Tubolito, ultra lightweight tubes

[whitestone]

Not seen these mentioned here though there's a thread on STW. http://www.bikepacking.com/gear/tubolito/

A bit (well a lot) on the spendy side - €30

[dlovett]

Tehy look good, but after reading it the first question that came to my mind has been asked, if they are not sealant compatible, what happens if you actually have to put them in a tyre that has sealant residue all over it?
Do you have to hope there is a mountain stream or fresh grass to clean the tyre out before you can put the tube in?

In not, then its a good few grams saved at a price.

[Catbaiter]

As it happens I had to slap one into my bike a couple of weeks ago after the front tyre parted company with the rest of the bike in the middle of nowhere.

There didn't seem to be any adverse effects from the sealant for the next 2-3 days, after which I stripped the wheel down anyway when I got home. The tube was easy to fit, very very light weight and didn't pose any problems.

Couldn't tell you about long term degradation with exposure to sealant though.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I like the idea and they appear well made, etc but I'm not seeing any great 'real world' benfit. I know they're lighter and pack smaller than a regular tube but it's not really a great saving is it?

[benp1]

Good idea, hopefully with time they'll come down in price

[ZeroDarkBivi]

It's not the first company to produce very light 'plastic' tubes. I had one (can't remember the brand - it was blue) a couple of years ago, it punctured (snakebite) very quickly and the guff about being repairable by heating the area round the hole until it fused just resulted in an even bigger burn hole! Whilst I like the concept, I'd take a bit of convincing this is any better before shelling out.

[Richard G]

I'm getting one just so I can have a little more space in my tool bottle.

[dlovett]

I'm getting one just so I can have a little more space in my tool bottle.

Want to split the postage with me as I want a 27.5 s-tubo one

[whitestone]

At a guess I'd say the sealant incompatibility is that the fibres in the sealant can't latch onto the plastic like they can with butyl.

[Richard G]

I'm getting one just so I can have a little more space in my tool bottle.

Want to split the postage with me as I want a 27.5 s-tubo one

Mine's already on its way sorry (free sample).

[jam bo]

As it happens I had to slap one into my bike a couple of weeks ago after the front tyre parted company with the rest of the bike in the middle of nowhere.

There didn't seem to be any adverse effects from the sealant for the next 2-3 days, after which I stripped the wheel down anyway when I got home. The tube was easy to fit, very very light weight and didn't pose any problems.

Couldn't tell you about long term degradation with exposure to sealant though.

What about smurf cum?

[whitestone]

Well I had occasion to use one at the weekend. Heading down a very innocuous bridleway on Saturday evening and my rear tyre got a split on the main rolling surface - there was a shard of something sticking through the carcass. Put in a Tubolito and once it was inflated I carried on. It survived going over Walna Scar and blasting through Grizedale but began to deflate as I headed back to Staveley and is flat this morning.

I don't know if the tube has punctured or if it has slipped around a bit inside the tyre and torn at the valve.

[Matt]

I’ve no idea how to get them but the tubes that came in my Specialized 29er full suss from the factory are tiny! I only discovered this when I removed them for tubeless and rolled them up.

159grams just weighed one

[ericrobo]

I put one in a few weeks ago, to get me home... my first ‘issue’ with tubeless in about 4 years (a tiny tiny pinprick of a hole which I thought the sealant would have immediately sealed)

I had to make a bigger hole to get a ‘worm’ thingy in, but it’s worked.

Tubolito did the job and I took it out and just washed it in water, and it’s back in the bag now as a ‘just in case’

It weighs 45grams.

My normal 29’er tube weighed 196grams.

[Matt]

Surely for 100g difference on long rides you’re much better off with a tube you can patch & fix should the 2nd incident happen.

If you’re racing and every gram counts and you just need to finish I can see the need for these but everyday riding they seem a very expensive compromise to save a a few grams and a small amount of space.

[ScotRoutes]

Are you new here?

[Matt]

Are you new here?

New (ish)

[ericrobo]

100 grams is more than 3 ozs
(There are patches with the Tubolito

But it’s space as well... they take up a lot less space than a normal

[Richard G]

That's the appeal for me. I don't really care so much about patching them because if I've gone from tubeless to needing one of those then the ride is already likely pretty much over for me anyway.

[BigdummySteve]

I got a turbo-s one when they came out, they are really tiny,