Submitted by
92gli
a Weekend Warrior
from west chester, pa Date Reviewed: August 5, 2009
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$16.00
Bottom Line:
The valve is not securely mounted. I just had the valve fall out of a brand new one while I was getting ready to inflate it a little bit to mount it.
Performance sells 100g tubes for $6.99. Just get those. They are made out of the standard material, can be patched securely, and the valve mount is reinforced.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Thomas
a Cross Country Rider
from Old Lyme CT USA Date Reviewed: May 24, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Rocky Point Long Island NY
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$13.00
Purchased At:
Cambria Bike Outfitter
Strengths:
really light.. you can notice it!! Loose air slower than latex.
Weaknesses:
still loose air slowly, But less than Latex
Similar Products Used:
Butyls, Vittoria Poly
Bike Setup:
K2 Apache 5 with Mavic crossride wheels
Bottom Line:
lighter, nicer tube than a regular Butyl. noticeable while riding. they still loose air like all super lights do so you'll have to pump them up on a regular basis. ( loosing about 2-5 lbs in 24 hours, the Vittoria's went flat over night.) but if you check your bike over before a ride, like anyone who doesn't want to brake a bone should do, it's not that big a deal. But can be annoying if you're on a "trip" and only have a small pump.
haven't flattened it yet but patching from what I hear is near impossible!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from Toronto, Ontario, Canada Date Reviewed: July 27, 2005
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$10.00
Purchased At:
Bike Nashbar (1998)
Strengths:
Super light weight and kool looking green compared to the rugular black butyl tubes.
Weaknesses:
Inflated to 50-66psi for almost 6 months with Panaracer Fire XC Pro 26"x2.1" tires. They don't retain air too well or for too long, as I had to re-adjust pressure every week. The tube material got very thin at the rim eyelets with Velox rim tape and caused two flats one week apart.
2001 Trek Fuel 90 Disk/stock - tires changed to slicks. 1996 GT Ricochet/stock - tires changed to slicks.
Bottom Line:
They look great at a "semi-transparent funky green colour" and super light weight. A bit pricey at over $10/CAN each and need the pressure checked atleast 1x/week. Bottom Line: If you really want to save weight on your bike, these do the job. They do cost a little more, require alot of pressure checking (I'd say not more then 50psi) & don't expect them to act like a "green" version of butyl's.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David Fenn
a Cross Country Rider
from Birmingham, UK Date Reviewed: January 28, 2005
Favorite Trail:
No favourites
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$19.00
Purchased At:
Don't remember
Strengths:
Been running a pair for six years now in UK weather. They're fine. No probs, other than the obvious slow, gentle leakage you get from paper thin tubes. And I don't get a rash from 'em (allergic to rubber).
Weaknesses:
Readies. They cost me £11 each when I got 'em, way back. But that's what the UK market is like.
Similar Products Used:
None really, got these, never looked back.
Bike Setup:
XT/LX all over, Univega STEEL frame (yeah, remember when they made them?) M230/LX front w/DT, FIR231/XT rear w/DT. Goes like stink at 24lbs for a 19.5" rigid. Cost me next to nowt to build, as well.
Bottom Line:
Buy 'em, spank 'em.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bryan
a Cross Country Rider
from Incline Village, Nevada Date Reviewed: May 6, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Anything in Fruita, CO
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$15.00
Purchased At:
Freewheel Cyclery
Strengths:
Super light, run well at low pressure (for me), 100's of miles with no flats
Weaknesses:
Really can't repair, so they are expensive when they fail, leak air - you need to re-inflate every few days
Similar Products Used:
Butyl tubes
Bike Setup:
'03 Titus Racer-X, Sram XO/9.0 drivetrain, XT everything else, Black fork
Bottom Line:
I'm a bit surprised that some other reviewers had trouble with these at low pressure. I have run mine at 35 lbs or less for close to 5K miles on Colorado/Moab singletrack with 3 flats. I weigh about 165 lbs though, and the trails there weren't as rocky as in some places. Regardless, I really like this product, but with the light weight and pinch flat resistance comes a price: 3x more expensive than butyl, latex leaks air from the moment it is inflated, and the tubes shatter into ribbons when they fail. I regularly pinch flatted with butyl tubes, even when they were inflated to much higher pressures than these. In fact, the only flats (other than the 3 with these) that I have had in 3 years were on the 3 butyls that I put in until I could get more greens. If you are aware of the limitations of the greens, then get 'em.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from austin,tx Date Reviewed: June 28, 2002
Favorite Trail:
emma long
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$13.00
Purchased At:
lbs
Strengths:
light weight
Weaknesses:
pinch flat easy with low pressure
Similar Products Used:
all others
Bike Setup:
mavic rims
Bottom Line:
I like this tube. I have had no problem with this tube as long as the pressure is 40lbs or higher. the only time I rode with less (forgot to pump it up) I ended up with a pinch flat. I dont use any special extra rim tape or anything like that. Just keep up the pressure and it should be fine. I ride technical X-country.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andreas Klauser
a Cross Country Rider
from Feldafing Date Reviewed: May 28, 2002
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$10.00
Purchased At:
hibike
Strengths:
low weight, durability
Weaknesses:
latex specific slow leakage of air
Similar Products Used:
Conti Latex, Schwalbe Butyl
Bike Setup:
TREK 9900 OCLV, good plastic rubber band, 2.1 Ritchey Z-MAX and Z.E.D. each WCS/bluewall
Bottom Line:
Very low weight, low rolling resistance, no punctures. Keeps air better than the Conti latex. Valve seems to be very sound construction, too. The best thing for XC, absolutely. The price is o.k. for a quality product like this.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Shane Dosser
a Cross Country Rider
from Kingwood, TX. Date Reviewed: May 5, 2002
I use them for races only, but have not recieved a flat yet, (I do run the spin skins liners in the tire but the math of both added together is still lighter than other tubes) while i'll see plenty of other riders with flats right off the starting gate. I little pricey.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Charlie Devine
a Cross Country Rider
from Oak Ridge TN U.S.A. Date Reviewed: March 18, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Haw Ridge
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$12.00
Purchased At:
Frankford
Strengths:
Very light looks cool (but you don't see it inside the tire) rides just like any other tube, even 400 gram LBS specials
Weaknesses:
Pump your tire every day.
Similar Products Used:
Lightweight butyl rubber tubes.
Bike Setup:
Al hardtail. Marzocchi fork.
Bottom Line:
Wow, 105 review! I guess everyone has gone through the latex tire phase. I am over it. It was light. It didn't hold air very well. It lasted a lot longer than I thought it would. Really, I had that thing for at least a year. It saw tires come and go. When it finnaly did fail it sort of jsut split open. It had a four inch split. I would race these. The rotating weight reduction is definitely worth it. A pair of these can take 200 grams off a bike. Go for it!
Four steaming horse flops for value because you get exactly what you pay for.
Four overall because I couldn't tell what finnaly did this tube in. It looks like it just popped. I think that maybe it got caught between the tire bead and the rim. That would have done it. Be careful. Always (unless you're racing or otherwise using a cartrige) inflate to pressure, deflate, reseat tire, check for tube caught under tire bead, and then inflate to final pressure.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nick
a
from Tempe, AZ Date Reviewed: February 7, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Light, neat looking
Weaknesses:
Pinch flats Very easily- make sure you're running at least 40-45 PSI. When mine did pinch, it wasn't just two tiny snakebite holes- it was a big split in the tube that was nasty enough to make me wonder if I had torn my tire sidewall (I hadn't.) Glueless patches suck, and they're all you can use. Too expensive.
Similar Products Used:
So many
Bike Setup:
trials- used this tube in the front tire
Bottom Line:
The weight was nice while it lasted. I'm back to butyl, and plan on staying here. I'd imagine this tube would be pretty good if you could avoid puncturing it, but once you do you've got to rely on pre-glued patches, which are very unreliable and don't last very long. 3 chilis because they're so light, if you ran them at high PSI they'd be pretty neat.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jeremy
a Racer
from Ohio Date Reviewed: May 26, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Ceasar Creek State Park
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$12.00
Purchased At:
Wilmington Bicycle Company
Strengths:
Light, the lightest!!!
Weaknesses:
A bit on the pricy side of the tube spectrum.
Similar Products Used:
Schwinn Superlight tubes
Bike Setup:
Homegrown (XTR, SID, Sun rims)
Bottom Line:
These are probably the best tubes for XC racing. Light as they come. I,ve raced on these for two months now and haven't had any problems with them. Adds great acceleration and handling to your rig.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rockohaulic
a
from CA Date Reviewed: February 21, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Bottom Line:
These tubes are iff at best. Quality control seems to be an issue.
Try Maxxis Flyweight.
The Maxxis are better. They are just as light. They are regular rubber. Hold air better. Don't flat as often. Patch easier. Don't split at the seam. And you don't have to baby them with talcum powder (get it?).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
J
a Racer
from NE Date Reviewed: February 6, 2001
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$12.00
Strengths:
Light, durable
Similar Products Used:
Performance LunarLites, Chin Shin Extra Thin
Bike Setup:
Velox cloth or Michelin plastic rim strips Continental ExplorerPro Tires
Bottom Line:
If you have been biking enough to realize the pressure you need to run your tires at in order NOT to get pinch flats -- these will be a great tube to run. I have ridden on a tube for about 2 years before I got a thorn in it. LunarLites and other lightweight butyls ALL flatted within weeks (split seems, broken valvues, unexplained punctures (not a pinch flat or thorn or rim invoked flat). I was super skeptical about these at first but they seems to be the only tubes that survive after my stock weeds out through the year.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Marc Peot
a
from Golden Date Reviewed: November 25, 2000
Favorite Trail:
One that goes UP!
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$12.00
Purchased At:
Pricepoint
Strengths:
Light Weight and Reliable.
Weaknesses:
Other than cost, none.
Similar Products Used:
Torelli, Specialized.
Bike Setup:
Racer-X
Bottom Line:
I have put over 1400 miles on a set of these this year(!) I run Panaracer Fire XC Pros' at 55 lbs. I'm at max.pressure- maybe that is why I've not had a single failure. I make sure to put a lot of talc in the tire and take great care not to over-tighten the lock ring. I read all the reviews here with failure after failure and can't believe we are using the same product. As to the fact that they leak, I always check my tire pressure before every ride so as to maximize tire life and minimize the chance of failure, due to a pinch flat. These things are amazing in that they make the tires feel sooo supple -- I'll never go back to butyl. Happy Trails!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Marcel Frenk
a Cross Country Rider
from Nijmegen, the Netherlands Date Reviewed: November 21, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Rijk van Nijmegen
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$18.00
Purchased At:
Rose Radsport Bocholt (GER)
Strengths:
The lightest of `m all, holds air better than latex, rides as comfortable as latex
Weaknesses:
You`d better not use `m on long Alpine downhills with your rimbrakes on. As well as Latex, these tubes are not made to withstand very high temparatures. After one day of Alpine riding in Switzerland I checked them and could see some deformations because of the heat they were exposed to. For safety I changed to Specialized superlight butyl tubes (125 grams, also light), slightly less comfortable but still OK.
Similar Products Used:
Air-B, Specialized superlight, Pariba Latex
Bike Setup:
Specialized S-Works FSR-XC framekit, Rond/Magura fork and rimbrakes, lots of Tune stuff, SRAM
Bottom Line:
The lightes tubes I could find, never had a flat on `m (I always use lots of talcum powder, and sufficiënt tire pressure). They can be repaired, must be clean though, when you buy `m ask for the right repairpads as well.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Allen Jacobs
a Weekend Warrior
from Dallas Date Reviewed: November 4, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Grapevine N Shore/Cedar Hill
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$16.00
Strengths:
Light Weight
Weaknesses:
flat flat flat. also a little hard to get situated in tire before pumping.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized turbo
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Superlight w. all the best and lightest stuff
Bottom Line:
I'm averaging a flat per day's riding and it appears to be unrelated to thorns.. looks like seams, but I can't be sure. I'm reading these reviews looking for an alternative.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dan Gray
a Cross Country Rider
from Auburn Hills, MI, USA Date Reviewed: September 20, 2000
Favorite Trail:
the Grinder
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$15.00
Strengths:
Light Weight
Weaknesses:
Do not let them set out of the box in heat or sun it will weaken them and deform them, leave them in the box until you need to use it.
Similar Products Used:
Torelli superlights
Bike Setup:
F3000SL RaceFace, SRAM, Mavic, Conti
Bottom Line:
These tubes have worked great for me so far. I've had 2 flats all season one on a Torelli superlight and one on a Greenlight, both were pinch flats that would have flatted just about any tube. I've swapped tires many times on the same tubes I just use baby powder in the tire to help the tube move around without pinching. I've raced 4 races with them without a problem.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Vernon Lee
a Weekend Warrior
from Singapore Date Reviewed: September 5, 2000
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Weight
Weaknesses:
Leaks air horrendously Have to pump up tires b4 every ride
After the initial fad about their weight, I got tired of them because I had to pump them up b4 every ride (very inconvenient). Other than being quite durable, they are hardly worth their weight savings unless of course, if you are a weight weenie.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Schwinnman
a Cross Country Rider
from Massachusetts,USA Date Reviewed: August 16, 2000
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
light weight
Weaknesses:
Cost and they leak if not blow out at the seems
Similar Products Used:
Maxxis flyweight
Bike Setup:
schwinn s9five race face xtr king/mavic 517's panaracer fire xc pro's
Bottom Line:
These tubes where great last year, didn't have a blow out till this spring then I purchased tubes this year and have had nothing but blow out after blow out! Figured it had to be something in the tire or a burr on the rim! Nope nothing! So one week later and another greenlite later I decided to see exactly where the leek was! Bingo 3 small breaks in the seam that runs along the rim side so I checked for burrs again! Nothing but I re volex taped the rim anyhow! One week later another dead soldier and big shocker leaks along the same seam! Might wanna check your quality control dept. panaracer! I loved em last year but I switched to the maxxis flyweight since due to this problem! At 12 bucks a pop I'm not up for a one a week blown tube! They are light and fast but only for a week!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Madison, WI Date Reviewed: July 19, 2000
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Strengths:
Light weight
Weaknesses:
Can't patch, expensive
Similar Products Used:
air-b latex, lots of butyl tubes
Bike Setup:
Mavic 217 rims with specialized team control/master tires and velox rim strips
Bottom Line:
I have only blown one of these tubes, and that was because some dumb*** wasn't paying attention and went right in front of me. My front tire hit his bike and the tube blew. Otherwise I have not had any problems with them, and I run them at about 45-55psi. They hold air pretty well too, I have to pump them up again every 7-10 days. My only complaint is the price, but I can't complain too much considering how long they have lasted me.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Klagenfurt, Austria, Carinthia Date Reviewed: July 17, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Jew Jump
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
-light -green
Weaknesses:
-explode a few minutes after installing.... -very expensive
Similar Products Used:
-Schwalbe -Continental -Michelin -Specialized
Bike Setup:
FSR XC; Formula Evoluzione 00; Easton handlebar
Bottom Line:
DON'T BUY THESE TUBES BECAUSE THEY EXPLODE SOME MINUTES AFTER INSTALLING!!! Their green colour is the only reason why you can buy them....!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Eric
a Cross Country Rider
from Altamonte Springs, FL Date Reviewed: June 21, 2000
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
light holds air well
Weaknesses:
not as light as they claimed (110g to their claimed 90g) hard to patch
Similar Products Used:
specialized cheap butyls
Bike Setup:
Fisher with SX-Ti and Bonti revolt st tires
Bottom Line:
I got 2 of these and put them on each wheel. It is a great way to lose rotating wieght. On my 3rd ride I pinched the front one at 50 psi. Even with park gp-2 patches( which are supposed to work on this tube) it was very difficult to get a patch to stay. I am not saying they flat much easier than regular tubes, but when they do, you might as well throw it away. 2 value chilis because they are practiclly disposable. 4 overall becaus they are light.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mike
a
from new jersey Date Reviewed: May 31, 2000
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Lightweight
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
all the usual suspects
Bottom Line:
I finally got a flat after a year of riding on the same tubes. And I'm blaming it on my new sucky IRC semi-slick tires which don't have any sidewall strength! These tubes are great and I agree with J who did the review before mine. Coat 'em with baby powder, run 50 psi and no worries.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
J
a Racer
from NE Date Reviewed: May 6, 2000
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Light weight
Bottom Line:
Longest lasting tubes I have EVER owned in 6 years. Bought 2 in Feb 99 and they are still rolling again this season. Coat your tires with some baby powder and run pressures around 50 psi and they will last forever - NO FLATS. I suspect that all the other people who had problems with these tubes ran them at 35 or 40 psi. At those pressures you are just begging for flats no matter what type of tube you are using.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
schwinnintzkyer derab
a Weekend Warrior
from london Date Reviewed: April 11, 2000
Favorite Trail:
city
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
none
Weaknesses:
flat flat flat
Similar Products Used:
maxxis there are much better
Bike Setup:
18 pound
Bottom Line:
i can't understand why many peoples for these product give moer than 2 stars this tube is very very very bad( 2flats after 10mi riding on the street 0 stars when possible
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chee Kwang
a Weekend Warrior
from Singapore Date Reviewed: March 14, 2000
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Was skeptical about how much can a 90g tube do! Now I can pop a wheelie higher, my Big Sur appears to have more bounce, too.
Similar Products Used:
Ordinary tubes
Bottom Line:
Try this one or any other brands. You can really feel the difference!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
James McLellan
a Cross Country Rider
from West Harford CT Date Reviewed: January 22, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Nepaug
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Light weight @98, thats the name of my game
Weaknesses:
Leak, slow but sure
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Lights @125
Bike Setup:
AMP B4F4 with Hutchinson Python Golds, net 22 lbs 8 oz's
Bottom Line:
No pinch flats, did experience steady slow leak week to week of about 5 lbs, not a problem during rides, just check presures before each ride. Combined with the Python's, a super combination. Running at 30 lbs for supper grip and soft ride on the AMP.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
T.R.
a Cross-Country Rider
from Germany Date Reviewed: January 7, 2000
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
These Tubes are lightweight, mine weight about 94 gr. For this weight you got a reliable tube, it's durable and performs well. I got one flat on the first ride, but I rode with low air pressure. After riding with high pressure 3,5 bar, I did not get a pinching flat till this time.
Weaknesses:
You can't fix the tube with the parktool patch for a long time, after 3 months of riding the tube, which had lost air the first ride, lost air a second time. After controlling the tube, I recognized that the parktool glueless patch peeled off the tube. Moreover the price is very expensive, for a tube that you can't fix reliable.
Similar Products Used:
Schwalbe Extralight Tubes, it weights 130 gr and performs well. Did not get much flats in 4 years of using them.
Bike Setup:
Ti - Hardtail with 98 er SID.
Bottom Line:
I like the ride with this tubes, with the right air pressure they perfom well and I did not have problems with flats. I dislike, that you can't fix the tubes with the glueless patches. I recommend you to buy a new one, if you flat this tube. Use the patches only for short time and replace the tube soon. Therefore I give three stars.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross-Country Rider
from Victoria, BC Date Reviewed: January 6, 2000
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Light
Weaknesses:
patching
Similar Products Used:
specialized ultalight tube
Bike Setup:
Cannondale F2000SL, Proflex 957
Bottom Line:
These tubes are a great why to save wieght, you just have to accept there limitations. 1. They do loose air faster than butyls 2. They are hard to patch(park glues will temporarily for pinches and permenently for pucntures on the tops. 3. Good stiff rim strips like michelin are necessary 4. They do die after a year or so. 5. Overall I love them.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jeff
a Cross-Country Rider
from Traverse, Michigan Date Reviewed: November 11, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Vasa, north country
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Very Lightweight
Weaknesses:
lose a little air over a few weeks
Similar Products Used:
Torrelli
Bike Setup:
Klein Attitude, Sid xc
Bottom Line:
A great very lightweight tube, I run about 45 psi in some Michelin Comp S and have not had a flat all year long, and I ride about five times a week. Over the course of about 2 weeks they lose about 5 psi or so, but the lightweight is well worth it. The biggest recomendation is have some high quality rim strips installed, I'm using the ones that came with my crossmax anyway a great tube.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Roland
a Cross-Country Rider
from Darmstadt, Germany Date Reviewed: October 26, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Kinzigtal Trails, Odenwald forest
Duration Product Used:
tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
Light (at 100 g per tube) No flats so far Reasonable price
Weaknesses:
Lighty loosing air
Similar Products Used:
Schwalbe AV13
Bottom Line:
I tested the tube as a lend from a friend during a longer tour. It is great, quite lightweight, although it lost lightly air, but that may also be the reason of a damaged Presta valve. However, if this hell-of-a-tube is available with Schrader, I'm gonna buy myself some and use them always.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Madlem
a Racer
from Marietta, GA Date Reviewed: October 26, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Light
Weaknesses:
Cost Quality
Similar Products Used:
Maxxis Fly Weight, Torelli, etc.
Bottom Line:
Great tube to shave weight where it counts; however, they are very prone to flats. I have gone through two tubes after less than 70 miles of use. The bottom line is that no tube lasts forever, but this one is decent for those of us that don't mind spending $10-15 to save some weight. I would recommend the Maxxis Fly-Weight tubes over this product because they are half the price and lighter!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jack
a Racer
from JAX, FL Date Reviewed: October 6, 1999
Favorite Trail:
To many to list...
Duration Product Used:
more than 3 years
Strengths:
Weight savings in the right place!!! Noticable speed increase! Faster Climbing!
Weaknesses:
Can leak down over time Don't last forever
Similar Products Used:
ALL of the above and then some.
Bike Setup:
Mantra Pro SX/Ti 9.9 TREK/White SC70UL CaneCreek WAMS VELOX rim tape.
Bottom Line:
Buy these if want to lower the weight of your bike and go faster. The weight savings is noticable when you put power to the pedals - especially going up hill. I saved 250 grams over butyls and it's really noticable when you take weight away at the wheels especially at the very outside of the wheel. The bottom line is these tubes are no worse than regular butyl's when it comes to flatting. The problem is when it does flat it hurts worse because it hits the pocket a little harder. I myself have had no out of the ordinary problems with these tubes. When I did have a flat with them I would of also had a flat with any other tube. I'm giving them 5 stars cause I can think of no other upgrade I can do to my bike for under $25 that make as big a differnece in performance as these tubes do. Buy a set and find out for your self, but remember they are tubes and take a lot of abuse. They will flat eventually just as all tubes do.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Justin Couch
a Cross-Country Rider
from Kalama, WA Date Reviewed: July 30, 1999
Favorite Trail:
siouxan
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Light, failry durable, best of all the UL's. (for me anyway)
Weaknesses:
Price, I have weighed 5 and not one has been under 100g.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized UL, Vittoria, etc.
Bike Setup:
Ventana MPFS, SID, XTR, Synchros, Raceface, etc.
Bottom Line:
Good tubes, perform well, very light (not 90g.!!) I wish these people would stop lying about their weight. Actually, it seems both sides do it. STOP LYING, SOME OF US CHECK THESE THINGS!!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ErikR
a Cross-Country Rider
from msla MT Date Reviewed: July 12, 1999
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Light, low rolling resistance, easy patch, great at high pressures
Weaknesses:
leaks slowly over a week
Similar Products Used:
AirB junk, Torelli bad junk Specialized chen
Bike Setup:
Specialized FS
Bottom Line:
One awsome tube!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
German Boy
a Cross-Country Rider
from Dachau Date Reviewed: May 29, 1999
Favorite Trail:
alps
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
light & green
Weaknesses:
difficult to mount them don´t like hot rims
Similar Products Used:
Schwalbe extra-light
Bike Setup:
Giant MCM Team, XTR-V´s w/Koolstop
Bottom Line:
This tubes do not weigh 90 g - mine are 105 each! After hard braking on my last downhill ride the front tire lost air, but I luckiely reach my car. At home I pulled out the tube: It looks like a wheird condome: Bubbles where it has contact to the rimtape. Now I´am trying Maxxis Flyweigts, which are lighter and I hope more durable.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Larry
a Weekend Warrior
from San Mateo, CA Date Reviewed: March 29, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Skeggs
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Light as hell...
Weaknesses:
Needs Air Before every ride...
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz superlight
Bottom Line:
I have had these tubes going on my 3rd bike now ! the same set of tubes for almost 3 years now. I have had no problem with them. I have had a couple flats (not pinch flats tho) and glueless patches work well on them. The only thing about these tubes is that you need to check the air pressure before every ride. Big deal ! I always check my bike before I ride anyways. Dont buy them if your lazy...
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bas Bijvank
a racer
from the Netherlands Date Reviewed: March 5, 1999
Bottom Line:
I LOVE THEM. I got 4 greenlites at a bargain of $5 a piece. still have two of the in my tool box because the other two are still (after 1 year) perfect. And every one who is saying they are so expensive, TRY TO LOOSE 70 GRAM A WHEEL FOR $5 OR FOR THE RETAIL PRICE OF $15. THATS 140 GRAM OF ROTATING MASS LESS FOR $30 !!!!!!!!! THAT MY DEAR IS A BARGAIN.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
funman
a racer
from Seattle Date Reviewed: February 26, 1999
Bottom Line:
I don't know what everybody has been doing wrong but I have greenlites on the front of both my bikes and my wife's for the past year without a problem. Gone through a couple butyl rear tubes in that time. Put a little baby powder in side the tire casing, pump her up and ride. If your a fat ass use regular tubes. Four stars only because I won't use them on the front and the price.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Edge
a cross-country rider
from Palm Beach, Florida Date Reviewed: February 25, 1999
Bottom Line:
I really HATE being one of the herd but this product DOES suck, I had three blowouts, leaks or whatever in one day, without even riding my damn bike. Until the tyres deflated, they were light. I would naturally NOT buy Panaracer stuff again unless I had no other choice.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
N. DOugh
a cross-country rider
from San Francisco, CA Date Reviewed: January 27, 1999
Bottom Line:
I seem to be in the Greenlites suck group here.I bought 3 of these expensive tubes and installed them on Mavic rims with Velox cloth rim tape. Before leaving the garage next morning, one of the tubes blew out right on the spoke bed. Replaced this on with the third greenlite before my riding buddy arrived. The ride that day was across the Bay. Almost to the trailhead when I hear a loud pssssssssss coming from the back of the truck. You can guess where that came from. Got to the trail head and I was in a foul mood. Good thing I my trusty spare ultralite butyl tube or there would not have been a ride that day.I'm going to contact panaracer to see what if anything they can/will do about an obviously defective product. Will post my results when I have some.Ride on!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Craig
a cross-country rider
from York, PA Date Reviewed: November 18, 1998
Bottom Line:
Sure, they're light. But how many pinch flats do you have to suffer through at $13 a pop before you switch back to regular tubes? The weight savings is nice, but not nice enough to spend your precious riding time patching flats.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sweet Jimmy
a racer
from Date Reviewed: November 1, 1998
Bottom Line:
Green Lite tubes are a great waw to save weight. They do however take special care (expecialy concerning the quality and placement of the rim tape). The major downfall to these tubes is that they are more succeptiable to pinch flats. But in their defence you can notice a slight improvement in snappy acceleration. During the past racing season I had absolutely no problems useing them through training and the eight race season. I did worry about the risk of pinch flats. To remedy this potental problem I decided to only use one in the front (the front wheel is less likely to suffer from pinch flats). I would reccomend them if you are concerned about saving every gram. But I would not reccomend to use them if you do not care about racing or if you plan to ride deep into a trail with out a spare.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Harry
a weekend warrior
from Colorado Springs Date Reviewed: September 23, 1998
Bottom Line:
These are green garbage. I followed the instructions, pumped it up and the tube exploded 2 hours later. I hadn't even ridden on it. The tube stretched across the spoke nipples (which were covered with rim tape) and tore. Save your money! Buy Air-b's if you can find them. They're excellent. Light and resistant to pinch flats.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Thierry Visart
a cross-country rider
from Brussels, Belgium Date Reviewed: September 19, 1998
Bottom Line:
HMM ! A little bit confused by so divergent reviews.I 've been riding with these tubes for weeks now, and without any problem hitherto. Since my dealer sold them for ~$ 7, I don't regret it at all, but I don't feel a real difference with conventional black tubes (~150 grams) which are, I guess, much more stronger and cheaper.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jim catterson
a weekend warrior
from ny Date Reviewed: August 10, 1998
Bottom Line:
followed all of the instructions, proper rim tape yada yada....two rides in the single track heaven of the local pine barrons and both tires are now flat. no visible signs of trauma and i run pretty high pressure too. no matter what the last guy said , if the product won't stand up to even limited use it's worthless. sorta like balsa chainring bolts [but they are soooo light!!!] thus one flaming dead horse
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kevin Punter
a weekend warrior
from Sydney Australia Date Reviewed: June 27, 1998
Bottom Line:
THESE TUBES ARE NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR NORMAL TUBES!!! READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!!!These tubes are exactly what they've been designed to be, light. If you have zero intention of handling them correctly or using an appropriate rim, rim tape and type combination then I'm afraid you're going to be the jockey of a bad experience.When used properly, these tubes reduce mass at the wheel circumference and improve performance - THEY DO!!!I suppose the box they come in should have a CAUTION or WARNING sticker. It seems that there will always be people drinking bottles of acid because the manufacturing forgot to put DON'T DRINK on the label.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark Stewart
a cross-country rider
from Alberta, Canada Date Reviewed: June 26, 1998
Bottom Line:
Super-SUPER light. You will notice the rotating weight loss with these. You will also notice your tire levers and pump are used alot more and the weight loss is countered by the two spare butyl tubes you must carry to ensure you're not walking home. Remember, reliability is worth a few grams. I wish they were less expensive for their lifespan and I'd consider them again. Back to Michelin lightweights for me. Incidently, I rode one (on road) for two weeks and bought another. At this point I flatted both in one off road ride. Bad luck on the front (twig through tread) , Bad karma on the back (just went flat).
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
djm
a cross-country rider
from Massachusetts Date Reviewed: June 22, 1998
Bottom Line:
Well, one of my new Greenlights blew a massive hole just minutes after I installed it. The other one's been going great for a month, over all kinds of nasty, rocky, New England terrain. Why the disparity? Well, one of the spoke holes was partially exposed on the first rim, and the tube just oozed right through it and blew. These tubes, apparently, have little to no stretch, so they have to be handled very carefully. Any deformation will cause trouble. My bike shop advised installing Velo cloth rim strips, which are very tough and protect the tube from the spoke holes better than the plastic kind. One worry - patching flats on the trail. Supposedly, quick patches (like Park's) work well. But, I tried one on the blown tube and it did not stick at all. Any experience out there with patching these things?
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
SDZ
a racer
from USA Date Reviewed: June 15, 1998
Bottom Line:
I ride w/50 psi in both front and rear. I have rode w/ the same tube in the front for almost one year w/ no problem. The rear is a different story. I have not been able to go on more than five rides with out a pinch flat. This is not the case w/ regular tubes.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Greg Thomas
a racer
from California Date Reviewed: June 8, 1998
Bottom Line:
I got 2 free ones. After 1 month 1 split on the inside, the rim and rim tape look fine. The other one is still up and holds air well. I don't think I'd spend money on them. It's safer to find a good tire weight. Also, the combo latex/butyl tubes seem a lot more reliable and are low weight.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jason stelter
a racer
from richmond, ky Date Reviewed: June 1, 1998
Bottom Line:
THESE TUBES SUCK!!!! I BOUGHT THEM A MONTH AGO, AND ONLY ONE OF THEM WOULD HOLD ANY AIR. THE OTHER ONE HAD A HOLE IN IT FROM THE FACTORY. THE SEAM AROUND THE VALVE WAS SHOT. THE OTHER ONE THAT COULD HOLD AIR IN IT WORKED FOR A MONTH. THEN THE SEAM ON THE TUBE SPLIT. THE SPLIT IS ABOUT SIX INCHES LONG. I WAS USING 55PSI, AND I WAS STILL IN THE TRAIL PARKING LOT WHEN IT BLEW. THE TUBES ARE GREAT WHEN THEY WORK, BUT NOW I AM OUT $24 FOR TWO TUBES. I WOULD GIVE THESE THINGS ZERO CHILIES IF I COULD. THEY HAVE NO QUALITY EVEN THOUGH THEY COST AN ARM AND A LEG. THIS IS THE LAST TIME I BUY ANY CRAP FROM PANARACER!!!!!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
moron
a weekend warrior
from moron city Date Reviewed: May 5, 1998
Bottom Line:
These tubes look really cool. That is the only reason I got these. They really add a nice splash of color to my Huffy and I really like the look of the printing on the tube. I get all the chicks now and everyone wishes they were me. a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim Lanham
a weekend warrior
from Jacksonville, FL Date Reviewed: May 1, 1998
Bottom Line:
After only a couple of rides, one of them flatted. The rim tape abraded through the tube near the valve stem. They're very light and inflate fast, but, it's back to three dollar tubes for me. They can be made useful by cutting them up into dozens of expensive green rubber bands.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
RS
a cross-country rider
from Penang, Malaysia Date Reviewed: April 10, 1998
Bottom Line:
Stop trashing (in all senses of the word) this wonder tube! Ifyou've been having pinch flats with Greenlites, you've probably been handling them very roughly. I've had them on my Fisher Big Sur for two months (average rough-terrain riding of 20 miles a day) and they haven't blown yet. The trick is to insert them carefully and to make sure you have tough-wearing tyres like Continental's Cross Country and Navigator Pro. Also, go for optimal air inflation -- 45 to 55psi. Greenlites offer the cheapest way to save on rotational mass... for me anyway, since I get a good deal on them from my LBS. Great product, Panaracer!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
leighton
a weekend warrior
from Muir Beach Date Reviewed: March 22, 1998
Bottom Line:
The benefit of light weight is an illusion. The cost is poor performance. Standard butyl tubes carried me 12 months with no flats on a previous bike. My new bike outfittted with Greenlight Tubes had a pinch flat the third day. When I took the pinched tube out and located the leak, there were 3 other near misses on the tube that caused visible creases that hadn't quite broken through. It's only a matter of time. The tubes are not yet reliable. The weight savings are not worth the performance hit.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim
a cross-country rider
from Wisconsin Date Reviewed: March 17, 1998
Bottom Line:
These tubes are awsome!! They lasted longer than my specalized airlock tubes, and weigh a third less. I am no light wight (I am 6'2 and weigh 190), and tubes don't seem to last long with me, but these not only saved some weight (not that I can really tell) but they lasted much longer than I expected.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Syncro
a racer
from Germany Date Reviewed: March 14, 1998
Bottom Line:
When I read the reviews I can`t believe what people are saying. I weight 180 ! pounds and i rode these tubes for about 1000 km's ! during several races ! I've experienced no flats or snakebites or any other damage! With all other Butyls i had flats almost every second ride ! I can only recommend these tubes for racing!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve Weaver
a weekend warrior
from Florida Date Reviewed: February 23, 1998
Bottom Line:
Lost 3 of 4 GL's last year to factory Mavic 220 rim tape(replaced w/velox) and two from poor manufactured molding seams on tube. Ready to write them off but first sent complaint to panaracer.com. Rep said they had early production run problems and had 4(only 3 had failed) delivered to my in 6 days from email day. With customer satisfaction like that NO further problems, can I be mad?!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Marky
a racer
from Brockville, Canada Date Reviewed: January 22, 1998
Bottom Line:
I wish I could post a hundred good reviews to counteract all the bad ones!! I have been racing on Greenlites for over two years and have never changed a tube!I ride with it only on the front, run about 50-55 psi, and have good rimstrips installed. If you do that you will have great luck with these tubes. They weigh much less than light weight butyl and don't leak like latex.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gram Counter
a weekend warrior
from SF Bay Area, CA Date Reviewed: November 10, 1997
Bottom Line:
Unsafe at any speed, that's what I'd call the Greenlights. I ran them for 6 months with no trouble, then got a snakebite. Tried the Park patch kit, and the patches just flaked off. Then I noticed that the inside of the tube next to the rim had streatched so much that the tube was almost transparent. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that if the snakebite hadn't gotten it, the thinning would have. Still, I put in the spare Greenlight and kept riding. Less than a month later, the front (now about 8 months old) let go, all at once. Fortunately I was climbing at the time, and just stopped without mishap. When I removed the tube, it was split along the rim strip for about 12, and had the same transparent/thin look as the tube that got the snakebite. The only good thing I can say about the Greenlights is that this one didn't go when I was bombing down a fast fireroad. Even if you have had good luck with Greenlights so far, check them regularly for thinning on the inner side, and carry a regular tube and patch kit to get you home.I've since switched to Specialized Turbos, and after a year am still on the same tubes. Yes, I've patched a thorn or two, but otherwise have had great luck. And they weigh about the same as the Greenlights.YMMVGram
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Simon
a racer
from Taiwan Date Reviewed: October 1, 1997
Bottom Line:
Very good quality, very light,roll well, use them for what they have been designed for : Racing. And yes light tubes do puncture but it does not mean that they are bad...!it just mean that they are light and this is the first reason why we use them...
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mad Hatter
a racer
from Santa Cruz Date Reviewed: September 16, 1997
Bottom Line:
Used these for the first time at last yrs Sea Otter Classic in Monterey. 20 minutes into the race I flattet (I was running 50 psi!) Changed to a tsndard tube and resumed. 1/2 hr later, I flatted the other. Threw in my last regular tube. I finished way back in the race. I'm still riding on the regular tubes I put in during the race. Rule to live by: A light bike won't get you anywhere if you can't ride it. (I took off my drive train and my bike's really light!!!) DUH!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
paul hardy
a racer
from fairfax, va Date Reviewed: August 16, 1997
Bottom Line:
never had a problem and i beat the heck out of my bike racing.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
M.R.
a cross-country rider
from Portland, Oregon USA Date Reviewed: August 15, 1997
Bottom Line:
I Had Just Purchased A Set Of Mavic Crossmax Wheels, And I Figured That After Replacing The Heavy Plastic Rim Strips Which Come Stock, With Rox Superdute Ultralight Rim Tape. (Approximately 3.35g\Wheel) The Next Addition I Would Make Would Be The Addition Of Panaracer Greenlite Tubes.....So Far I Have Had NO Problems.(NO Pinch Flats Or Punctures) And I Am Surprised At How Long (+3 1\2 Days) My Tubes Have Held 50PSI.....This Is Longer Than The Vittoria Laytex Tubes I Had Replaced! I Also Bought A Park PS-2 Glueless Patch Kit. (As Recomended By The Panaracer On-Line Rep.) Just In Case I Get A Puncture. So I Would Have To Give 5 Stars. (They Work For Me)
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Anders Forsberg
a cross-country rider
from Linkoping, Sweden Date Reviewed: July 30, 1997
Bottom Line:
Had them for +100 miles and never had a flat!!! Yes, they leak, but I always check the pressure before riding anyway so that's no problem for me. I ride with high pressure in my tires.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
MONO
a cross-country rider
from Colombia Date Reviewed: July 29, 1997
Bottom Line:
Greenlites suck!!!. I thought they were a tube fit to match a pair of Crosslands and two of the three I bought came with tiny holes along the seams, so they would deflate every couple of days. THESE TUBES MAKE IT HARD AS HELL TO PUT A PATCH ON IN A NORMAL PLACE SO IMAGINE ON THE SEAM!!! LBS changed the tubes, but the new ones still flat out very easily. DONT BUY THIS ITEM. Others might have noticed that the heat that builds up on the rim during downhill braking also makes the inner part of the tube to become thin and weak...
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dodo
a weekend warrior
from San Francisco Date Reviewed: June 25, 1997
Bottom Line:
I weight 145 pounds. I use the greelite on the front wheel only and I had no problem for the last year. In the back is a different story. They do not seem to last has much. A suggestion. To fix flats I use SuperGlue (the crazy stuff that binds happily to your skin) AND a self-adesive patch. The combination seem to solve the problem of the patch peeling off. Dodo
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Justin
a cross-country rider
from Milwaukee Date Reviewed: June 25, 1997
Bottom Line:
The tubes leak, expensive, and cause nothing but trouble for me.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Christopher
a cross-country rider
from Singapore Date Reviewed: June 23, 1997
Bottom Line:
Lite shit boy!!!!!!! Got my first flat on the first week!!!!!! and this tube cost me $20 bucks each.............change to normal latex tube since and never had any flat yet.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jake Petre
a cross-country rider
from LaSalle, IL Date Reviewed: June 9, 1997
Bottom Line:
These are a waste of money! They flat very easily...and they're not even 90g--they're 105g! Zero stars.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andi
a
from Hamburg / Germany Date Reviewed: June 6, 1997
Bottom Line:
I use them for three months now and no problems ! Very light stuff and you can use those gluelesspds from Park Tools to fix a flat.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
pETTIT
a cross-country rider
from North California Date Reviewed: May 31, 1997
Bottom Line:
OK, I'll add my experiences with Greenlite tubes. I bought three, put them on front and back. Popped and could not repair two of them within days. I put a lot of miles on every week off road, heavy on the hills, both dirt and gravel. The last tube has been on my front now for 8 months. Loses about 10 lbs each week. It keeps on ticking. Guess it's a keeper.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Racer X
a racer
from Maine Date Reviewed: May 18, 1997
Bottom Line:
Only one flat in more than two months, huge difference in weight and rotational weight. It takes at least half a pound off of your bike if you have butyl tubes. You can sprint like a mad- man. If you're lookin' to safe weight this is an inexpensive way to do it, but be sure to have the patch kit and pump just- in- case.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
C. Johnston
a cross-country rider
from Canada Date Reviewed: May 9, 1997
Bottom Line:
Waste of money. Zero stars. To anyone who says they look cool- Who the hell sees your tubes? Who the hell cares????!!!! If you like to look cool while changing flats, then buy the Greenlites.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jeff
a cross-country rider
from Milwaukee, WI Date Reviewed: May 2, 1997
Bottom Line:
Tried one for the heck of it. Blew up on the first ride. Nobody sells patch kits for it around here. Crap. No stars.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
RYAN
a weekend warrior
from LOUISIANA Date Reviewed: April 28, 1997
Bottom Line:
THEY SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. THEY BOTH FLATTED ON ME IN ONE DAY. THEY SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I WISH I COULD GIVE THEM -5 STARS. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH THEY SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
d
a weekend warrior
from tx Date Reviewed: April 26, 1997
Bottom Line:
haven't had any problems - been riding with them for the past 2 months and love them so far....nothing like losing that rotational mass... accelerates quickly...but has an annoying boing when riding. you eventually get used to it. flats? well, i cheated...i'm using spinskins which are great! i've ridden over cacti and haven't seen a flat yet. i'm not joking...spinskins + these greenlights and you have a cheap upgrade for great performance and light weight. i previously ran specialized airlocks - talk about heavy.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Martin
a cross-country rider
from Brussels Date Reviewed: March 28, 1997
Bottom Line:
They are between 100 and 110 grams. No other problems,but i have been using them for 2 weeks only.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Burn
a cross-country rider
from Singapore Date Reviewed: March 9, 1997
Bottom Line:
these suck. flatted out twice on me in one trail. tossed them and got the torelli tubes, they come in about 120g but at least you know you are riding on good ol' butyl.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Paul Hiles
a weekend warrior
from Cardiff,Wales Date Reviewed: March 4, 1997
Bottom Line:
This product is with no doubt the worst purchase i have ever made ! The tubes are particularly prone to snakebites and when they do puncture they tend to make large unrepairable holes. If used on thin rims such as Campags then they do not last more than a few weeks ! The saving in weight is NOT WORTH IT.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Larry McElroy
a cross-country rider
from SF, CA Date Reviewed: February 19, 1997
Bottom Line:
I've had these on my mountain bike since last fall--no flats. They feel good, in the way that a light bike feels faster. I put a set on my road bike a while back too. One flat--but that was because the rim strip fell apart and the rim eyelets cut the tube (my fault). A fine product, and considering how important rotating weight is, these tubes are a nice shortcut to knocking off some ounces and going faster.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David Karasek
a racer
from Omaha, NE Date Reviewed: February 18, 1997
Bottom Line:
Don't buy these. Polyurethane tubes suck, especially these. Go to latex if you want light weight. After riding these tubes for about month I got my first flat. When I took out the tube I noticed along the portion of the tube that was facing the rim, it had started to stretch. I patched the tube from a thorn, then I got another flat, the tube had stretched so much in the spot near the rim that it just gave out, creating a big hole. It was thin all the way around the tube near the rim. They are light though. Green is neat.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kenn Miller
a downhiller
from Agoura, CA Date Reviewed: February 16, 1997
Bottom Line:
After reading the reviews on this product it seems people either love them or hate them. I have used a set of these in my GT LTS Team for several Cross Country races and felt the weight savings was very beneficial. I also had no flats in any of these races. The only time I have had problems are when I don't check tire pressure before a ride and then I slam through some really rough terrain. Punctures are a bit more of a problem because the tubes are so thin. I would have to say that if you are a gram counter like me (is that an oxymoron since I ride a full suspension rig?)ride light like the guy from T.O. and you regularly check tire pressure you will benefit from this fine product.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ewan McNeill
a cross-country rider
from Scotland Date Reviewed: February 11, 1997
Bottom Line:
These tubes work just like normal tubes and no punctures in the 2 months since I got them. P.s I use XC Magic comp tiers
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve Barnett
a cross-country rider
from Mazama, WA Date Reviewed: February 9, 1997
Bottom Line:
I have got a whole season out of these but they are vulnerable . Rim strips must cover spoke holes well. GP-1 Park patches do not work well but the new GP-2 patches seem to be better. It's stupid that Panaracer sells these without distributing the proper patch kit as well. Over all I'm happy to have lighter wheels, and reliability has been good enough. When I ride on snow with lower tire pressure, or in the desert, I use other tubes.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brad
a racer
from Hammond louisiana Date Reviewed: January 31, 1997
Bottom Line:
These tubes didn't even last for one road ride. Crap. Zero Stars.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sean Evans
a cross-country rider
from Bridlington, Yorkshire, UK Date Reviewed: January 28, 1997
Bottom Line:
I bought two of these tubes, then the one on the rear exploded! I bought a replacement and it too exploded! I was only fire-roading at the time! The only good thing about them is their weight. Their cost and durability are a big no-no. I use butyl tubes now. I used a pair of air-b latex tubes about five years ago. The first time I took them out, I had too many punctures and ran out of patches. I made it home with grass in my tyres! Don't buy lightweight tubes if you hate fixing flats.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Phil
a racer
from ringwood, N.J Date Reviewed: January 25, 1997
Bottom Line:
Do not buy these tubes they suck. They puncture very easily and even though they are light it is not worth the money.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
LC Smooth
a cross-country rider
from Compton,CA Date Reviewed: January 20, 1997
Bottom Line:
There is no doubt about it,Greenlites are even worse than the old polylites, look hard at them, and they will pinch.I have tried all liteweights on the market: Air-B sucks (except for their road tubes), Panaracer sucks bigtime, Delta Latex is the worst ever, I had one explode at the starting line, 2 minutes before a race, Specialized Turbo works well for about a month, then you'll start to get mystery flats all the time. There is however one superior tube on the market : Clement Butex. They weigh 93 grams, so they are as light as Greenlites, but I had NO flats on them during the entire season (racing and training). They are latex, so they should work like Air B's, but they are 10 times better.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a cross-country rider
from New Berlin, Wi Date Reviewed: January 18, 1997
Bottom Line:
Our race team had these tubes in all of our bikes. (Our bike sponsor built the bikes with them) We where even given six extra tubes. It wasn't more than a couple of weeks before all of them where curbside waiting for weekly pick up. I didn't even feel comfortable using one as back up in case I flatted. Is weight savings so important that you spend most of your time levering and pumping?
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Art Vasenius
a cross-country rider
from Costa Mesa, Ca Date Reviewed: January 18, 1997
Bottom Line:
They suck! They are prone to snake bites. They also don't like some patches. The slow leaks tend to start to become fast leaks over time. For one who is prone to flats the green tubes made me a flat looking for a trail to happen. The less weight is not worth the high price or the added problems.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Neiertz Tom
a racer
from Mondercange (LUXEMBOURG) Date Reviewed: January 15, 1997
Bottom Line:
I'm riding now Greenlite tubes for a year and I'm fully satisfied with it. They look cool and what's important: you save weight!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
PBlum
a cross-country rider
from Memphis, TN Date Reviewed: January 1, 1997
Bottom Line:
I have been running these tubes for a year now without any problems. I typically keep inflation at 40 psi. Granted, I do not jump my bike off the roof of my house, but these should work well for most cross country riders (but downhillers might want to use something more sturdy). Although expensive, these tubes remove weight where it does the most good (rolling weight). The only drawback is the slow leakage of air, which is not an issue if you check inflation before your ride. If you're a low maintenance type, you might want to stick with regular butyl tubes. Great product!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
keven
a weekend warrior
from Redondo Beach, CA Date Reviewed: December 24, 1996
Bottom Line:
I have been riding on these tube for about 3 months. I have had no problems. I have noticed that they loose some air, but come on, pumping a tire up every few weeks isnt going to kill you. I dont believe that these tubes are more puncture prone than regular ones. You will have a flat irregardless of what tube you have if something penetrates your tire. MTB magazine published an article on patch kits, and they claim that the Park kit can be used on these tubes. I havent had a flat yet, so I cant say its true. I carry a cheap tube as a backup when riding. People told me that I should try and save weight somewhere else on my bike. I think this is an ignorant assumption. Rolling weight is a larger problem, and tell me how you can shave off 1/2 pound on your bike for around $35? I would give this product a higher rating, but the price is still to high.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ultra
a racer
from Spokane, Washington Date Reviewed: December 20, 1996
Bottom Line:
Let's see, who would buy tubes that cost $15 each, lose air through the latex, and when punctured can't be patched? Not me!!! So, in conclusion if you have money to burn, run 100psi to prevent flats, and have strong arm muscules to pump the things up every day - these are the perfect tubes for you.
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Submitted by
John Duffett
a racer
from Canada Date Reviewed: December 14, 1996
Bottom Line:
I know two guys who bought these things, along with the cool new tires. They both got flats their first race after installation.
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Submitted by
Hellclimber
a cross-country rider
from Date Reviewed: December 14, 1996
Bottom Line:
I was both curious and cautious when I bought one greeney tube. I bought only one because they are expensive and I had been hearing horror tales about them. I have it on my front wheel for one month and have ridden three or four times a week since then. True, they do lose some air but the overall performance was unreal. I havent had any pucture probably because I inflate them to 50 psi. My front wheel is lighter than ever and it can be noticable when riding. The most important weight saves are always on the rolling parts and the more distant the weight save is from the center the best results one gets.
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Submitted by
Fish
a cross-country rider
from Singapore Date Reviewed: December 6, 1996
Bottom Line:
I have to add air every week or so! What is this! But the weight savings are quite worth it.Changing tires is almost a hassle though. I have to be careful that I'm not too rough with the tube (unlike normal butyl tubes) otherwise I might puncture them.Someone commented (and I support his view) that the tubes feel like dry condoms(?!) when deflated. Other than that, they have caused me no real trouble....:-)
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Submitted by
Fozzy
a cross-country rider
from Minneapolis, Mn Date Reviewed: December 5, 1996
Bottom Line:
It seems like I'm one of the lucky people have have had no troubles with these tubes. I just keep 'em inflated to 45 psi and use good rim strips, and I have had no problems. I think the extra hassle of adding air every week or so is well worth the weight savings. People whine about how much they cost, but a set of these tubes is far and away the cheapest way to make your bike lighter. In my experience, glueless patches do not work. Your local bike shop should be able to order in the special panracer patch kits.
$ 15.00
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