How to measure bike tire tube

If you’ve been trying to work out how to measure the tire size on your bike for a replacement inner tube, then I’ve got a pretty good idea of how frustrated you’re feeling right now.

It’s something that should be incredibly easy and yet seems to be more like rocket science. But, fear not, I’m here to make life easy for you. I’ve got a couple easy things for you right now. The first is a a table that shows each of the most popular tire sizes along with a recommended inner tube, and a link where you can go straight to an online retailer and buy one for yourself right away. I’ve also got a simple process for you to follow to determine what size your bike tires are. All you need is your bike tire and a sharp pair of eyes – no measuring required!

Take a deep and relaxing breath (it’s going to be easier from now on, I promise) and let’s go have a look.

Here you’ll find an easy to follow table showing the most common bicycle tire sizes and a couple recommendations for great inner tubes that fit those tires.

When you’ve determined your tire size – we’ll get to that in a moment – you just click on the bar below that shows your tire diameter (such as “700c”) and this will open up to show the tire widths that are available and buttons to click to see the inner tubes.

Easy!

700c tire diameter

29 inch tire diameter

27. 5 inch tire diameter

26 inch tire diameter

20 inch tire diameter

16 inch tire diameter

Look up “bike inner tube” on Amazon and you’ll get over a thousand black rubber rings showing up. They all look pretty similar but they’ve got different reference numbers and sizing – so, how do you choose between them?

Well, luckily it’s easy to work out what size your bike tyre is and you can then use that to pick the right size of inner tube.

Here’s what you need to do. First, squat down next to your bike so that you can see the wheel from the side. Now, have a look around the sidewall of the tire – this is the rubber circle that sits in between the metal wheel rim and the tire knobbles that touch the ground. The sidewall is usually black but on some bikes, such as cruisers, it can be tan or white. The color doesn’t matter because what you’re looking for is a series of numbers. You might find a brand name for the tires (such as Schwalbe or Continental) and you’ll also see numbers which look like either of the following:

26×1.5 (an imperial system code)
700c x 23 (a metric system code)

If you see an imperial code, this is the sizing of your tire in inches (e. g. 26” diameter x 1.5” width). A metric code is in millimeters (e.g. 700mm diameter x 23mm width).

The inner tube that you need will have code that includes the tire diameter (from the examples above this would be 26” or 700mm) and a width that includes the tire width (e.g. 1.3”-1.7” or 19-25mm).

To choose the correct size of inner tube, simply take your tire size code and look this up in the table above. Right next to your tire size will be a recommended inner tube and a second alternative (if the first one isn’t available).

Want to delve a little more into what the tire size codes mean? Ok, let’s take a look.

The first number in the code (such as 26 or 700) is the nominal diameter of the tire in either inches or millimeters. This will vary somewhat according to the tire pressure, so it’s not a good idea to try and measure it with a ruler or tape measure. Tires that are under-inflated, or with very worn treads, can have a smaller diameter than the one that’s shown on the tire sidewall.

The second number (e.g. 1.5 or 23) is the nominal width of the tire, again in either inches or millimeters. Again, what you can actually see of the tire width will vary based on how much air the tire has in it, so an actual measurement might well differ from the tire code.

If you see a “c”, for example in “700c x 23” then this refers to an old French system of classifying bike tires according to their widths. An “a” tire was the narrowest and a “d” was the widest. So long as you have the tire diameter and width code numbers, you can safely ignore this letter.

It’s keeping in mind that you shouldn’t swap from tires or tubes measured in inches to ones measured in millimeters. These number codes are nominal, meaning that they don’t necessarily match up to the actual tire and tube dimensions. So, a millimeters tire is unlikely to fit well on an inches wheel and you’ll probably get problems down the road. Stick with imperial tires for imperial wheel rims and vice versa.

Bicycle chamber (dimensions, materials, pressure, nipples)

Edited: 06/15/2017

In this article we will talk a little about the bicycle chamber.

As you can see from the picture on the right with the cross section of the wheel, this is the pink outline numbered 5.

All chambers differ:

1. Size (diameter and width)
2. Nipple
3. Wall thickness
4. Material

The first thing to start talking about choosing a camera is its size.

Inner tube size

Inner tube size must match the size of the tire into which it is inserted. The tire size and pressure for which it is designed are indicated on the side of the tire itself. You can read about what the various numbers and letters written on bicycle tires mean here.

If the size is listed as 26x1.95, this means that the tire diameter is 26 inches and the width is 1.95. Therefore, you need to look for a camera with the same dimensions. If the tires are wide, then you can put a slightly smaller camera, it stretches a little. For example, with a tire width of 1.95 inches, you can take a camera with a width of 1. 75 to 2.125 inches. This is usually indicated on cameras.

It is impossible to install a tube of a larger diameter and wider than indicated in the tire - it can be “chewed”.

Remember, it's not the bladder that holds the pressure, it's the tire.

Nipples

This is the part of the chamber through which air is pumped into it.

According to the design, there are

1. Rubberized. Not very reliable and used in cheap cameras. They have a high risk of damage on the edges of the rim and separation if not handled carefully.
2. Metal. They have a locking nut that prevents them from moving and sinking into the wheel when inflated. Accordingly, they cannot come off and be damaged on the edges of the rim.

There are three types of nipples:

1. Schrader (AV-AutoValve). This is an automotive nipple - the most common and popular with bicycle tubes. It has the form of a metal cylinder with a thread 40 (sometimes 60) mm long and 8 mm in diameter. It is also used in suspension forks and some types of rear shock absorbers.
2. Presta (SV - Sclaver and Valve). It is also called a French or "sport" nipple. Used in racing, hybrid, road bikes. It has the form of a metal cylinder with a thread 42, 60 and 80 mm long and 6 mm in diameter. As you can see, it is thinner than the Schrader and therefore better suited to racing bike rims. And it is lighter than the previous one by 5 grams.

   Please note that if a tube with a Schrader nipple was on the wheel, then it is not worth changing it to a tube with a Presta nipple. This is fraught with a valve separation, which is cut off by the edge of the rim during braking.

3. Dunlop (DV- Dunlop Valve) - a traditional nipple, still on all Soviet bicycles. The outer cylinder is the same dimensions as Schrader - 8 by 40 mm. It is still fairly common. A valve is inserted inside the outer cylinder, which is held by a special nut. If he starts to "poison" - you need to replace the small rubber tube that is on him.

Chamber wall thickness

The most versatile chambers have a wall thickness of 0.9-1 mm. They are installed on almost any type of bicycle. These cameras usually use Presta or Shrader nipples. They have a good balance between weight and puncture.

Typically, thin-walled tubes with a wall thickness of 0.45-0.6 mm are used for racing bikes. Racers fight for every gram of weight, and they drive on more or less normal tracks. Buying them is not so easy - they are too specific. Sold mainly in specialized stores. Their prices are higher than regular ones.

For fans of extreme driving, there are special chambers for high loads. For example, cameras used for freeride have wall thicknesses up to 1.2 mm, and for downhill - generally up to 1.5 mm. Their weight does not play a fundamental role for such bikes and they are stronger, less prone to punctures.

Chamber material

Most commonly butyl rubber, but the lightest and strongest chambers are still made of latex, although they are more expensive.

Butyl rubber is a synthetic rubber, usually black in color as shown on the right. It is most widely used for the manufacture of cameras for everyday driving. Chambers made from it are cheap, have good air retention and high wear resistance.

Latex, a natural rubber product, is used to make inner tubes for racing bikes. They are lighter than butyl rubber, have high elasticity, are resistant to punctures, but they have rather low wear resistance and are much more expensive. Often they are made in color. These cameras are mainly used by athletes.

Camera Care

A camera puncture is the worst thing that can happen to a camera. You can't ride on this camera. To solve this problem, there are special tools - anti-puncture. It is poured through the nipple into the chamber.

Anti-puncture inner tubes available. In them, already during production, a gel is poured inside, which tightens breakdowns.

The principle of operation of this tool is as follows. When punctured, air begins to exit the chamber through the hole formed and the anti-puncture clogs the hole. It is effective for small punctures from thorns, nails, small cuts.

Compatibility

1. Since Dunlop and Presta have the same end threads, their caps and pumps are compatible.
2. Dunlop and Shrader nipple tubes are interchangeable as they have the same outside diameter of 8mm.
3. All pumps compatible with Presta and Shrader
4. Special adapter nuts are available for use with Dunlop and Presta Shrader pumps.
5. If you need to put a camera with a Presta nipple on a rim designed for a Shrader, use the special plastic insert.

And the last. When choosing a tube for yourself, check your bicycle pump to see if it can pump it up. Although currently produced bicycle pumps can pump all existing types of nipples.

You can buy high-quality and fairly cheap bike tubes in the "Bicycle tubes" section of our store.

Video on how to inflate a tube with a Presta nipple

More to read

1. Bicycle tubes: sizes and markings
2. Bicycle Tires: Sizes, Marking Types and Interchangeability
3. How to determine the wheel circumference
4. How to determine the diameter of a bicycle wheel
5. Bicycle rims
6. How to measure the rim width of a bicycle wheel

Bicycle inner tube selection guide

What is a bicycle inner tube?

Let's start with the basics... What is a cycling tube? A bicycle bladder is a ball-like structure that can be inflated and deflated using a valve. When inflated with air, the chamber fills the tire, giving you a comfortable and safe ride.

There are also tubeless bike tires, but most likely your bike is fitted with tubes.

Bicycle inner tube is always matched to the size of the tire fitted. There are quite a few different wheel diameters on the market right now, which can make it difficult for you to find the correct tube size for your bike.

Which inner tube do I need for my bike?

Tubes are available in different sizes and with different types of nipples. These are two key factors to consider when choosing a bike tube.

Tubes vary in size according to tire diameter and width:

• Wheel diameter / circumference. Depending on the type of your bike - road, touring, mountain or children - the diameter / circumference of the wheel may vary. Within these categories, there are different diameters of tires, and, accordingly, bike tubes: 26 inches, 27.5 inches, 28 inches, etc.
  
• Width. To the variety of diameters, different widths are added. Thus, a narrower chamber is used for road tires. Wider tires and tubes are used on mountain bikes.
  

Selecting the wrong diameter may result in a tube that is too long or the wrong width and the tube cannot fill the tire.

So how do you know what size you need?

There are two surefire ways to find the correct tube size for a bike:

1. Check the tire sidewall. The best way is to look at the markings on the sidewall of your tire. On it you should see something like "700x23c" on a road bike, or "29x1.9" on a mountain bike. The first number in this sequence refers to the circumference of the wheel; the latter refers to the tire width. Additional markings on the sidewall of a tire may include ISO ETRTO international size - this would look like "23-622" for a 700x23c tyre, or "50-559" for 26"x1.9" tires. Size ratio table of various specifications.
2. Check your bike's manual. Another way to determine your tube and tire size is to look at your bike's manual. Chances are you haven't changed the specification since you originally bought the bike.

Check the sidewalls of your tire to determine its size

Valve type - Schrader or Presta

Valve used to inflate/deflate the tube. There are two main types of valves: Schrader and Presta. They are fairly easy to identify visually.

Presta valves are narrower. Schrader valves are shorter and thicker (used on cars).




Presta valve - left. Schrader valve - on the right.

Advantages of latex inner tubes

Latex inner tubes are an alternative to the standard butyl tubes that are common on the market.

The advantage of a latex bladder is that it is lighter and more flexible, which can give a smoother ride feel as it can better respond to changes in the road surface.

The disadvantage of latex bladders is that they are more breathable than butyl bladders, so they need to be inflated more frequently.





A latex bladder can give a better bike performance.

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