Did a little “TPU” search and didn’t find exactly what I was after.
@cheddarBiscuit mentioned carrying TPU’s as spares back in 2024. Question - who is carrying a TPU as a spare and running tubeless in a race setting? In the unfortunate event that the sealant doesn’t do it’s job, I’ll try and plug first…but in the event I need to toss a tube in for whatever reason, any issues inflating TPU with CO2? Any issues with TPU and sealant being in the same space together (ie- degradation of TPU tube, etc.) I like the idea of a lighter/less bulky repair kit…and whether my race is over or not, I won’t leave home without one!
…what’s a TPU?
Its an inner tube like Aerothan oder Turbolito
Oh come on Bryan! LOL! Thermoplastic Polyurethane tubes. They are lighter and supposedly stronger.
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I do use tubeless with TPUs as spares. I also carry plugs to use the 3 layers of protection (milk, plug, tube). I have to carry 2x tubes in the race set-up because of different valve lengths
No problem sofar with TPU and CO2. Only problem is that the value on a TPU is a bit thicker so my disc wheel adapter doesn‘t fit properly. I had to buy a CO2 inflator that fits into the disc wheel hole and carry that as well
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I rarely got the TPUs to work, but that could be user error.
How are they different to install then a regular tube?
Problem with your setup is how the TPU behaves after you’ve inserted a plug in an attempt to fix a puncture that doesn’t seal. Maybe it will puncture the TPU, particularly if you use Dynaplugs. I would test it outside of competition first.
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Can you be more specific? What’s not working…?
100% …and I don’t think I’d try to insert a tube with a pointy plug peaking through. Maybe should’ve worded it “if going old school and putting a tube in because tubeless didn’t work, any issues with TPU other than a sticky mess with sealant?” Or something to that…
bruh…
I find they tend to flat quickly and if you carry one around as a spare for a long time, they also tend to get pinholes near the valve. My husband cares about the weight of things, while I want things that will work, so after two TPU flat failures, I have regular tubes in my flat kit again. I’m also working with very old wheels–ten speed rim brake, so not sure if that makes a difference.
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LOL, I too can’t possibly believe bryancd has no idea what a TPU tube is. He’s gotta be trolling us 
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They have less structure to them and flop around more. I realize this wording is going to go over super well here. . .
In the early generations of TPU this was sort of a problem, I had one of those flats.
But my current-gen TPU tubes I’ve bought in the last year have been completely problem-free and don’t flat for me any more frequently than latex or butyl. They have been also no problem for me to install on the road if they do flat, I actually end up replacing a latex tube flat in my TT bike on the road with a TPU since the TPUs pack so much smaller in a saddlebag.
@MeggieB - This might be relevant to your or not, but TPU tubes on rim-brake bikes have a real risk of overheating and then slow-flatting (they don’t explode) if you overheat them on a long mountain descent. If you’re using carbon-rim wheels with non-alloy brake surfaces that heat even faster, the risk is even higher. That’s why the manufacturers typically write ‘not for rim-brake’ on some of the new packaging. I learned this the hard way when I flatted 4 consecutive times down 4 consecutive mountain descents across 2 separate rides, and then did more research and found this was a known limitation of TPU tubes. There is no overheating issue whatsoever with disc brake bikes, which is what I run now. Of note as well, I had zero problems with rim-brake TPU flat tires on non-mountain descents, so you may never have this problem if you’re not doing these. Things like overpasses and smaller hills were zero issue for me even on rim brake TPU.
@lightheir …in that 2024 thread, I don’t believe you had gone tubeless yet. Are you tubeless now?
3…2…1…
You’re probably trolling BUT in the case you’re not and for the lurkers who get sent here by Google and don’t know what these are, TPU tubes are superlightweight TPU-material tubes that cost the same or less than butyl tubes if you get the right ones, have been tested to be nearly as fast as latex/tubeless so no speed penalty, and the biggest advantage is that they pack down super-tiny compared to latex/butyl. You can easily carry 4 TPU tubes in the space taken up by 1 butyl tube.
And now they not only come in lengths up to 80mm (and 100mm if you look hard enough), but also have metal stems with removable valve cores for extenders if needed.
Hah - no tubeless for me.
Sorry, I forgot about that part of the OP’s post, being ‘tubeless’ - got too shocked/sidelined by bryancd’s “what is TPU’ post!
I have no idea or experience if TPU tubes are a good idea for a roadside tubeless flat with all that sealant in there. I’d still probably carry a TPU and try it if I flatted if those tubeless barbs don’t work first, but obviously anyone who’s actually done it will know better than me!
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No, I totally missed this! I do just carry a regular tube as a spare for my tubeless set up.