Have you used Tubolito Tubes? What are your thoughts? Have you used a competitor, like Schwalbe Aerothan or Revoloop? Let me know in the comments what your experiences have been.
Disappointed. It was ok for two months or so. Then it started to slowly lose pressure. I've chek it and there were no bubbles underwater. But it will be almost empty after two days. So I have to pump it more than I want in order to keep if fine during ride. Considering the price, I'm really dissapointed. Won't buy another!
I bought a batch of 4 tubolitos to mount with Tannus Armour. Flat tire 3 times... Tested in my bath full of water and no punctures... The valve was leaking :( I'm back to normal tubes (easy to repair) and they don't leak.
Were these an older batch? I think the older ones had valve issues. The newer ones seem to have less complaints about leaks. I didn’t have a single issue out of the 6 I bought.
@@JMCyclingVideos Probably yes, I bought them in a shop where Iive. But for the moment, I'm sticking with old good tubes, (reparability is much better).
@@nikoulph While I haven't had to use my repair kit for the tubolitos, I have heard that they aren't easy to repair and repairs typically don't hold well. Not something you want to see on such a pricey product. Butyl is definitely better in that regard.
I have been using tubolitos for about 600 km... Running them with Campagnolo Zonda C17 rimbrake wheels, and 25mm Continental GP5000 tires, at about 7 bar pressure. (I weigh 73 kg) So far I've had one pinch flat for apparently no reason (didn't strike any big pothole or such) Put on a spare tube, got home and patched the punctured one with the bespoke tubolito patch kit, then refitted it to the bike. The patch worked perfectly for 10 days, no leaks, then all of a sudden after the bike hadn't been used for a couple days, the patch completely failed overnight and lost all air, and it was a massive leak, it couldn't be inflated back, as I pumped as fast as possibile with my floor pump the air escaped just as fast as I pumped it. I honestly don't trust the patch kit anymore after this, and honestly 20 euros for a tube that (according to my experience) can't be reliably repaired if punctured is hardly a compelling proposition....
I’m lucky in that I haven’t had to repair a puncture yet. I’ve also read that the patch kit isn’t reliable. I totally agree with you in that these tubes definitely lose some appeal if you can’t reliably repair one for a single puncture. They’re too expensive to be a disposable item.
There is a Loctite glue for the thermoplastic thing as tubolitos... I was thinking about getting one tube of glue, and cut my patches from one old tubolito. LOCTITE 4902 FL is a colorless, highly flexible, cyanoacrylate adhesive designed for use in the assembly of medical devices that require flexibility. I'm mainly looking for this solution because I've heard people having troubles with patches, not all folks but some. So tubolitos are interesting especially for long distance travels (less weight less space). But the reparability is must.
I been riding Tubolito tubes for three months with my Continental GP 5000 , they ride smooth and the puncture resistant is awesome, there’s no turning back to regular tubes. Also would fill up the tires on a Monday and the tires stay inflated for a good four days, after the fourth day I’ll tap it off with a little air, that’s how good they hold up ! Two thumbs up 👍
Glad you have a similar experience! The price tag is a hurdle, for sure, but I've been running my same set for years now in several different bikes/wheels with no punctures and no issues. I won't go back to butyl either, but I would definitely try some cheaper TPU alternatives.
Great update, I've been using one on my rear wheel for a few months now on the road bike. The Price has dropped a fair bit over in the UK, air retention spot on, really really good, certainly more responsive performance.
@@JMCyclingVideos that's exactly what I thought, you're first video on them prompted me to try. I ride a fixed gear bike, front wheel is tubeless and rear tubilito. Feels great to ride and as light as tubeless
Thank you for the video, interesting stuff, I tried Tubolito tubes last year, I had been running Continental Grand Prix supersonic tubes which are butyl and only weigh 50 grams in the road version, my tubolitos came in at 41 grams with the long valve so not really saving a great deal, I couldn’t feel any difference in performance over the continentals, however as you noted I did think they were less comfortable, I did suffer a puncture which was a pinch flat, the first puncture I’ve had in 4 years! The pressure wasn’t too low either at 80 psi in a 25 tyre on 21mm internal rim width and I only weigh 53 kilos on a 6 kilo bike! I was surprised to see a flat, and don’t feel this would have happened on the Continental supersonic tubes, but that’s just a feeling and not evidential, changing the tube for a Continental supersonic to get me away again I immediately felt the comfort had improved, from my perspective they were worth trying but I wouldn’t buy them again or run them again, I didn’t find any gains over the supersonic tubes, only losses, I feel the bike rolls better on the supersonic tubes too and they only cost £9 gbp each as opposed to £25 gbp for the Tubolito tubes, I do still carry a Tubolito as a spare though, as you noted they pack down small and light.
Glad you liked the video. I’m also glad I’m not the only one that felt the harsher ride. The measured tests seem to say that the tubolito’s have less rolling resistance, but I didn’t really see it. I did not have any punctures with them though. Sorry to hear you’ve had that experience. But, as someone who uses tubeless exclusively now, these are great for carrying as spares. Excellent use case, in my opinion.
Have been using the Tubolito S-MTB on my 26'' Trek with Continental Speedking. Shaved off about 630 grams in total, and do really like them. Front tire leaking a bit now after about 1 month of use, but not that much of a problem. Also read now later that the S-MTB is better used as spare tube, so perhaps should have bought the normal ones instead.
Agree. They are harsh. Definitely. I can even hear it on some surfaces. Run a little lower pressure if on rough road. Let my LBS install mine - they hated it. A lot better than traditional tubes. No punctures here so far.
From my ownership over 6 months. Pros- compact. Lightweight Cons- loses air. Harsher ride. More prone to flat. Harder to fix (30 min wait on patch) So when put on compared to butyl, harsher ride. I suspect it’s the harder nature of tpu. It’s like thin hard plastic. I couldn’t perceive any performance increase. Not like getting a lightweight tire did. But should be performance in acceleration or deceleration only. More prone to puncture. I suspect it’s the harder less pliable nature of the material. Doesn’t matter if it’s harder to puncture in theory in a lab. Loses air faster. At best it was equal to butyl with a few lbs per day with 90lbs is my ride pressure. At worse overnight with leaky stem. I heard of notorious report of leaky stem with both Schrader and presta. I did get that tube warrantied. The tube I fixed loses air faster but still ok. So conclusion is that I will keep them as emergency tube replacement for long tour riding. I would actually prefer to fix a butyl if the hole is smaller. Meaning if it’s a small hole to fix on the field, I’d rather fix then switch to a tpu. It still has a purpose as backup tube. Interesting that ridenow tpu is 1/3 the cost. Pretty much butyl price. But I rather stick to reliable and avoid flat and then run with a sportier tire to save weight.
I can’t really say that I do. And it’s really not something I think I could measure effectively. Lab style testing says they’re pretty quick, but when you’re talking a matter of a couple watts here or there, it’s tough to feel. It has been measured in a test though from aerocoach: www.aero-coach.co.uk/inner-tube-rolling-resistance
I am buying these as a safety belt for my tubeless setup and for that their performance or lack of it is unimportant. What matters is that they are extremely packable, lightweight and will get me home in case things go real wrong.
That’s a great use case for them. And I’ve used them myself when needed for spares, including at Unbound gravel this year, if you haven’t watched that video of mine.
When these Tubolito's came on the market a few years ago I bought a pair to ride MTB on the Canary islands and it costed me a small fortune. So on the island I installed the Tubo's (and i know what I'm doing. First ride: gravel, rocks modest climb and decent. WITHIN 20 minutes the back Tubolito gave up. No punctures but just torned. And that for 40 euro's Per Tubo. It was a complete disaster. Even thin ultralight butyl tubes lasted on the same trails for more than two days 'till they completely exploded. Shure I got my money back for the pair after complaining about the lies in the advertisement. (2,5 times stronger than butyl) . Note: At that time Schwalbe had taken their version of these type of tube of the market and for a reason. Pffff this was just a complete disaster. Now after a few years the Chinese versions are cheap and I will try those and see if they will hold but Tubolito's I say it was just a scam at that time. (to early on the market ? )
Thanks for the feedback from your experience. I will say that I still have not had any issues with reliability on my set (which I got a few years ago, as evidenced by the publish date of this video). I haven't purchased any others, outside of a pirelli smartube which I keep for a spare. I've heard good things about the chinese versions, but with running tubeless pretty much exclusively, I don't have a wide range of experience of various brands.
Hi, i am thinking of trying a Pirelli smart tube and was wondering if you have used yours yet? have you any opinions on the ride quality, quality of construction, reliability etc on the Pirelli? Best wishes from the UK and Happy New Year.
Happy New Year to you as well! I, fortunately, have not used my Pirelli Smart Tube as it’s my spare and my Tubolito’s are holding up well. Maybe if someone else sees this comment they can chime in.
To be honest, I've never had to use a CO2 with them, but I've heard that it's not good for them. I really doubt it would cause any actual damage though.
Been riding TPU tubes for a while. Big fan of TPU tubes, just not tubolitos. I find tubos poorly manufactured at the seam between the valve stem and the tube itself. I had 4/5 that leaks from that spot either straight outta box or ridden after a week. Something thats not a problem on other brands. Just stating my experience. Also, try pairing it with Polyurethane tire liner if ure running race tires. It offers the best protection while maintaining that lightweight and rolling resistence.
Great to hear your experience. I haven't had that issue with tubolitos, but I've heard several others have that issue. I've recently tried pirelli smartube as well with no issue. TPU is the way to go, in my opinion. Fast and light, but without the leak down hassle of latex.
yea, they're expensive, but isnt almost everything on a bike nowadays? I ride the bmx ones and its funny when someone notices the orange valve stem and asks how much you paid for them? Saw a pro put some electrical tape over it bc he didnt want to discuss it. Ha. I usually put some baby powder inside the tire and some tire liners too, for pinch/puncture flat prevention.
Solid review. I been looking at these but have not pulled the trigger yet. Been running the Conti Race 28s for a min & Im pretty happy with those. Maybe in the future I'll give these a try. #RobbArmstrong
Some people say that. I didn’t experience that though. May be because I didn’t have the ultra thin ones for disc brakes. Maybe that’s different? I can’t say for sure.
Yes and no. I've used a lot of standard tubes as well. All of these likes and dislikes carry over to standard butyl tubes as well. Actually, when it comes to air retention, Tubolito's have been the best I've experienced bar none, including tubeless. I am spoiled with ride quality on tubeless and that is night and day difference with tubeless. I am actually going back to Tubolito's with my next set of tires though!
@@JMCyclingVideos Ok! I meant, to compare the comfort of Tubolito with Butyl, since it was this comparison with tubeless which I thought was a bit unfair. I just ordered some, and if they work, then I will order more as spare tires, though in Switzerland, I almost never get flat tires (4 in 11 years and > 50k km).
I have similar luck with flats. I'm a fairly small guy, so I think that may play a part as well. Really, my only gripe with tubolitos are the ride quality and cost. Everything else I'm really happy with. Good luck with them!
I have had different experiences. Mine have held up well. In fact I’ve had no punctures at all on my road tubes. And as mentioned in the video, they hold air just as well as standard butyl tubes, if not better. Sorry they haven’t served you well.
Have you used Tubolito Tubes? What are your thoughts? Have you used a competitor, like Schwalbe Aerothan or Revoloop? Let me know in the comments what your experiences have been.
Disappointed. It was ok for two months or so. Then it started to slowly lose pressure. I've chek it and there were no bubbles underwater. But it will be almost empty after two days. So I have to pump it more than I want in order to keep if fine during ride. Considering the price, I'm really dissapointed. Won't buy another!
I bought a batch of 4 tubolitos to mount with Tannus Armour.
Flat tire 3 times...
Tested in my bath full of water and no punctures... The valve was leaking :(
I'm back to normal tubes (easy to repair) and they don't leak.
Were these an older batch? I think the older ones had valve issues. The newer ones seem to have less complaints about leaks. I didn’t have a single issue out of the 6 I bought.
@@JMCyclingVideos Probably yes, I bought them in a shop where Iive.
But for the moment, I'm sticking with old good tubes, (reparability is much better).
@@nikoulph While I haven't had to use my repair kit for the tubolitos, I have heard that they aren't easy to repair and repairs typically don't hold well. Not something you want to see on such a pricey product. Butyl is definitely better in that regard.
I have been using tubolitos for about 600 km... Running them with Campagnolo Zonda C17 rimbrake wheels, and 25mm Continental GP5000 tires, at about 7 bar pressure. (I weigh 73 kg)
So far I've had one pinch flat for apparently no reason (didn't strike any big pothole or such)
Put on a spare tube, got home and patched the punctured one with the bespoke tubolito patch kit, then refitted it to the bike. The patch worked perfectly for 10 days, no leaks, then all of a sudden after the bike hadn't been used for a couple days, the patch completely failed overnight and lost all air, and it was a massive leak, it couldn't be inflated back, as I pumped as fast as possibile with my floor pump the air escaped just as fast as I pumped it.
I honestly don't trust the patch kit anymore after this, and honestly 20 euros for a tube that (according to my experience) can't be reliably repaired if punctured is hardly a compelling proposition....
I’m lucky in that I haven’t had to repair a puncture yet. I’ve also read that the patch kit isn’t reliable. I totally agree with you in that these tubes definitely lose some appeal if you can’t reliably repair one for a single puncture. They’re too expensive to be a disposable item.
There is a Loctite glue for the thermoplastic thing as tubolitos... I was thinking about getting one tube of glue, and cut my patches from one old tubolito.
LOCTITE 4902 FL is a colorless, highly flexible, cyanoacrylate adhesive designed for use in the assembly of medical devices that require flexibility.
I'm mainly looking for this solution because I've heard people having troubles with patches, not all folks but some.
So tubolitos are interesting especially for long distance travels (less weight less space).
But the reparability is must.
I been riding Tubolito tubes for three months with my Continental GP 5000 , they ride smooth and the puncture resistant is awesome, there’s no turning back to regular tubes. Also would fill up the tires on a Monday and the tires stay inflated for a good four days, after the fourth day I’ll tap it off with a little air, that’s how good they hold up ! Two thumbs up 👍
Glad you have a similar experience! The price tag is a hurdle, for sure, but I've been running my same set for years now in several different bikes/wheels with no punctures and no issues. I won't go back to butyl either, but I would definitely try some cheaper TPU alternatives.
old trick is baby powder on the inner tube, wipe it down and its slick and won't bind on the tire or itself.
I have some in my bike supply cabinet! Thanks for adding that!
Great update, I've been using one on my rear wheel for a few months now on the road bike. The Price has dropped a fair bit over in the UK, air retention spot on, really really good, certainly more responsive performance.
Glad you’ve seen a price drop on them! That’s one major drawback to running Tubolitos!
@@JMCyclingVideos that's exactly what I thought, you're first video on them prompted me to try. I ride a fixed gear bike, front wheel is tubeless and rear tubilito. Feels great to ride and as light as tubeless
Thank you for the video, interesting stuff, I tried Tubolito tubes last year, I had been running Continental Grand Prix supersonic tubes which are butyl and only weigh 50 grams in the road version, my tubolitos came in at 41 grams with the long valve so not really saving a great deal, I couldn’t feel any difference in performance over the continentals, however as you noted I did think they were less comfortable, I did suffer a puncture which was a pinch flat, the first puncture I’ve had in 4 years! The pressure wasn’t too low either at 80 psi in a 25 tyre on 21mm internal rim width and I only weigh 53 kilos on a 6 kilo bike! I was surprised to see a flat, and don’t feel this would have happened on the Continental supersonic tubes, but that’s just a feeling and not evidential, changing the tube for a Continental supersonic to get me away again I immediately felt the comfort had improved, from my perspective they were worth trying but I wouldn’t buy them again or run them again, I didn’t find any gains over the supersonic tubes, only losses, I feel the bike rolls better on the supersonic tubes too and they only cost £9 gbp each as opposed to £25 gbp for the Tubolito tubes, I do still carry a Tubolito as a spare though, as you noted they pack down small and light.
Glad you liked the video. I’m also glad I’m not the only one that felt the harsher ride. The measured tests seem to say that the tubolito’s have less rolling resistance, but I didn’t really see it. I did not have any punctures with them though. Sorry to hear you’ve had that experience. But, as someone who uses tubeless exclusively now, these are great for carrying as spares. Excellent use case, in my opinion.
Have been using the Tubolito S-MTB on my 26'' Trek with Continental Speedking. Shaved off about 630 grams in total, and do really like them.
Front tire leaking a bit now after about 1 month of use, but not that much of a problem.
Also read now later that the S-MTB is better used as spare tube, so perhaps should have bought the normal ones instead.
From what I understand, the S versions are thinner and lighter weight. That makes them less durable. More of a raceday tube and great packable spare.
@@JMCyclingVideos Yes, so I read also. So far very good.
Agree. They are harsh. Definitely. I can even hear it on some surfaces. Run a little lower pressure if on rough road. Let my LBS install mine - they hated it. A lot better than traditional tubes. No punctures here so far.
Glad I'm not the only one who felt they were a bit harsh! Glad you've had no punctures though. Keeping air in them is a tube's primary purpose.
From my ownership over 6 months.
Pros- compact. Lightweight
Cons- loses air. Harsher ride. More prone to flat. Harder to fix (30 min wait on patch)
So when put on compared to butyl, harsher ride. I suspect it’s the harder nature of tpu. It’s like thin hard plastic. I couldn’t perceive any performance increase. Not like getting a lightweight tire did. But should be performance in acceleration or deceleration only.
More prone to puncture. I suspect it’s the harder less pliable nature of the material. Doesn’t matter if it’s harder to puncture in theory in a lab.
Loses air faster. At best it was equal to butyl with a few lbs per day with 90lbs is my ride pressure. At worse overnight with leaky stem. I heard of notorious report of leaky stem with both Schrader and presta. I did get that tube warrantied. The tube I fixed loses air faster but still ok.
So conclusion is that I will keep them as emergency tube replacement for long tour riding. I would actually prefer to fix a butyl if the hole is smaller. Meaning if it’s a small hole to fix on the field, I’d rather fix then switch to a tpu.
It still has a purpose as backup tube.
Interesting that ridenow tpu is 1/3 the cost. Pretty much butyl price. But I rather stick to reliable and avoid flat and then run with a sportier tire to save weight.
Excellent thoughts. I’m glad you took the time to share. Most of your thoughts align pretty well with mine.
Great info. Do you feel less rolling resistance vs typical tubes
I can’t really say that I do. And it’s really not something I think I could measure effectively. Lab style testing says they’re pretty quick, but when you’re talking a matter of a couple watts here or there, it’s tough to feel. It has been measured in a test though from aerocoach: www.aero-coach.co.uk/inner-tube-rolling-resistance
I am buying these as a safety belt for my tubeless setup and for that their performance or lack of it is unimportant. What matters is that they are extremely packable, lightweight and will get me home in case things go real wrong.
That’s a great use case for them. And I’ve used them myself when needed for spares, including at Unbound gravel this year, if you haven’t watched that video of mine.
When these Tubolito's came on the market a few years ago I bought a pair to ride MTB on the Canary islands and it costed me a small fortune. So on the island I installed the Tubo's (and i know what I'm doing. First ride: gravel, rocks modest climb and decent. WITHIN 20 minutes the back Tubolito gave up. No punctures but just torned. And that for 40 euro's Per Tubo. It was a complete disaster. Even thin ultralight butyl tubes lasted on the same trails for more than two days 'till they completely exploded. Shure I got my money back for the pair after complaining about the lies in the advertisement. (2,5 times stronger than butyl) . Note: At that time Schwalbe had taken their version of these type of tube of the market and for a reason. Pffff this was just a complete disaster. Now after a few years the Chinese versions are cheap and I will try those and see if they will hold but Tubolito's I say it was just a scam at that time. (to early on the market ? )
Thanks for the feedback from your experience. I will say that I still have not had any issues with reliability on my set (which I got a few years ago, as evidenced by the publish date of this video). I haven't purchased any others, outside of a pirelli smartube which I keep for a spare. I've heard good things about the chinese versions, but with running tubeless pretty much exclusively, I don't have a wide range of experience of various brands.
I’ve had issues with air retention. My suspicions are on the valves. I’m curious if anyone else has had similar issues
I've not personally had this problem, but I do know others have had issues with the valves leaking on Tubolitos.
Answer is simple as this material 'slipperiness' - more sudden breaking you do, more likely valve will be an issue, I saw bend ones.
Yeah mine loses 40psi over 24hrs shocking for the price tag. Not impressed at all.
Hi, i am thinking of trying a Pirelli smart tube and was wondering if you have used yours yet? have you any opinions on the ride quality, quality of construction, reliability etc on the Pirelli?
Best wishes from the UK and Happy New Year.
Happy New Year to you as well! I, fortunately, have not used my Pirelli Smart Tube as it’s my spare and my Tubolito’s are holding up well. Maybe if someone else sees this comment they can chime in.
Does CO2 freeze or damage TPU tubes?
To be honest, I've never had to use a CO2 with them, but I've heard that it's not good for them. I really doubt it would cause any actual damage though.
Been riding TPU tubes for a while. Big fan of TPU tubes, just not tubolitos.
I find tubos poorly manufactured at the seam between the valve stem and the tube itself.
I had 4/5 that leaks from that spot either straight outta box or ridden after a week.
Something thats not a problem on other brands. Just stating my experience.
Also, try pairing it with Polyurethane tire liner if ure running race tires. It offers the best protection
while maintaining that lightweight and rolling resistence.
Great to hear your experience. I haven't had that issue with tubolitos, but I've heard several others have that issue. I've recently tried pirelli smartube as well with no issue. TPU is the way to go, in my opinion. Fast and light, but without the leak down hassle of latex.
yea, they're expensive, but isnt almost everything on a bike nowadays? I ride the bmx ones and its funny when someone notices the orange valve stem and asks how much you paid for them? Saw a pro put some electrical tape over it bc he didnt want to discuss it. Ha. I usually put some baby powder inside the tire and some tire liners too, for pinch/puncture flat prevention.
Everything is expensive. I'm still running my Tubolitos and love them. I am curious about some of the cheaper alternatives, like RideNow TPU tubes.
Solid review. I been looking at these but have not pulled the trigger yet. Been running the Conti Race 28s for a min & Im pretty happy with those. Maybe in the future I'll give these a try.
#RobbArmstrong
The conti race 28’s are what I used previously. A good tube for sure, but, tubolitos are better on everything except ride feel, in my opinion.
@@JMCyclingVideos Wow!! That's good to know. That ride feel part is definitely something for me to consider.
Much better ride than butyl
Some people say that. I didn’t experience that though. May be because I didn’t have the ultra thin ones for disc brakes. Maybe that’s different? I can’t say for sure.
Hi! You compared Tubolito to tubeless, instead of other tubes, which ain't fair :).
Yes and no. I've used a lot of standard tubes as well. All of these likes and dislikes carry over to standard butyl tubes as well. Actually, when it comes to air retention, Tubolito's have been the best I've experienced bar none, including tubeless. I am spoiled with ride quality on tubeless and that is night and day difference with tubeless. I am actually going back to Tubolito's with my next set of tires though!
@@JMCyclingVideos Ok! I meant, to compare the comfort of Tubolito with Butyl, since it was this comparison with tubeless which I thought was a bit unfair. I just ordered some, and if they work, then I will order more as spare tires, though in Switzerland, I almost never get flat tires (4 in 11 years and > 50k km).
I have similar luck with flats. I'm a fairly small guy, so I think that may play a part as well. Really, my only gripe with tubolitos are the ride quality and cost. Everything else I'm really happy with. Good luck with them!
Nonsense! They are as cheap as butyl on eBay.
I did post this quite some time ago. I know they’ve gone down in price since then.
TUbolito suck, they puncture too easy, hard to repair, dont' hold air. They suck..
I have had different experiences. Mine have held up well. In fact I’ve had no punctures at all on my road tubes. And as mentioned in the video, they hold air just as well as standard butyl tubes, if not better. Sorry they haven’t served you well.
@@JMCyclingVideos i think you're the exception
Could very well be. I haven’t talked to many others locally that have used them.