How To Selecting A Bicycle Tube For Mountain Biking

Hybrid Mountain Bike - A good tube mountain bike can be the difference between a long and a very short drive. As surprising as it may seem, there are many different types of bicycle inner tubes. Different depending on the type of adapter sizes, there are tons of options.

Determine Your Tire Size

The first step in choosing the right tube, determine the size of your mountain bikes tire. Bicycle tire type, the size of the wheel in this format (26x2.25). These figures show the diameter of the wheel (26 inches) and the width of the tire (2.25 inches). For determining a tube size we only need the diameter, in this example that is the 26 inches.

Choose A Valve Type

The valve on a bicycle tube is where you will connect your pump and put air inside the tube. There are two types of valves that come on most bicycle tubes. Presta or Schrader. Sometimes your bicycle is designed for a particular valve, other times either one can fit. It's best to examine the valve you currently have on the bike before selecting a new tube.For the most part the type of valve you use it a personal preference, but there are some benefits unique to each bicycle tube valve type.

Schrader valves are short, fat and identical to the valves you see on a car. A benefit of this type of valve is that it is a universal fit. If you get a flat all you have to do is make it to the nearest gas station and use their air pump. The downside of the schrader valve is that they can be harder to pump than a presta valve because of the spring in the core.

Presta valves are long, skinny and have a locking nut on the top of them. The locking nut on the top of a presta valve prevents accidental depression of the core which could release the air in your tire. Unfortunately, presta valves also require a special pump that fits over the valve head.

Flat Proof Gel Filling

Probably the reason why you are looking for a new tube, because you had a flat in your old tube. If you want to avoid a home occur in the future, most of the shops and stores have bicycle inner tubes that are filled with mud perforation or gel filling. These are highly recommended for mountain bike trails with thorns and will only add a dollar or two for the price.