Sealant Shunning - the rise of the TPU inner tube, 4 Cyber Monday discounts on the performance trend of 2025
Tyre compatibility issues, the mess, and still needing to carry a tube for emergencies have driven people back to tubes in 2025. Here is my pick of the four best deals this Cyber Monday
The rise of the TPU inner tube in 2025 is complex, but undoubtedly a trend worth paying attention to. It would be ignorant for us to think that this is all being driven by those just upgrading their old butyl tubes. The increase in the use of hookless rims by wheel manufacturers is making tyre choice and compatibility a real issue for riders. Some are just fed up with the mess of tubeless tyre setups, and many don't see the point when you still need to carry a tube for emergencies.
So, here are four of the best deals on TPU inner tubes this Cyber Monday:
Competitive Cyclist has 700 x 25-28mm wide Pirelli SmarTubes with three different valve lengths all on offer at 25% off. We love the durability of the Pirelli.
Competitive Cyclist also has the Tubolito TPU inner tube down over 25%. This can accommodate a much wider range of tyre widths, from 30-50mm, to keep up with modern gravel trends. The ride feel and compliance of the Tubolito is second to none.
Tredz here in the UK also has the Pirelli P Zero SmarTubes on offer, this time with a whopping nearly 50% off. As I said, we love the durability of the Pirelli tubes and make the ideal winter Butyl replacement.
We have not thoroughly tested the RideNow tubes, but they are a popular choice among many riders I have seen in comments and forums. If you are looking to cover a couple of bikes all at once, this 4-pack bulk deal makes sense. It brings the tubes down to around $10 each.
So... what is so special about TPU inner tubes?
We can safely say that TPU inner tubes don't quite match the performance of the Best Tubeless Tyres and sealant setups. Tubeless still trumps them in rolling resistance and puncture resistance; however, TPU tubes do offer a significant performance increase over Butyl, and with the right tyre combination, can get very close to Tubeless.
Why would I not just use latex tubes?
While latex tubes offer much greater compliance than TPU inner tubes (because latex is much softer than the plastic used in TPU), anyone who has ever used latex will vouch for their fragility and constant need for inflation.
What's the catch?
In our testing, really the only drawback we have ever found with TPU inner tubes is their cost. Given how much more expensive they are than Buytl tubes, and if you are already purchasing tubeless tyres, it's about the same, if not more, than buying some sealant, tape and the best tubeless valves. Which makes these Cyber Monday deals even more valuable, as they bring the cost down to either lower than a tubeless setup or equal to it. In some cases, we do find the valves of the TPU inner tubes susceptible to damage when fitting pumps, espically hand pumps, but of those recommended above, we haven't seen these issues.
This is all before we even discuss whether you have issues with tubeless, like clogged valves, leaks, poorly fitted tape, explosions, unrepairable punctures out on a ride, etc., etc.
If TPU inner tube deals is not what you are looking for this Cyber Monday, why not check out our Cyber Monday Cycling Deals Live hub. The Cycling Weekly team of deal hunting experts will be Live bring you the best deals all day and late into the evening. Don't forget the many deals will end tonight at midnight, so make sure you take advantage while you can.
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Like many, Matt began his bicycle industry journey on the spanners at his local bike shop. After spending his youth mountain biking, he was inspired to embrace gravel during his tenure with Evans Cycles' in-house brands, Pinnacle and Hoy Bikes. Recognising the evolving industry, Matt eagerly seized the chance to become an E-bike designer, winning several awards with the E-bike brand Cairn Cycles.
These days, Matt is likely to have a toddler sitting shotgun or off the beaten track somewhere on the South Downs.
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