Tubeless is great for many applications, but it comes with the hassle of having to top up sealant frequently. If you don’t ride on debris-strewn highway shoulders (where the sealant will seal small punctures from glass and steel wires) and if your tires are wide enough (so you don’t get pinch flats), tubes are a great choice. TPU tubes take the performance of your tires to the next level.

TPU stands for thermoplastic polyurethane, a material that is far stronger than butyl, the black rubber traditionally used for tubes. That makes TPU an ideal material for bicycle tubes. TPU tubes have many advantages:

• Lighter than butyl and latex tubes; lighter than tubeless sealant
• Faster than butyl tubes or tubeless; as fast as latex tubes
• More puncture-resistant than butyl or latex tubes
• As airtight as butyl tubes.
• Packs very small—ideal as a backup for tubeless tires

However, most TPU tubes use plastic valve stems, and the plastic deforms when the (metal) valve core in screwed in. Then the tube leaks, not because the material is porous, but because the valve doesn’t seal. Rene Herse TPU tubes use an all-metal valve with patented technology for leak-free performance.

Rene Herse TPU tubes are superlight, but not excessively so. Rather than pushing the tubes to the absolute limit, we’ve increased the wall thickness a little bit to increase the resistance to punctures and pinch flats—and also to make installation easier, especially with tubeless rims. Rene Herse TPU tubes have proven themselves in challenging events like Unbound XL, the 350-mile race across the Flint Hills of Kansas.

The same tube fits 650B and 26″ tires. They are suitable for disc and rim brakes.

Presta valve, 50 mm (polished) or 70 mm (black). Smooth valve stems make it easier to attach and remove press-on pump heads.

Pro Tip: Patching TPU tubes is much easier than patching butyl or latex tubes. Simply wipe the tube with an alcohol wipe (included in Rene Herse patch kit) and stick on a patch. There’s no need to roughen the tube with sandpaper.