7 YRS TOURING UPSTATE NY ROADS RIDING APPROX 2000 MILES PER SEASON I HAVE HAD A FEW FLAT TIRES ! LIGHTWEIGHT, DURABLE AND LONG LASTING .IN A PINCH I HAVE TRIED BIKE SHOP INNER TUBES FROM 2 LOCAL SHOPS AND ALWAYS COME BACK TO MICHELIN AIRCOMPS. MAILORDERING THEM IS A PAIN BUT WORTH IT. I ALWAYS GET THE SMOOTH PRESTA VALVE - DO NOT LIKE THREADED VALVE STEMS.
I buy these tubes because of the smooth, non-threaded stem. Tire pump slides on and the valve fitting on my pump and doesn't get abraded and worn out. They hold up well. This is the only tube I buy.
May need to run a slightly longer stem than with a threaded and nut style as stem pushes into rim. Not a big deal using pump, but I did need to get a different type of CO2 inflator that grabbed the stem and used a trigger, as opposed to my previous one that released gas when pressed onto stem.
Like the smooth, non-treaded stem. Much easier to get my floor and frame pumps on and off. Lighter than the butyl tubes I've been using but still holds pressure for days and have not had any puncture issues. 52 mm stem is perfect length for my Campy Eurus rims.
I purchased 2 Michelin A1/B1 Aircomp Tubes to go with new tires (700 x 23). Have used these in past with no problems. This time, had problem with nut on end of threaded stem coming completely off threaded stem . Usually, the end of thread is flattened over to keep from threading right off. Not on these. Also, with smooth stem, when I got up around 100 PSI, pump head would pop off valve stem. Maybe my pump is worn, but I have other wheels with smooth stem tubes and have no problems. On positive note, once I got nut threaded back on and got air in tube, they held pressure fine. Even seems like the held pressure longer than normal. Go figure.
This is a case of you get what you pay for. The tubes are a bit more expensive than others but over the last ten years they have been uniformly good quality, and more supple than the heavier cheaper versions. I really like the smooth valve stems, they do not tear up my quick connect hose fitting, easy to pull it of quickly as I release the grip all in one motion without shredding the rubber seal.
Quality, I see it in this product. I am a more light weight rider at less than 140lbs so saving a few ounces here and there does go a long way. I could feel a difference with these tubes over cheaper alternatives. I did not see or feel anything negative...these tubes are all good!
I used these tubes for many years. They are light (the most cost-effective way to take some grams off the bike) and reliable (I did not experience any more flats with these than with regular butyl tubes). I also like the smooth valve stems, which work better with the Silca pump heads. BUT , like many other cyclists, I have switched to 25mm tires, on wider rims, and may try 28mm next time I need tires. Michelin desperately needs to get with the program and release a 25-28mm version of this tube.
