出处 : Bikerumor.com 作者 : Cory Benson
Whether you're a tubeless enthusiast or a newcomer to tubeless, Continental's new ContiTPU inner tube deserves your attention.
Completely made in Germany, the ContiTPU inner tube features a 7-layer thermoplastic polyurethane (also known as TPU) construction, which guarantees superior durability without adding weight. Compared to most similar ultralight tubes, the ContiTPU is more flexible and is currently available in only 3 sizes, making it suitable for most modern road, gravel and mountain bikes......
According to Continental, their ContiTPU inner tube features a unique seven-layer construction that "maximizes airtightness and durability" while also achieving incredible lightweighting. Of course, many riders have ditched traditional tubes in favor of tubeless. But most of us still carry a spare inner tube with us in case a larger puncture is not repaired by self-replenishment or bacon strips. Therefore, lightness and portability are key. The ContiTPU inner tube, on the other hand, looks very light and compact.
According to Continental, their inner tubes are made of "the highest grade of micron-thick TPU" superimposed and have a total of seven layers, each of which is individually sealed. These inner tubes, down to the raw materials, are 100% made in Germany. Each inner tube is quality checked to ensure airtightness. However, these TPU tubes are not heat-resistant and therefore cannot be fitted in any rim wheels.
In addition, in the event of a puncture, Continental offers an easy way to repair it, with each inner tube equipped with a tire patch. That doesn't sound like a big deal. However, TPU inner tubes require special tire repair plates, and most TPU inner tube brands will tell you to buy a tire repair kit separately. Each ContiTPU tube comes with two self-adhesive patches and isopropyl alcohol wipes, so you need to pre-treat the damaged area before repairing it.
The ContiTPU inner tube is available in three sizes. When pumping, due to their great malleability. Therefore, the air pressure should not exceed 4 psi before the tyre is installed. Due to the plastic deformation, once the tire has been inflated, it can only be installed in tires of the same width or wider.
The lightest ContiTPU inner tube "only" weighs 35 grams and is suitable for 25-35c 700c tires. But if you're riding a CX or Gravel with tire widths at the edge of this range, you probably won't find a lighter tube.
For CX/Gravel, the ContiTPU inner tube is designed for 40-60c tires. The 27.5"/650B has a tube weight of 43 grams, while the 29"/700c tube weighs only 45 grams, which is basically the range for road bikes on gravel roads. If used for mountain bikes, it's equivalent to 1.57-2.36 inches, which is a little worse than the width of a 2.4-inch tire (or 1 mm to be more precise), which is very common in XC off-road and enduro today.
No matter what kind of bike you use it for, these tires are very light inner tubes.
All three sizes of ContiTPU tubes are undyed translucent white and are priced at 30 euros and include a tire patch. All sizes come with a 60mm long black spout for low- to mid-rim rims. And their valve cores are removable, so they can be used with an extension.
ContiTPU tubes are available now and you can purchase them at your local bike shop and online retailer.
Note: Although we all know that traditional brands are slow to respond to TPU inner tubes, Continental is also ...... China's TPU inner tube market is almost finished, and they only launched it, which is too slow and the price is quite scary......