temp tube solution?

[twright205]

I've only put about 8 miles on this set up.... but... I just into fat bike proper a few months ago,before then half fat with KM... now I pieced together necro.. having fun,

however the surly tube I had was beyond patching, while waiting for one to come in the mail. tossed a 26 inch. 2.1-2.3 tube into my larry's along with with that closed cell foam pipe insulation, get it like for 1.50 at homedepot, I hoping it would give it enough "girth" to round out the tire.

as I said, only have 8 miles on it so far, but it's working, I baby powdered everywhere, can't comment too much on how it changed the characteristics of the ride,since I haven't been riding very long, might try riding it on bare trails as well see how it holds up... it certainly weighs a bit less than the standard tube, don't know if the layer of foam between the tire and tube will help reduce punctures or not...

anyone else ever played around with this or another solution? do share...

[Velobike]

That's ingenious.

Keep us posted on how it works and if the foam crumbles in use.

[ozzybmx]

That idea just might keep the tube far enough away from the tyre wall to eliminate small thorn punctures !

Anyway, it got you back on the trails and its working so that all that matters. You've also worked out a cheaper way to run your wheels.... Surly tube for sale

[Levi707]

hmm that is actually a great idea! I might have to look into this. did you happen to get any pictures of the install process or the foam just for reference?

[twright205]

rode around for another few miles, appears to be holding up well. I had thought of documenting with pics.. but was worried it would be a total failure... I have been pleasantly surprised...

it's on a large marge with a larry. I simply powdered the tube, the pipe insulation,,, Had to add an extra piece about (7 inches long) .. had one bead on, just slipped it in like normal...took a little situating... then set the other bead....

warning.. there is a slight noise "foam squeak" but only one area when rolling,, my guess if I had spent the time attaching the foam piece to itself somehow,, maybe it wouldn't be a problem...

but when you are running fatbike in the snow.. there is usually some other sounds happening,, so no big deal....

[ozzybmx]

my guess if I had spent the time attaching the foam piece to itself somehow,, maybe it wouldn't be a problem...

When i was picturing what you had done in my head, i thought about what you used to join the foam together. Maybe some superglue on the cut edges will do the trick next time.

[twright205]

i'm going to run it all week, take it apart and see how the foam is behaving... if it is, I will glue up the ends. and try it again... the surly tube should be here soon, but if this works, might try both tires,,, wondering if the foam may help or hinder the chances of pinch flats, will run them low pressure and see if it get either tire to walk off...

[Jaredbe]

Good idea. Lots of riders just use a down hill size tube like you have with nothing else in our fat bikes.

[twright205]

Jaredbe.... can you go down to a nice low pressure with that set up? if so,, then I'll lose the pipe insulation.... but I was worried the sidewall would collapse and roll off the rim if the tube wasn't keeping it pushed out.....

[Jaredbe]

I have never had a problem even on my moonlander. I think the tube will conform to the shape of the tire at all pressures we use. Here is one example of a number of tubes that should work fine. These are a little bigger but as long as the tube you have inflates mostly evenly I got to believe it will work well. Good luck. Bontrager 26x2.5-2.8 Tube

[twright205]

update...so far so good, rode snowmobile trail, snowy road, now single track, and some bush whacking, no issues with air pressure at all. now while bush whacking went though some thorns and hawthorn sections, no punctures yet, pulled the tire off just to check on the condition of the pipe insulation foam,, no worse for wear... I know many of you said that the foam is not necessary,,, but I plan on keeping it in simply to see how it behaves...

[duggus]

Wow, this is a pretty awesome idea actually. Keeps small thorns and such from ever reaching the tube. You have just engineered a better tube. The nex gen tube.