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Tubolito expands on $35 super light inner tube… to BMX and City bikes?

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Of all the areas to upgrade your bike, your inner tubes are probably one of the last places you’d look. What’s that? You haven’t run an inner tube since the year 2000? That’s actually one of the reasons Tubolito (and S Tubo) makes sense.

Tubolito expands on $35 super light inner tube... to BMX and City bikes?

Above are three different inner tubes – but all for the same size tire (29″ x 1.8-2.4″). The standard butyl inner tube is massive compared to the Tubo MTB, and positively dwarfs the S-Tubo MTB next to it. If you have to carry a spare tube that you’re rarely going to use, that S-Tubo MTB will take up a lot less room in your pack, and add less weight at just 45g. Even the Tubo MTB is still super light at 85g for the same size. Because of this, the price tag of $35 or $38 per tube is a little easier to swallow given that it’s your get out of (flat) jail free card, and if cargo space is at a premium.

Tubolito expands on $35 super light inner tube... to BMX and City bikes?

But running them as every day inner tubes? Especially for the likes of BMX and City/Touring riding? That’s more of a stretch, but Tubolito has changed things up a bit for these applications.

On the Tubo-City/touring side, the thermoplastic elastomer wall thickness has been increased to provide 3x the puncture resistance compared to a standard tube (the other Tubolito tubes offer 2x the puncture resistance of butyl). Even so, the tubes are still impressively light with a 700c x 30-47mm schrader tube checking in at 100g, and the presta version at 92g. The price is also lower at just $25 per tube. I suppose if you are running super burly tires to prevent flats, adding a pair of these might be a way to get some of those grams back.

The Tubo-BMX tube uses the standard thermoplastic construction that’s 2x tougher than a standard tube with super low weights of 58g for a 20 x 1.8-2.4″ schrader valve or 39g for a 20 x 1 1/8-1 3/8″ schrader valve tube. These probably aren’t the best idea for street or park riding where pinch flatting is a common occurrence, but I could see many BMX parents shelling out $35 a tube to give their child every competitive edge on the track.

Tubolito expands on $35 super light inner tube... to BMX and City bikes? Tubolito expands on $35 super light inner tube... to BMX and City bikes?

With the addition of the City/Tour and BMX inner tubes, Tubolito has almost a full range of sizes to fit most bikes (even plus bikes, but no fat bikes – yet). And what about flats? Even with 2-3x the puncture resistance, flats can still happen. To fix your $35 inner tube, Tubolito sells a $5 patch kit that includes 5 patches that are little more than self adhesive stickers. Just clean the spot with an included alcohol swab, slap on the Flix, and you’re on your way.

tubolito.com

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adilosnave
adilosnave
4 years ago

Bought a pair of these recently for my Cosmics with the hope they’d provide more puncture resistance. I don’t care that much about the weight but that’s a nice, added benefit!! Test results are out. No flats yet but it’s a difficult thing to really compare. If I don’t get a flat this season then I guess they worked but who is to say that a regular tube wouldn’t have done the same?

Haven’t decided if I like the orange valve stem yet.

Greg
Greg
4 years ago
Reply to  adilosnave

You’re a short piece of heat shrink tubing away from whatever color valve stem you want.
Maxxis Flyweight are as light as the standard Tubo, considerably less, and a known quantity.
I’d like to see bicyclerollingresistance test these.

Collin S
Collin S
4 years ago
Reply to  Greg

The Maxxis Flyweights are standard butyl rubber tube, just super thin which means you’re more likely to get a flat. With these tubes (at least claimed) the polymer material is more durable than standard butyl rubber. My question is how do they ride and to your point, is there any pluses or negatives when it comes to rolling resistance.

Patrick Cavender
Patrick Cavender
4 years ago
Reply to  Collin S

Tubes don’t prevent flats, they are engineered only to hold air. See thick DH tubes and why no one uses them.

LetMeShowYouDeWay
LetMeShowYouDeWay
4 years ago

With today’s tech, why tubes anyway! If something wants to puncture a tube, it doesn’t really matter what type of tube you have. Tubeless is de way!!! (Saying that, I still have a few bikes with tubes that I enjoy riding)

Jeffie
Jeffie
4 years ago

A key question is how they behave with a cut. If I get a short sidewall cut, say 7 or 8mm, a latex replacement tube will easily leak out of it, come into contact with pavement and blow. But if I use butyl, it may hold, and stay inside the tire… at least less the cut is just so big that it must be booted or the tire tossed.
So do these things behave more like latex with a small slit or like butyl?

Patrick LAMARRE
4 years ago

Waiting for fat wheels 🙁

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