Spare inner tube or tubes for mullet?

[Tim1023]

I'll be converting my mullet Levo mk3 to Tubeless at the weekend.
Being paranoid, I like to carry a spare inner tube with me. Do I now need two or are the inner tubes so flexible that I can get away with one? If so 29" or 26.5"?

 

[TheSnowShark]

You have to take the smallest dimension and especially not the other way around... and isn't it 27.5" rather than 26.5" ?

 

[Tim1023]

You have to take the smallest dimension and especially not the other way around... and isn't it 27.5" rather than 26.5" ?

Top - thank you.
Yup, typo

 

[RustyIron]

Yeah, it doesn't make much difference if you're using a regular tube. In fact, I might be carrying a 27.5" tubes from my mullet on my full 29" bike. It just takes an extra ten seconds to install it. If your'e using those fancy super-light plastic tubes, then I have no idea.

 

[Tim1023]

Yeah, it doesn't make much difference if you're using a regular tube. In fact, I might be carrying a 27.5" tubes from my mullet on my full 29" bike. It just takes an extra ten seconds to install it. If your'e using those fancy super-light plastic tubes, then I have no idea.

Nah. No fancy super-light plastic tubes for me. It's just for emergency limping home. I have enough other garbage with me "just in case" that the extra weight of a normal tube really doesn't make the difference.

 

[Montana St Alum]

Yeah, it doesn't make much difference if you're using a regular tube. In fact, I might be carrying a 27.5" tubes from my mullet on my full 29" bike. It just takes an extra ten seconds to install it. If your'e using those fancy super-light plastic tubes, then I have no idea.

Yep.
On the really light TPU style, I'd stick with a 27.5 for 27.5 and 29 for 29. They don't stretch well.

 

[steve_sordy]

Nah. No fancy super-light plastic tubes for me. It's just for emergency limping home. I have enough other garbage with me "just in case" that the extra weight of a normal tube really doesn't make the difference.

It's not just the weight, it's the volume! See pic.

 

[Tim1023]

Blimey! Two of them would be smaller and lighter that one standard one. I'm currently in the new bike phase, buying various bits and pieces, so maybe I'll wait a bit before I try to persuade the boss that I "need" them

 

[steve_sordy]

Blimey! Two of them would be smaller and lighter that one standard one. I'm currently in the new bike phase, buying various bits and pieces, so maybe I'll wait a bit before I try to persuade the boss that I "need" them

Needing to use a tube is so rare that I'd rather carry round the Tubolito ones than the standard rubber tubes. I have never had to use the Tubolito spares, but I know that as soon as I leave them behind, I'll need them!

They are expensive though! I still have no idea if they will actually work as planned!

 

[Montana St Alum]

It's not just the weight, it's the volume! See pic.

View attachment 135735 View attachment 135736

Yeah, they are space efficient and light. I have a sous vide vacuum that is handy in that you can put a tube (either one, regular or fancy) in and vacuum pack it to take up less space. Normally it's not a problem but space between my seat (when down) combined with bottoming out suspension is at a premium and this gets it small enough to not rub.

 

[irie]

Needing to use a tube is so rare that I'd rather carry round the Tubolito ones than the standard rubber tubes. I have never had to use the Tubolito spares, but I know that as soon as I leave them behind, I'll need them!

They are expensive though! I still have no idea if they will actually work as planned!

Never had to use mine so also have absolutely no idea if it will work!

 

[RustyIron]

They are expensive though! I still have no idea if they will actually work as planned!

They're not super durable. You need to be very careful installing it, and lucky enough to not encounter whatever gave you the flat in the first place. I'm intrigued by the compactness, unimpressed by the delicacy.

 

[irie]

They're not super durable. You need to be very careful installing it, and lucky enough to not encounter whatever gave you the flat in the first place. I'm intrigued by the compactness, unimpressed by the delicacy.

All it has to do is get you home. Nothing more.

 

[chrismechmaster]

It's not just the weight, it's the volume! See pic.

View attachment 135735 View attachment 135736

Where can you purchase these from please

 

[steve_sordy]

Where can you purchase these from please

S-TUBO-MTB - Tubolito

Also try Googling for a supplier

 

[Montana St Alum]

Where can you purchase these from please

Can you access "Amazon"? I have the Pirelli brand in a 29 and in the 27.5 I have an off-brand cheaper one for my wife's bike. Turbolito makes them as well, so you should be able to get them from various online sellers or at a local shop.

 

[Romney]

I carry the specialized mountain mullet tube (27.5/29) should my tubeless setup goes bad on my levo. It works.

 

[TwoTokens]

Over the years I've found it best to carry a 27.5" tube with me, regardless of what bike I've gone out on. It's the most versatile option to not only cover yourself, but other riders too.

Pump up an inner tube on the floor and you'll get it to 40" before it blows. Putting a 27.5" tube on a 29" just requires a few psi before inserting to make life easier. Good practice anyway, to avoid pinching the tube between the bead

 

[CarolinaCrawler]

I carry the specialized mountain mullet tube (27.5/29) should my tubeless setup goes bad on my levo. It works.

This is also what I do. They are cheap enough to use.

Over the years I've found it best to carry a 27.5" tube with me, regardless of what bike I've gone out on. It's the most versatile option to not only cover yourself, but other riders too.

Pump up an inner tube on the floor and you'll get it to 40" before it blows. Putting a 27.5" tube on a 29" just requires a few psi before inserting to make life easier. Good practice anyway, to avoid pinching the tube between the bead

I used to do this before I got the Specialized tube. I have stretched a 27.5 tube over a 29 pretty easily. Kinda surprised me.

 

[Ickle_legs]

+1 for 27.5" - it'll stretch whereas a 29" should be OK as a 'get you home' but if left in situ might crease eventually creating a weak spot/split

 

[SwampNut]

All it has to do is get you home. Nothing more.

They last forever if you get it done right. But super easy to damage while installing. Also zero stretch. I thought I could put a 2.5 in a 2.6 tire. It exploded inside the tire.

 

[E-MAD MALC]

May I ask if any of you have tried the hack if riding mullet, by carrying a 29 tube and if you need to reduce it in diameter to fit the 27.5 by pinching the tube and rolling a part of it inside itself to reduce it to a 27.5 works a treat

 

[RustyIron]

Pump up an inner tube on the floor and you'll get it to 40" before it blows.

Bummer. My next bike is going to have 42" wheels... for rolling over the big chunk.

Good on ya for helping out other riders in need. Over the past several years, I can recall going through four tubes... none of them on my bikes. One was a group of young gentleman, many miles of rugged terrain between them and their trucks. My buddy and I were watching them from atop a mountain. They were milling around as if someone had been hurt, so we headed down to see what was up. It turned out that one of them was running excessively low pressures, hit a rock, burped his tire, and his tire was too dry to reseat it. These boys were totally unprepared for the wilderness. None of them even had a tube. I took pity on them, but didn't want to get involved in their debacle. I gave them my only tube with the admonishment to be very careful mounting it--it was the only one. Then my buddy and I rolled off into the sunset. Hopefully they learned their lesson, just as the rest of us old dogs learned ours.

 

[Jay Bird]

Needing to use a tube is so rare that I'd rather carry round the Tubolito ones than the standard rubber tubes. I have never had to use the Tubolito spares, but I know that as soon as I leave them behind, I'll need them!

They are expensive though! I still have no idea if they will actually work as planned!

Yes they do work. Friend is running tubes full time and switched from old style tubes to tubolito. No problems.