The current state of TPU inner tubes and a RideNow Competitor?
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 25 июл 2024
- In this video wanted to go over some of the problems TPU inner tubes face at the moment.
Any updates on where you can buy them will be placed in the description here:
In regards to the Exar TPU tubes, they are relying on some of this video to hopefully get them into UK, US and EU stores.
When this does eventually happen, they will be a strong competitor.
RideNow 1 week PSI loss: • RideNow Inner tubes PS...
RideNow Inner tubes: • Everything you need to...
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:29 - TPU Inner tubes
03:25 - What are they providing?
06:21 - Where to Buy?
07:23 - Cost?
08:22 - EXAR Claims
09:40 - My Testing
11:04 - Better Market? 
Спорт
I bought 8 Cyclami tpu's with a patch kit off Ali-Express for £55.00, delivered, received them in 7 days, been great so far, no issues at all, hold pressure really well and were fine on a trip to Sicily with two descents of Etna, was concerned to hear stories of tubes bursting due to heat on rim brakes !
Thanks for letting me know! Had others say they had leaks as well but hood to gears yous have been good so far!
I switched from latex and have been using the RideNow TPU tubes for about 6 months now. Two main observations. To greatly reduce "ghost" flats, replace your rim strip / tape with two layers of tubeless rim tape. Problem solved. Secondly, when replacing a tube on the road and using co2, add air very slowly. The co2 air is extremely cold when coming out and will ruin a TPU tube if added quickly. Go slow!
That’s good to know! Thank you
Did you feel any noticeable difference between the comfortabilty of the latex tubes compared to TPUs?
@@csarcpab yes definitely. I’ve actually switched back to latex. It’s a touch faster but more comfortable to the point that it’s worth pumping up tires every day. I’m still using TPU in my saddle bag because they’re so small.
@@robertthomson4042 Thanks for the tip! I don't mind at all pumping the tires with my latex tubes before every ride, in fact I love it cause I always make sure the tires will run at the propper pressure. I will for sure start carryig TPUs in my spare kit.
@robertthomson4042 Can you provide more info on the "ghost" flats? I think I got one. I bought the Pirelli Smart Tube TPU 2 weeks ago. Everything was fine for the first week but not I'm loosing pressure. After just 2 hours, I can lose 20psi. When inflating with my mouth like 5psi, the tube doesn't deflate. I tried to put the tube underwater and there are no visible leak...
Looking at the tube, I have small bumps due to my bike rim and rim tape.
I have a couple of TPUs that I am carrying as spares due to the size and weight savings, however, I have not had the opportunity to use them yet (thankfully!). Great review, I appreciate your efforts!
In some ways I hope you never have to use them! They do feel closer to latex than butyl so my be worth sliding them in one day.
Thank you very much!
Been using the Ridenow for a month now, so far so good. I add air every 4-5 days. Be careful when using tyre levers, with out air they can be pinched easily when installing your tyres because they're so thin.
I have had a good experience with them too. Also pinched one though. Learnt my lesson now
You have to add a little bit of air just to make it take a round shape before stuffing it inside tire.
I switched to RideNow and 1 of the first two I installed lost pressure daily then failed after two weeks. I replaced it with another RideNow and It's holding pressure. For the price they are still ahead of latex however having a spare is recommended.
47th km of ride:
ridenow 4.5bars, gp5000, small jump over slightly damaged crossroad - front puncture (new tires and tubes.... and the back one was ok to finish 100km
I’ve been using the Ridenow 36g TPU tubes for just over a month now. I must say they hold air way better than latex and the rolling resistance is quite similar. In the month of use (average 200 miles per week) I’ve had to replace the back twice. Wasn’t a puncture from road debris, both ended up being on the rim side. 🤷🏻 Cleaned and powered before install. I’m still running them now, cheap enough to just replace.
Yea, that is there benefit. Can just swap them out without hurting the bank.
About rolling resistance. If 700c default 28mm tyre saves 4 watts, then how much could save 650b 50mm tyre?
I grew up powdering my tubes but after reading the rolling resistance website on that practice was that it creates a slight movement/friction which adds heat when at speed with TPU which is prone to heat issues unlike butyl. Plus, Sheldon always said it does nothing. There is that!
Currently on a run of 5 or 6 punctures out of 10 or 12 rides due to flints. Never had an issue with latex tubes as I think the latex tubes are more able to "deform" around any protrusions through the tyre. These were with more supple tyres in Feb/March so roads will be wet and gritty but used the same tyres with latex and no issues. Have ordered up some more Vittoria latex tubes from Spain for £7 each. I think for me the TPUs will be a summer only tube.
My exes tubes had weak points in the seem near the valve. My ride bows have been one the other bikes well over a year now.
I love my RideNow, I could not really justify the cost of Pirelli ones, when they got punctured I did not replace them. Would be nice to see more affordable options to the market!
Let’s hope these guys can make it!
You can always patch them too
@@veganpotterthevegan yes, but at that cost I prefer not to. I would hate to have a flat because I did not repair it properly.
@@fede1275 it's extremely easy to patch. And unlike with butyl, patches add minimal rolling resistance. Plus you're creating far less waste
@@veganpotterthevegan good point on the waste!
Got Cyclami ones from Ali express 8 for £37. Have not used then but they use alloy valves instead of plastic ones, supposed to be better for air retention and more durable.
I've switched to the ridenow tubes on my bike from conti butyl tubes, and have had no punctures so far while having 2 punctures in the same time frame on butyl tubes. Seem to hold air just as well - need to pump every 2 weeks or so with nearly daily riding. Honestly can't tell if they are faster, but they do feel more comfortable. 700x32 schwalbe pro one tyres.
Good to hear you have had a great experience. For me it might just be the best upgrade you can do to your bike
Been using Ridenow's for 6 months with only 1 flat that also ripped the tire. Ye, be careful installing. At $8 each they are a bargain & Ill highly recommend them to anyone.
2 Ridenow exploded on my bike ! one during an ascent (i was so lucky), another one, while I was sitting nearby and drinking a beer (there was no sun!). there are some weaker spots at tube joints which expand/get thinner and weaker over time.
What pressures do you run and what width tyres? I am trying to find out some common reasons as to why they fail.
@@cyclingunboxed Conti GP5000 28mm (rims 20mm inner width) and around 5-5.5 bar
I have an issue with the RideNow inner tube puncturing around the nipple area where the rim tape is more vulnerable. I had one puncture while the bike was drying in the sun so I am guessing the heat had an impact. The Think Rider were just rubish for me, both two and both leaked where the valve is patched to the tube.
A few others have said that about the think rider inner tubes now
To solve that problem, don't inflate the tyres to it's near limit if u do a long ride for hours under the sun. the inside air of the tube expands as it increases Tempreture due to the tyre heating up.. Exactly the same principle as the truck tyres exploding on the long run.. In the case of cycling, the air makes it way to escape from increasing Tempreture and will find it's way to the rim holes.. This are the vulnerable areas of the rim to have micro tears that gets damage from the expansion.
I bought 2x cheap tpu tubes off of evil bay for £4:00 each and have done around 100 km now with no issues
28grams each opposed to 112 g for butyl
I just put ride ons on 2 of my 10 bikes & I like them, ride noticeably smoother dont know maybe its because they say no more than 65 psi compared to the 105 i run on lite butyl,so far so good & the price is the sameanother BIG positive is the weight savings
I really like them too.
Faster, more packable, lighter, recyclable.
105psi is very high now days. I also haven’t seen anywhere with the 65 psi limit?
Hi, I've bought some Ridenow tubes on ebay, but they are different in a few ways to the one you review. They don't have the pressure spreading ring on the valve stem, and the valve stem doesn't have the white 'Ridenow' writting on it. Do you know if Ridenow have relinquished their 'free advertising', or could these be fake copies do you think?
You may be referring to the 19g tubes they now sell. Does the stem look clear rather than black? If so then that is normal for the 19g tubes.
I bought four cheap orange ones first from e-bay (race formula) but three went on the valve stem connection. One was defective with a joint seam leaking. I am not sure if was where I was pushing pump and pressure meter onto valve. This evening I have noticed that the rear fitted with Ride Now has gone flat. Again I am concerned it may be due to putting pressure on valve stem. They make a noticeable difference to ride quality so am reluctant to stop using.
Hopefully it’s just the one ride now that is a dud and the rest are good. When they do work they do seem to last.
@@cyclingunboxed All good legitimate puncture small thorn .... ordered puncture kit and two more Ride Now tubes !
thanks for the review, as I've been considering buying a set. Is there a way to add a valve extender? From what I've read, it is not possible with the Ride now version. I have 88mm rims for triathlons and neither of these stem lengths would make it without an extender. My current butyl tubes have a nice threaded stem that I can screw on an extender very easily without removing the valve core. thanks
Thank you.
Unfortunately not. The inner core is glued in there which I think helps them save a few more grams. I don’t like them glued in either.
If you really want the speed, I would fork out for the latex inner tubes and get your valve extenders in there. Not as good for saving space but lighter and your fastest option.
I hope that helps a little.
@@cyclingunboxed thanks, is the stem threaded at all where you could screw on an extentder. I guess the removable core isn't an option
There are treads but only 2 threads deep. Not really good enough unless you wan to glue them together maybe? I think it would be a bit of a botch job. If I could take a picture on here I would.
The core on the valve is indeed bonded on as stated but with care it can be unscrewed. The bonding is only to aid air seal. The stern is threaded so extenders could then be fitted.
I had no support from the supplier of my TPU inner tube made by an Italian company and supplied from Girona. 5 punctures on the second ride not under the tread!!!
What brand is this?
@@cyclingunboxed Italian and very expensive
Over a 1000 miles on RideNow with zero issues so far. Installed in 28s. Tyre fit/removal is made much easier by the very low bulk of TPU. The valve base area has now been reinforced on the latest batch. Highly recommended...
I’m glad you like them!
How would a buyer know which batch theyre getting
I've noticed that RideNows don't need cinching up against the valve hole in the rim in the way that traditional butyls do (or more accurately they don't provide anything to do this with). Is this what thickening the base of the valve is all about? Thanks.
@@thedownunderverse the color of the stem.
@@Thezuule1 what colour is the newer batch?
I would absolutely not recommend pushing tire limits with TPU tubes. 32mm tire with the 23-30c tube MIGHT be fine, but you have to be very careful with TPU, it doesn't expand as good as butyl
Have you had any first hand experience with this? If so, I would like to hear more.
@@cyclingunboxed No disasters personally but there are pictures of people overinflating their TPU tubes in the ridenow thread on weightweenies
I think it is the same reason they ask you not to inflate uninstalled tubes over 20psi or something
I don't suppose you have a link to some of these threads for me? It just helps me be better researched for my future videos.
It's due to their nature. Tpu is a plastic as you know, and plastic lacks flexibility. Once you go beyond the "safe point" they become extremely weak.
@@cyclingunboxedTPU as a material is less stretchy than butyl so once you start stretching it tension builds faster than on butyl. And benefits of tpu thanks to how thin they are even minimal wall thickness variability affects cross section significantly. That's from material science perspective from a mechanical engineer that came to polymers late in the game. As for experience with the product itself if they are overbuilt (artificially lowered rating) or have QA way higher than thin butyl that can make those material issues irrelevant I don't know but I wouldn't bet in it. I would advise against stretching them past rating I would say you could stretch butyl way more than even stretchiest TPU.
Also while thicker inner tube is technically more puncture resistant it's not a significant factor at those thicknesses. If one punctures from road debris other will as well. For things like snakebite or sharp tape on the rim and general mishandling while installing thickness at this scale can make meaningful difference I think general puncture resistance of fraction of a milimiter of TPU is insignificant compared devree poking through few milimiters of tire.
If you recommend pushing past rating you have to back this up with evidence or even basic materials science to show that it's possible without compromising. The burden of evidence is on you.
Still a valuable video. TPU inner tubes are buck for buck a great upgrade in terms of rolling resistance and weight.
Hi is it ok to ask you a question i got sent the wrong size bike inner tube tpu 700x32 do you think it will be ok on a 700x38 bike tyre thanks
I don’t think so. For me that’s a bit too far of a gap. If it was 34 I would be ok to stretch it but not to 38 on a TPU tube. I hope that helps
@@cyclingunboxed thanks for your help happy new year to you 🎉
TPU tubes are dirt cheap to manufacture, so they're more affordable if a company wants to lower their profit margins. The problems with ridenow, cyclami, tublito, is their quality control, and they're so obviously the exact same product being sold under many different names, probably being made in the same Shenzhen factory. Buy lots of them, because when you get good ones, they're AMAZING.
Also, accidentally discovered that butyl patches work way better on TPU tubes than the TPU patches. Patching the TPU with TPU seems to be trash.
I fully agree.
Interesting about the patches though! Will have to give this a try.
RideNow, Cyclami, and Tublito are really manufactured by three different facilities. Tublito is still making everything in Europe; Cyclami is unknown, but Ridenow company is located in northern China and doesn't make anything for "Cyclami."
@@MajorJamesGastovski If cyclami is unknown and ride now is in China, then how can you possibly know they're not made in the same factory? Ridenow is a brand name and probably doesn't make anything, they order from a facility just like 20 other Chinese "companies". Cyclami is made in China and is a Chinese label. I'll take the L on Tublito. Replace it with Wanban, Laoshe and my point stands. The same formula is used for sunglasses, tumblers, phone cases.. they're not real companies, they're government created brands that all buy from the same factories and they just put their own branding on it.
I recently bought a 2-pack of RideNow tubes on Amazon for $20 USD and I was previously buying butyl tubes for about $8 each.
Good to see them on Amazon now. If you don’t mind the wait though, still a lot cheaper going through Ali express
@@cyclingunboxed Yeah, it was a good week to get them but I was just getting them for extras so no big hurry.
I picked up three 28 gram Ridenow tubes on ebay for just under 6.00 each US delivered. Lots of them for sale and they got here in a week from China.
schwalbe, tubolito and michelin all do a tpu tube. downside you cant really repair them and the lightest version will pop if you have rim brakes. the weight around the edge of the wheel does make a difference but if you do the research it is small and only has an effect on accelerating
True, it is only a very small effect. I believe it’s more on the feel of the acceleration. Makes it feel nicer and even though you know it’s not a major gain. Makes you feel good!
They can be repaired. I had a Tubolito with a patch that went for over two years before I replaced the tube.
@@markedwards4913 i have a repair kit, in my experience it doesn't work properly or reliably. hence my comment
I bought 4 cyclami tpu tubes a few weeks ago. Big thorn puncture on the 2nd ride🤣. The patch kit is rubbish. No matter what I do the patch won't work. About 6psi leaking per hour. So I'm looking for a repair kit that'll work. Any recommendation? Pirelli seems to get decent reviews?
Sadly I don’t know much about the repair kits. I am sure some people will comment and let you know though
Look for ones with camplast adhesive such as Tubolito
I find the patches work fine, but when searching for leaks in a bowl of water, I found the removable core valves to be the problem, not the patches. I now use TPU's with one piece alloy valves, old school, but if it ain't broke.....😊
@@richardgate1571 got the pirelli patches and they work perfectly. They have the glue
A couple of times you made reference to the exar tubes being more reliable than Ridenow but also stated that you have only had them for a few rides so I don't think you can really be making those sort of claims, yet. They also seem very expensive compared to the Ridenow tubes. You provided no objective data to show that the exar tubes are lower rolling resistance. How do we know that extra wall thickness is not adding to the resistance compared to the Ridenow. You said that they hold air better than Butyl but all the other comparisons state that butyl is better than TPU for holding air.
These are fair questions!
Let me update you as the video was made a few months ago now.
Reliability: both me and my partner have had them in our tyres for the past 3 months and no reliability issues. We have been away travelling with out bikes and done 3800km. So far they are holding up really well. Whilst this is only a test size of 4, the build quality does feel good. From anecdotal evidence on RUclips comments the ride news do seem to be becoming more reliable. It is generally down to luck but crazy neither of us have punctured yet. The tyres we are on are starting to get toward their tread limit so a puncture is more likely now.
Holding air: I have an older you tube short here of how the ride now’s hold their air: ruclips.net/user/shortsdJoWAsYwk28?feature=share
I haven’t tested these because I have been riding almost every day. When it comes to winter and I can leave the bike for a week again I will do the same test on the exar Tpu for you. That way we can get a fair comparison.
As they are thicker I will assume for now they hold air a little better. After 3 days of riding I have found they have been loosing around 3 psi.
Rolling resistance: whilst these tubes are not tested specifically, we do know that Tpu is almost as fast as latex: www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/specials/tpu-inner-tubes
You are right as these are thicker, we can assume they will be a little bit slower than the ride ones but I highly doubt they are any where near as slow as butyl’s.
I hope that helps! If you want any other information or have other questions, happy to help.
It appears there is no threaded stem and nut. Do you hear much rattling in the rim?
Literally never. Although I have some Roval valve tape over the wheel which stops this. Most wheel brands have this now or you can buy it for very cheap
can i use TPU tube that has 32mm max width with 38mm tyre?
That is a bit too wide. I personally wouldn’t risk it. Ride now do sell some gravel versions of the tpu tubes so that might be your best bet.
Wool
Believe it or not, wool is a great material for athletic wear, even in warm weather. The right wool (like soft Merino) and blend can greatly improve a garment’s sweat-wicking ability without detracting from comfort. Plus, wool is also good at controlling odors.
Anyone know why TPU tubes don't have to be held tightly against to the rim like butyl tubes do? Thanks.
Please could you clarify further for me? I’m not sure I understand.
@@cyclingunboxed Thanks for the reply. What I mean is that, with a butyl tube there is a knurled ring on the valve stem when you take it out of the box, which has to be first removed to fit the tube, then when the valve has been poked through the hole in the rim, this ring is screwed down the stem, presumably to make a tight fit between the stem and the rim (to prevent rubbing?). On my RideNow tubes no such ring is supplied and I wonder why. I hope I've explained this more clearly. Cheers!
Ah, I understand what you mean now.
I’m not so sure that it prevents rubbing. I always thought that it was to stop any rattling. I feel as if that’s how they used to make it so that’s how they still make it. (Maybe more rattling in old box rims?)
I don’t think it’s necessary at all to use it and I believe the RideNow don’t have it to save weight.
If anyone else knows anymore I would also love to know.
@@cyclingunboxed That's great - thanks for the explanation! As a reasonably new cyclist it had me wondering...
@@Robutube1 experienced cyclists generally throw that nut away 😂
If the TPU tubes were as heavy as butyl tubes, then obviously they would be thicker. And thicker would be stronger and more puncture resistant. I'll have a pair of tough tubes please, I'm not worried about the weight or space taken up in my toolkit. Thank you kindly.
For me, I believe once something gets through the tyre, it doesn’t matter what inner tube you have, it doesn’t stand much of a chance unless you get lucky.
Bought thinkrider tpu's and out of 4 tubes ,2 failed- one wouldn't hold air from the outset (faulty valve) and the other leaked air from the tpu seal where they join it up circumferentially.ridenows haven't given me any issues,cyclami is another brand that I will try asap. Thinkrider seller communication is terrible.non existent.
Had the exact same leakage issue with Think Rider tubes. RideNow is far better.
make that 3 out of 4 tubes from thinkrider,they are junk.
Not good at all. Had a few others say this with think rider. A lot more saying their ride bows have been good.
I’m looking for on in650b x 25/28 mm is theremone that fits ?.
I unfortunately think they only do 700c for road sadly. They do a MTB version but of course that will be too wide.
I think your next best options are going to be tubless or latex if you want speed/ weight gains
@@cyclingunboxed may be some gravel tube ?
I will set my Speedmax up tubless but as a spare
I have done my best to look but I still can’t find them. I have had a look at all the big brands too (Pirelli, tubolito, Vitoria) and still nothing. Sorry, I home this is something they produce soon but I think it’s because it is a very niche market.
13 months and counting using RideNow TPU here. Wont come back to regular ones.
Me neither. After the space and weight savings + recyclable.
Yawn....these Exar tubes are just a future promise at the moment. They are WAY more money on ebay than the Ridenows (for the one seller that's selling them). I have used Ridenows on several of my mountain, commuting, and road bikes, and have had ZERO issues with them over about 4000 miles in the past year and a half.....at least zero issues that weren't induced by me due to lazy installation using tire levers! They also flat VERY slowly compared to butyl tubes, and they are VERY easy to patch using the Park glueless patch kit (just remember to carry alcohol wipes to clean the patch area first!
After hearing and reading lots of reviews, last year I tried the Tubolito TPU inner tubes and got three of them. They were pricey, and yes they are light and packable, but reliability (i,e, puncture proofness) is below sub par: with the latex ones I had 1, or 2 punctures per year at max. With the Tubolitos I had 3 punctures in one month. Since I am not competing in the Tour de France and that marginal rolling resistance gain is not of essence, I switched back to ordinary Latex. And this year no punctures yet.
Interesting. Thanks for commenting as it helps me build a bigger picture of peoples experiences. 3 in one month does seem rather unlucky though. I haven’t had anyone report punctures on these at that rate yet.
Latex tubes have slightly lower rolling resistance than TPU. But TPU are much lighter.
Nope. I’d rather stick to butyl until prices drop, given the worst inner tyre incident I had I used up 5 inners, there’s no way I’m forking out for TPU, especially given they can’t easily be repaired
I haven’t repaired one myself but anecdotally from all the comments on this and my other you video, it doesn’t sound to be any harder than a butyl tube.
For me it’s the other benefits more than out weight butyl. Especially because I use RideNow which are the same price as butyl.
The more I look in to tubes the more I love my solid tires. Last time I got a puncture was never 😂
I even got some nails on them which I had to remove by hand doing some force not going to lie, but tires kept perfect
CYCLAMI are another brand
Waste of money, long live rubber.
You had bad experiences with TPU?
TPU tubes can be recycled same as beverage bottles. C'mon people, you want to help save the planet or not. The one thing I haven't had any success with is patching TPU tubes. Patches just don't hold. But the RideNow tubes are cheap enough I wouldn't be bothered patching anyway.
oh my god you do sound like Bear Grylls.
I had never heard it until people started mentioning it on this channel. Now I find it funny 😂
Why are they so cheap? IP theft... China is notorious for that. If you have no development cost, of course you can sell cheaper. Shame on you for promoting this. Huge thumbs down.
Do you which ones they are copying specifically? I would like to buy them and compare. These are more expensive than the ride now inner which would suggest to me they have made them themselves. Also, it is 2023. Inner tubes are pretty easy to make.
Or, you are buying from the manufacturer that doesnt waste money in advertising like big brands do, its not like the idea of a tpu made inner tube could be an intellectual property to anyone, ip theft LOL