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.
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!
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.
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.
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
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.
The Latex tubes were less fussy to install than I feared they would be. now with several hundred miles on them they feel inspired. The ride is more comfortable than t was with the butyl tubes, I adjust the air pressure before each ride....a very good purchase.