from Rookie’s keyboard,
Hello, friends
What’s up? As I like to say – another evening, another mini post.
The topic of this nightly article will be simple – inner tube longevity.
Well, an inner tube protected from external “stresses” such as UV light, petroleum fumes, water, and temperature changes can last over 8-10 years.
Another important factor when predicting a tube’s lifespan and outlining a proper storage protocol is the production material. There are two options – butyl and later.
Butyl Rubber
The vast majority of inner tubes are made of polyisobutylene a.k.a. butyl rubber.
Butyl rubber is a tough elastomer utilized in many industries for to its robustness, elasticity, and high resistance to chemicals and gas diffusion.
Two popular examples of butyl use would be protective clothing (e.g, gas masks, gloves..etc.) as well as roof sealing.
At first, bicycle inner tubes were made of natural rubber (polymers of the organic compound isoprene), but the impeccable air retention of butyl rubber incentivized the industry to make a switch.
Another motive behind the use of butyl rubber is its lower price.
High Resistance To The Elements
Butyl demonstrates great environmental resistance and has been utilized for the lining of emergency water tanks in tropical and subtropical countries without signs of degradation after 10+ years of use. (more).
Similar examples illustrate that butyl is highly resilient to sunlight.
But the butyl utilized for similar applications is a lot denser than an inner tube.
An inner tube cannot be super thick because the extra thickness would hurt its elasticity and add rotational weight to the wheel.
And naturally, an inner tube does not have the same resistance to environmental factors as industrial butyl designed for applications where extra weight isn’t a problem.
Proper Storage Is Key
The following protocol for storing inner tubes will increase their shelf lifespan maximally:
1. Coat the inner tube with baby or talc powder so that it doesn’t stick to itself.
2. Place it in a protected container (e.g., а zipped plastic bag, а cardboard box, а plastic box…etc.)
If the tube is new, you can skip steps 1 and 2 as most tubes are covered in powder in the factory and placed in a cardboard box.
If you want extra protection, you can put the tube in an airtight vacuum bag and then into its original cardboard box.
3. Store the tube at room temperature.
Avoid car garages due to the temperature changes (Мost garages are super hot in the summer and ice cold during the winter).
An inner tube stored as described above can remain as good as new for many years to come.
Signs Of a Degraded Butyl Inner Tube
Cracks
Visible cracks are a clear indication of a heavily deteriorated inner tube.
Such tubes cannot be used safely because the areas with the cracks are too thin. Replace.
Discoloration
A change of coloration indicates degradation too. A degraded butyl inner tube is often darker than usual.
Lack of elasticity
A “dead” inner tube could also display poor integrity when stretched.
Uneven inflation
Some damaged tubes do not showcase external signs of wear, but once you start inflating them, they expand unevenly because certain regions of the tube are damaged.
Inner Tubes In Use
If the inner tube is already installed, then there are two main courses of action for extending its life:
a. Remove the tube and store it in the aforementioned manner.
(If the exploitation of the bicycle has been postponed indefinitely, then it may be worth it to remove the tubes and store them as described above.)
b. Inflate the tire periodically (practically the best choice)
If you’re occasionally using the bicycle, then removing the inner tubes simply to store them is just nuts.
It’s easier to just inflate the tire periodically to preserve their integrity and elasticity.
If you let the tires go completely flat due to loss of air, they will rub against the inner tubes along with the rim and cause cracks over time.
You don’t have to inflate the tires to high pressure. Just put enough air until they’ve reached their proper shape.
Another problem that you may experience even if you do the necessary inflation would be bondage between the inner tube and the tire.
You could minimize the chances of this scenario by coating the inner tube in powder before installing it.
Areas of the tube that have been patched after a puncture are the most likely to stick to the tire.
Latex Inner Tubes
Some racing-oriented inner tubes are made of latex which has the following benefits over butyl:
More Elasticity
Latex is more elastic than butyl. This property is important for the rolling resistance of the tire because the extra elasticity allows the tube to quickly regain its shape upon deformation.
The tire spends less time in a “deformed state” after contact with the ground and rolls better overall.
Tests have shown that when a tire is pumped to 80 PSI, a latex inner tube can save about 1.9W per tire or 3.8W in total.
If your power output is 145W, the savings amount to 2.6%.
The gains are marginal but significant enough for racing situations.
Resistance to Flats
It’s believed that latex inner tubes are more resistant to puncture, especially the “pinch” type also known as “snakebites”.
However, latex inner tubes come with many downsides preventing them from being the standard.
The main issues are:
- Difficult Installation
Latex inner tubes can be easily pintched between the rim and the tire. So, you have to extra careful.
- Not good as a Back-up Tube
Rdiers avoid using latex inner tubes as a spare because it’s difficult to install them properly on the side of the road or trail.
- Rim Brakes Could Be An Issue
Intensive and prolonged braking heats the rim if the bike uses rim brakes.
The heating is the result of the brake pads rubbing against the outer layer of the rim.
This is a problem when using latex inner tubes because the extra heat can blow the tube. The effect is particularly pronounced when using carbon rims because carbon dissipates heat slowly.
Some producers of latex inner tubes explicitly say not to pair them with carbon rims.
The likelihood of this issue is significantly lower when using alloy rims because aluminum is a better “heat sink”.
Worse Air Retention
Latex inner tubes do not hold air nearly as well as butyl tubes.
CO2 diffuses through them very quickly too. This is problematic for people who want to use CO2 cartridges and another reason why latex inner tubes are not a popular choice as a spare.
Subpar Resistance To The Elements
Latex inner tubes are sold sealed in zip-bags because they’re highly prone to degradation caused by environmental factors such as ozone, sunlight…etc.
If you plan on stacking up latex inner tubes, it’s best to keep them in the original package and away from the elements.
Storing Tubes In a Saddle Bag or Kit
Always carry a spare inner tube with you.
Most cyclists put one either in their backpack or somehow attach it to the bicycle. A small saddle bag is the most frequent choice.
It’s of high importance to defend the tire from punctures caused by sharp objects in the spare kit (e.g., a multi-tool).
To protect my tube from the rest of the kit which includes a multi-tool, tire levers, a handful of zip-ties, and patches, I placed the tube in a cotton sock.
My multi-tool has its own pouch made out of an old inner tube.
If you’re using a saddlebag, you may consider putting duct tape on the inside of the bag if bolts and nuts part of the mounting mechanism are sticking out.
A Note On Patches
A tube cannot be patched indefinitely because the patches are thicker and less elastic than the tube itself.
An “over-patched” tube is often imbalanced and acquires an uneven diameter across its body when inflated.
In consequence, the wheel itself could start to feel lumpy.
I usually retire a tube after six patches – a number that should take a lot of time to reach if the tires are intact, and the bicycle isn’t used for extreme mountain biking.
Tire Patching Tips
1. If the puncture is too close to the valve, I prefer to replace the tube because that area is sensitive and unstable.
2. If a tube needs multiple overlaying patches, I retire it because it makes the wheel too uneven.
3. If a tube has too many patches, I don’t use it as a spare because patches get old and come off more easily when the tire is folded which is the case for spare tires in a toolbox or bag.
Check Your Tires Too
I had the misfortune of cutting a brand new tire on a piece of glass after dropping off a small gap.
It wasn’t the tire’s fault. There isn’t a bike tire that could have survived.
Since the tire was new, I patched it as best as I could and exploited it for over a year. Unfortunately, however, I got 6-7 flats during that period because the cut of the tire was continuously opening and exposing the inner tube. I had to retire a couple of inner tubes prematurely.
Note: Tires deteriorate over time even if they’re not in exploitation because the rubber loses its elasticity and cracks. The effect is sped up when the tire is exposed to the elements.
Due to that factor, old bicycles often need tire replacement.
Some Old Inner Tube Hacks
Inner tubes can be very useful for other tasks besides their original purpose. The list below contains a few examples:
Chainstay protector
If your rear derailleur does not have a clutch, chances are that the chain will consistently hit the chainstay when riding on uneven terrain.
The result is a scratched and weakened chainstay. You could prevent this problem by making a chainstay protector out of an inner tube. You can secure the chainstay protector with zip ties
2. Tool Pouch
An inner tube could also be used to make a pouch for your multi-tool or another pointy object that you carry in your kit.
3. Mounts stabilizer
If an accessory (e.g., а flashlight) that you have on your handlebars is moving too much, you can stabilize it by wrapping a piece of an inner tube around the installation spot first and then mounting the bracket.
The inner tube increases the friction and minimizes movement.
4. O-rings
By cutting small pieces of an inner tube, you can make O-rings too. The wider the piece, the stronger the hold of the O-ring will be.
Until next time,
Rookie
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