Don't.

Why give away your secrets. If they can't figure it out for themselves let them ride slow. Why level the playing field.

If latex tubes is something "new" to your LBS..

Yeah, every time I flat and someone's like, "What's with the pink tube, bro?" I have to redirect, "Hey look, I think that's Beyonce!"

Most LBS don't have them. They're pretty much only "common knowledge" on this forum, afaik.

If I ran your LBS, I would gladly sell you expensive inner tubes, no questions asked.

Isn't it funny how people will spend 3 or 4 grand on an aero bike but not an extra $20 or $30 on free speed and a better ride?

Your LBS is never going to carry them. The reason, "the demand" just isn't great enough. Ask them to open the Wall Street Journal. Why is Sports Authority and Sports Chalet filing for bankruptcy? Why is nearly ever other brick-and-mortar retailer struggling? Instead of leveraging niche products in a unique way to help get customers in the door they are all to willing to let the 800-pound gorilla Amazon eat their lunch day after day.

I think your best bet is maybe walk into their store, ask to borrow their computer, and use Amazon Prime to purchase a couple of these Vittoria Latex Tube 25-28mm. Have them shipped to the bike store just so they can see how easy it is for a customer to avoid the LBS all together. As for me, thankfully Trisports still carries them as well. Just put in an order for 6x - should be good for a while.

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I vaguely remember a Crr test using latex tube being marginally better, but I didn't save it.
Anyone, anyone....? ..!

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res, non verba

Strategery! But what if I have a small-minded desire to be "right"? What could I lay down on the table?

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Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team

Al Morrison did this testing 6 or 7 years ago. 2 to 3 watts per wheel using latex. Best bang for the buck, especially seeing how your LBS probably charges as much for butyl as you can mail order latex from Excelsports.com (shameless plug for my sponsor and you owe me for shaving between 12 and 20 seconds of your next 40k :-) ).

http://www.biketechreview.com/...ire_testing_rev9.pdf

Just be careful the first time you do an install.

Al's calcs don't include any factor for typical road surface roughness. It's more like 3-4W per wheel in realty (unless you're riding a surface as smooth as Al's drums)

Jack Mott wrote a nice summary of the "dos and don'ts" with latex tubes: http://austintriathlonstore.blogspot.com/.../01/latex-tubes.html

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http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

You should see the look on mechanics faces when I tell them I am running latex in 650c wheels. One mechanic that I know tells me, "Man I bet if you took this bike into other shops they would just think you are a weirdo."

Where do you get 650c latex tubes? Do you take a 700c latex and 'turtle-neck' it?
Stephen J

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I believe my local reality has been violated.
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Happiness = Results / (Expectations)^2

Turtle-neck a 700c

Latex tubes have enough issues (fragility during install, air loss, don't play well with CO2, etc.) that it's just not worth it for many shops to educate their customers about them.

As for the perception from ride partners; just them that these are European-made tubes adapted from high-end racing tubulars.....and the pink is an homage to the Giro d'Italia.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Do you mean you fold it inside itself to get it the right length?

Yes, I use the ball end of an allen wrench with the tube inflated by blowing into it.

Hi! A related question: what happens to crr when you put in sealant, like Stans? Any good testing done on the effects of different amounts, types? Difference latex/butyl-clinchers-tubulars etc?

Lots of people do this, myself included. But would it be better to get a tire-tube combo with slightly less performance but better puncture protection, and skip the sealant? Ironic if you chase those 3 watts and then negate them sloshing liquid latex in the valve...

Al Morrison also did this testing...no detectable difference, which makes sense if you consider the source of rolling resistance. It doesn't take much energy to "flex" a liquid ;-)

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http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

Ah, of course. That's good to know, thanks!

I just color mine with a black sharpie before I install them