[nathan.j]

Getting some new tube and together im going to be saving 140g

Is there going to be a big noticable difference?

Also as never tried light tubes before, are they alot less durable than standard ones?

Cheers,
NJ

 

[Duckman]

In 125mx racing, a rule of thumb was for every 10lbs dropped, it equaled a bike length in a 100yd sprint. Sooo...because of, an old saying was born..."you might not be able to feel the difference, but the bike(engine in this case)sure will"...

Yes you can(feel it) if ridden back to back or soon afterward. Apply "legs" for "bike" in the above quote also.

I always run light tubes in my tubed wheels. Yes they go flat sooner and easier somewhat. Sometimes they last for months. Sometimes I get a flat once a week. I save'm and have big "patch kit parties(only I'm the only peson there)" and recycle them.

 

[CODMAN]

In my oppinion, if you are very much in tune with the feel of your bike, you will probably feel a small difference. Especially accelerating. But if you're not, you probably won't notice. When I swapped out heavy tubes and tires for the first time, I had saved a total of 450-500g on the wheels, and I definetly felt it when climbing!

But that's just my experience... You'll see for yourself...

With light tubes, it,s important to talk them and keep them properly inflated to avoid pinch flats (the are more prone than regular tubes!).

Hope this helps!

CODMAN

 

[baker]

Getting some new tube and together im going to be saving 140g

Is there going to be a big noticable difference?

Also as never tried light tubes before, are they alot less durable than standard ones?

Cheers,
NJ

I use both lightweight and regular tubes. I don't notice the difference besides the more frequent punctures with the lightweight ones. Maybe I'm just not a very senstive person...

In the future, I'll probably go for middleweight tubes. Save some rotating mass, while hopefully avoiding frequent punctures.

baker

 

[HTail]

No Tubes

I went from light weight tubes to NoTubes and noticed just a slight difference. Most of the difference is in low psi performance and traction, but I "think" the bike feels a little snappier in acceleration, but other factors could be present.

Honestly, I've had great luck with light weight tubes and no more flats than regular tubes. The continental vertical protection tires seem to help to that end.

Weight savings for a lot of things on mtn bikes are overrated. I believe that having a well built wheel, with properly tensioned spokes and a light weight rim & good hubs will offer more noticable performance gains over a tube change.

 

[Ultra Magnus]

I recently went from heavy duty 550 gram tubes to a "normal" ~200g tube in my rear wheel, and then back to the 550 gram indestructable tube (been riding on those tubes for like a year now) and instantly and significantly felt the difference. As soon as I put those monsters back in, I felt sluggish and way more fatigued on my regular loop. I chalk it up to training, but darting around a light wieght like sure is more fun. My loop absolutely destroys regular tubes and tires of lesser strength in no time flat.