Ultralight and made of TPU: this inner tube weighs 22 grams

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is set to replace butyl, a synthetic rubber, as a material for bicycle inner tubes. At least, if the plans of RTi Sports GmbH from Koblenz are anything to go by. At this year's Eurobike, the Germans presented their new bicycle inner tubes under the brand name "Aeron".

Brand new brand with TPU instead of butyl at the start

"We have just founded the "Aeron" brand and are launching our new products here at Eurobike," Mathias Müller, Head of PR at RTi Sports, explained to me at the trade fair. The new bicycle inner tubes will be available in stores from January. Depending on the protection category, the various models weigh from 22 grams including valves in the road version, from 31 grams for gravel bikes, the MTB version is available from 42 grams and for city and touring bikes from 67 grams, according to Mathias Müller.

This means that the lightweight road version weighs even a few grams less than the comparable product from Tubolito or other manufacturers, for example.

The processed layers of thermoplastic polyurethane are each 0.13 millimetres thin. According to Müller, the advantage of TPU is that this material can be used to create a hose from scratch. "This means that the engineers can give a bicycle inner tube the properties that the respective rider needs for the respective application." This means that the focus can be placed on speed or robustness, for example, depending on requirements.

Lightweight and yet puncture-proof

T TPU also performs better than butyl in terms of puncture resistance, continues Mathias Müller. "The inner tubes produced in Austria can be manufactured in multiple layers depending on the area of application, depending on the properties the engineers want to give them," says Müller. Those tubes that are used for city and touring bikes with the highest safety standard are practically non-flat.

According to Mathias Müller, the products shown at Eurobike are still prototypes. This also means that there may still be one or two adjustments before the product is ready for the market. We will test the tubes when they are launched on the market and then report on them in detail. The new tubes are expected to cost between 18 and 25 euros from January.

Our purchasing department will clarify whether and when we will have the product in our range.