Review: Aeron TPU Tubes

 Note: Guitar Ted received Aeron TPU tubes and a patch kit at no charge for test and review from Aeron. Guitar Ted is not being paid, nor bribed for this review and all opinions are Guitar Ted's. 

I mentioned in a recent FN&V article here that I was receiving some Aeron TPU tubes for testing. Those tubes, and a patch kit, have arrived so now it is time to let you readers know what these TPU tubes are all about. 

Aeron has three levels of TPU tubes available. The Superlite Race AL, The ExtraLite Protect AL, and the ExtraLite Protect. Essentially the differences are that the SuperLite has a thinner TPU than the other two. The ExtraLite Protect AL has an aluminum valve stem while the ExtraLite Protect has a polymer valve stem and costs slightly less. 

Prices are $29.95 USD for the SuperLite Race AL and ExtraLite Protect AL and $24.95 USD for the ExtraLite Protect.

You can check out the range on the Aeron site HERE. 

Aeron TPU patch kit contents

Why TPU? Why Not Run Tubeless? 

This is probably a good place to discuss this, at the beginning, so you will not waste your time with the review if tubeless is your decision no matter what. However; if you have an open mind, there is a good argument to be made for TPU tubes.  

First of all, it is fairly well understood that butyl tubes, the typical "rubber" tubes you probably are familiar with, can puncture and there are several use cases for a different system than a typical tube. For instance, you may ride in an area infested with poky things, like goat heads, or cacti, or glass shards. Tubes are a frustration in these instances because they can fail easily. 

This is where tubeless comes in handy as generally speaking, those poky things will not stop you because the tire self-heals with the aid of sealant. This is great.....when it works. 

Sealant does dry over time, so there is a maintenance factor you get with it. Eventually tires should be cleaned since old sealant cakes up inside tires when it dries out. Valve stems can fail due to the ammonia and latex which is in most sealants. So, you can have this to deal with at times along with the possibility clogged valves at as well.  

Tubeless aficionados put up with this because the ride quality is enhanced by using tires without tubes. Once felt, this can be addictive and hard to think about giving up. On the other hand, tubes can be easily swapped, if the need arises, they hold air well, and there is no sealant maintenance issues, no clogged valves, and no sticky, gooey mess. I won't even get into rim tapes, mounting of tubeless tires, and patching tires when sealant fails to seal up a bigger puncture or tear.  

TPU tubes are far lighter than their butyl counterparts. 

Now what about TPU? How does this material fit in as a tube for a tire? Well, it has a lot going for it. TPU doesn't allow air leakage like a butyl rubber tube does, so it holds pressure for longer than standard tubes and tubeless set ups. But the real advantages come in when you have a failure and need to fix a flat tire.

Remember when I said tubeless is great when it works? Well, there are times when it doesn't. Thus the entire tubeless plug industry. Those plugs are there to help you seal up a leak the sealant cannot manage to seal. Okay.....what's the problem? 

Well, those plugs are great, but you are losing sealant up until the point you get the plug to seal, and this depletes any further protection level should you puncture again. Maybe you get another plug to work, maybe not. 

Of course, you may not have a "plug-sized" hole, because it is a tear, or too big a hole for a plug, and now you've gotta deal with the sealant mess. Now you remember, perhaps, if you are old enough, how you could swap a tube fairly quickly and be on your way again. You could boot a tear with a Power Bar wrapper, (remember those?), or you patched a tube if you weren't in a hurry and kept on truckin'. Do you wish those days were back, but with benefits? This is why you may like TPU tubes. 

They have light weight down. Typically you can save way over 50% in weight over a similar sized butyl rubber tube. You get nearly the same low rolling resistance as tubeless, but none of the downsides. Plus, TPU is less likely to puncture than butyl tubes and the TPU can be patched. Besides, you can swap out a TPU tube in the field, and be on your way again without needing plugs or spraying sealant. Plus TPU is recyclable. So it is a better solution than tubeless from a "green" standpoint.  

UPDATE: I also should mention that any TPU tube should NOT be used with rim brakes. The heat generated by braking on the rim can cause TPU tubes to burst. Only use TPU tubes on disc brake bikes!  

Aeron TPU tube on the left, Tubolito TPU tube on the right. 

TPU's Evolution:

TPU, when it first came out, was not ready for prime time. There were issues with valve stems, which were made of a polymer or TPU material. There were issues with stretching too thin and failures occurred. Early TPU tubes were perhaps too radical in that they were made so thin and lightweight they did not hold up well in real world riding situations. 

As an example, I pulled out an old Tubolito TPU tube I got several years ago. It has a flimsy TPU valve stem, a non-removable valve core, and it was really thin! The "gravel" Tubolito on the right above weighs 33 grams! The Aeron tube weighs 59 grams. The Aeron tube is thicker feeling. It gives me a feeling of confidence in that I won't worry if it will hold up or not. The Tubolito always was in the back of my mind as something which could fail at any moment due to the flimsy feeling material and the sketchy valve stem.   

The Aeron stem is aluminum and has a robust connection with the tube.

Aeron uses a "multi-layer" TPU which you can feel in the hand as a thicker, perhaps tougher material. It is probably why Aeron recommends this TPU tube for anything from a 32mm tire to a 52mm wide tire. Early TPU tubes were not recommended for such a wide range and could split if you pushed them too far in terms of tire width. 

Obviously the aluminum valve stem is much better than the old, flimsy first generation TPU valve stems which, to be honest, were really bad. 

All this to say that TPU tubes have come a long way since the first TPU tubes came out several years ago. 

The Test Set Up:

I'll be putting the Aeron ExtraLite AL TPU tubes in a wheel set I have with different tire sizes for rougher terrain riding. The rear is a Teravail Cannonball 47mm tire while the front is a going to be either a WTB Nineline or Nanoraptor. I have to make sure the tire isn't too wide. 

The next post will show the set up and I'll give you all some first ride impressions. Stay tuned...