Latex tubes revisited.

[Milzy]

We all know that over night a latex tube can drop from 100 to 85 psi.
However one of my vittoria tubes is flat the next morning. I’ve checked it for damage & seems fine. Could it just be leaking out of the valve?
Has anybody else known them to deflate so quickly?!
The other tube stays up for a week.

 

[Smokin Joe]

If you can't find a hole anywhere it must be the valve.

 

[Globalti]

You can get the tiniest holes in latex tubes, which you won't detect until you blow them up to quite a large size and immerse in water. My cat once took a swipe at a dangling tube and put a claw through it, she escaped with only eight lives remaining.

Latex tubes are fantastic, they ride so nicely especially with a quality cotton-wall tyre like a Veloflex Open Corsa and the tyre makes a super ringing sound on the road. Woe betide you though if you get a cut in the carcass because latex will find any small weakness and herniate out, bursting with a comical squeak.

 

[fossyant]

Love latex tubes. The noise they make with fast road tyres.

Wonder if they are any good in on MTB

 

[fossala]

I use them on my good bikes, you can Vittoria 19-24 from Halfords for £7.

 

[Milzy]

They sound amazing. I had some mitchilien ones a few years ago & they went down slowly. These vittoria ones go down fast.

 

[boydj]

We all know that over night a latex tube can drop from 100 to 85 psi.
However one of my vittoria tubes is flat the next morning. I’ve checked it for damage & seems fine. Could it just be leaking out of the valve?
Has anybody else known them to deflate so quickly?!
The other tube stays up for a week.

Sounds like a slow puncture. Pump up the tyre, take the wheel off and dip it in a basin of water, section by section, slowly until you see the bubble coming out. I've never had to try to repair a latex tube, so I don't know if it's feasible. I'd just ditch the tube before it leaves you stuck somewhere - or carry a spare.

 

[Globalti]

You can repair them in the same way as a butyl tube.

I carry a butyl tube as spare, sucked flat, rolled tight and taped with two tyre levers. Butyl is stiffer so won't burst out of a small cut like latex will, so it will get you home.

 

[rogerzilla]

Patches actually stick better to latex than to butyl.