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Latex tubes , Hold air longer and puncture resistant???



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 18th 03, 10:05 PM
Robert Box
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Default Latex tubes , Hold air longer and puncture resistant???

Looked at some tubes made by Air - B. The box describes them as
holding air 10 times longer than regular latex tubes. They also claim
to be puncture and pinch flat resistant. Supposed to be lightweight
too. Is this a bunch of marketing hype or??? Are latex tubes normally
more puncture resistant?

Thanks
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  #2  
Old September 19th 03, 01:41 AM
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Default Latex tubes , Hold air longer and puncture resistant???

Robert Box writes:

Looked at some tubes made by Air - B. The box describes them as
holding air 10 times longer than regular latex tubes. They also
claim to be puncture and pinch flat resistant. Supposed to be
lightweight too. Is this a bunch of marketing hype or??? Are latex
tubes normally more puncture resistant?


I'm not familiar with these tubes so I don't know what is different
about them from normal latex tubes. Latex leaks air so fast that the
normally used racing tires needed daily inflation. That latex is
better in pinch flat protection should be obvious from the ability to
stretch many times more than butyl rubber before it breaks. This is
essentially what causes a pinch flat, the compression and lateral
squeezing out rubber.

On the other hand, there are a lot of bad reviews at:

http://www.mtbreview.com/reviews/Tub...ct_23492.shtml

Reading these makes me doubt that these people know what is happening.
They talk of blowouts, which to me means "BANG". If you heard the
bang then the tire was off the rim. So how can I believe this is tube
related. Another writer claims the base tape cuts the tube. This is
an old saw and an excuse for tire lift-offs that cause long blowout
slashes in tubes.

I don't know what to make of it but I don't care for latex tubes. My
rolling resistance and weight is just fine and I can go on a four week
bicycle ride without pumping.

Jobst Brandt

  #3  
Old September 19th 03, 01:41 AM
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Posts: n/a
Default Latex tubes , Hold air longer and puncture resistant???

Robert Box writes:

Looked at some tubes made by Air - B. The box describes them as
holding air 10 times longer than regular latex tubes. They also
claim to be puncture and pinch flat resistant. Supposed to be
lightweight too. Is this a bunch of marketing hype or??? Are latex
tubes normally more puncture resistant?


I'm not familiar with these tubes so I don't know what is different
about them from normal latex tubes. Latex leaks air so fast that the
normally used racing tires needed daily inflation. That latex is
better in pinch flat protection should be obvious from the ability to
stretch many times more than butyl rubber before it breaks. This is
essentially what causes a pinch flat, the compression and lateral
squeezing out rubber.

On the other hand, there are a lot of bad reviews at:

http://www.mtbreview.com/reviews/Tub...ct_23492.shtml

Reading these makes me doubt that these people know what is happening.
They talk of blowouts, which to me means "BANG". If you heard the
bang then the tire was off the rim. So how can I believe this is tube
related. Another writer claims the base tape cuts the tube. This is
an old saw and an excuse for tire lift-offs that cause long blowout
slashes in tubes.

I don't know what to make of it but I don't care for latex tubes. My
rolling resistance and weight is just fine and I can go on a four week
bicycle ride without pumping.

Jobst Brandt

  #4  
Old September 19th 03, 05:20 PM
Dion Dock
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Default Latex tubes , Hold air longer and puncture resistant???

Hold air 10x longer? I don't know; both of mine blew up while I was
inflating them.

Let's face it, inner tubes just aren't that exciting. Spend some time
inspecting your tires for glass and crud before each ride if you want to
reduce the number of flats.

-Dion

wrote in message
...
Robert Box writes:

Looked at some tubes made by Air - B. The box describes them as
holding air 10 times longer than regular latex tubes. They also
claim to be puncture and pinch flat resistant. Supposed to be
lightweight too. Is this a bunch of marketing hype or??? Are latex
tubes normally more puncture resistant?


I'm not familiar with these tubes so I don't know what is different
about them from normal latex tubes. Latex leaks air so fast that the
normally used racing tires needed daily inflation. That latex is
better in pinch flat protection should be obvious from the ability to
stretch many times more than butyl rubber before it breaks. This is
essentially what causes a pinch flat, the compression and lateral
squeezing out rubber.

On the other hand, there are a lot of bad reviews at:

http://www.mtbreview.com/reviews/Tub...ct_23492.shtml

Reading these makes me doubt that these people know what is happening.
They talk of blowouts, which to me means "BANG". If you heard the
bang then the tire was off the rim. So how can I believe this is tube
related. Another writer claims the base tape cuts the tube. This is
an old saw and an excuse for tire lift-offs that cause long blowout
slashes in tubes.

I don't know what to make of it but I don't care for latex tubes. My
rolling resistance and weight is just fine and I can go on a four week
bicycle ride without pumping.

Jobst Brandt



  #5  
Old September 19th 03, 05:20 PM
Dion Dock
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Latex tubes , Hold air longer and puncture resistant???

Hold air 10x longer? I don't know; both of mine blew up while I was
inflating them.

Let's face it, inner tubes just aren't that exciting. Spend some time
inspecting your tires for glass and crud before each ride if you want to
reduce the number of flats.

-Dion

wrote in message
...
Robert Box writes:

Looked at some tubes made by Air - B. The box describes them as
holding air 10 times longer than regular latex tubes. They also
claim to be puncture and pinch flat resistant. Supposed to be
lightweight too. Is this a bunch of marketing hype or??? Are latex
tubes normally more puncture resistant?


I'm not familiar with these tubes so I don't know what is different
about them from normal latex tubes. Latex leaks air so fast that the
normally used racing tires needed daily inflation. That latex is
better in pinch flat protection should be obvious from the ability to
stretch many times more than butyl rubber before it breaks. This is
essentially what causes a pinch flat, the compression and lateral
squeezing out rubber.

On the other hand, there are a lot of bad reviews at:

http://www.mtbreview.com/reviews/Tub...ct_23492.shtml

Reading these makes me doubt that these people know what is happening.
They talk of blowouts, which to me means "BANG". If you heard the
bang then the tire was off the rim. So how can I believe this is tube
related. Another writer claims the base tape cuts the tube. This is
an old saw and an excuse for tire lift-offs that cause long blowout
slashes in tubes.

I don't know what to make of it but I don't care for latex tubes. My
rolling resistance and weight is just fine and I can go on a four week
bicycle ride without pumping.

Jobst Brandt



  #6  
Old September 19th 03, 06:08 PM
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Default Latex tubes , Hold air longer and puncture resistant???

Dion Dock writes:

Hold air 10x longer?


As I said, latex tubulars required daily pumping and my 700c x 25
tires make it a month without pumping. I call that at least 10x.

I don't know; both of mine blew up while I was inflating them.


I'm interested in how that occurred. Did you hear them make a bang?

Let's face it, inner tubes just aren't that exciting.


I call explosions exciting.

Spend some time inspecting your tires for glass and crud before each
ride if you want to reduce the number of flats.


I think that is too late. If the tire isn't punctured by the time you
get ready for the next ride, it won't happen. Flats occur in a short
time after the sharp object engages the tire.

Jobst Brandt

  #7  
Old September 19th 03, 06:08 PM
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Posts: n/a
Default Latex tubes , Hold air longer and puncture resistant???

Dion Dock writes:

Hold air 10x longer?


As I said, latex tubulars required daily pumping and my 700c x 25
tires make it a month without pumping. I call that at least 10x.

I don't know; both of mine blew up while I was inflating them.


I'm interested in how that occurred. Did you hear them make a bang?

Let's face it, inner tubes just aren't that exciting.


I call explosions exciting.

Spend some time inspecting your tires for glass and crud before each
ride if you want to reduce the number of flats.


I think that is too late. If the tire isn't punctured by the time you
get ready for the next ride, it won't happen. Flats occur in a short
time after the sharp object engages the tire.

Jobst Brandt

  #8  
Old September 19th 03, 07:12 PM
Tim Cain
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Default Latex tubes , Hold air longer and puncture resistant???


"Lewis Campbell" wrote in message
om...
wrote in message

...
Robert Box writes:

[much snippage]

Just my humble opinion of course. :-)


There is no such thing as a *humble* opinion.

I've never even seen the beast's tracks!

Tim.



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  #9  
Old September 19th 03, 07:12 PM
Tim Cain
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Posts: n/a
Default Latex tubes , Hold air longer and puncture resistant???


"Lewis Campbell" wrote in message
om...
wrote in message

...
Robert Box writes:

[much snippage]

Just my humble opinion of course. :-)


There is no such thing as a *humble* opinion.

I've never even seen the beast's tracks!

Tim.



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Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (
http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.518 / Virus Database: 316 - Release Date: 11/09/03


  #10  
Old September 19th 03, 10:59 PM
John Carrier
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Default Latex tubes , Hold air longer and puncture resistant???

I have a fair amount of experience with tubies using both butyl (Contis) and
latex (Vittorias) inner tubes. The latex leaked air rapidly ... it would be
enough to notice (barely) after a long ride. Not so with the butyl ...
their leakage was less in 48 hours than the latex in 3-4.

I had problems with latex durability. I baby my tires, and rarely get road
hazard flats. The latex tubes almost invariably failed adjacent to the
valve stem (where it's nearly impossible to patch). I speculate that the
repeated stress of pushing the pump fitting on the presta stem eventually
led to the failures ... it sure wasn't something I road over when the
failure zone is under the rim.

That said, the latex tires seemed to have a slightly more compliant ride.
But I got frustrated by the cost (now around $80 each) to replace a tire
that had plenty of tread but I couldn't successfully repair. (That may be
an indictment of my repair technique ... but I've never succeeded with these
tires.)

R / John

"JP" wrote in message
om...
(Robert Box) wrote in message

. com...
Looked at some tubes made by Air - B. The box describes them as
holding air 10 times longer than regular latex tubes. They also claim
to be puncture and pinch flat resistant. Supposed to be lightweight
too. Is this a bunch of marketing hype or??? Are latex tubes normally
more puncture resistant?


Based on my experience with tubular tires, I would say yes,
definitely, except for one thing: the better tires have latex tubes,
so maybe it's just that the better tires are more puncture resistant.

JP



 




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