What's The Best For Road Cycling? | Inner Tubes vs Sealant

[@cauldron101]

I switched from tubes to tubeless. Felt great, but when things went wrong, fixing it was a real mess. I switched back to tubes. Nice and clean. I pop out the spare one and in 10 minutes the tire is back on the dance floor with a breath of CO2. Nice and clean. In the future, I might use TPU tubes, but never ever tubeless again.

[@tellef70]

According to bicyclerollingresistance Pirelli is one of the slowest tpu tubes. I have tried tubeless, but returned to tubes when tpu was available

[@marktindale5647]

Also didn’t mention that tubeless tyres typically weigh a lot more than regular tyres. Oops, sorry!

[@jvogel431]

I switched from tubeless back to using the TPU tubes. I know everyone loves all the benefits of tubeless, yet those nearly imperceptible improvements come at a cost. Tubeless are awesome right up to the moment when they are not. Please do a "real life" video covering the efforts to get a tubeless tire on the rim and inflated compared to a standard tire/tube. You might be lucky and get it all to work instantly or you might spend an hour wrestling with it. And, do you need a compressor to install a tube? Finally, get a flat on the road with tubeless and then have fun putting in a tube. It just is too much of a hassle for the vast majority of road riders. Go TPU. They are quite excellent.

[@LeeLee-fi7mx]

I've never had to use a compressor, standard standing floor pump has always worked for my mtb and road Tubeless installs.

[@MrJwmurph]

I switched to TPU too after 4 years of tubeless, I struggled so much getting tubeless tires off and back on my rims that I dreaded attempting having to insert a tube at the side of the road when the tubeless system fails. I run the TPU tubes at similar pressures to when I was tubeless (78psi front, 83psi rear) so I've lost nothing in terms of comfort / grip. The clincher tire is lighter than a tubeless tire (of the same manufacturer, I use Vittoria Corsa), the TPU tube is similar weight to the sealant and then add in the weights of the tubeless valves and I reckon my TPU setup is approx. 150g lighter than the two wheels set up tubeless. I buy my TPU tires through Alliexpress and they're relatively inexpensive.

[@shaunowen5829]

Tubeless above 32mm works for me,I use latex inners, on road bike 28 s and imo are superb ( apart from having to check every other day).

[@shaunowen5829]

The fourth option is latex, wonder why you missed them out?

[@MrAnon-2024]

Spot on. Tried tubeless, too much faff and mess. Went back to tubes and now use TPU.

[@CurtisCycles]

I've not had a puncture on my road or MTB in 5 years since going tubeless so I won't be going back ever again, nothing is more painful than struggling to get a tyre of the rim on a cold, wet winters evening by the side of the road.

[@kawabus]

I am a tubeless convert • Running lower pressure is just more comfortable and with wider rims you get more rubber contact • Set up has never been an issue, the hardest thing is just getting the tire on a wider rim (25mm internal) • Small punctures are self healing and larger punctures can be fixed with a dynaplug and a co2 cartridge. Very rare to need to swap in a tube.

[@fabianbv82]

What about including látex tubes in this test?

[@mirkocelii5543]

yes, other tests proved lates is >1 watt faster than TPU, so probaly even faster than the tubeless

[@markmark2469]

@@mirkocelii5543 Thought TPU was faster than latex?

[@mirkocelii5543]

@markmark2469 as far as I know latest is still little faster, but I might be wrong

[@imhs81]

There's no point, latex loses air too fast, it's only good for short trips, I tried all, TPU is best so far~ Also, if you travel on airplane, you do not want to mess up airport floors with sealants

[@M3GRSD]

I think I'll forever rock inner tubes, not a fan of the potential mess that is tubeless and sealant. I will try the TPU tubes though.

[@andrewlabat9963]

Why would you use the same pressures for each tire, as different types of tires have different recommended operating pressure. Also, how much sealant did you use in the tubeless, which I love, by the way. I'm assuming the manufacturers recommendation..

[@NormAusSmith]

It would have been interesting to include latex tubes in this mix.

[@johannesverne535]

Any recommendations on channels that are less paid advertisements? Thanks

[@truthseeker8483]

TPU tube for the WIN!!!!! More convenient than tubeless and virtually the same rolling resistance....

[@zaqmailify]

hahaha, all bloggers advertise Pirelli, but 70% people still use Continental....

[@trevorhill1577]

Both Continental and Vittoria are excellent tyres.

[@miketumelty8183]

The selling points in favour of tubeless, are in reality so minimal. If you have a proper failure with tubeless, you’re in trouble. Bad enough trying to get a tyre on, never mind doing that and adding a tube into the mix while stuck on the side of the road. Nightmare!

[@darrenthomas9928]

Been using latex tubes for years , yes I need to put air in every other day

[@secretagent86]

Laytex for me on good wheelset. Butyl on early season set…have not used tpu but i understand they are noisy…i LOVE a quiet ride. But tpu would be good spare

[@tomnanD3]

According to Vittoria, TPU are not recommended for RIM BRAKES due to temperature build-up.

[@trevorhill1577]

I believe tubeless is more for mtb off road. I've been 3 years without a puncture and wouldn't go back. With two tyres and wider tyres, savings can be nearer 10W and that's noticeable. Fixing a puncture in rain and thick mud after a day's riding is no fun. There's also an improvement in peformance as tyre pressures can be lower. I always carry a tubilito spare but it's got cobwebs now.

[@ollieswindow]

Question: do the 'smart tubes' purge air at a rate similar to latex tubes, or do they retain air pressure more like butyl? Thanks for any response!

[@MiceSkillz]

In my experience TPU tubes retain air even better than butyl 👍🏼

[@tonyp3523]

Same for me TPU barely loose air

[@morellish]

They hold way better than butyl.

[@michaelo6870]

For me, the clincher-TPU combination is the best way. The rolling resistance is excellent, the weight as well and in case of a puncture an inner tube can be changed quickly. Even if the sealing closes smaller holes in tubeless tyres, the tyre always loses some pressure and that can be very dangerous, especially on descents, so that in this case it is better to fit an inner tube.

[@LuciTulcea]

So tubeless is dangerous because it can lose some pressure during sealing small holes during a descent right? But how effing dangerous is a clincher and tube losing pressure suddenly and completely during a descent genius?🤦

[@johanp8391]

An add for Pirelli?

[@tooltechstw]

Can the sealant compound be run inside the TPU tube? Looks like this would reduce the mess...

[@terryg652]

6 Bar (87psi) in a 28c tire 😳 That's insane!

[@Christri]

Right on. Running that in 25c tire at 200lbs.

[@Vixen1525]

I am using 7.8 bar on my 25 ones. 6 bar are not much @@Christri

[@TheCountrySteve]

Is there a difference in weight between the clincher and tubeless tyres? You only mentioned the weight of the sealant, but I'm guessing the weight of the tyres is not the same

[@adamweb]

It depends on the type of tire and casing... gravel/offroad tires are going to be thicker and heavier than fast rolling race tires. The average tubeless road bike tire weight is 275-350 grams while Continental GP 5000 clinchers are 241 grams.

[@TheCountrySteve]

@@adamweb I meant the ones in the test, specifically

[@adamweb]

@@TheCountrySteve I see, listed weight of Pirelli P Zero Race TLR 28mm is 314g, standard P Zero Race 28mm is 270g

[@markmark2469]

A more thorough test would have been using the exact same tire and also throwing a Vittoria latex option in as well. Just use the 28mm Continental STR tire for all 4 setup options. Then maybe switch to Vittoria Corsa Pro tires for a comparison again with all 4 setup options. Some good information in the video but not enough information to make a well-informed setup decision.

[@harrie974]

Latex inner tubes are faster than tpu’s. Much cheaper too.

[@soumafan]

While I don't doubt the results, the hassles of dealing with tubeless (both initially and ongoing) just don't outweigh the convenience of tubes. Yes, I get flats (slightly) more frequently, but I don't need to monitor the sealant level, clean out valve cores, deal with the hassle of initial mounting and inflation and when I do get a flat, I'm back on the road in less than ten minutes without having to deal with sticky goo and extra tight tires. I'll give up a couple of watts, thank you.

[@Ohios1Cheesehead]

How do the lightweight perelli hold air? I have some latex tunes that are light but need pumped up every week or so.

[@sbccbc7471]

Latex inner tubes are porous, that's why you need to reinflate them more often. This is a compromise you must live with should you choose to stick with latex.

[@JoeSchmoe-c7c]

If an advantage of tubeless is running lower pressure, why test at the same 6 bar? What happens to wattage on tubeless at the lower pressure. Seems like a miss in the testing....

[@GuanajuatoUK]

Why no consistency in the quoted rolling resistance. Stick to the same number of significant figures

[@CParsley]

Why not use the same tubeless tire for all the tests? That would truly show the difference.

[@SrFederico]

Because you would not buy the more expensive and heavier tubeless version unless you actually wanted to use it tubeless.

[@mopedvieh]

That's one of the best 101s for how to not conduct scientific tests...

[@JogBird]

its stupid that bike tyres cost more than car tyres.. no wonder perelli got back into the bike tyre market

[@Jacob99174]

Lol so right: - P zeros are 37 cents/gram - Whereas Indy race car tires are 9.5 cents/gram Someone please double check my math 😂

[@2ball434]

​@@Jacob99174i mean that isn't really an accurate way to measure a tire's value for money since you pay more for lighter tires. But yeah they really are overpriced

[@Fear.of.the.Dark.]

yeah MSRP is $99 for either pirelli or continental bike tires. Whereas I get a good michelin auto tire for $200 that will last 40k+ miles .........

[@markp353]

Understand why you did all 3 setups at the same pressure. Wish you did a 4th on the TLRs at the lower recommended PSI say 70PSI. You are not going to run you 28C TLRs at 87PSI as you did in the test

[@SebastienDegardin]

You forgot to mention that the video was sponsored by Pirelli :-) interesting content still.

[@LuciTulcea]

In another video this guy is crying about how bad tubeless tyres are. What a douche!

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

Latex tubes are faster than TPU. Given the closeness of these results, likely faster than tubeless as well.

[@elcartero3728]

Price

[@LOZUPONEJ]

Use what you like

[@1947wdx]

Why did you use different tires for the tubeless? Nothing stopping you from using the TLRs with tubes. To remove all variables except for the tube material or sealant, you should have started with butyl, the in the same wheel put in the TPU tube, then finally pulled out the tube and added sealant. As tested, you have different tires for each test, and different wheels. (meaning different bearings etc) all the delta's between test runs could easily alter the results a few watts either way.

[@SrFederico]

Because you would not buy the more expensive and heavier tubeless version unless you actually wanted to use it tubeless.

[@1947wdx]

@@SrFederico You are correct. A normal person would have no reason to buy the more expensive and heavier tubeless version if they were going to use tubes. My point is that the test is flawed due to the changing of too many parameters between test runs. If you want to know if tubes affect rolling resistance, change ONLY the tubes. Don't also change the tires, and wheels. As others have already pointed out, this video is really just an advertisement for Pirelli, so I guess accuracy in testing doesn't really count for all that much.

[@SrFederico]

@@1947wdx I see your point, but the results wpuld be of academic value only. It's well known that a tubeless tire with a butyl tube inside will be the worst combination possible, and even with TPU tube it will be slightly slower than tubeless. But nobody in his right mind will use these combinations. They actually did that right in the test to compare the things that are actual alternatives.

[@csarcpab]

Fastest and Best is latex tubes!!! Waiting Pirelli to offer its own latex tubes.

[@ElRealista.]

It would be nice to see Latex tubes because they are better than TPU and probably better than tubeless.

[@theantichrome9842]

You need to add sew ups to this comparison.

[@ElRealista.]

I like you started using KM instead othat thing called miles

[@morellish]

1/3 of a watt makes it the obvious choice if you want to go fast? That is essentially nothing.

[@sjurk81]

Indeed. And: check the weight. The race is 225gr, the TLR is 295gr. Sealant (advice) from Pirelli is about 30gr making the TLR setup 325gr. The Pirelli TPU tube is 35gr making that combination 260 gr. That's 65 grams difference per wheel without the tubeless valves. Will you notice? Probably not, but neither would the tiny tiny difference in wattage.

[@morellish]

@@sjurk81 I'd actually prefer 65g less weight then a third of a watt in speed.

[@bopis123]

latex tubes with some sealant in it are the best 6 months top for one tube

[@SrFederico]

I considered that method... does it really work? Tubeless milk and latex work well together?

[@christopherdavis8967]

A tubeless tire is a clincher

[@SrFederico]

Where’s latex?

[@nelsonsilva6842]

You just have to know that after what Mr. Pogacar said they can leave the cycling market. So tell that to that Chinese company! On the other hand we all know that there Michelin tires and then there is the rest! By the way, just don't be like GCN, they are just the worst that happened to cycling in recent years!

[@Mikemonster2011]

TPU with sealant

[@danfuerthgillis4483]

😂 next up “TPMS sensors “ for your road bike lmao 🤣

[@iMadrid11]

You forgot about Tubulars. Pirelli have P ZERO Velo Tubs you didn’t test.

[@HarishChouhan]

Paid ad?

[@logohigh1]

tubulars , (works for Jonas)

[@MrAnon-2024]

Choose a TPU tube with less rolling resistance than the Pirelli ones used here, then reduce the psi from the ridiculously high psi chosen in these tests, and the TPU set-up will be the outright winner. Another biased/sponsored video to push Pirelli and tubeless.

[@vinniep01]

Just an advertisement.

[@JamesSmith-qs4hx]

This is handy information... should I wish to ride a unicycle in a glass box 🤔

[@takuan650]

Too much Pirelli talk for my liking. Did they give You the candy You like so much?

[@tiiimmmaaayyyy3616]

Oh my god, 3 watts saved at 40kph? That's absolutely amazing, what a gain.

[@andrewmcalister3462]

2 wheels on a bike, so a total of 6 watts. Assuming someone is pushing around 300W to go 40 kph, that’s a 2% saving. Not huge, but not nothing either. Note this is a consumable, so if next time your tyres wear out you replace them with TPU/tubeless, you are not throwing out a perfectly functional but slow piece of equipment.

[@matmerah3700]

BS

[@bucketlist.original]

That's the excact video I was searching, thanks!