TPU inner tubes- any experience?

[Pinno718]

Good call Pinno on the recycling potential, versus what will actually happen - I just looked up for our local recycling centres, and it is unclear to put it mildly.

This is what I have to deal with.
Company X has to convince employees to SAS (separate at source) but employees are often not involved with the process and these rules are imposed on them. Separated waste is cross contaminated and forecast recycling figures/savings aren't met.

Ever wondered why glass is no longer segregated into colours? A ton of clear glass can be contaminated by a few brown or green bottles.
Have a look at brand new tarmac when you're out pedalling and see how it twinkles. That's where a lot of your glass goes or into concrete or other aggregates.

 

[Pblakeney]

How have you found the durability/puncture resistance? I bought a pack of 4 or 5 (can't remember exactly!) last year and none of them have lasted longer than 3 or 400 km until a puncture. Even with patching them they have punctured again and ended up having to give up on them. It's a shame as the principle of them is great but my experience of them, practically speaking, has been a bit naff! I appreciate these are the cheaper one's though and the premium stuff my well be better.

Durability/resistance has been exactly (or close enough that I can't tell the difference) the same as butyl, i.e. it it usually a worn outer that is the issue, or something severe. Repairs last long enough to get home but are not permanent. I bin punctured TPU. I know.

 

[Hacienda71]

What was the puncture "mode"? Blowout like when a seam fails? Small hole like a thron/flint?
Thanks!

One was a blow out. Seemed to fail at a seam. No warning just a sudden deflation. One was at the bottom of a long steep descent (25% plus) and deflated pretty quickly. I was on rim brakes which may have caused a joint to overheat. The final one seemed to be a leaky valve with a slow deflation.
I would use them again but only with discs and a better regarded brand.

 

[matticus]

One was a blow out. Seemed to fail at a seam. No warning just a sudden deflation. One was at the bottom of a long steep descent (25% plus) and deflated pretty quickly. I was on rim brakes which may have caused a joint to overheat. The final one seemed to be a leaky valve with a slow deflation.
I would use them again but only with discs and a better regarded brand.

Cheers. (I'm still very much in the opinion-forming stage on these things! But it does sound like buying cheap was a factor.)

 

[accountdeleted]

Right... thread revival!

So I've had my first set of TPU tubes (CYDY purple ones from eBay) and I had a puncture. Set up = DT Swiss P1800 DB wheelset, CYDY TPU tubes (size 23-32C), Continental GP 4 Seasons 28C. The tubes had about 2,200miles and GP4S 1,700miles when a small flint caused a pinprick puncture last week after the heavy rains.

I don't have one of those TPU repair patch kit so I tested with electrical tape. The pinprick hole is so small, it seems to hold air as equal to non-punctured TPU tube (about 4-5psi loss in 48hrs?), but I haven't ridden on it (I now swapped to my winter wheelset so the punctured one is sitting with the above set up in situ). I don't anticipate the electrical tape to hold permanently.

I've surfed the internet and the general consensus with TPU tube repair is hit & miss. Majority of comments / recommendations are:

• Use a repair kit from the same TPU brand OR Tubolito or Pirelli repair patch kit (these seem to be popular)
• Use "contact cement" glue (or more specifically polyurethane glue) and make your own patch from old TPU tube
• Rubber vulcanising glue (the usual butyl repair kit tube) doesn't work (though a few seems to swear it works)
• Longevity of any form or repair is still not clear

Got me wondering... can one of those tent / tarp TPU repair tape (Tera-Aid, Tenacious tape or something like: this on cheap eBay) do the job? Anyone tried this method of cutting a tent repair tape to size?

Happy cycling!

 

[Psamathe]

I've not come across such tubes before but question: Do "Slime" and the inflate/repair (eg Vittoria Pitstop https://int.vittoria.com/products/pit-stop) work on these tubes? Wondering as people are taking about different puncture repair glues.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I've not come across such tubes before but question: Do "Slime" and the inflate/repair (eg Vittoria Pitstop https://int.vittoria.com/products/pit-stop) work on these tubes? Wondering as people are taking about different puncture repair glues.

The main reasons that people go for these tubes is reduced weight, and small packing size. Putting slime in them would negate both of these.

I suppose pitstop squirty repair might still work

 

[Dan Lotus]

Right... thread revival!

So I've had my first set of TPU tubes (CYDY purple ones from eBay) and I had a puncture. Set up = DT Swiss P1800 DB wheelset, CYDY TPU tubes (size 23-32C), Continental GP 4 Seasons 28C. The tubes had about 2,200miles and GP4S 1,700miles when a small flint caused a pinprick puncture last week after the heavy rains.

I don't have one of those TPU repair patch kit so I tested with electrical tape. The pinprick hole is so small, it seems to hold air as equal to non-punctured TPU tube (about 4-5psi loss in 48hrs?), but I haven't ridden on it (I now swapped to my winter wheelset so the punctured one is sitting with the above set up in situ). I don't anticipate the electrical tape to hold permanently.

I've surfed the internet and the general consensus with TPU tube repair is hit & miss. Majority of comments / recommendations are:

• Use a repair kit from the same TPU brand OR Tubolito or Pirelli repair patch kit (these seem to be popular)
• Use "contact cement" glue (or more specifically polyurethane glue) and make your own patch from old TPU tube
• Rubber vulcanising glue (the usual butyl repair kit tube) doesn't work (though a few seems to swear it works)
• Longevity of any form or repair is still not clear

Got me wondering... can one of those tent / tarp TPU repair tape (Tera-Aid, Tenacious tape or something like: this on cheap eBay) do the job? Anyone tried this method of cutting a tent repair tape to size?

Happy cycling!

I have a RideNow repair kit, Tubolito repair kit, and Pirelli repair kits - the latter Amazon are trying to knock out for £12, where everywhere else sells it for £5 - very odd.
I have 4 brands of TPU tubes = Schwalbe Aerothan (2 installed), Pirelli smarttube (2 installed), Ridenow, and most recently Craft Cadence (Who make a ton of good kit), which work out at around £13 each on the current offer, none of those last 2 are installed anywhere currently.

I have not had a cause to use any of the kits so far.

Personally I think TPU tubes are going to become the norm - initially they were around £30 each iirc, but even Pirellis can be had for £16 each now, and with butyl tube prices increasing, I think branded TPU tubes will soon be getting into single figures.

 

[Pblakeney]

I've surfed the internet and the general consensus with TPU tube repair is hit & miss. Majority of comments / recommendations are:

In my experience TPU repairs are temporary, whether that is "official" patches or electrical tape.
They will definitely get you home. They may last a few weeks, or longer, but sooner or later they do fail. They do not bond like butyl patches.

 

[accountdeleted]

In my experience TPU repairs are temporary, whether that is "official" patches or electrical tape.
They will definitely get you home. They may last a few weeks, or longer, but sooner or later they do fail. They do not bond like butyl patches.

That's a valuable opinion, thanks @Pblakeney. I recognise you from BikeRadar forum and I've seen reams of your posts about TPU tubes (and your Alps decent blow out story!)) so I trust your experience with patching TPU tubes.

So I wonder what kind of glue / adhesive the manufacturer use at factory to seal the tube round and secure the valve stem...

 

[Pblakeney]

That's a valuable opinion, thanks @Pblakeney. I recognise you from BikeRadar forum and I've seen reams of your posts about TPU tubes (and your Alps decent blow out story!)) so I trust your experience with patching TPU tubes.

So I wonder what kind of glue / adhesive the manufacturer use at factory to seal the tube round and secure the valve stem...

That's a fair question but I'd think irrelevant.
There is a difference between a bonded joint or patch, and a stick on patch. FWIW, imo stick on patches on butyl are get you home repairs too.

 

[Pinno718]

I will be sticking with latex.

 

[Dogtrousers]

. FWIW, imo stick on patches on butyl are get you home repairs too.

That's fighting talk.

Cue examples af 30-year-old tubes sporting over 100 patches