If there is one thing that can instantly ruin a ride, it’s getting a flat tire. That’s especially true for city cycling or commuting where you have to deal with poor road conditions and debris. Tubolite is looking to make punctures a thing of the past with their new X-Tubo City/Tour tubes. The $29.95 X-Tubo tubes share Tubolite’s proprietary orange thermoplastic elastomer (i.e. TPU) which is optimized for puncture resistance instead of weight. Tubolito is so confident in the flat protection that they even include an unheard of 1 year free-replacement warranty if you do experience a flat. The tubes are designed for tires between 30-50mm widths in either Presta or Schrader valve options.
The Tubolito X-Tubo City/Tour inner tubes combine Tubolito’s distinctive orange TPU material with an impressive one year flat warranty.
| Retail Price | $29.95 |
| Rating | 9.3 / 10 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 136 (Presta) |
| Likes | + Impressive warranty + Packs flatter than standard Butyl tubes + Feels fast and smooth on the road |
| Dislikes | – Limited size options – Non-thread valve body means you can’t use traditional lock rings |
| Where to Buy (US) | Tubolito |
UNBOXING
The Tubolito X-Tubo City/Tour tubes come in a Tubolito branded simple cardboard box with a small window on the top that gives a sneak peak of the distinctive orange tube. In a nod to lightweight, Tubolito uses a lightweight transparent band to hold the tube together. Note, to take advantage of the warranty don’t forget to register the tube on Tubolito’s website.
FIT & FINISH
As with all of Tubolito’s tubes, the X-Tubo City/Tour tubes have the same distinctive orange TPU construction. The proprietary TPU material not only folds nearly flat but it feels more pliable and smooth than traditional butyl rubber tubes. Unlike Tubolito’s road cycling tubes which are optimized for lighter weight and smaller size, the X-Tubo tubes are focused on durability and flat protection. Even with that, the X-Tubo tubes still pack smaller than rubber tubes as the TPU material folds flatter than traditional materials. It’s also hard to miss the orange tube material and valve body which makes it easy to spot on fellow cyclists while riding. Another thing to note is Tubolito also has a Tubo City/Tour version which is 50% lighter but lacks the one year warranty.
ON THE ROAD
We paired the X-Tubo City/Tour tubes with our Priority Ace of Spades which is a low maintenance urban / city belt driven bike. Installing the tubes was as simple as installing normal rubber tubes or even slightly easier with the more pliable tube material. Once installed, it’s hard to miss the orange valve sticking out of the rims although you won’t be able to use traditional threaded lock rings. Despite our best efforts and the number of potholes and debris on the roads around us, we didn’t experience any flats with the tubes. If you have the misfortune of getting a flat, the Tubolito warranty process appears to be straightforward with a form to fill on their website.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Tubolito X-Tubo City/Tour to be well designed and easy to install. The distinctive orange coloring and TPU material is similar to other Tubolito tubes but optimized for durability instead of weight which means the X-Tubo City/Tour tubes have a similar weight to standard Butyl tubes. What really sets the tubes apart is the one-year flat warranty which is something no other company offers at this time. The warranty is what really makes the $29.95 retail price more palatable as you know it will last at least a year. Despite debris and potholes, we didn’t experience any flats with the tubes so we can’t comment on the warranty turn round. That said, we’re excited to see the X-Tubo tube technology extended to road or mountain bike applications so flats can become a thing of the past.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Tubolito. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.