Recently I have ordered Pirelli TPU Smartubes to make my tubeless-sth-goes-wrong pack smaller. I was surprised that it have similar size/weight as Schwalbe Extra Light butyl tube. I have also ordered few RideNow ones to compare with and they are half of the size of Pirellis. Where is the catch? Pirellis have very likely better quality control so there is lower risk of having some factory-broken valve that would stop me in the middle of nowhere. Chinese one however are lighter and cheaper. All of them are in size that would fit 700×35-45 tire.
by blahai
15 Comments
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Thanks for bringing this topic up. I’m very curious to see real people experiences in the comments, prices are also the double or triple compared to a regular tube. I was thinking to get a Tanus insert and just carry a road regular tube as backup.
I just went back to tubeless on my road bike this week, but I had RideNow TPU tubes (the 36g ultra light version) and 28c GP5000’s on there for about 8500 miles. Less flats than with conti race butyl tubes. And [the flats I did get would have taken out any tire](https://imgur.com/a/7CEHGl8), TPU tubes, tubeless, latex, butyl, etc. They were perfect. I have some for my gravel bike and I just folded up the pair I was using for road bike spares.
I prefer the ones with threaded valves but the plastic valves worked fine.
I just carry a road tube as a spare
I had tried the Ridenow tubes but had a few issues with the valves which were leaky for some of the tubes I had ordered. I have tried Gustavo TPU tubes from Aliexpress afterwards and didn’t have any issues with those
Use the ride now tubes on my road bike and fixed gear. No issues with them and they’ve held up well. Seem decently made and haven’t failed on me. Have also used the exar I think they’re called, on another bike, also good for the price. Will be buying one or two of the ride nows to go in the saddle bag for the gravel bike incase of an ‘oh shit moment’
i have yet to hear about a TPU brand without leaky defects. western brands don’t even have less. for me it’s a nobrainer. 5 chinese tpu tubes used, 0 leaks
I’ve used ridenow TPU tubes on multiple bikes for over a year now and never had a puncture. However I did get some faulty valves that were acting up (transparent plastic ones) and I punctured a pair of used tubes when setting them up on different tyre-rim combination (before you ask: it was the same tyre size). So it seems to that they become a bit more fragile once used and taken apart to be refitted.
I’m extremely happy with TPUs and wouldn’t consider tubeless as an option because I only ride 180km per month and I like to switch bikes.
Not used for gravel as I run tubeless but my road has 28mm GP5000s and ridenow TPU tubes. Can’t really fault them, had 1 puncture in roughly 10k miles. Had to replace another tube as where the tube meets the valve was leaking. They’ve been great and a much more noticeable difference in ride feel. If you’re worried just carry a butyl tube as back up?
I’ve got Ride Now in my gravel and mtb saddle bags, knock on wood I’ve got had to use either yet. Just for the sake of weight and space, I prefer them.
Panda Podium has great deals on TPU tubes. They are from China, but high quality and 1/3rd the cost.
I haven’t tried ridenow so I can’t comment on quality, but your picture shows the pirelli straight out of the package – if you fold it like you have the ride now and wrap it in a bit of velcro it packs down super flat and nowhere near even the lightest butyl tube.
Pirelli’s are silly expensive, Though I’ve never had an issue with them puncturing, I only use them as backups to a tubeless setup, though.
I heard great things for RideNow tubes from a friend who is running them on his road and gravel bike, but I carry a spare TPU tube from Schwalbe, because I had three leaks with three Tubolito Tubes, and there’s no way I’m ever trusting a plastic valve again.
I carry Conti tubes as backup for my tubeless because that’s what I already had. I’ve never needed them but like the peace of mind of carrying one. I’d go with a cheap option to get you home.
I ride gravel, nasty sharp blasted gravel on service roads with a motorized mountain bike. I use the green slime liners and standard tubes. I rarely get flats, and the ones I’ve got where from inside the tire. I use talcum powder to prevent that now and give the tube some “slip” inside the tire.
You don’t need fancy expensive tubes…