User submitted reviews
Review by Anonymous
I'd never tried latex tubes before, but am using these with Vittoria Corsa tires and my Cannondale SuperSix frame, and have found them to ride differently than the typical butyl tube. A little more bounce, absorb shock well. I would recommend riders try these. The ride feel is different, not neccesarily better. And, be ready to pump them up each time you ride. They lose PSI overnight.
Review by Anonymous
I installed the 25-28 versions in Schwalbe Ones, 25mm. They just fit, although they will seem too big when you first put them in. The good thing about doing it this is way that they are not stretched, so they have room to give, which helps prevent punctures.
They make for a noticibly smoother ride, and you can even use slightly lower pressures, which helps, of course.
I am a former pro mechanic and would recommend latex always. If done correctly, it is always better.
The problem I find is sourcing high quality latex tubes like these Vittoria, in larger sizes, for 28-32, or larger.
Bike Tire Direct, if you find such tubes, I will buy them from you.
Review by [email protected]
If you can catch these tubes on sale, they are a fantastic deal! Very fast with my Vittoria Corsa Speed G tires. I have yet to have a flat. although I tend to look for clean roads to ride. Definitely a must for TT courses!
Review by Anonymous
A bit pricey, but worth the extra ride comfort.
And they're pink!
Review by Anonymous
I am a big fan of latex inner tubes. I used (and still do) to ride Italian-made Vittoria tubulars and the only way to get ride quality even remotely resembling that with modern clinchers is to use latex inner tubes. These Vittoria latex tubes do provide nice ride feel, but they are not durable. Something is funky with the formulation of the latex rubber. The part of the tube that comes in contact with the rim tapestrip weakens over time, eventually leading to spontaneous failure. This has happened to me repeated and to my buddies who bought the tubes based on my initial recommendation. I do not have the same problem with the Vredestein brand latex tubes (they have other issues). My guess is that these latext inner tubes are exactly the same ones they put inside their tubulars. In a tubular tire, however, the latex is not exposed to rim tapestrip and therefore will not have the same problem. If these latex tubes are to be sold for use with clincher tires, Vittoria needs to test their formulation a bit more.
Review by Anonymous
Latex tubes feel and roll great. I�m a huge fan, yes they're a bit delicate when installing and you need to check the tire pressure before each ride (you should check before each ride anyway)
Review by Cervelo
I use these latex tubes on both my road bike and my touring bike. Love the feel of these tubes. They seem to accept patches fine too. You will need to pump up your tires before every ride but I do that anyway except on my fat bike.
Review by Peter
As with the Corsa G 2.0 tires, these are great for smooth roads that don�t have a lot of debris. If you�re riding rougher roads, I �d look elsewhere. Honestly I couldn�t feel the difference in rolling weight or smoothness compared to "traditional" tubes. Would also be nice if they made a longer valve stem as these are likely to be going on more aero wheels.
Review by Anonymous
I don't find these lose air any faster than a light weight butyl tube. I do find they are less prone to flats and the ride quality is great. They feel like they make tires roll faster, but that could be placebo effect. A bit pricey, hence 4 stars for value.
Review by Anonymous
First latex tubes. Ride like I'm on a cloud (paired with 33mm supple tires).
Treated them like fine crystal during install, no issues. Did the typical inflate/deflate every 20 psi and thoroughly checked for pinches in the bead each step. Just a quick check and pump before each ride, so far so good!
Review by leadout
OK, yes, it is 2021. Us dinosaurs are hard to change, and with the rolling resistance studies confirming these are the top rated (along with the appropriate tire of course), why go 2021? Tubeless vs. tube? I will take these 10 of 10 times....
Review by Diciesdad
These tubes make you feel like you are on expensive setup tires. Absorb the road and are fast. I am now using 26 or 28 mm tires do these are perfect exciting times ahead
Review by Paul
Running latex created a very different feel in my bike's ride quality and handling. I paired these with a 320 TPI tire, and I'd agree with others who say this is combo is very close to a tubular setup...Latex tubes do slowly bleed air, but not dramatically. You should always check tire pressure before riding, and you may find that you need to top off the latex tubes by 5-10 PSI every 1-2 days.
Review by Anonymous
I know this sounds strange when everyone else is talking about using them for racing, but I switched two years ago and they've become my everyday tube. First I've never had a flat since switching over. Even when I decided to replace a Vittoria tire due to mulitple deep cuts, the tube was still fine and went into the new tire. Most importantly on 100 mile rides with 25mm tires they make a huge difference in comfort, I can run a little less air without fear of a pinch flat and not feel all beat up from hours of riding over broken asphalt (the comfort thing is just part of getting older but I still ride at a strenuous pace, I'm not a leisure rider)
Yes they lose air quickly and I have had a valve stem tear away, but I've had that happen a couple of times with Continental butyl tubes. Lastly, I do carry a butyl tube in case I ever do get a flat as it would be easy to install on the side of the road.
For me they've really been worth the money as I haven't had to buy them far less often that butyl tubes.
Review by Anonymous
2 out of 3 of these tubes failed immediately or very early in their expected lifespans. They failed at seams near the valve stem. Never again.
BikeTiresDirect gets 5 stars - they replaced the first tube the blew out. I'm not even going to bother with the second because I no longer trust these.
Review by Bicycle Norm
These are top latex tubes. They share the pros and cons of all latex tubes. They leak air faster than butyl tubes, so one has to make sure that the tires are re-inflated every time they are used. They are not as resistant to puncture as butyl. But they are much lighter and the smoothness of the ride is unmistakable plus they also have lower rolling resistance, which makes them ideal for race day. They are patchable, although the process is not as easy as with butyl. A patch can be cut out of old latex gloves (biology labs and physician's offices discard tons of these everyday).
Review by Anonymous
I love latex tubes in my Vittoria tires. I've tried some other, lighter latex tubes but had reliability problems. These are a little heavier, but they are reliable and don't sacrifice the great feeling of a latex tube. I pair mine with Vittoria Pave's or Open Corsa CX for the closest feeling to riding a tubular I have found. (A little bit less so with the Pave's, but with Open Corsa CX and a latex tube wow! Simply a great tire/tube combo. Fast, grippy, with great road feel. I love 'em.
Review by Bicycle Norm
Latex inner-tubes reduce rolling resistance and are also lighter than butyl ones. They are also more fragile when mounting a tire and it is more difficult (but not impossible) to patch them. Also, they leak air out much faster than a butyl inner-tube. You definitely have to put some air in before every ride. For all these reasons, I train on butyl inner-tubes, but put these Vittoria latex ones on race days. But the ride on latex is definitely worth the additional price. Smooooooth!
Review by Anonymous
These tubes are well made and I've found them to be quite durable. Ride quality is nearly as smooth as tubeless. I have them in the larger size for 32mm tires and I run them at 60lbs, so I haven't had to pump them up every day like the 110lb folks. Every few days a couple of pumps and we're good to go.
Review by Anonymous
I use these tubes primarily for racing. It is a nice change to put these in with race specific tires. Whether placebo effect or not, they definitely feel like they roll better than a butyl tube!