What 23c/25c inner tubes do you use? 'Cos some are more fixable than others...

[Fab Foodie]

OK, boring question, but hear me out.
I finally sat down in a state of poverty last night and decided to fix my bag of p*nctured tubes instead of simply buying more.

What I noticed was that some have a lit of ribs/ridges/seams from the moulds and others almost flat smooth surfaces. The latter are easier to fix as there is less rubbing-down to do. Many of my tubes are heavier Shwalbe as well as many Vittoria's. The lighter flatter ones with less seams IIRC are Michelins and Hutchinsons (OEM).

It got me wondering what tubes people prefer and why. The Michelins are very lightweight for my summer wheel/tyre combos.
Certainly heavier tubes do not seem any more robust than lighter ones.

Opinions please

 

[ianrauk]

the cheapest. IMO they seem to last just as long as more expensive ones.

 

[brockers]

I use those Conti Race 28s that all the big online sellers flog for (what used to be) pennies. They seem pretty fine to me. Not had a puncture in, I dunno, three years? (I don't commute by velocipede though)

I've got some Bonty Race XXX Lites for fast rides with the posh wheel/tyre combo and they're pretty lovely, and don't go BANG! when you pump them up like ultralight 55g Vittorias. Which is nice.

Would love to try some of the fabled Vredestein latex numbers that people bang on about on the more technical forums, but they seem to be unavailable in the UK.

 

[dellzeqq]

Specialized Red Packet. Pre-talced and mighty. Lezyne self-adhesive patches work wonderfully on them.

 

[gaz]

I get specialised ones as i know they don't have removable cores, i hate removable cores!

 

[HLaB]

I think I've got Vittoria's, conti and Mitchelin; I don't really bother as long as they are not Spesh, I've had a couple of them fail at the valve.

 

[Kestevan]

Schwalbe mainly.

But anything other than Specialised will do. Spesh tubes fail far too often at the base of the stem.

 

[andrew_s]

Whatever's cheap (eg Wilko's, bulk buy offers etc).


Mould lines on the tube can be removed with a Bic razor before patching.
(it buggers up the edge, so don't try shaving with it afterwards).

 

[the_mikey]

I've use specialized and continental, I have a bulk load of continental tubes to get through, I'll report back when I've used them all...

 

[John the Monkey]

Continental. I like the yellow dustcaps.

 

[Fnaar]

Vittorias on my roadie, continentals on the mtb

 

[fossyant]

Vittoria or Michelin.

The conti's I had all split near the Valve.

Mitchelin Latex for the best bike - they make the Pro Race tyres sing.

 

[John the Monkey]

The conti's I had all split near the Valve.

SLANDER.



Seriously though, I have 3 bikes using Conti tubes (race 28, tour 28 slim, tour 28) no bother with them at all. Have had two iffy specialized tubes - on one the presta valve fell to bits, on the other, it split where the valve joined the tube. I've one Michelin airstop which is ok, but the smooth (non threaded) valve body doesn't grip pump heads very well.