Are all inner tubes pretty much the same?

[barongreenback]

Or is there any benefit to purchasing yellow capped Continental inner tubes over Tesco own brand?

 

[youngoldbloke]

They are lighter (I suspect?), cheaper if you get them from the right place, and have YELLOW dust caps.

 

[barongreenback]

My bike's red. Yellow doesn't match!

 

[dellzeqq]

see description <<<< thataway. Give me talc or give me death!

 

[gaz]

Dust caps for presta valve tubes are only needed when it is folded up in your jersey pocket. This is to stop the valve ripping a tear into the tube.
No need to have them on when the tube is in the wheel.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Or is there any benefit to purchasing yellow capped Continental inner tubes over Tesco own brand?

My experience of Continental inner tubes would have me reaching for the Tesco brand.

From a batch of five three had to be binned because of faulty valves.

 

[I like Skol]

My experience of Continental inner tubes would have me reaching for the Tesco brand.

From a batch of five three had to be binned because of faulty valves.

I have had bad and also indifferent experience of Continental tubes.

I bought some fat slicks for my MTB a few years ago and these came with 'free' tubes which when used in conjunction with the tyre qualified for some sort of puncture gaurantee? Anyway, due to circumstances these tyres and tubes were shelved for about 12 months after being used for approx 12 months. when I came to fit them back on the bike the 2yr old tubes were all perished and cracked so although they still held air I had no confidence in them and replaced/binned them.

I have had a few other continental tubes in various sizes and haven't had a repeat of that problem (yet!).

Yes, the yellow caps are snazzy and I am on the look out for some to fit my yellow/white GT road bike, sad I know.

 

[fossyant]

Not a fan of conti tubes - had most of mine go at the valve/tube join.

Michelin or Vitoria Ultralight for me. Decathlon own OK for MTB/kids bikes.

Michelin Latex for the best bike .

 

[wiggydiggy]

Or is there any benefit to purchasing yellow capped Continental inner tubes over Tesco own brand?

I have tesco tubes, any benefit of getting lighter better tubes for me is wasted as my bike simply wouldnt notice (low end machine), if I was on some high end 2k carbon niceness I'd spend more

 

[ohnovino]

Don't know if this is still the case, but a couple of years ago the MTB tubes Wilkinsons sold as their own brand were actually Kenda tubes in different packaging. £2 for a Wilko box or £5 for a Kenda - that's made me very dubious about whether there's any difference between brands.

 

[Moodyman]

Are all tubes the same? Pretty much, though I found the Schwalbe tubes hold their air better than others.

 

[HLaB]

I'm not good enough to tell the difference between tubes once they are fitted, so they are all the same to me. Having said that I like to avoid spesh tubes as I had a couple of them fail on me at the valve join (I've never, touch wood had a problem with a vitorio, kenda, michelin, schwalbe or Conti) and I prefer a smooth stem and ditch the lock rings and sometimes valve caps. I also find that the better tubes offer just that little bit more room in your pocket (compress more).

 

[youngoldbloke]

I have not had any trouble with tubes failing at the join between tube and valve since changing the push on chuck on my track pump to a Topeak brass one, and taking greater care when using, and then removing, push on pumps from the valve - IMO most failures are caused by flexing the valve by using push on pumps/chucks roughly. The Conti tubes do seem a little more fragile than other brands in this respect. The best answer is to use a Lezyne pump with a screw on adapter/hose. The lock rings are helpful in that they help prevent the valve flexing. Although I recently bought some Michelin tubes on offer - unthreaded, no lock rings - and have had no problems with them. The better tubes probably take up less space because they are thinner, and therefore lighter.

 

[HLaB]

I have not had any trouble with tubes failing at the join between tube and valve since changing the push on chuck on my track pump to a brass one, and taking greater care when using, and then removing, push on pumps from the valve - IMO most failures are caused by flexing the valve by using push on pumps/chucks roughly. The best answer is to use a Lezyne pump with a screw on adapter/hose. The lock rings are helpful in that they help prevent the valve flexing.

Touch wood, I've never had a valve failure since I started binning them or buying tubes without them I do like to be pedantic about putting the valve near 6 O'clock though, hopefully this allows for a more upright (if thats the correct word ) fitting and removal.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Touch wood, I've never had a valve failure since I started binning them or buying tubes without them I do like to be pedantic about putting the valve near 6 O'clock though, hopefully this allows for a more upright (if thats the correct word ) fitting and removal.

?? I don't understand - how do you do this?