Hahaha that's just messed up to not put that in pink.

x2. And you should add just a touch of air to the tube, maybe just 1psi before doing this procedure.

Great. Thanks for helping me spend $30... :)

http://www.trisports.com/...a-tube-latex-51.html

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"I can eat 21 plus a deep-fried turkey!"

After ride latex tubes for 3 weeks (300 miles, including Mt Lemmon), I won't go back to butyl. The ride quality alone is worth it to me.

Tom,

When hammer it out of the saddle, it almost feels like the rear tire is flat; is this what you mean by feel "dead"? FWIW, I felt this with the butyl tubes; it's just more pronounced with latex.

No...kind of the opposite. They sorta feel like I'm riding on stiff garden hoses...not as bad as some other tires, but it's still there...

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http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

OH like they don't "bounce" but absorb energy?

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-Jason
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Is that all you've got? Are you sure?

I have to agree. I did my first ride today with a latex tube in the front tire, which I was finally able to install without blowing it. What a difference it made, and that was just one tube. Accelerations and climbs were so much easier. I should get additional performance by adding one to the back tire on my next ride.

I tried using them in the past, but always had them blow in the installation, or just as the ride got started. I obviously wasn't installing them correctly. That's why I was reluctant to invest too much of my time and effort on both tubes tubes. I was very careful this time, using talk and avoiding tire levers, and double checking inside the rim before inflating. Once installed correctly, they seem to be very resilient.

I am using the Vittoria Evo Open Corsa, which seems to be a good match for latex tubes.

I think that's commonly referred to as 'placebo effect'. It seems highly unlikely the 2-3W gained from Latex tubes would make a noticeable difference in accelerating or climbing. Perhaps the wind was blowing favorably today?

Do they feel faster? I don't know. I agree 6W should be hard to perceive. However, the ride quality is definitely noticeable.

It's fairly easy to dismiss any positive feedback as the placebo effect. You weren't there, so I'll fill you in. I based my performance improvement on how I did compared to other individuals in the group ride. When I start at the bottom of the hill at the tail end of the group and end up with the lead group at the top of the hill, I would say that's a significant improvement from my usual staying at the tail end. Was it a placebo effect? Possibly, but my gut feeling is probably not. Can I prove it? No, just giving subjective impressions. Numbers are useful, but there are also intangibles out there.

Exactly. That's the definition of the placebo effect. You think you should go faster and feel better so you do. It has nothing to do with Latex though.

I would love to have the roads you guys have apparently. I have great low traffic hilly terrain to train on where I live but the roads are old and we have a lot of tar and chip etc... In the last 2 years I have strayed from Conti's for some of the reasons described above in the end I have come home from rides and threw them right back on. I have tried Michelins and I have had some Deda's. I loved them both and they felt great but both times within 20 miles of riding I have puctured. I'm not talking pinch flats either, I am talking smack in the middle of the tread punctures. Conti's are pretty much bombproof, even here.

So here is why I use Conti's in racing (Conti Triathlon) I need confidence in my equiptment when I race. How does one have confidence in equiptment when they can't get through one training ride without a puncturing mid tread? I am a strong cyclist and am willing to give up a tiny bit of time with high assurance I will get through the bike leg without flatting. Granted most races I race at have better road conditions than what I train on but it all goes back to confidence in equiptment. Shelling out $75 for tires that can't get me through 20 miles is a bit of a dissapointment. The plus of racing on smoother roads than I train on is I am always faster racing than training at same wattage.

I have been watching how much air I loose with the latex tubes. What I have noticed is 20 lbs in 24 hrs, 40lbs in 48 hours, and 60lbs in 72 hours. I have heard that latex loses air faster the hotter it is outside.....time will tell.

FWIW. I rode the Jasper Disaster course this weekend a four hour ride in the blistering heat of North Arkansas. After the ride, I checked the air in the tubes and I lost about ~3 to 5 lbs.

www.tourdehills.com

+1 for Latex
I installed latex tubes in my road and Tri bikes about a year ago. I average maybe 80-100 miles a week through out the year. I haven't had a flat or failure of any kind with latex tubes yet. I'm 175lbs and use 23c 4000s's and ProRace2's and ride on some pretty crappy rural roads (plan to buy some low rolling resistance tires before next big race). I use Challenge Corsa latex tubes for about $10 a piece. I'm not tuned into the bike enough to notice a big feel difference, but believe I'm saving a few watts based on the rolling resistance tests. It seems like they loose 8-10lbs a day.


Greg

It really depends on the road surfaces you ride on - some of these tires, notably the Pro 3, are hopeless where I live (lots of chip seal, lots of debris, very hot summers = Pro 3s cut to ribbons). Maybe not on race day, but the GP 4000 (or S) is by far the most common tire choice for most of the serious cyclists I see around here, for the vast bulk of their riding (and a lot of them race them, for instance on course like Vineman or the Terrible Two)

That being said, while they've been great to me on flat protection, I agree that GP 4000 (regular and S version) do not 'feel' anywhere near as good as, say, Pro 3s and others mentioned. But I'm partial to Contis now, so curious: how are the Super Sonics by comparison, in terms of performance and flats?

No flats in THREE YEARS?! I want your roads!!!

Seriously question Jack: Is there any well established CW regarding puncture protection between standard butyl and latex?

It isn't anywhere close to that.

Mark,

It's amazing to me the numbers of triathletes who did not get the memo that you don't need an amazingly high crutch crushing and pounding psi to get great rolling resistance!!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I was pumping my latex/4000S up to 120 lbs (weigh 162 lbs) because Tyler Hamiltion told my brother, his coach, that latex tubes will lose 20 lbs over the course of a 4 hr to 5 race. I am going to go back to 112 PSI to 115 PSI as I have now debunked that myth.

I do have some super sonics on a pair of Zipp FC clinchers and I like how they feel and roll. I don't think I would use them for daily training due to durability issues over the long term, but I think their flat protection is likely as good as any other light weight racing tire.

Where did you find Challenge latex tubes? I can't find them anywhere.

Sorry :(
I got them at World Class Cycles and got the last batch about 7 month's ago, but it looks like they only carry Michelin and Vittoria latex tubes now.
http://www.worldclasscycles.com/...s_adhesives_cart.htm

ive had plenty of flats, just not while i happen to have latex tubes in my tires. i don't generally run them when training. sometimes I do.

and no, there is no objective, scientific data bout puncture resistance with them.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

I went back to pumping my tires up to 108 lbs and still lose only 20 lbs in 24 hours. The smooth ride of a latex tube at 108 lbs is priceless. I haven't had any flats in 3k miles either. I would never go back to butyl tubes based on comfort alone.