Inner Tubes

Bike inner tubes are somewhat the most underrated item on the bike accessories list. And yet, it’s the inner tube that is the most cost-effective way any person can opt to improve the ride quality and shave off the bike splits.

Starting with such a vital prospect, this article will dig into the bike inner tube and help you pick a nice one online. Typically these tubes are made of latex or butyl rubber. These tubes sit inside a tyre, and you can use a pump to inflate them. These tubes are a simple yet significant part of a bike. However, there are times that your bike has tubeless tyres. In such cases, you will not need an inner tube. But if you do, carrying a spar is always a necessity as larger holes in these latex rings are hard to seal.

Everything you need to know about bicycle tubes

A simple inner tube may be the simplest part on any bike, but it comes in various sizes, valve types and material choices. Choosing the right tube is not as simple as it may sound to many with so many types. Although we can find tubeless tyres today, it is important to know your accessory if you have one with a tube. But even if you are happy with your tubeless tyres, it is always suggested to keep a tube for hard times. So, whether your bike is fitted with the tubes or not, the below discussion on tubes can be a lifesaver for any bike owner.

Understanding the inner tube

In any standard clincher tyre setup, the tyre has beads on each side. These beads lock onto the rim when inflated, but they do not have any air-tight connection. This is a tube sitting inside the tyre and that holds the air. Moreover, these tubes have a valve. This valve helps to keep the tube pump. Most of the tubes contain Schrader or Presta valve that we will discuss in the latter part of the article. The right type of valve plays a vital role in the performance of your vehicle. But before the type of valve, you need to pay a little attention to the material of the tube.

Material options for bicycle inner tube

Most of the tubes are made of butyl rubber. It is the cheapest yet most durable material that we can use for tyres. Butyl generally comes in black and is repairable with the help of a standard puncture kit.  You can also find lightweight butyl tubes that are made of thinner rubber. However, the weight saving comes at the cost of increased fragility. Another option is latex. It is lightweight and rolls faster than butyl. But they are more fragile than butyl and are harder to fit. Also, they leak quickly, and you will need to reinflate them before every ride.

The valve type – Schrader, woody or Presta

Presta is the most common and narrow tube with a screw at its tip. You will need to unscrew it to pump air into the tube. Some of these come in one piece, while others will have cores unscrew from the valve body. A Schrader tube has valves similar to the car tyres. These will not fit into the wheel drills made for Presta. In the end, the wood valves are the rarest among all.  They commonly look like Presta valves but come with a collar holding the valve core at its place. Most of the modern air pump does not fit on the woody style because of this collar.