Inner Tubes

[wbmkk]

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 !

 

[tyred]

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.

 

[Kestevan]

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.

 

[ianrauk]

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

 

[zizou]

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

 

[Moodyman]

Conti and Schwalbe hold the air a little bit bitter.

Otherwise no discernible difference for the average rider.

 

[subaqua]

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.

 

[billy1561]

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

 

[bottombracket]

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...

 

[biggs682]

i always buy in bulk and normally continentals

 

[PoweredByVeg]

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

 

[wbmkk]

Thank you everybody for your replies !!

Which tyres do you think are the better between ..

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

 

[dellzeqq]

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.

 

[darth vadar]

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.

 

[Fozz]

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