bike-inner-tube-700c-x-28-47c

Is there anything bad with the Halfords ones that justify the price of the branded ones and out of the Continental and Schwalbe which one would you guys go for (latter is ~£1.50 cheaper)?

Some advice would be appreciated.
Thanks for reading.

 

[mjr]

Half-odds tubes seem OK (it's the shop that's usually the problem IMO). Schwalbe are also good.

I had a few Continentals with loose valve cores this year (and online discussions suggest I wasn't the only one) which isn't a hard problem to fix - as long as you notice and tighten them before you're stopped at the roadside with no core tool

Are you really using fairly wide tyres (32-47mm) with presta rims? I do but I thought I was rare.

 

[Garry A]

I usually buy the Halfords own brand and have not had any problems with them. Sometimes there is a multi buy deal on them. I use them on my hybrid with 35 wide tyres (700x28-38 presta valve tubes).

 

[wl3o9g6k]

Half-odds tubes seem OK (it's the shop that's usually the problem IMO). Schwalbe are also good.

I had a few Continentals with loose valve cores this year (and online discussions suggest I wasn't the only one) which isn't a hard problem to fix - as long as you notice and tighten them before you're stopped at the roadside with no core tool

Are you really using fairly wide tyres (32-47mm) with presta rims? I do but I thought I was rare.

So if you were buying the tubes would you pay the extra £2 for the Schwalbe or stick with Halfords?

The tyres, rims and tubes are what the bike originally came with (Scott P6), is there anything wrong with that? I usually pump it up to 75 psi.

I usually buy the Halfords own brand and have not had any problems with them. Sometimes there is a multi buy deal on them. I use them on my hybrid with 35 wide tyres (700x28-38 presta valve tubes).

Thanks for the reply, I was just a bit worried that with the price being so low there would be reliability issues.

 

[ianrauk]

Halfords tubes are fine.

 

[mjr]

So if you were buying the tubes would you pay the extra £2 for the Schwalbe or stick with Halfords?

If they look similar (like the Halfords tube isn't shiny or noticeably lighter=thinner), I'd probably stick with Halfords but I only go in that shop as a last resort

The tyres, rims and tubes are what the bike originally came with (Scott P6), is there anything wrong with that? I usually pump it up to 75 psi.

Nothing wrong with it - just checking you really had that because I thought it was a rarer combination recently. I guess the rise of fast commuters and "adventure" bikes is making it more common again.

 

[wl3o9g6k]

Out of curiosity, why don't you like the store?

 

[mjr]

Out of curiosity, why don't you like the store?

Plenty of threads about them if you search, but in short: inconsistent (hence half-odds), often-poor and once-dangerous service (not really the store staff's fault - the management should manage them), with rubbish IT systems telling me things are in stock or ready for collection when they're not.

 

[tommaguzzi]

I do around 2500 miles a year and use Decathlon's cheapest 700 x 23 s sometimes on offer at 3 for a fiver. I get punctures like everyone else but they have never failed by splitting or the valve falling out. At that price I never patch a puncture just fit a new tube.
Why do you need to replace your tubes?

 

[ChrisV]

You'll get 5 of the Halfords ones for £10

 

[wl3o9g6k]

I do around 2500 miles a year and use Decathlon's cheapest 700 x 23 s sometimes on offer at 3 for a fiver. I get punctures like everyone else but they have never failed by splitting or the valve falling out. At that price I never patch a puncture just fit a new tube.
Why do you need to replace your tubes?

The tubes in the bike are 8 years old and the rear one split yesterday plus the front one has been patched about 3 times so I thought that I would just get new ones.

You'll get 5 of the Halfords ones for £10

I saw that deal but at the moment I'm thinking of getting one of each (Schwalbe and Halfords) to see the difference between the two.

 

[vickster]

I've punctured Halfords and Schwalbe tubes equally, on 23mm road tyres

 

[ChrisV]

The tubes in the bike are 8 years old and the rear one split yesterday plus the front one has been patched about 3 times so I thought that I would just get new ones.



I saw that deal but at the moment I'm thinking of getting one of each (Schwalbe and Halfords) to see the difference between the two.

It seems wasteful, but if I get a puncture I just put a new one in and rarely get round to fixing the old one. At £2 a time and with so few punctures, hardly seems worth the hassle to fix them.

 

[NorthernDave]

Halfords tubes are fine.

^^^ This - I use Halfords own tubes in the hybrid (700c 37 with Schwalbe Land Cruiser tyres) and in the road bike (700c 25 with Continental Gatorskin tyres) both with Presta valves and have had no issues. I usually stock up when they have an offer on - got a mix of both last time they were on 5 for a tenner which should last me a while.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Another Halfords own brand tube user here.

I was speaking to someone today who used to work in their buying department. Their own brand tubes are their biggest seller (presumably volume not value). I said I wasn't surprised as everything else they sell is either online only, not in store or crap.