Why TPU Tubes are Better for the Earth

We just received another shipment of TPU tubes from Germany. Demand is still so strong that production has trouble keeping up. Some models have been out of stock for a while. Right after the tubes were delivered, we shipped pre-ordered tubes to our customers. Even with those tubes sent out, all models are in stock—for now.

There are many reasons to like TPU tubes. They are superlight—lighter than latex or butyl, and also a lot lighter than tubeless sealant. They roll faster, too. They are more puncture-resistant. They pack much smaller. And the bike feels more alive with TPU tubes, making them a perfect complement for supple high-performance tires.

One thing we haven’t talked about much are the environmental benefits of TPU tubes. Being thinner and lighter, they use less material. Anytime there is less plastic brought into this world, that’s a good thing. Once they wear out, the TPU material is recyclable. Best of all, TPU tubes tend to last a long time, because punctures are easy to fix.

In theory, butyl tubes can also be patched. To make this worth while, it’s best to collect a pile and fix them in one large batch. Set up an assembly line of sorts: Prep one tube while you wait for the vulcanizing fluid on another to dry. That way, you can fix half a dozen tubes in half an hour. In fact, we published illustrated instructions with many tips and tricks in Bicycle Quarterly 79. (We sell butyl tubes, but we prefer to keep used tubes out of landfills, even if it means fewer sales.)

A four-page article on patching tubes? Yes, fixing butyl tubes isn’t exactly easy. Glueless patches work for emergencies, but you really need vulcanizing fluid to create a lasting repair.

There are many steps to the process: You have to roughen the tube with sandpaper. You need to apply vulcanizing fluid. (You hope it hasn’t dried out since you last used it.) And then you have to put the patch on the tube without wrinkles and rub it on with high pressure. If you’ve done everything right, you’re rewarded with a patch that’ll stick for good and be airtight in the long run. If you’ve messed up any one of these steps, your patch doesn’t stick right, and you start over.

Let’s face it: Those of us who patch our butyl tubes usually have a pile of tubes in the basement, waiting for the day when we’ll get around to patching them. The pile grows and grows—slowly these days, as we’re running wider tires that flat less often. Life is busy. Despite our best intentions, it’s easier to buy new tubes than to patch the old ones. Realizing this dilemma, we’ve even considered starting a tube repair service: Send in your old tubes, we pass them on to high-schoolers looking for a side gig, then return them to you. Unfortunately, that idea just wasn’t feasible once we factored in the cost and logistics of shipping tubes back and forth.

That’s where TPU tubes score. Patching them is easy: Just wipe the puncture with alcohol and stick on a self-adhesive patch. That’s all. It’s so easy that you could do it by the roadside. The alcohol wipes are sealed, so they don’t dry out—your patch kit lasts forever, ready when you need it. There’s no sanding, no waiting for vulcanizing fluid to react. In fact, finding the puncture is usually the hardest part of the entire operation.

What’s encouraging is that most customers who bought TPU tubes also ordered a patch kit—so these tubes really will get patched if they suffer a puncture. Contrasting with this, we sell very few patch kits for butyl tubes.

Realizing that riders are in fact patching their tubes, we’ve added one more patch to our kits, so you get 5 alcohol wipes and 5 patches. Because patching tubes isn’t just good for the earth, it’s also economical. These may not literally be the last tubes you’ll ever buy, but they should last you a long, long time. That goes a long way toward offsetting the higher cost of TPU tubes. Which means you can enjoy the benefits of more speed, less weight and nicer road feel without any regrets.

More information:

• 700C TPU tubes
• 650B / 26″ TPU tubes
• Patch kits and other tools