Not so long ago, I was wondering if my first race of the year, at Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga, would actually go ahead.  Well it is now less than 20 days away, and it is actually going to happen.  This means it is time to start preparing my bike to race.  That starts with installing latex inner tubes.

Why would I chose to use latex inner tubes compared to the more traditional butyl tubes?  There are lots of plusses and minuses to each tube, but the main reason for choosing latex, is they are faster.  What are the pros and cons of latex versus butyl?

• Latex tubes have a lower rolling resistance, which means they are faster.
• Latex tubes are lighter.  It’s only 50g per tube but lighter is lighter, which again means faster, especially when climbing.  I am not a complete weight weenie, but I’ll take the small gain.
• Latex tubes result in a more comfortable ride.  
• Latex tubes are more delicate than butyl tubes, which makes them more susceptible to flats, especially pinch flats.  This also means a lot of extra care must be taken during installation.
• Latex tubes are more porous.  You need to pump them up to the correct pressure more often. I do it before every ride.
• Latex tubes are more expensive, roughly double the cost of butyl tubes.

I will gladly take the downsides of latex inner tubes, to give me a little extra ‘free speed’ in my race.  Of course I’ll be carrying spare tubes in case I get a flat.  Those tubes will be butyl tubes. This is so I can be less concerned about installing them, in the heat of the moment, during a race.