First i have been riding latex tubes for about 6-7 years now, so i have pretty much run the gamut with them. Second, please ignore the reviews from people who don't know how to change a tube properly. Yes, if your ham-fisted, don't check the tire and rim bed for additional debris or pinch them, you WILL blow these out immediately. If you're the type who loves patching tubes to use them until they basically deteriorate inside your tire, these are not for you. Also, if your not the type that likes to air-up before each ride, look elsewhere. That said, if you're looking for a "close to tubeless/sew-up" as you can get but with less cost and hassle, this is where you need to be. The feeling between butyl and latex while riding is day and night. more communicative with whats passing under the tire, much more tactile. Latex is also more cost saving on watts according to bicyclerollingresistance.com. There's also a difference in the sound the tire makes on the pavement while rolling that i find pleasing. Overall in terms of cost per tube, performance and tactile feedback - you cannot do better IMO. The biggest drawback is that they don't hold air as long as butyl tubes do, due to the more porrus nature of the material. To me, i don't see this as an issue as spending 2 minutes checking my tires for cuts and proper pressure is something all cyclists should do anyway, but to each their own. Also i found having a good pump that doesn't require you to pull too much on the valve stem helps a-lot as well. Finally, i will restate that these aren't for ham-fisted types who man-handle a tube like it's a brick. Learn to insert tubes correctly and you'll have no issues. Tubes get their strength from TIRES! They really arn't inherently all that "strong" - being this is the case you should never rely on a tubes' strength to compensate for a worn or shoddy tire - you're just asking for a blow out. I have used Vittoria and Silca plus a few others and they are all pretty much the same - you can't really loose, so you can let price be your guide.
Less rotational weight and a more supple ride...why wouldn't you buy these tubes?? I can't be certain of the energy savings, but these latex tubes are light and provide a very smooth ride. The retail price is high compared to standard tubes, but a cheap upgrade if you consider the amount of hours any serious cyclist spends on the road.
Installation is easy. Plenty of talc and don't pinch the tube - so the same process as any other tube installation! If you can't install a tube without pinching it(1 star knucklehead reviewer), then take it to your LBS.
Approximately 4,200 miles on these tubes so far, and NO issues, NO flats.
Buy Them.
Helps clinchers ride like tubulars.
Bought these to do a century ride based on GCN and other's suggestion that latex tubes do make a difference. My anecdotal experience - with the caveat that it could be all in my head - is that they do! Ride does seem seem a bit more compliant/comfortable. Quality appears to be excellent. Worth giving them a try!
Silca latex tubes are made by vittoria- but it seems to me that they are spec'd to higher quality
In fact I rode Vitoria latex tubes for a couple of years with far more flats than the Silva latex
Could be better support near the valve- not sure why but bottom line is that from my experience Silca has spec'd their latex tubes better than the vittoria tubes
Been running these for years on my TT bike to numerous podiums. Perfect valve length for use with my Zipp rear disk. Removable valve core makes addition of an extension for my front 858 a snap. Latex is definitely faster than butyl and at least on par with tubeless.
I'm running these tubes on a Surly Steamroller SS/ FG. Running at lower pressures with these resilient tubes really makes for a faster and more compliant ride. I was skeptical before but really like these. Like the smooth valve stem too.
I use this tube to reduce rolling resistance and pair it with fast tires in riding personal time trials for fun.
I caused two pinch flats while installing these with new tires, and I popped two more while airing up the newly installed tires. Grrr. These are a complete waste of money. They are VERY fragile.
Ive purchased others and had less than acceptable results. These exceeded my expectations!
These tubes are well made and they are my spare tubes just in case the tubeless tires fail.
I run these exclusively on my TT bike. Research says latex is good for a watt or two per wheel, so if you hope to do your very best you need a pair. They're not cheap but they do go on sale on occasion.
Figured I'd give it a try the hype is faster, smoother. the first one popped on installation and the second blew out twenty miles into its second ride.
save your money
prep w talcum...not baby powder...goes a long way towards success with any latex tubes. Way smoother ride, less vibration, harshness, does make a difference on road with rolling resistance being less over long efforts. 4 stars because, have yet to find any 5 star latex tube
Forget about road tubeless, latex is the way to go
Latex tubes, paired with high quality tires, provide great road feel and modestly lower rolling resistance than butyl tubes. Silca's are designed for wider tires (think 25mm ), and work nicely with wider contemporary clincher rims, which can add 2-3mm effective width to your tires. The valve stem-42mm-is perfect for most low profile rims, and not uneccessarily long given that deeper rims will need extenders anyway...These tubes aren't cheap, but last long and are worth the extra bucks to optimize your ride.
Purchased these when my usual, less expensive, brand was out of stock. No issues to report.
Well, its an innertube...but t is light weight, and soft, or supple and the combination make th ri a joy tats addictiv...
Switched to GP 4000S II and these latex tubes, my times have definitely improved slightly - nothing like a wheel upgrade but I'll take any improvement I can get.
Research says 2-5 watts per wheel. If youre a TT racer, thats huge. Theyre not cheap, but winning sometimes takes a little extra.
