this post was submitted on 28 Jan 2026
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Bicycling
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@MrAndrewD @bicycling
I've been happily using whatever TPU tubes are cheapest from AliExpress for about 3 years now.
I've had one failed out of the box: Gustavo brand had the valve only bonded on half the circumference, and their "support" was basically "sucked in!"
The supplied patches are a bit more of a grab bag of effectiveness - they've all held for the post-puncture ride home, but some have failed the next day. I've found that a roll of TPU tape, sold for patching inflatable swimming pools, is thicker and stronger and can be trusted much longer.
The other gotcha is that punctures can be really, really, teensy tiny! About 50% have required patiently submerging the tube in the bath and waiting for a solitary bubble to emerge. You can't inflate TPU tubes above s couple of PSI if they aren't inside a tyre, so you can't get a healthy high pressure stream of bubbles from a tiny puncture.
Overall, happy with TPU, love being able to easily carry multiples. As with anything, a bit of a learning curve.
#BikeTooter #TPU