VITTORIA COMPETITION Latex Inner Tube Review (1)

Introduction

When I was younger, I rode different bikes to discover my neighborhood and the forests around me a lot. wider mountain bikes with a rougher profile haven't been invented yet, so I quite often had to walk home and push my bike because of flats.

After work, my father would go downstairs to the basement and repair my inner tubes with a patch and rubber solution, both household items back then. Once, my mother tried to help out, but she used scissors instead of tire levers. The patches would not stick and finally, she gave up on the repair and me some money in my hand. I rode my sister's bike; the right hand carrying the complete wheel with the tire and tube, the left-hand steering and braking while I wobbled over some railroad tracks to a gas station.

The old-aged owner tried to pump up the tube while dipping it into a water bucket. He counted 7 (!) different 'bubble sources' and wondered what happened. I explained the scissors and the old-timer smiled with a nod. He sold the boy a new inner tube, mounted it for free, and, before balancing the 'fresh wheel' back home, he advised me to 'wait for my father next time'. Yes, there were different times with different people back then. And a bicycle used to be a technical basic form of transportation rather than an expression of freedom.

During the last decades, not only people but also bicycles became more 'sophisticated' or, in technical terms, 'over-engineered'. Bicycle frames made of steel have been replaced by carbon, and all pro teams and serious amateurs use 'hydraulic' disc brakes instead of 'cabled' caliper brakes, 'hook-less' carbon rims took seem to replace 'hooked' alloy rims.

To simplify tire things, there are currently three main styles of tires on the market: tubular tires without inner tubes, tubeless tires, clinchers setup as tubular tires without inner tubes, and the traditional clincher tires with inner tubes and tires.

Tubular Tires

Can trace their roots back to John Boyd Dunlop (1840 – 1921), who 'developed the first practical pneumatic tire from an inflated tube of sheet rubber for his son's tricycle in October 1887' (Wikipedia).

Tubular tires have no inner tube, the tire itself is the 'inner tube'. They must be fixed on special rims through glue (called 'cement') or tape specially formulated for tubular tires.

Continental Competition Tubular Tire

Tubeless Tires

Are specially designed clincher tires without inner tubes sealed by a rim tape on specifically designed rims.

Continental Grand Prix 5000 TL Tubeless Tire

Clincher Tires

Have traditionally wired or folding beads that engage on the rim of the wheel when the inner tubes are pumped up.

Continental Grand Prix 5000 Clincher Tire

In Favor of Clincher Tires

I am not much of a fan of messing with glues and sealants on tubular and tubeless tires, the chemicals of a rubber solution are already enough for me. Therefore, I would choose a relatively simple clincher tire with an inner tube.

Over the years, gas stations stopped doing any repair work on bikes; I've learned to use tire levers instead of scissors. I know how to replace and fix inner tubes. All these repairs can be done at home or beside the road when you have tools, spare tubes, and a pump at hand. The tubes can be patched up and, as an environmental statement, reused.

Up until recently, I was very satisfied with my regular Continental Race 28 butyl rubber inner tubes with my GP5000 tires of the same brand. Their tubes are reasonably priced and hold their pressure for a long time but are 'made in China'. The combination of tire and tube is very resistant to road debris common on Taiwanese roads.

Latex Tubes

I've heard a lot about the advantage of latex tubes, many very negative like blowing up overnight or on long descents due to overheating of the rim with caliper brakes. But true to the motto of marginal gains, I finally took the dip and purchased a pair of latex tubes for my race bike.

Vittoria Background

Vittoria S.p.A. is an Italian bicycle tire manufacturer established in 1953, my packing says, 'Made in Thailand'.

Technical (from the Packing)

-Name: Vittoria Competition Latex Inner Tubes

-Item No.: 1TA0002

-Material: Latex

-Size: 25/28-622, also available in 19/23 c (75 g) and 30/38 c (105 g)

-Valve: 48mm FV Presta/removable valve core

-Weight: 85 g (factory specs), measured 81 g (see below)

(Continue to part 2)

Disclaimer: I am neither sponsored nor affiliated with Vittoria; I bought, mounted, and rode these Vittoria latex inner tubes. I am independent and therefore come to my own conclusions...