Competition Latex Inner Tube

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Competition Latex Inner Tube

I’ve been running Vittoria latex tubes for several years now with good to mixed results; the advantages are reduced rolling resistance and ride feel, which I can verify is supple. Another benefit not many discuss is puncture resistance. With butyl tubes, I seem to have had a flat a couple of times a year, but with latex I’ve never suffered a puncture flat on the road. There are, however, a few drawbacks to these tubes: First, you have to add air before every ride due to latex’s porous nature. That’s not an issue, because what serious cyclist doesn’t air up prior to every ride? Next, especially when mounting with tighter tires (like Vittoria Corsa Pros), they seem especially vulnerable to pinch flats. I’m only about 70% successful in mounting tires with latex tubes while avoiding pinch flats. But the biggest drawback is the valve/tube interface. I don’t know if it’s the repeated stress of taking valves on and off to air up, or just time in general, but Vittoria latex tubes tend to eventually fail right at the black seal that joins the tube and valve, leading to a leak that necessitates replacing the tube. I’ve tried patching that area, with limited success. Given the stress that mounting these tubes and newer tires entail, I wish Vittoria would beef up that juncture, then I’d be much more satisfied with my overall experience.

1 had a weak spot or something. It lasted one ride. 🙁

These are Goldilocks tubes. They’re light, as fast tubeless, and have a sublime ride quality that rivals tubeless without the hassles. I can change tires without a mess, and don’t have to worry about refreshing anything every few months.