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Re: TPU vs Latex innertube I'm using Newboler 28g TPU

https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005005428747176.html

So far all of them worked flawless. Only puncture I got was from a big piece of debris which killed the whole tyre. No tube would have survived this.

I don't know if they are identical to RideNow, I guess so.
March 15, 2024, 05:15:49 AM 		1
Re: TPU vs Latex innertube I've been running TPU for the past 18 months. Not a single puncture out on the road yet (gonna jinx myself now). Routine maintenance and inspection of your tires are the biggest factors to prevent punctures, as is running the optimal tire width/pressure for both your weight and local road conditions, respectively. I also use baby powder.

While the weight savings and puncture resistance of TPU over latex is very tangible, latex beats out TPU for road comfort no question. I've converted all my bikes to TPU except for my Winspace T1500 paired with D67 wheels. That bike being super aero isn't exactly light anyway, so I'd rather prioritize marginal rolling resistance and comfort over the 100g weight savings. We are talking like 1% of overall system weight.

Personally I actually find latex more delicate than TPU. Latex handles rough pavement (and cornering/grip) better overall but TPU is better at preventing punctures from sharp objects. TPU is more affordable than latex nowadays. Almost two for the price of one. RideNow 36g versus Vittoria Competition.

I make a good habit of inspecting my bike and tire pressure before every ride. It takes 45 seconds...
March 15, 2024, 10:56:52 AM 		1
Re: TPU vs Latex innertube Offbondage tpu tubes are my go-to now, mainly due to the alloy valve. The plastic valve stems can crack if you're not careful. Though if you want the cheapest tpu tubes, ThinkRider are decent with a semi alloy/plastic stem valve. Plus I prefer 25c tires and it's hard to beat the lower cost/weight ratio of clincher tires+tpu tubes and ease of tire changes due to flats. You can also pack several tpu tubes and glueless patch kits in the saddle bag with minimal weight. With road tubeless you have to make sure you have tape that can handle higher pressures (if you have spoke holes), use heavier tires and carry more items (bacon strips, co2 cartridge, plus a tube for emergencies). Unless you're a 100kg ogre, for nimble riders it's tpu all the way.
March 15, 2024, 11:47:00 AM 		1
Re: TPU vs Latex innertube TPU user here, almost a year that I've moved completely to chinese TPU (mainly RideNow and Thinkrider, but also tried Offbondage)

the rolling is for sure better than butyl, but I don't have experience with Latex so cannot compare them.
about puncture resistance, my impression is similar to Pat's above, I think the tire and the road conditions are the main factors. When changing from butyl to TPU I honestly didn't feel any change in punctures. In this 1yr, around 7.000km ridden, only 2 punctures in my TPU tubes

they're a bit more difficult to setup, especially with tight tires, but after you get the hang it's pretty ok
and of course, using as spare tubes is a no brainer, they take little to no space in your pocket/bag

what I think the main issues are:
- Reliability, the batches vary a lot and some tubes are better finished than others. I've had all brands fail on the valve stem to tube connection, small leaks that first just deflate over days but then start leaking more and more.
- Patching is more difficult and uncertain. I've used self-adhesive patches, and some worked well but others started leaking after some time. Seems the adhesive starts to fail, maybe temperature variation and stuff like that. I've seen some tips on using vinyl glue to patch, I bought it but still have to try
- Setup is tricky, since the tube is very thin it may be pressed between the tire and rim, and ends up blowing up. I've had this happen to me 2 times now, fortunately, I was standing still with my bike but was mid ride so got me a bit scarred. Upon investigation, it was my fault, it's important to check every bit after getting the tire seated, pushing it from side to side, so it doesn't 'bite' on the tube. As I mentioned, when you get the hang it's ok.

I've thought of going back to butyl after some of these valve stem fails, but honestly these TPU tubes on the '3 items for...' of Aliexpress are around 1/3 the price I'll pay for one butyl tube here in Brazil. So as long as the tpu tube don't fail me mid-ride (which is rare to happen) I'll continue using them

About brands, RideNow seems to be the best quality, especially after the last generations and improvements. Offbondage is also a very good option, their stem-tube connection is very nicely done and reinforced. Thinkrider has the best cost, and the alloy/plastic stem was a nice improvement, but it's still the one that failed the most with me so I'm a bit skeptic.
March 15, 2024, 12:05:36 PM 		1
Re: TPU vs Latex innertube Latex tubes roll the best and give the most compliant road feel in my experience. Vittoria latex tubes are also basically as cheap as Chinese TPU tubes. In Germany at least. (In fact, Cotton sidewall tubulars with latex inners to me are still the best feeling combo ever) However, TPU tubes are so close to latex tubes these days, that I choose them over anything else. Easy to handle. Reliable. Hold air forever. Easily packable so you can take two or three of them in your saddle bag easily. No brainer, really.
March 15, 2024, 01:10:39 PM 		1
Re: TPU vs Latex innertube Advantages of inner tubes (TPU/ latex)
- lighter
- cheaper
- less of a hassle to install
- no dirty frame (sealant sprayed on your frame) when you puncture

Advantages of tubeless:
- slightly better rolling resistance
- less chance of 'fatal' punctures, but no 100 percent  guarantee for a puncture free ride
March 16, 2024, 04:41:40 PM 		1
Re: Hygge Aero Carbon Frame Well, I would recommend anyone thinking about a Hygge frame to look somewhere else. This brand is very dishonest and WILL NOT HONOUR THE 24 MONTH WARRANTY they claim on their website.

Like I said before I noticed a lot of little bubbles on the handlebar last week. After looking it up this is probably microblistering and is because of bad paint preparation and moisture trapped under the paint. This will show as bubbles after a while.

I contacted Hygge on Aliexpress because the bike is only 7 months old and has done a little over 1.000km (it was not used during winter).

They straight up denied warranty because according to them it is impossible that paint defects show up only after 7 months and they also claim paint defects are no reason for warranty.

I also went to their Aliexpress store page and looked trough the reviews. They seem to be having a habit of denying responsibility of wrong deliveries or frames that get damaged in transport.

I am actually really sick of all these crappy brands and sellers that are supposed to give 24 months of warranty, but if you need it act like nothing it's wrong so leave it to the customer to spend a lot more money to fix the sellers problems.
March 22, 2024, 07:26:53 AM 		1
Re: Hygge Aero Carbon Frame I don't plan to do anything with the bars. It will probably be a finish issue so no integrity problem.
The bars are cheap yes. These are indeed the same as the Kocevlo bars that you can get for a little over 60€. But since they are integrated bars, I am not looking forward to replacing them.
I'm just amazed at how Hygge is handling this. It can not cost them more then 30-40 USD to send me a new handlebar, bit they just deny the problem and act as if granting warranty is a choice of the seller. If they act like this for this little money, you can be sure they will not honour warranty when there is a problem with the frame. The bad reviews support this hypothesis. They just hide behind Aliexpress policies instead of helping the customer.

It looks like Hygge is just one more seller that is friendly and supportive when they want to sell you something, but the opposite when you need them to fix a problem.
March 22, 2024, 01:13:13 PM 		1
Re: Best TPU tube brand
Quote from: BeR on March 25, 2024, 08:15:04 AM
What is the max inflate of Offbondage ?
It is not specified, but I run 7bar (100 psi) on 24mm SWorks turbo tyres and have no issues. I'm 6 months with using them and still going strong.
March 25, 2024, 08:17:39 AM 		1
Re: Best TPU tube brand I think Offbondage wins, purely on a name basis. Imagine the flex of telling everyone you run offbondage tpu tubes. Five stars.
March 25, 2024, 11:33:39 AM 		1