Inside the tyre, inner tubes lead an inconspicuous existence. They only come to light again when they audibly breathe their last. OK - there are bikers who claim never to ride flat tyres. However, they probably belong to a very small minority. That's why, in the first part of our new wear series, we tested 22 inner tubes from €4.90 to €49.50 for rolling resistance and puncture resistance. For comparison, we also had a tubular tyre and a tyre converted to tubeless with latex milk roll along.
Equal opportunities for all: We tested all the tubes with 2 bar pressure in the Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.1" tyres. Only the wide Onza DH tube, which is only approved for tyres from 2.4 inches, was fitted in the Schwalbe Fat Albert 2.4".
Due to the extremely elastic material, the two latex tubes are at the top of the field when rolling. No conventional butyl inner tube comes close to latex in terms of rolling resistance. Even the butyl lightweights with a weight of only 100 grams are left behind. The only way to run even faster is without a tube with a tubeless kit and latex milk. Because: Where there is no inner tube, none has to be deformed when rolling. This saves grains. In addition, small holes are sealed by the milk itself. Just over five watts separate the best from the worst hose in the test - and these five watts are noticeable. After all, they correspond to the difference between a cross-country tyre (Rocket Ron 2.25") and a thick enduro tyre (Fat Albert 2.4").
We were excited about the lightest and probably most expensive inner tube in the world: the Eclipse (58 grams).
The test results of these hoses can be found in the PDF download:
Butyl up to 2.1 inch tyre width: Hutchinson MTB Air Light, Kenda Ultra Lite, Kenda, Maxxis Fly Weight, Maxxis Welter Weight, Michelin Air Comp Ultra-Light, Michelin Airstop, Onza MTB XC Tube, Ritchey Superlight, Schwalbe XX-Light 14A, WTB
Butyl up to 2.2/2.7 inch tyre width: Continental MTB 26 Light, Continental MTB 26, Geax Ultralite, Hutchinson, Onza MTB DH Schwalbe 13, Specialized, Specialized Airlock
Polyurethane hoses: Eclipse
Latex hoses: Geax Latex, Michelin Air Comp Latex
