Latex tubes, how have you found them?

[MelbourneWoody]

Curious to hear from people who've ridden on them about their experiences. Do you rate them? or would you tell people it's just a fad and stay away?

I'm getting a pair of 700x26 Turbo Cottons for some Gran Fondos and debating putting in a pair of either Tubolito's or Pirelli Smarttubes. It would just be my first time running them so I'm interested to hear people's experiences of using them.

[Gweeds]

I run them. Aside from needing pumping up before every ride no issues and far less punctures. Lovely ride quality compared to butyl.

There is a higher risk of a heat related blowout on long Alpine descents though if you’re running rim brakes.

As an aside the 26mm Turbo Cottons are quite fragile. The 28mm’s are more puncture-resistant.

[millen]

Am currently running Michelin Air Comp latex in half-worn GP5000s as my summer tyres. No punctures after 1,000 miles and the ride is nice, but sensitive to pressures. They're comfortable and light - 78g if I remember. Definitely need pumping on the morning of each ride - can lose around 35 psi after just 3 days. Which makes me think that for a 10-12 hr day in the saddle it may make sense to over-inflate by say 5 psi so you finish with decent pressure.

Bear in mind they're difficult to patch so best to take a standard butyl tube as your spare. Also I found a few years ago latex doesn't take kindly to being left exposed to daylight (became cracked and brittle) so box them up for the winter if you want to use them again next summer.

[okgo]

They sound different and go down quicker.

You'll notice no difference performance wise, even though of course there is one, but no human can feel 3w

[z4RRSchris]

okgo said:

They sound different and go down quicker.

You'll notice no difference performance wise, even though of course there is one, but no human can feel 3w

add up the gainz and you can feel it. 3w here and there

[MelbourneWoody]

Gweeds said:

I run them. Aside from needing pumping up before every ride no issues and far less punctures. Lovely ride quality compared to butyl.

There is a higher risk of a heat related blowout on long Alpine descents though if you’re running rim brakes.

As an aside the 26mm Turbo Cottons are quite fragile. The 28mm’s are more puncture-resistant.

That's interesting to hear. I can just fit a 28mm tire on so might just be able to get away with that. Thanks for the tips.

Has anyone had any experience with Pirelli brands?

[millen]

I used Pirelli Cinturato Velos for most of this winter. They worked well as a tubeless tyre (once I managed to get them sealed!) - comfortable ride and essentially bomb-proof given the extremely thick tread. However, they are heavy and sluggish. I initially used them for the first couple of hundred miles with standard butyl tubes - made them very heavy and perhaps was responsible for them not sealing well after converting to tubeless. Another odd thing is that the outer layer seemed extremely sticky and attracted a huge amount of embedded tiny grit particles and flints, most of which I used to dig out with a needle after each ride. Maybe this was a function of winter conditions but it's not something I've noticed with other tyres. Anyway, after 500+ miles the sticky layer seemed to abrade to leave a harder surface. I'll probably put them back on next winter. A friend has just put the same make on as a summer tyre- takes all sorts I suppose! He's into long audaxes on rough roads so values puncture protection against lightness.

I'm half-tempted to try the lighter Pirelli Race (?) Velos later this summer, but will probably switch to the new GP5000S if discounts emerge.