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.
The TPU tube as an alternative to tubeless and butyl tubes is a debate which still hasn't been settled quite yet. TPU tubes themselves are in a state of evolution. One of the latest brands to enter the TPU market is Aeron. I last updated this review about a month ago HERE. In that article I related how the installation went and my first impressions were given. I also shared with you here that I swapped bicycles due to clearance issues.
So, here you see my pink Black Mountain Cycles MCD and the wheels are the same as the blue Noble GX5 from the previous post. I am considering changing the tires and the Aeron TPU tubes over to a different wheel set, just for testing sake, later on. But for now, here are my impressions of how these tubes ride and how "living with" these tubes has gone over the better part of a month now.
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| There is plenty of length here for deep aero wheels. |
First of all, I want to address the valve stem. With a butyl tube you can match your valve stem length to your rim depth. Same thing with tubeless valve stems. There are plenty of choices in stem length for those two standards which will satisfy most wheel rim depths. Not so with the TPU tube choices. Not quite yet.
I imagine a day will come when one can better match stem lengths to rim depths, but for now, and specifically for these Aeron TPU tubes, one has to go with the choice available, and this leaves a lot of stem sticking out of my rims.
This is not a huge concern, but the possibility of a damaged valve stem due to a loose rock strike is greater with this much valve stem extension from the rim. That and these stems have no threading to allow for a sturdier valve/rim interface As I stated, this is not a really big deal, but it is a concern I have. Ideally I'd like to have about half as much stem extension, but Aeron is trying to cover as many bases as possible with this offering, so I understand why my valve stems are so long. And like I said, maybe in the future Aeron will offer various lengths of stem extensions.
As far as riding goes, these tubes don't seem to feel odd, nor do they have a rattle, as did the Rene Herse TPU tubes. At least not in this wheel set. I noted the Rene Herse TPU tubes felt.....different,when I was riding them. Not 'bad', buit not like a tubeless ride. Maybe this tire combination masks this with the Aeron tubes, or maybe it just isn't there with the Aeron tubes. The construction is a bit different with Aeron stating this TPU tube is a bit thicker material. Aeron calls it 'Multi-Layer' construction. I am thinking this is the difference in feel.
It also manifests itself in air retention. TPU is already better than butyl and tubeless set ups when it comes to air retention over a period of time. I'll have some comparisons in my next update, but suffice it to say that if you forget to check your air pressure and you are using AeronTPU tubes, you probably are going to be just fine.
Rolling resistance is a bit of a question because of my tire choice, and I have not used the WTB Nineline in years. So, I have no real way to say 'this' or 'that' in comparison to another tire. I will say that the tires are not rolling slow, nor do I feel any extra resistance in pedaling up long grades or steep hills. In fact, I am a bit surprised at how well the back tire feels. Typically Teravail Cannonball tires feel overly stiff. This one with the Aeron TPU tube feels pretty nice, actually.
Okay, that is it for now. I'll be back in about a month, maybe a bit more, with a final review.
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