Mtb 29er Race tube options

Equipment
1

Has anyone had any experience with the tubolito S-TUBO-MTB tube? Crazy light crazy expensive. Looking for some options to lighten up the xc rig. Curious how those tubes hold up and if it’s worth the risk of trying it.

2

Obvious question… why are your using tubes in the first place?

Tubeless seems to be a given for nearly all MTB use these days.

  • Ditching the tubes and adding a bit of sealant is usually lighter than most tubed setups.
  • Then you gain the option to drop pressure for better grip, faster rolling, and flat resistance from the sealant.

Have you had bad experiences with them, or not tried them?

3

Correction: I am tubeless. This would be used as an emergency spare for racing.

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4

Considering that this would be used in a rushed situation, as a repair to a questionably damaged tire, I don’t see the weight reduction being a worthy advantage (especially considering the insane pricing).

I’d rather use a 650b butyl (regular rubber) tube that is very possible to install on 29" wheel (and is about 1/4 to 1/3 the price of the Tubolito). You could even consider a “light” 650b tube that is about half the cost of the super tube.

Unless you are doing massive climbing, I don’t see the few grams making that much of a difference.

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5

This exactly. If you are at the front of the race, your entire bike, kit and gear are weight weenied out and your body weight is approaching dangerously too skinny, THEN I’d consider continuing the trend of minimizing grams. I’m not saying don’t be weight conscious when buying new bike related items, but don’t go chasing grams. Your mental energy and race focus should be channeled elsewhere that will actually make a difference.

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6

I carry a 700 x 32/47 continental tube in case of a flat. A lot smaller than a standard 29 tube and it works fine in a pinch.

2 Likes
7

Thanks for the options. I started down the rabbit hole of saving weight on the bike.

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8

I think we all have at one time or another. It usually happens to me as I near race season as I’m trying to maximize everything. That rabbit hole gets deep and expensive quick!

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9

I know a few XC racers who have bought into the Tubalito as their spare. It is really light and it packs up really small. With that said, I’m not sure that any of them have had to use it yet.
I did see a youtube video where they had one as a spare and it was defective when they tried to use it…