MTN bike tubes

[lovelylibrarian]

Hi,

Sometimes I think there should be separate gear and accessories section just for mountain bikes since a lot of the posts on the other parts of the forum are road biking related.

Can any of you recommend a certain brand/ type of tube for mountain biking? I want to get a spare but I was thinking of getting one of the thicker ones that are more robust. I know about the ones with goo in them that are self sealing, but what about just a thicker one? Downhill tubes are probably just too heavy though. My tires are 2.10 wide.

Also, where do you buy them? Online or just at the LBS?

Thanks!

Karen

[Irulan]

I just buy whatever LBS has that's the right size.

If you have issues in your area, like lots of goatheads or ?? I would go with their recommendation.

[fastdogs]

I didn't even know there were different types of tubes! I have a spare tube, just a regular bontrager one that I carry around. I've not had a flat yet, but I have had to replace the tire itself when grotpeter trail took a chunk out of the sidewall of my rear tire. I got one with kevlar, hopefully I'll be able to ride these rocky trails for a while before having to replace it again, it was expensive!
vickie

[MtnBikerChk]

I didn't even know there were different types of tubes! I have a spare tube, just a regular bontrager one that I carry around. I've not had a flat yet......

D'OH! Don't jinx yourself!


Buy whatever tubes are on sale and buy lots!! Just make sure they are within your range of tire size. I wouldn't get DH tubes unless you flat a lot and I wouldn't get ultralight tubes unless you're a weight weenie. Having said that, Pricepoint puts them on sale now and again so we load up.

[oldmtnbiker]

Rotational weight matters ... particularly for mtn biking where one is frequently accelerating the wheels (like speeding up out of a corner). So, wheels, tires and tubes are a good place to look for some weight saving - it will make your ride less tiring and more fun.

Most women riders are smaller and lighter and so don't get as many flats (particularly "pinch flats") as heavier male riders. So for many women heavy tires and tubes are overkill. If you aren't flatting at least once per summer, consider going a bit lighter. Try going with latex tubes - they are more expensive, but lighter and still pretty tough. Michelin makes one called an AirComp. They weigh a little over 100 grams.

If you'd like to save a little more weight, look at the tires you are using. Also consider going with a tubeless setup. The sealant for tubeless tires weighs about 70 grams per tire.

I don't like to stop to fix flats, but I'm also lazy - I don't like to push around more weight than I need to. In the past 3 years of racing, I have flatted once - I run lightweight tires and tubes, or tubeless setups.

-Deb

[bike4ever]

I agree with Deb. Just get what your LBS carries. I just flatted Saturday - tire was cut with what looked like a shell. I pulled out a piece of very sharp rock. This was my first flat all summer - not bad.

The big/bulky DH tubes can be harder to install on your tire. There is so much extra material it can actually be easier to pinch.

[bluebug32]

I agree. Go with the regular tubes and be sure to check your tire pressure before each ride to cut down on the risk of pinch flats.

[fastdogs]

so when the tire itself gets cut, do you have to replace it? My rear tire got a chunk otu of the sidewall, a small chunk about an inch, and the tube was bulging through it. The tube was ok, and the tire wasn't flat, but I thought I should replace the tire- was it necessary or could the tire be repaired?
vickie

[bike4ever]

Vickie - If the tube can poke through a hole in a tire, I'd recommend replacing it. You are definitely going to be more prone to a puncture in that situation.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

My perfect combination is whatever tube the LBS has and goo in it as well as Mr. Tuffy strips that go between the tire and tube. People will say that's too much rolling resistance but I don't think rolling resistance is a problem for me. When I get much better maybe that will be the edge I can count on but for now, I have plenty of room for improvement through strength training and just training on the bike. If the tendon would let me on the bike

[sundial]

I switched to Kenda tubeless tires with Stan's and I am more than pleased. No more slow leaks and multiple tube changing.

[kermit]

I'm gonna be the oddball here but I put thorn resistant tubes in my mountain bikes. They are heavy, about 10x heavier than regular, but I have never had a flat. The worst thing in the world is being 6 miles into a trail with a flat. I would rather carry the extra weight.

[tzvia]

I use light weight tubes, right now running Specialized. With a spare in the seat bag, and another (along with patches) in the Camelbak, I think I'm covered. For tire cuts, I cut up an old water bottle into 2" squares, and taped then together with electrical tape. If I get a cut that allows the tube to stick out, I would put the square of plastic inside the tire and hold it in place with a little electrical tape till pressure from re-inflating the tube holds it against the sidewall. That would get me back to my car without any extra risk of the new tube being cut because it was exposed. I did it once and much to my surprise, it did work. And it was a good excuse to buy new water bottles .

Rotating weight is a good place to save weight; whatever you can trim from the wheels is like trimming 3 times the weight somewhere else. No thorn proof tubes for me; if an object is strong/sharp enough to get through my tire, it can get through a thornproof tube too so I don't think it helps much. I'd rather save the weight.

[stephanie1129]

self healing tubes are heavy, and the "slime" inside can pool to one side of your tire making your wheel unbalanced.

I used to have tire liners in my mtb, until they kept slicing my inner tubes.

Now I just have regular tubes, no liners, or self healing stuff, and I rarely have problems with flats.