Does inner tube width matter?

Asked by: Christian Levey

All inner tubes will come with a recommended range for tyre width – for example 700 × 20–25 for traditional road tyres, 700 × 25–32 for wider road tyres. A narrower inner tube will balloon out to fill a tyre a few millimetres wider than its recommended width – but don’t take it too far or it might explode.

Does inner tube have to be exact size?

No, tubes and tires don’t need to match exactly. Tubes are made from butyl rubber which can stretch. Bike inner tubes will accommodate a limited range of sizes. Larger tubes may be more susceptible to getting pinched between the tire and rim.

Can I use a wider inner tube?

Can I use a smaller or bigger inner tube than the tire? An inner tube that is 10 millimeters or half an inch wider or narrower can be used as long as it matches the rim diameter. A 700×25 inner tube works in a 700X32 tire, but in a 700X45 could experience issues.

Can I use an inner tube that’s too narrow for the tyre?

Yes, you can, as long as you don’t go more than one size smaller, or the differential is not too extreme. A 1.25 in a 1.5 is fine. A 1.25 in a 2.25 is likely to have issues with flats.

How do I know what size inner tube I need?

Checking the Inner Tube Size You Need
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 ’26×1. 75′ which is for mountain bikes.

Can a 26 inch inner tube fit a 27.5 wheel?

26″ tubes work perfectly well with 27.5″ wheels.

Should inner tubes be bigger than wheels?

A tube should not have excess length, and doubling on itself will cause the tire to feel uneven while riding, as well as increase the likelihood of flats. Assuming the tube is the correct size for the tire, as you said it was, there are 2 common causes for this problem.

Will a 1.9 tube fit a 1.75 tire?

If you’ve managed to get a slightly larger one in and it works then you will be fine. You might need to double check there’s no tube in between the rim and tyre though. Thicker rubber is better. If you are at the top end of the range of a tube this means the rubber has stretched more and will be thinner.

Can you put 25 tubes in a 28 tire?

Re: 20-25 tubes in 28mm tires??
It’s basically a no-no because as you pump up tyre the inner tube will stretch to fill the void of the wider tyre making it more likely to fail (or so the explanation went).

What means 700x40c?

700x40c is the measurement of your bicycle tire and is sized according to what used to be known as the ‘French system’. ‘700’ is the nominal diameter of your tire, measured in millimeters. ‘x’ just means multiplied by. ’40’ is the second number and is the nominal tire width, also measure in millimeters.

What do inner tube sizes mean?

The size is almost always written somewhere on the sidewall of the tyre. Inner tubes typically state a wheel diameter and width range for which they will work, e.g. 26 x 1.95-2.125″, indicating that the tube is intended to fit a 26 inch tyre with a width of between 1.95 inches and 2.125 inches.

Are all bike inner tubes the same?

When it comes to inner tubes, size really does matter. There are two sizes you need to know in order to ensure you buy the correct inner tubes for your bike wheels and tyres. Inner tube size diameter: First up is the tube’s diameter.

Can I use a bigger bike tube?

Yes, it’s perfectly safe to use the next larger size tube in a smaller tire. It’s a common trick used by bike messengers to reduce the chance of flats. The only downside is a slightly heavier wheel since you’re using more tube that you really need.

Is 27.5 the same as 700c?

That’s changed over the past decade, so the majority of modern mountain bikes now come either with 29in or 27.5in wheels. These two sizes are equivalent to 700c and 650b wheel sizes expressed in the European ETRTO wheel size designations and have the same bead seat diameters.