Tubolito tubes. Expensive but a good alternative to tubeless

[Chris NewbyFraser]

Mighty Mouse got all excited about these new type tubes on the Cadence show. So I bought three at R500 a pop! Now my bike is seriously lighter, the (tubed) tyres run soft like tubeless, my tubby bag had to be changed to something 2/3 smaller and I am R1500 poorer but happy.

Funny tubes these! When new they are seriously small. Once used they expand (actually stretch)to the size of the tyre and don't shrink back to original size. They also require a bit of patience to re-seat tyres once that have expanded. The ride is lekker, even on my super stiff Giant XTC Carbon hardtail. I run my 2.1 non-tubeless Racing Ralph 29'r front tyre at  23lbs and the rear Cheongyang Hornet tubeless 2.2(actually a skinny 2.0) at 25lbs. Great ride. Rode a rocky route to test the minimal pinch flat boasts of Tubolito. So far no flats.

The Cheonyang Hornet tyres seem a good buy, cheaper than other tyres (Cajees Horizon gave me a really good price). Lots pf tread, lots of grip. Have not tested their grip in really wet conditions but they seem fine for Jo'burg tracks so far. Only problem was getting them to seat on the particularly difficult Giant SXC-2 rims. These rims have lower sidewalls than other brands and the 'snake skin' side wall of the tyres kept popping off the low rims while trying to get them to settle in prior to inflating. I had similar problems with Schwalbe and Specialized tyres so the rims are the problem.

Maybe Tubolito will be the end of sealant filled tyres? I wont go back to sealants............

 

[Kalahari Vegmot]

Huh???? You feeling okay..?

[Dexter-morgan]

Yea, I also got excited until I heard the price, I might get 1 if I plan a stage race.

[eddy]

I'd like to see one with 27 duwweltjie thorns in it and see if it keeps going like a sealant filled tubeless tyre.

[BogusOne]

R500 vir n tjoep...

 

[Grease_Monkey]

Nee man! You can buy a brand new tyre on special for that.

[Cat2forLife]

Would love some of those for my road bike.

[BaGearA]

Nee man! You can buy a brand new tyre on special for that.

not A good one 

[Traveler]

not A good one 

Maxxis Ardent or Ardent Race were on special at plenty shops for abour R385...

[Grease_Monkey]

not A good one

I had some DHR2, DHF, and Agressors on special for that end of last year

[PhilipV]

not A good one

I paid 510 for a maxxis Aggressor.

The spez tyres AR about 600, and IMO they are pretty crap. So you're not totally wrong.

[bikebloke]

hope you bought yourself a tubolito patch kit (cause a normal patch wont work)

https://r2-bike.com/TUBOLITO-Repair-Kit-Tubo-Flix-Kit-Panning-Set

because when you get a thorn thru that tube (and you will unless you are the luckiest rider in the universe) its gonna be a long expensive walk home.

 

Schwalbe tried this with thier aerothane tube or whatever they called it (it never released because it was not puncture proof etc etc )

 

these things are not punture proof so for the road (maybe) for OFF road (go tubeless with sealant)

 

just my 2 cents

Edited April 14, 2018 by bikebloke

[BaGearA]

I had some DHR2, DHF, and Agressors on special for that end of last year

exo compound right ?

[FlyingScot]

Out of interest - where would one get these tubes from...?

[Grease_Monkey]

exo compound right ?

3C compound, Exo sidewalls.

[Schnavel]

Out of interest - where would one get these tubes from...?

 

Various shops are selling them locally - I saw them in the Spez Concept Store in Melrose Arch this morning.

 

Otherwise, they can be bought online. 

 

Although these tubes are light and offer added puncture resistance, I cannot justify spending that much on a tube! I have considered buying the road version for my racing wheels with the aim to reduce the chance of puncture, as well as the rotational inertia (lower outer wheel weight), but at R1000 for two tubes, it seems a bit crazy! 

 

As a reference, I just bought two 25mm GP4000s tyres and 2 tubes from Merlin Cycles with a landed cost in SA of under R1000.