Bicycle Tubes
Bike Tube Sizing, Material & Valve
Design
You don't really need me to explain that the reason you buy a collection
of bicycle tubes is to hold the air in your "non-tubeless clincher
tire". Bike tires do exist that do not require a tube.
If you do require a bicycle tube here's a bit of information about
the various options.
Sizing:
It is always best to buy a bicycle tube that matches your tire in
diameter. A 24" tube for a 24" tire, but close metric
equivalent will also do the job as long as we're not talking about
a huge difference in diameter.
It is not as important to purchase the exact width of tube to
match your existing tire, as the typical tube has a fair degree
of elasticity to conform to your existing bicycle tire, but keep
this in mind.
If you buy a wide width say 2 1/2" bicycle tube when you really
only need a 2" width, it will not cause any harm and remain
under inflated, But the tube will be much heavier with the extra
rubber needed for the wider design.
If you select a tube that is narrower than your tire design, the
tube will be stretched more than normal, decreasing the rubber's
effective thickness and thus increase its chance of punctures.
Bottom line is that the best approach is to get into the habit
of purchasing tubes that closely match your tire size. Have a few
on hand for both your bicycle road tires and a wider size for your
mountain bike tires.
Valves:
There are two different types of bike tire tube stems. Tubes can
have either a shrader or
presta valve, each with its own advantages. Shrader valves are
very common and easily filled at the standard gas station pump.
Presta Valves are common on road bikes where their slimmer design
creates less drag and requires a smaller hole in the narrow road
bike rim.
Slime, puncture protection?
 For
an extra few dollars you can purchase bicycle tubes with a chemical
sprayed into the inside of the tube to seal small punctures as they
happen. One brand of the sealant is actually called "Slime"
and they produce a Slime Self-Sealing Tube. The chemical leaks out
of small punctures and solidifies on contact with the air. You'll
never know you had a leak.
Bicycle Tubes are Made of Latex or Butyl:
Latex
Latex tubes are made of natural rubber and are typically more than
twice the cost of the butyl alternatives. The elasticity of natural
rubber allows the tube manufacturers to use thinner material and
thus create a lighter bicycle tube. A Michelin Aircomp Latex Tube
can weight as little as 65 grams as compared to a standard butyl
tube weight of closer to 100grams.
Rubber is also more resistant to puncture and much less likely
to suffer from pinch flats which is a good thing. Some believe that
the greater flexibility of the rubber creates less heat in usage
and leads to a slight increase in peddle efficient. Personally I'd
guess most of us would not notice the difference.
Latex tubes do tend to deflate. Natural rubber is a more porous
material, thus important to check your tire pressure before you
leave the house, and carry a pump if going off road.
Butyl Tubes:
Butyl bicycle tubes are the most common currently available
on the market either at the corner bike store or the local hardware
shop. Butyl is a synthetic material that is much better than latex
in holding air, thus requires less fillups.
Butyl tubes are definitely much heavier than their latex cousin
coming in at between 100 and 135 grams, although a few manufacturers
have created a few higher tech versions that shave 10 or 20 grams
off of these numbers. They have figured out how to create a bike
tube with a thinner more uniform thickness of rubber, but you do
sacrifice puncture resistance in the process.
You can buy specialized Butyl tires like the Innova Thorn Resistant
Road Tube that has a thicker layer of butyl rubber on the tread
side then it does on the rim side to thwart glass and thorn punctures
if this is a risk your riding habits present.
Remember that the more weight you are spinning around the outer
circumference of the wheel the greater amount of energy that will
be required to pick up speed. Thus go light if you're going for
speed and stay on the heavier side if you are a heavier rider or
travel on terrain that is likely to pose puncture dangers like rocks
or thorns.
More Articles of Interest:
Types of bike tire tube
stem
Bike Handlebars
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