An inner tube is an essential part of any bicycle, that is unless you are running tubular or tubeless tyres. It is inevitable that at some point you will need to replace the inner tube on your bicycle, so it is always worth having a couple of spares so you can get back on the road straight away.
With the wide variety of different sized inner tubes, this guide is intended to help make it easier to choose the correct tube for you.
Inner tubes come in a wide variety of sizes, and also different valve types. Things to consider when selecting your inner tube are;
The best way to check what size inner tube you need is to look on the sidewall of your tyre. Tyre manufacturers print the size on the sidewalls, so look out for numbers such as ‘700x23c’ for a road bike, or ‘26x1.75’ which is for mountain bikes.
It is more than likely that the inner tubes you will have used are made of a butyl rubber. If you are looking for marginal gains a change to latex inner tubes can reduce the weight in your wheels where it really matters.
It can also smooth out the ride.
There are however two downsides to latex inner tubes. The first is that they lose air much quicker, and so will need to be pumped up more often. Not during a ride, but at least before every ride. The other downside is that they are a little trickier to fit, and can be caught in between the tyre and wheel causing them to blow as soon as you pump them up.
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Andy is the Product Specialist and Content Writer at Ribble. He takes part in all disciplines of cycling, but can mostly be found either on his road bike or on the mountain bike trails.
If you are in any doubt about what is best for you then our Cycling Experts can help via email or telephone
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Tel: +44 (0)1772 963400
Let’s be honest – tubes are a bit weird. Wiggly black bands of rubber, tubes are tedious to install, constantly need to be re-inflated and can be defeated by the tiniest thorns.
When it comes time to purchase a new tube, how do you know which one to select?
Between the dozens of size options and the various valve stem types (Presta, what is that?), selecting the correct tube for your bike can be challenging. Check out our video below, or scroll down for a quick photo guide to help you select the perfect tire tube for your bicycle:
There are two important dimensions you must know when selecting a tube: The diameter of your wheel and the width of your tire. You need both to select the correct tube size. These dimensions can be found on your tire: Diameter x Width.
The first number is the diameter of your wheel. Sizes such as 26, 24, 20, 27.5, 29 and 700c are common tire diameters.
The second number (after the X) is the width of your tire. The range for widths is usually between 1 and 3 inches. For example, a 26 x 1.75 size means the tire diameter is 26 inches and the tire width is 1.75 inches.
While your diameter measurement needs to be exact, your width measurement does not. Because inner tubes stretch, they typically come in a range of widths. For example, one of our most popular tubes is the 26 x 1.75-2.125” which means it fits a 26-inch diameter tire with a width in the range of 1.75 to 2.125 inches.
Some tires have dimensions in millimeters, but the basic measurement structure is still the same: Diameter x Width. Instead of inches, you will instead see something like 700c x 18 mm. The letter at the end of the tire diameter is a carryover from an old French system that used letters a, b and c to designate inner wheel rim diameters.
After you know your tube size, you need to select your valve stem type.
The valve stem is the metal part of the bicycle wheel that sticks out and allows air to go into (and stay in) your tire. There are three types of valve stems: Schrader, Presta and Woods/Dunlop. The Woods (or Dunlop) valve stem is extremely rare and typically only found in the Netherlands or Asia, so we won’t spend any time on it here.
Schrader valves, on the other hand, are the most common valve stems found on bicycles. The most recognizable of the bunch, sometimes they are referred to as standard valves. An easy way to remember if you have a Schrader valve is to think of the “S.” Schrader valves are short, sturdy and standard. If you don’t know what valve stem you have, it is likely a Schrader.
The last valve stem type is Presta. Presta valves are traditionally found on higher-end bicycles preferred by professional cyclists. Think of the “P” in Presta standing for professional, performance and premium. If you have a Presta valve, you usually know it.
The last consideration you need to keep in mind when selecting a tube is durability. There is no reason for you to suffer from flat tires - Riding flat free can be a reality. Self-sealing tubes are heavy duty and designed to stop flats for up to two years! To gain that type of protection, you need to purchase tubes that come pre-installed with Slime tire sealant.
Alternatively, if you already have empty tubes, but want the protection that self-sealing tubes provide, you can insert the tube sealant yourself. Learn more about tube protecting sealant here.
Congratulations, you are now a tube expert! When purchasing tubes, if you consider tire size, valve stem type and durability needs, then you will never select the wrong tube again. Go forth and start riding!
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October 12, 2018
What do these numbers on the tire and wheel chamber mean?
The markings on the tire will help you determine what size tire or tube you need.
Marking (shown in the photo) 12 1/2 x 2 1/4 - this marking is applied directly on the wheel tire and on the tube itself. The marking indicates that the wheel has a tire with an outer diameter of 12" inches (30-32 cm) and a width of 5 cm. The chamber for the stroller wheel has a similar marking and the corresponding dimensions i.e. 12" inches, or 30.48 centimeters and a width of 2" inches or 5 centimeters. If the size is not visible on the camera, it should be matched to the size of the tire.
12 1/2 x 2 1/4. This is not an accurate label! Each manufacturer may have their own calculation data.
Attention! It is worth considering that each manufacturer indicates the approximate size of the tire in inches.
This means that in the production of tires, the molds in which the tires are made are slightly different in size for each manufacturer. The difference in size is up to one centimeter.
We are faced with the fact that tires from different manufacturers with the same marking 12 1/2 x 2 1/4 , in width and inner diameter, are larger or smaller by several centimeters.
The fact is that the external size and width of the tire indicated in this way in inches is not an international standard in production. There is only one standard - ISO ETRTO.
ISO ETRTO is an international standard.
Pretty accurate size, indicated in millimeters. From it you can understand whether the tire will fit the rim of your wheel.
If the old tire has ISO ETRTO 47-203, 62-203, 60x230 etc. This will make your search much easier. Just go to the tire catalog of our online store and find the corresponding designation in the names.
Instructions with ISO ETRTO: For example, the size 47-203 is indicated on an old tire.
47-203 is an ISO ETRTO international standard.
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October 12, 2018
Links to the categories of tires and tubes are under this article.
Table of contents:
Wheels on baby strollers are measured in inches, based on the outside diameter of the tire.
If the front axle on the wheelchair is fixed and does not turn with the movement, then all four wheels will be the same size.
If the front axle on the stroller is swivel, then most likely the front wheels will be 10 inches in size, and 12 inches on the rear axle.
Tire dimensions are easy to figure out by looking at the sidewall. On it you can see a similar inscription:
12 1/2 x 2 1/4
This is the size marking in inches.
1 inch = 2.54cm. It is not always accurate and may mislead you, because. it does not show the exact bore diameter.
Tires from different manufacturers with the same marking 12 1/2 x 2 1/4, are larger or smaller by a few centimeters in width and inside diameter.
The thing is that the size indicated in this way is not an international standard in production.
ISO ETRTO - international standard in millimeters.
If the old tire has ISO ETRTO 47-203, 62-203, 60x230 etc. This will make your search much easier.
1. For example, the size 47-203 is indicated on an old tire.
47-203 is the ISO size.
In some cases (250x50, 250x55, 260x55, 200x45, 180x35) the manufacturer designates not the inner, but the outer diameter!
2. Go to the Stroller Parts -> Stroller Tires tab and find the correct ISO size for your stroller. To simplify the search, you can use the product filter with the ISO ETRTO parameter.
3. Choose a tire, go to the card and compare the dimensions of your old tire with the one chosen on our website.
4. If you have not added the product to the cart before, you can do it in the product card. After we go to the basket and place an order.
Unfortunately, not all tires are marked with ISO. If you do not have it, then you can independently make the necessary measurements.
1.
Measure the width, outer and inner diameter of your tire with a ruler:
The inner diameter of the tire on the baby stroller can be (+/- 2mm): 115mm, 134mm, 140mm, 152mm, 160mm, 170mm, 175mm, 188mm, 203mm, 225mm, 230mm, 258mm.
These are the sizes available in our online store. For ease of search, you can use the filter by inner diameter.
2. Additionally, you can use the filter by stroller brand:
3. We find a tire with similar dimensions in the catalog.
4. Compare the size of your tire with the size of the tire in our store. In each product card, we additionally indicate the width, fit and outer diameters in millimeters:
Perhaps the tire on your stroller is slightly larger or smaller in height (outer diameter) than the tires in our online store, but has the same fit size (inner diameter). If this is the case, then it is better to change both at once on the same axis.
4.
