I thought your viewers would appreciate knowing that Park Tool Pre-Glued Super Patch Kit (#GP-2) works like a charm for TPU tubes. According to the official Park Tool Statement, "Our test showed that a GP-2 will adhere to a Schwable Aerthon tube. There is no need to rough the surface with sandpaper, but it is important to make sure the surface of the tube is clean." You will notice the reminder to make sure the surface of the tube is clean. Unlike a lot of other commenters, I really don't see why so many folks are so put out about this. Repairing a butyl tube also requires conscientious surface preparation before applying the repair patch. Having to include a minuscule alcohol wipe in your repair kit seems like the least of one's problems when stuck on the side of the road with a puncture. To be honest, when out on the road, I use a new replacement tube if I get a puncture and wait till I get home to repair the damaged tube. That is a great thing about TPU tubes. They are about 1/3 the size of a butyl tube and take up much less space in my repair kit.
My experience is that if you have had one puncture, the probability of a second on the same journey is high. Therefore, an Aerothan tube as a backup (eg for tubeless setup) may not be a good idea. With a tubeless setup, there may be a lot of sharps on the inner surface of the tyre (sealed up) just waiting to puncture a newly inserted tube. You must check for these sharps roadside but its hard to do, especially with the remains of the sealant still there.
On the front wheel, (I'm testing tubolito), I had a defective valve, loosing pressure all the time... I think the fabrication process of tubolito still can be improved.
Good on you for the update Simon 👏 Still seems like a faff though- as you say- definitely not roadside (&probably not even in most folks garages - although maybe it's just mine with dust!😳🤣)
Thank you for the update. Still pricey and although I want to reduce the space my spare tube takes in my saddle bag I'm not willing to pay that elevated price. Not yet anyway.
You could use cleaning wipes for glasses. They come single packed and tweezers and gloves aren't needed because you shouldn't touch the glue anyway. Peel of an edge, stick it and afterwards peel of the rest and stick the whole patch like a plaster.
Thanks for sharing this. Although you note that you were able to make the patch adhere, you don't note whether the patch remained effective once mounted. Given the challenges I and many others have experienced attempting to repair these TPU tubes, I would be interested to know if you had any success?
You're right Matt, and perhaps I should have done this, but I just didn't trust the thing enough to go ride on it. So I can't answer your question, sorry.
I have never repaired a tube without cleaning with alcohol on rubber or latex. On the road, I replace tubes and fix later. I do carry patches as well, just in case, but only had to use them once or twice ...ever.
Ditto. I would never bother to repair a punctured tube on the road and carry a spare tube because of that. When I get home, I repair the puncture at my convenience and according to instructions. One nice but seldom mentioned advantage of these TPU tubes is their size when rolled up. They take up about 1/3 the space of a butyl tube. This is great for me as want to keep my repair kit as compact as possible.
I have just repaired a pinch puncture in an Aerothan Endurance 28-35 which seems to be holding well. It's noticeable that the holes in the tube were much smaller that you get on butyl tubes to the extent that the tyre took a few hundred yards to deflate rather than ten which is usually the norm so I'm hoping that will make the patch's life easier. However my patches purchased via Amazon are quite different, they are oval, bigger, completely transparent and very thin, to the point where I accidentally applied two one on top of the other. I also very carefully cleaned the tube with detergent and wiped dry and they seem to adhere well. 24 hours later the pressure is still the same using the thumb test. We'll see if they survive a ride this weekend. The patch box looks identical to all others so I'm not sure whether Schwalbe have updated the contents.
@@mrfillebojj5731 Glad you asked, it’s still holding fine after 6 weeks and nearly 300 miles at at least 80psi. I’ve had to give it a couple of strokes from the track pump but that’s less than I’d do with butyl over the same time and I’ve had to do similar with the front which has no repairs. I’ve changed tyres at about 150 miles so had a chance to look at it and there’s a slightly worrying 3mm wide blister around one hole where the patch has lifted but as above it’s still going strong. I really like them despite the high costs and I am sure I can feel improvement in rolling resistance for example bike is a lot more sensitive to inclines and really accelerates on even slight downhills. In general I’m getting faster strava segments for less effort although nothing dramatic.
As a professional bike mechatronic, i tried alcohol, too, because the patches won´t stick But even with a accurate cleaned tube, the patches lasted 3-4 h...
yup tried the alcohol cleaning and the patches finally stuck.....for about two days and then came loose while the bike remained unused for that period of time. Utterly useless.
I bought two of these tubes in December, both of them have developed leaks where the black patch of plastic that the valve stem is attached to joins the white tpu. I am very disappointed with the lack of quality.
Been researching up on tpu tubes, read so much benefits about their qualities, but from quite a lot of reviews they arent as indestructible, in practice they seem so flimsy or really terrible quality control for this material. Guess I'll stick with bontrager super lite butyl.
yup just wrote them a nasty email citing this EXACT problem. For a tube that's punctured WAAAAY MORE than my regular butyl tubes combined with their cost, it's a Joke they can't even be patched out on the road. STAY AWAY
@@alwaysanotheradventure I wear Fox Flexair gloves.. they are really comfortable even in hot weather and the grip is amazing. I ride in traffic so my bars are cut down so my hands are at the bar ends but with the gloves and Oury grips I have full confidence I won't slip off.
I've been dealing with TPU tubes quite a lot lately. Here's my conclusion. Don't bother patching. Not even at home with alcohol wipes and tweezers in a clean room. Even when a patch seems solid, it will probably fail at an inconvenient time. If you can't afford to replace a tube whenever you have a puncture, stay with butyl and carry a patch kit. The difference is probably not as noticeable as you've been led to believe. The best thing about TPUs is how little space need in your repair kit.
Interesting you say this. I did this video a while ago since when I’ve also used Tubolito and, although I did patch it, it failed as you say. I’ve reached the same conclusion as you - keep them as a second spare in the kit and only use if absolutely necessary.
Why not to try tubeless tires? I ride with them for a long time and have no problem (on MTB an on road bike too). PS And no, You don't inflate road tubeless tire to 8 bars (120 PSI), there's no need for that, really :)
I don’t inflate to 120. And I have tried tubeless (with mixed results - there’s a video). But you can’t put tubeless on clincher rim brake wheels, and I have some superb Enve wheels.
@@alwaysanotheradventure My PS was a little allusion for those, who still thinks that higher pressure is better pressure. It wasn't aimed at You. There's some tubeless rim brake wheels, for instance Zipp 303 FIRECREST. But of course, if You have good non-tubeless wheels, changing them isn't good idea.
@@Bungle2010 Sorry, I meant I wouldn't go near them, not that I liked latex tubes. I can't get on with latex at all. And if you try to re-inflate roadside with a CO2 cartridge they loose that even faster.
@@alwaysanotheradventure Looking forward to that review! I've come to discover that tires - probably more than anything else on the bike - has the largest impact on my cycling. Recently put on a set of some Marathon HS 420's.
@@alwaysanotheradventure Exactly thats what i was talking about. Because the marathon plus tyres are amazing. But this tube doesnt seem very practical.
What a pain in the ass for such an expensive tube. In 10 years I've used 2 tubes in tubeless emergencies. This suggests 2 things. 1. Why use a fancy expensive tube as an emergency tube 2. If I do use this tube am I really concerned about the chance of needing to patch something I almost never need to use in the first place It's like 50g of weight savings over a road tube...who cares.
I'm no fan of them as you can tell, but people like the ultra light tubes when they're racing or bikepacking and running Tubeless tyres. The idea being they're only needed if their plugs fail. They have no intention of patching them - it takes too long. I've used Tubolitos (better) and there's a Pirelli version too that the chap who won GBDuro this year carried (Donnie Campbell). I'm doing a kit video with him that's coming out soon.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Mate that was awesome. You are honest and fair. Well done.
I thought your viewers would appreciate knowing that Park Tool Pre-Glued Super Patch Kit (#GP-2) works like a charm for TPU tubes. According to the official Park Tool Statement, "Our test showed that a GP-2 will adhere to a Schwable Aerthon tube. There is no need to rough the surface with sandpaper, but it is important to make sure the surface of the tube is clean." You will notice the reminder to make sure the surface of the tube is clean. Unlike a lot of other commenters, I really don't see why so many folks are so put out about this. Repairing a butyl tube also requires conscientious surface preparation before applying the repair patch. Having to include a minuscule alcohol wipe in your repair kit seems like the least of one's problems when stuck on the side of the road with a puncture. To be honest, when out on the road, I use a new replacement tube if I get a puncture and wait till I get home to repair the damaged tube. That is a great thing about TPU tubes. They are about 1/3 the size of a butyl tube and take up much less space in my repair kit.
Thanks for thé Mr Luigi - i appreciate it. I have some Tubolito inners on test and, again, these need alcohol swabs to clean before glueing.
@@alwaysanotheradventure I look forward to seeing that video! Keep up the great work and solid content! 👏👏👏
Just found your channel. You have some VERY good production quality and fantastic content. Cheers!
Thanks very much. Pleased you like what we're doing over here.
My experience is that if you have had one puncture, the probability of a second on the same journey is high. Therefore, an Aerothan tube as a backup (eg for tubeless setup) may not be a good idea. With a tubeless setup, there may be a lot of sharps on the inner surface of the tyre (sealed up) just waiting to puncture a newly inserted tube. You must check for these sharps roadside but its hard to do, especially with the remains of the sealant still there.
I think Tubolito is easier to repair - would be awesome to see a 3 way comparison with pirelli, schwalbe and tubolito
On the front wheel, (I'm testing tubolito), I had a defective valve, loosing pressure all the time... I think the fabrication process of tubolito still can be improved.
Also apparently the park tool glueless patches work
Good on you for the update Simon 👏 Still seems like a faff though- as you say- definitely not roadside (&probably not even in most folks garages - although maybe it's just mine with dust!😳🤣)
Thank you for the update. Still pricey and although I want to reduce the space my spare tube takes in my saddle bag I'm not willing to pay that elevated price. Not yet anyway.
No longer light weight if you need tweezers gloves, alcohol wipes and a separate bag to keep them clean
Indeed - the benefit Vs faff equation just isn't working. Particularly when compared to tubeless.
You could use cleaning wipes for glasses. They come single packed and tweezers and gloves aren't needed because you shouldn't touch the glue anyway. Peel of an edge, stick it and afterwards peel of the rest and stick the whole patch like a plaster.
Thanks for sharing this. Although you note that you were able to make the patch adhere, you don't note whether the patch remained effective once mounted. Given the challenges I and many others have experienced attempting to repair these TPU tubes, I would be interested to know if you had any success?
You're right Matt, and perhaps I should have done this, but I just didn't trust the thing enough to go ride on it. So I can't answer your question, sorry.
I have never repaired a tube without cleaning with alcohol on rubber or latex. On the road, I replace tubes and fix later. I do carry patches as well, just in case, but only had to use them once or twice ...ever.
Ditto. I would never bother to repair a punctured tube on the road and carry a spare tube because of that. When I get home, I repair the puncture at my convenience and according to instructions. One nice but seldom mentioned advantage of these TPU tubes is their size when rolled up. They take up about 1/3 the space of a butyl tube. This is great for me as want to keep my repair kit as compact as possible.
I have just repaired a pinch puncture in an Aerothan Endurance 28-35 which seems to be holding well. It's noticeable that the holes in the tube were much smaller that you get on butyl tubes to the extent that the tyre took a few hundred yards to deflate rather than ten which is usually the norm so I'm hoping that will make the patch's life easier. However my patches purchased via Amazon are quite different, they are oval, bigger, completely transparent and very thin, to the point where I accidentally applied two one on top of the other. I also very carefully cleaned the tube with detergent and wiped dry and they seem to adhere well. 24 hours later the pressure is still the same using the thumb test. We'll see if they survive a ride this weekend. The patch box looks identical to all others so I'm not sure whether Schwalbe have updated the contents.
updates?
@@mrfillebojj5731 Glad you asked, it’s still holding fine after 6 weeks and nearly 300 miles at at least 80psi. I’ve had to give it a couple of strokes from the track pump but that’s less than I’d do with butyl over the same time and I’ve had to do similar with the front which has no repairs. I’ve changed tyres at about 150 miles so had a chance to look at it and there’s a slightly worrying 3mm wide blister around one hole where the patch has lifted but as above it’s still going strong. I really like them despite the high costs and I am sure I can feel improvement in rolling resistance for example bike is a lot more sensitive to inclines and really accelerates on even slight downhills. In general I’m getting faster strava segments for less effort although nothing dramatic.
What patches do I search for on Amazon ? :)
This is probably why the Tubolito patch kit contains alcohol wipes, Schwalbe should probably include those too. :)
I didn’t know that - I suspect you’re right
As a professional bike mechatronic, i tried alcohol, too, because the patches won´t stick
But even with a accurate cleaned tube, the patches lasted 3-4 h...
Thanks for this Hendrik - it's reassuring to know it's not just me. I can't really work out what Schwalbe were thinking releasing these.
yup tried the alcohol cleaning and the patches finally stuck.....for about two days and then came loose while the bike remained unused for that period of time. Utterly useless.
Fair play for the correction, it improves your reviews to the viewers 👍 still don't think I could part with the £££££££ for these👍🚴♀️🏴
@@Atlanta_Cyclist difficult to see the justification, for me, in my opinion Tony👍🚴♀️🏴
I bought two of these tubes in December, both of them have developed leaks where the black patch of plastic that the valve stem is attached to joins the white tpu. I am very disappointed with the lack of quality.
It's a great idea, but what a pain.
Been researching up on tpu tubes, read so much benefits about their qualities, but from quite a lot of reviews they arent as indestructible, in practice they seem so flimsy or really terrible quality control for this material. Guess I'll stick with bontrager super lite butyl.
I’ve used some Tubolitos and they’re ok if you think of them as expensive but disposable when your tubeless set-up stops holding air.
Jeezus that like performing a surgery in the middle of the highway just carry a spare
yup just wrote them a nasty email citing this EXACT problem. For a tube that's punctured WAAAAY MORE than my regular butyl tubes combined with their cost, it's a Joke they can't even be patched out on the road. STAY AWAY
I wear full finger gloves anyway
Thanks for sharing - do you find it easier?
@@alwaysanotheradventure I wear Fox Flexair gloves.. they are really comfortable even in hot weather and the grip is amazing. I ride in traffic so my bars are cut down so my hands are at the bar ends but with the gloves and Oury grips I have full confidence I won't slip off.
I've been dealing with TPU tubes quite a lot lately. Here's my conclusion. Don't bother patching. Not even at home with alcohol wipes and tweezers in a clean room. Even when a patch seems solid, it will probably fail at an inconvenient time. If you can't afford to replace a tube whenever you have a puncture, stay with butyl and carry a patch kit. The difference is probably not as noticeable as you've been led to believe. The best thing about TPUs is how little space need in your repair kit.
Interesting you say this. I did this video a while ago since when I’ve also used Tubolito and, although I did patch it, it failed as you say. I’ve reached the same conclusion as you - keep them as a second spare in the kit and only use if absolutely necessary.
Why not to try tubeless tires? I ride with them for a long time and have no problem (on MTB an on road bike too).
PS And no, You don't inflate road tubeless tire to 8 bars (120 PSI), there's no need for that, really :)
I don’t inflate to 120. And I have tried tubeless (with mixed results - there’s a video). But you can’t put tubeless on clincher rim brake wheels, and I have some superb Enve wheels.
@@alwaysanotheradventure My PS was a little allusion for those, who still thinks that higher pressure is better pressure. It wasn't aimed at You.
There's some tubeless rim brake wheels, for instance Zipp 303 FIRECREST. But of course, if You have good non-tubeless wheels, changing them isn't good idea.
Just seen how much they cost £24.99 ,rather loss a bit of body fat ,cost nothing .
rather eye watering, isn't it?
I won't go anywhere near these rubber hose inners. Latex at £5 will do me.
Not for me either.
@@Bungle2010 Sorry, I meant I wouldn't go near them, not that I liked latex tubes. I can't get on with latex at all. And if you try to re-inflate roadside with a CO2 cartridge they loose that even faster.
Schwalbe is the best
I'd agree if we're talking Marathon Plus tyres. Others, I'm less sure. We'll have an interesting comparison of tyres on Sunday.
@@alwaysanotheradventure Looking forward to that review! I've come to discover that tires - probably more than anything else on the bike - has the largest impact on my cycling. Recently put on a set of some Marathon HS 420's.
@@alwaysanotheradventure
Exactly thats what i was talking about.
Because the marathon plus tyres are amazing.
But this tube doesnt seem very practical.
What a pain in the ass for such an expensive tube. In 10 years I've used 2 tubes in tubeless emergencies. This suggests 2 things.
1. Why use a fancy expensive tube as an emergency tube
2. If I do use this tube am I really concerned about the chance of needing to patch something I almost never need to use in the first place
It's like 50g of weight savings over a road tube...who cares.
I'm no fan of them as you can tell, but people like the ultra light tubes when they're racing or bikepacking and running Tubeless tyres. The idea being they're only needed if their plugs fail. They have no intention of patching them - it takes too long. I've used Tubolitos (better) and there's a Pirelli version too that the chap who won GBDuro this year carried (Donnie Campbell). I'm doing a kit video with him that's coming out soon.
Nah! Not for me.