Pirelli has released its new SmarTUBE inner tubes for road and gravel, with huge weight and space savings promised. The lightest tube is the 23mm narrow P Zero SmarTUBE that comes in at a claimed weight of 35g, which if accurate is lighter than both Tubolito’s Tubo Road 700c at 38g and the Schwalbe Aerothan at 43g.
Available for £27.99, Pirelli’s new inner tubes are designed to enhance the performance of its road racing P Zero and endurance Cinturato models.
> Pirelli introduces all-new P Zero Road and P Zero Race clincher tyres
“Made from a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), it can save up to 70% of the weight of a general butyl tube and almost 50% of the space in your pockets, while being stronger than butyl as a raw material,” says Pirelli.
The Italian brand says the benefits over butyl tubes are a reduced rotating mass for livelier handling and quick accelerations, as well as saving space in your jersey pockets or saddle bags so you can carry more nutrition.
There’s also a reinforced Cinturato SmarTUBE model for double the puncture protection compared to a standard butyl tube.
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These seem to be reasonably lightweight for the resistance promised and Pirelli says the reinforced tubes are also compact when folded away as a spare.
The SmarTUBE inner tubes are available in a wide range of sizes, and also weights:
- P Zero SmarTUBE, 700x23c, 35g
- Cinturato SmarTUBE 650bx40, 45g
- Cinturato SmarTUBE 700x33c, 49g
- Cinturato SmarTUBE 700x28c, 70g, reinforced
- Cinturato SmarTUBE 700x35c, 110g, reinforced
The inner tubes come equipped with a 60mm Presta Valve to work with the majority of rim depths. Although one of the Cinturato SmarTUBE sizes, the 700x35c option, has a 42mm Valve instead.
These claimed weights are very light.
Tubolito has its CX/Gravel inner tube (£27.99), with a new single model that works with both 650b and 700c wheels, for tyre widths from 30mm up to 47mm. This weighs in at 60g with a 42mm Presta Valve, and 61g with a 60mm Valve.
> Tubolito unveils 'world's first smart inner tube' and 35g gravel tubes too
Although the Austrian brand does also have its even lighter spare tube model, the S-Tubo-CX/Gravel All, that weighs 35g with a 42mm Presta valve.
Tubolito’s lightweight tubes came in orange, and Pirelli’s offerings follow this bright theme with theirs available in yellow. It's no surprise these are aesthetically similar as both the Pirelli and Tubolito tubes use TPU.
Unlike Tubolito who also use orange valves, you won’t be able to spot a rider using Pirelli’s ultra-lightweight tubes as the valves are black for a clean finish; the Schwable Aerothan also uses black valves.
If you're sold by Pirelli's take on the ultra-light inner tube, they're available to buy now on the Pirelli website.
I wish I hadn't dropped Guerrero for Pinot in Purist. Pretty sure I did it to accommodate Pidcock who will score well if his team lets him...
Fingers crossed.
the traffic lights of Lancs...
No, hence the quotes around the twitter text. It would be great if essex gave any feeback though but they just get worse and worse.
Good point, stand down! Unless ... who's the nutter again?
Chris Boardman's great at avoiding the bear traps laid by the motoring lobby / status quo ("but the disabled"! "how to get the kids to school!" ...
DI2 was invented so Shimano can rook you out of another £250 for a rear mech 18months and 2500 miles after the first one you bought mysteriously...
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/608904
May I be the first to suggest that this goes down in history as G-GiletGate?
TT frame with dropped bars