Pirelli has released a new compact inner tube made of TPU, a thermoplastic polyurethane. The SmarTUBE is designed to reduce the weight of a typical tube, of up to 70% compared to latex tube. Extremely compact, the rolled-up tube is about half the size of a typical tube. With a claimed weight of 100 grams for a 2.2/2.6×29″ tube, it’s almost half of a typical tube.
When you consider a typical 29er tube weighs in around 200 grams, it’s significant.
Serious mountain bikers run tubeless tires; and while the number of flats we experience is considerably less than ever, it’s prudent to carry a spare tube (or two, plus a plug repair kit) to have a way to get home when we’re in the backcountry. That makes us quite interested in the Scorpion SmarTube. Similar in heft to the Tubolio tube we reported on last year, the Scorpion SmarTube weighs in at 100 grams, saving half the weight of a typical tube.
Putting it straight, that’s a 100-gram weight savings for $37.00. Let’s put that into perspective: That’s like putting a carbon bar on your bike to replace an alloy one. (That’s cost you a lot more than $37) It’s half the weight of a Cushcore insert. It’s cheaper than any component upgrade that saves 100 grams. When you consider we rarely if ever, actually use our spare tubes and they mostly just come along for the ride as insurance, the value proposition here is real.
The Pirelli SmarTube sells for $36.90. Learn more at Velo.Pirelli.com.
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Milan, Italy, May 13, 2021- Pirelli SmarTUBE is now on the market: the new inner tube with technology derived from the developments for World Tour team tubulars is available for all the brand’s clincher tire models.
In the custom version for tubular tires, the SmarTUBE was the subject of a long and careful development project, which required several months of engineering to perfectly match the inner tube to the handmade structure of the P ZERO Race Tub SL. The clincher version that arrives on the market today incorporates much of the feedback from the World Tour project, with the aim of enhancing the performance of Pirelli clincher tires and reaching a wider range of consumers and lovers of the brand.
Pirelli’s new inner tube is made of TPU, thermoplastic polyurethane, a latest-generation material chosen by the brand’s engineers for the excellent performance that it offers compared to traditional butyl. The SmarTUBE promises a reduction in the weight up to 70% compared to the already lightweight latex tubes.
This is the most advantageous way to reduce the weight of a bike: an advantage that also translates into less mass on the wheels and therefore better responsiveness of the bike, particularly when climbing and accelerating. Extremely compact, the new SmarTUBE beats all records in terms of space-saving. -50% less space in jersey pockets or backpacks: the inner tube can be taken anywhere, leaving room for energy bars or multitools.
The range of diameters and sizes offered by Pirelli for this accessory is wide and varied and covers the P ZERO road tires (P ZERO SmarTUBE) and the Scorpion MTB tires (Scorpion SmarTUBE), as well as offering a reinforced version for Gravel and long distances, in combination with the clinchers of the Cinturato line (Cinturato SmarTUBE). The latter, with the same lightness as the lightest butyl tubes on the market today, offers twice the protection against punctures.
Highly visible, thanks to its bright yellow color, SmarTUBE is equipped with a 60 mm Presta Valve, in black for maximum aesthetic cleanliness once mounted.