A while back I bought some tubes on sale at BTD. The quality was so poor that I actually took the tubes to a bike store to make sure I was seeing what I was seeing. The tubes were so oversized in length that there was no way to stuff it into the tire. The Schwalbes are the correct size and they hold air really well. And yes BTD took care of me.
I bought these tubes to use with replacement tires purchased at the same time. The first thing I noticed was how long the valve stem was relative to the tubes I was replacing. My fault for not checking the length prior to purchase since I had assumed this was a fairly standard measurement. The second thing I noticed was they didn't fit well in the rim. The stem is not threaded its entire length which meant the nut could not be tightened down to the rim. I used a second nut on the inside but this means a good portion of the stem is pushing into the tube and tire. This seems to work but I wonder if this will result in a blow out or puncture. A back injury has prevented me for any serious road testing to date.
Tubes are usually just tubes. Boring hoops of butyl rubber with a valve in it. The Schwalbe tube has the best designed valve I've seen in ~30 years of riding Presta valved bikes. It seems to be such a simple thing, but the taper at the base should help reduce the risk of having the valve rip out of the tube. I haven't been able to tell if it will last very long, but if the rest of the tube is as well designed and built as the valve, it should be a good one.
I have used many different brands of bike tubes over the years. These are at the top of my list for overall quality and they do hold air pressure for longer that other tubes I�ve used.
I gave up on most other brands for tubes because of problems with failing valve stems, slow leaks, and blowouts. These tubes are bomb proof and hold pressure for over a week without noticeable loss of pressure. Worth the slightly heavier weight for those long rides on remote rural roads full of hazards and debris.
Reviewing a butyl tube, is kind of like rating toilet paper. When it is better than average, it is noticeable! When I opened these tubes, I definitely noticed some attention to detail that other tubes do not include. So far, they are holding up well....
I needed some new tubes and I couldn't get my regular brand so, I took a chance on these. Fortunately, I haven't needed them yet. I do hope they serve me well when the time comes.
Worth the extra couple bucks over generic tubes. They just have a quality feel to them. The presta valves are not fragile. They maintain air pressure very well too. This was my first experience with this brand, but I think they may have bumped Continental down a peg in my tube hierarchy. Will definitely buy these again.
