TPU Tube Re-Stock
Our latest batch of TPU tubes has arrived. Every tube size and valve type is in stock now, but some quantities are already running low: Most of the tubes were pre-ordered. We also got the patch kits back in stock…
There are quite a few TPU tubes on the market. What makes Rene Herse tubes special? It’s obviously not the blue valve caps, as much as we like them. More seriously, the main difference are the all-metal valves that are underneath those blue caps. Other TPU tubes use a plastic valve stem that’s glued onto the tube. When the metal valve core is screwed into the plastic stem, the plastic often distorts. Slow air leaks are the result. And if you tighten the valve core to get rid of the leak, you are distorting the plastic tube even more. And that means more air will leak…
Rene Herse TPU tubes use a patented valve stem that’s precision-machined from aluminum. The valve stem consists of an inner and an outer part, and the TPU tube is held between the two parts with an air-tight, unbreakable seal. Since the valve core screws into the metal valve stem, there are no mysterious air leaks.
Beyond that, we added a little thickness to the TPU material of our tubes. This adds just a few grams of weight, but it makes the tubes much stronger and also easier to install. At Rene Herse, we aren’t chasing numbers, but we make parts that offer just the right compromise between light weight and durability. The light weight of Rene Herse components is the result of using the best materials and smart design, not because we’re taking risks of failure.
Since we introduced the new TPU tubes in April, they’ve been selling out as soon as we got each new shipment. Many recent orders have been from repeat customers. Some tried the new tubes on one bike, and are now converting their entire stable. Others use TPU tubes on some bikes and run others tubeless. (We see many orders that include both TPU tubes and Rene Herse Supple Tubeless Sealant.) And many gravel racers are using TPU tubes as backups for their tubeless setups—like Brennan Wertz on the bike he rode to victory in the Gravel National Championships. (In the photo above, you can see a Rene Herse TPU tube strapped to his top tube).
If you’ve been waiting for Rene Herse TPU tubes, we’ve got all models back in stock, at least at the time of writing.
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