Inner tube recommendations

[Theo Markettos]

A while ago I had a puncture and, since I can't get to my LBSs at the moment,
I fitted the emergency inner tube I bought from Asda for 2ukp. Big mistake.
The tube stretched around the valve when I inflated it, with the result that
the tube has to be heavily deflated before the wheel will go round. It's a
700c x 23 Presta valved tube on a tourer, so the clearance between tyre and
mudguard is quite tight hence this problem, and it should be inflated to
relatively high pressure.

So I need to mail order some new tubes. Looking at Wiggle I see a myriad of
tubes from lots of different manufacturers. Can anyone recommend a good
type? Or somewhere better to order from? I've mostly used Schwalbe tubes
to date since that's what the LBSs stock but Wiggle doesn't do them in this
size.

Wiggle lists Vittoria, Specialized, Continental, Vittoria Ultralite Butyl
Long Valve, Slime Self Healing, Kona Wanakona, Continental Light,
Continental Supersonic and Specialized Tube Road Long Valve. I'm guessing
the ones with extra features I can probably ignore, but can anyone recommend
a tube for just general commuting?

Thanks
Theo

[Zog The Undeniable]

Theo Markettos wrote:

> A while ago I had a puncture and, since I can't get to my LBSs at the moment,
> I fitted the emergency inner tube I bought from Asda for 2ukp. Big mistake.
> The tube stretched around the valve when I inflated it

Er...no. That can't happen if the tube is constrained by the tyre. The
tyre bead wasn't seated properly. Try again with about 5-10psi in the
tube, and work your way around the rim ensuring the tyre is seated. You
may have to push the valve right up into the tyre to achieve this,
before screwing the valve nut on.

, with the result that
> the tube has to be heavily deflated before the wheel will go round. It's a
> 700c x 23 Presta valved tube on a tourer, so the clearance between tyre and
> mudguard is quite tight hence this problem, and it should be inflated to
> relatively high pressure.
>
> So I need to mail order some new tubes. Looking at Wiggle I see a myriad of
> tubes from lots of different manufacturers. Can anyone recommend a good
> type? Or somewhere better to order from? I've mostly used Schwalbe tubes
> to date since that's what the LBSs stock but Wiggle doesn't do them in this
> size.

The best tubes are those with the least obtrusive moulding lines. These
make patching a real pain.

[Helen Deborah Vecht]

Zog The Undeniable >typed


> The best tubes are those with the least obtrusive moulding lines. These
> make patching a real pain.


I shave these off with a Bic razor.

IMHO the best tubes are _right_ for your wheel. Right size[1], right
valve, right valve-stem length, right?

I was usually happiest with Michelin.

[1] Right wheel diameter, right width...

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

[Zog The Undeniable]

Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:

> I shave these off with a Bic razor.

I must start carrying one, although my rate of on-the-road punctures
(not counting slooooow ones that take a week to go down and mysterious
ones that happen in the garage) is about 1 every 5,000 miles.

[Helen Deborah Vecht]

Zog The Undeniable >typed


> Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:

> > I shave these off with a Bic razor.

> I must start carrying one, although my rate of on-the-road punctures
> (not counting slooooow ones that take a week to go down and mysterious
> ones that happen in the garage) is about 1 every 5,000 miles.

SSSsssshhhh...... You'll tempt the p*nc*** f***y...

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

[Sandy Morton]

In article >, Theo Markettos
> wrote:
> A while ago I had a puncture and, since I can't get to my LBSs at
> the moment, I fitted the emergency inner tube I bought from Asda
> for 2ukp. Big mistake. The tube stretched around the valve when I
> inflated it, with the result that the tube has to be heavily
> deflated before the wheel will go round. It's a 700c x 23 Presta
> valved tube on a tourer, so the clearance between tyre and mudguard
> is quite tight hence this problem, and it should be inflated to
> relatively high pressure.

With a new tyre/tube. Fit half of the tyre(hope that makes sense),
inflate the tube slightly, put the valve stem in place and then fit
the rest of the tube. Put the rest of the tyre in place. PUSH THE
VALVE STEM AS FAR INTO THE TYRE AS POSSIBLE. Inflate a bit more and
replace the wheel on the bike - not too high a pressure as you need
to get the tyre past the brake blocks. Centre, tighten up the wheel
nuts and then inflate to your full working pressure.

hth - and I can do it in less time than I can type it in:-))

--
A T (Sandy) Morton
on the Bicycle Island
In the Global Village
http://www.millport.net

[Theo Markettos]

Zog The Undeniable > wrote:
> Theo Markettos wrote:
>
>> A while ago I had a puncture and, since I can't get to my LBSs at the moment,
>> I fitted the emergency inner tube I bought from Asda for 2ukp. Big mistake.
>> The tube stretched around the valve when I inflated it
>
> Er...no. That can't happen if the tube is constrained by the tyre. The
> tyre bead wasn't seated properly. Try again with about 5-10psi in the
> tube, and work your way around the rim ensuring the tyre is seated. You
> may have to push the valve right up into the tyre to achieve this,
> before screwing the valve nut on.

Is it possible to rectify the old tube by doing this? I thought the tube was a
bit like a balloon where once you'd stretched it in the wrong place that was
the weak point and it continued doing it there.

(currently at high pressures the tube is pushing the tyre off the rim near
the valve so the tyre cross section is larger there and it rubs on the
mudguards)

Theo

[Pete Biggs]

You've been given all the answers already, but I'll try and explain
again......

Theo Markettos wrote:
> Is it possible to rectify the old tube by doing this? I thought the
> tube was a bit like a balloon where once you'd stretched it in the
> wrong place that was the weak point and it continued doing it there.

Even a weakened balloon will be fine if you blow it up inside a glass
bottle.

Unlike tubes, tyres are not very stretchy. Tyres are much stiffer so they
/contain/ the tubes. This limits the amount the tube will stretch, so you
don't have to worry about the tube stretching out of control, and it won't
have been weakened by the little bit of stretching it's done so far.

ALL tubes would carry on stretching if the tyre was stretchy too. In
fact, bits of a good new tube will often bulge out weirdly when inflated
outside of a tyre. This doesn't matter once it's inside a tyre. It will
conform to whatever shape the tyre is. And the tyre will have a good
shape as long as there's no manufacturing defect with it or rim, and if it
is fitted properly.

> (currently at high pressures the tube is pushing the tyre off the rim
> near
> the valve so the tyre cross section is larger there and it rubs on the
> mudguards)

Your tyre is not fitting properly, probably because you haven't fitted it
properly.

Don't use a valve lockring (at least not to start with), push the valve up
and make sure the tube isn't trapped under the tyre beads, and that the
beads are seated properly.

~PB