33g Inner Tube - Ridenow TPU

[naavt]

Cool. So this has changed in the more recent iteration/s.
I wonder if they've changed the instructions to this effect ?

I'm going to bite the bullet and buy some.

Regarding this new information, do you think that I'm better buying the new pink valve design or go with the non removable white one?

[Steve Curtis]

Cool. So this has changed in the more recent iteration/s.
I wonder if they've changed the instructions to this effect ?

I'm going to bite the bullet and buy some.

Regarding this new information, do you think that I'm better buying the new pink valve design or go with the non removable white one?

Depends if you like pink metal or white plastic
Ive not had problems with the plastic and like the way they look, so that's my choice.

[BianchiDave]

Asked on main Road page but really should have been here -

For those using Ridenow TPU tubes and based in the UK, is there any particular seller you use, either on ebay or aliexpress?
Thanks

[MikeD]

Does anyone recommend using talc on a TPU tube?

[Greeners]

It can't hurt. But the TPU material doesn't seem like it would adhere to other materials in my opinion.

[MikeD]

It can't hurt. But the TPU material doesn't seem like it would adhere to other materials in my opinion.

Even to Stan's rim tape?

[6fu]

Does anyone recommend using talc on a TPU tube?

No. They are slippery enough and install easy. Rolling resistance is lower when the tube is almost fused with tire anyways.

Talc is only used with rubber tubes to make installation easier. Tpu is plastic.

[JayDee81]

Cool. So this has changed in the more recent iteration/s.
I wonder if they've changed the instructions to this effect ?

I'm going to bite the bullet and buy some.

Regarding this new information, do you think that I'm better buying the new pink valve design or go with the non removable white one?

I stopped having issues with TPU tubes after I bought a new bike with disc brakes. Before that I had a rim brake TCR with carbon rims and a TPU tube would always fail after a month or two mostly at some joint on the tube, be it at the valve or not. Note that these weren't sudden deflations, but fast enough you wouldn't be able to ride home without repairing it. One time it happened on a rather steep descent when I was braking for a hairpin. Just around the time I started braking I noticed that my front feels too soft. Luckily I was able to make the turn without the wheel going completely flat and stop afterwards. This one was a leak near the valve.
Note that using very light butyl tubes I never had these problems. Also note that during that time I was using the white TPU tubes made by Revoloop I think. I am using the Ridenow ~36g tubes on my disc brake bike and haven't had any such problems in a year I've been riding it and we did 9 days in the Alps this summer. Compare that to having the flat I described before on the second descend on the first day in the Alps the year before.

TLDR: If on carbon clinchers, do NOT ride TPU tubes. Go for light butyl tubes instead.

[usr]

Never had a TPU-specific problem in rim brake carbon, and I'm heavy enough to have overheated a WTO to the of decommission without even riding it beyond "hilly". But I had plenty of obvious overheat damage in rim brake aluminum, and recently also some of the less obvious kind (four "metal shaft " cyclami in four days, one obvious overheat at the shaft, one wildly unpredictable that would randomly lose half its pressure on some days and none on others), one suddenly deflating while waiting on the sun after an hour of climbing, and one that either died in the factory or in the bag).

What I'm trying to say: don't single out the carbon in rim brake, chances are carbon effectively puts an upper limit to the heat affecting the tube, aluminum can be worse.

Btw, the tube failure I had before those four cyclami was with overheating a butyl tube that got pulled apart at some seam rim-side. Don't think heavier butyl would have helped much, because the added material also increases the force continuously pulling apart that seam (didn't even know butyl tubes had seams, seam went around the inner radius of the torus, not around the short radius like that seam on a TPU)

[vjswing]

Installed the Ridenow TPU gravel tubes (45g, I think) with S-Works Pathfinder tires back in April when I bought the tires, and have yet to experience a single puncture, running them at 36 psi F, 40 psi R. These have the all-black plastic valve stem. I'm sure I just jinxed myself, and will have to deal with one this weekend!

[vjswing]

Installed the Ridenow TPU gravel tubes (45g, I think) with S-Works Pathfinder tires back in April when I bought the tires, and have yet to experience a single puncture, running them at 36 psi F, 40 psi R. These have the all-black plastic valve stem. I'm sure I just jinxed myself, and will have to deal with one this weekend!

Well, guess what? I had a tube issue this weekend, but NOT involving these Ridenow tubes on the gravel bike! Suffered a pinch flat on the rear tire of the road bike last week, which had a Ridenow installed. After a temporary replacement with a butyl tube on the road, I went ahead and installed a new Cyclami TPU at home, and went for a 100km ride on Saturday. This is the first TPU tube I've tried with a metal valve stem. Had some suspicions about this tube, as the initial inflation with the track pump was indicating some air loss through the valve stem - it wouldn't stop hissing during the pumping process. Decided to go with it anyway, as it appeared to hold air just fine once the stem was screwed tight. Ride was fine, until around 15km from the end, when I realized I'd lost at least half the air in the tire. Replaced with spare butyl, and I was okay for remainder of ride.

Put a few PSI into this TPU tube at home, and there was some air loss noticeable a few hours, despite a lack of evidence of any damage to the tube itself. The valve stem just didn't seem to be sitting in the valve quite right, so I have to believe this was the issue with this tube. I have 3 more of these tubes from Cyclami, and will do an initial test inflation with the next one I plan to install. I'm wondering if the metal valve stem on a TPU is introducing more potential issues, and maybe I should stick with the plastic valve stems.

[MarkoP]

When ordering the RN TPUs from Ali are you all getting an order limit of 1 per customer now? I used to order these in larger quantities but it's limiting me to 1 now.

[EINSTEININHO]

My humble input with those tubes.
I've been riding the 24g with the pink metallic valve for about 4000 km without a single issue. Today I've had a puncture but it was because of a piece of glass that would have punctured any inner tube. I was apprehensive when I was replacing it cause I thought i had been lucky with my first ridenow tube and maybe the 2 spares I was carrying were faulty. It turns out the spare tube was absolutely fine, install went smoothly I was able to ride home.
So maybe again i'm lucky, but considering the price, weight, the fact that I can carry 2 tubes in my tiny saddle bag... For me it's an absolute no brainer.

[EINSTEININHO]

When ordering the RN TPUs from Ali are you all getting an order limit of 1 per customer now? I used to order these in larger quantities but it's limiting me to 1 now.

I think it depends on reseller. Or it could be that you're in the "groupbuy" section of aliexpress

[MarkoP]

When ordering the RN TPUs from Ali are you all getting an order limit of 1 per customer now? I used to order these in larger quantities but it's limiting me to 1 now.

I think it depends on reseller. Or it could be that you're in the "groupbuy" section of aliexpress

Ah gotcha! Thanks...I'll noodle around the site a bit to see what's up