Ok-here we go:
i was telling you about those secret prototypes i was using since about past september. Now i am allowed to tell you some details. These tubes still aren't into production and what i show here is still a prototype although already very close to what the public will get later. it's only some minor details that get changed but the main features like weight and performance will remain untouched.
Eclipse Tube: 26" x 1,8 -2,3 = 56g !!
No this weight doesn't come along with all the usual weaknesses you would expect out of a lightweight inner tube. We all know how prone ultralight innertubes are. Tubes like Conti Supersonic or Maxxis Flyweight (both about 90-95g) suffer big time offroads. These inner tubes however have almost half the weight and in-house tests showed that the resistance to pinchflats is 30 times higher than regular butyl tubes. Also A LOT,lot better than any latex tube out there...
I also reported about how many flats i got using Conti Supersonic tubes inside my Conti Race King Supersonic 2,2 tires. I got a flat almost every second ride!! I had 8 patches on the tubes before i changed them with these prototypes. Now i have done at least 1500km with these tubes and still haven't got a flat. I use them with the exact same Conti tires at the same pressure on the same trails...I don't even use the Eclipse sealant which is suggested to use. Since i am tester No.1 i am trying to get the best out of them without any sealant so i can really see how good they hold up. So far there hasn't been a single flat. Tire changes are a breeze. They mount as easy as any regular innertube. No fuss, no sealant, no compressor needed...just install and go.
The inner tube is so thin it also offers the same ride quality than the tubelesskits do. There is a huge difference in the ride between regular tubes and these tubes! They really offer a much suppler ride and they definitely roll a lot faster too...it's like all the benefits of tubelesskits in a inner tube.
I know that you guy out there will have a hard time to belive me but in about 2 months they should be available to the masses and rest assured they will have a huge impact on the cycling scene!
Planned are 29"er tubes (i expect those to weigh about 60g), roadbike (i expect about 25-30g) and also Freeride/DH which shouldn't be much more than 65g.
I will post better pics as soon as i get the pre-series tubes which i should get in the next couple of days.
The weight alone is pretty incredible, the other benefits sound great too. Have you heard anything about what kind of pricing these will carry? Will these be available in the US, or through European outlets only? I'm looking forward to hearing more on these, as they sound like a major break-through, if they hold up to your mini review.
Nino,
What kind of pressures were you running these at? You mentioned at one point running over curbs trying to pinch flat them. Any idea on goathead thorn resistance? or would that be where the added sealant is recommended?
TIA
These look awesome Nino. Question ; doesn't it seem unusual that this product is planned to be made available for purchase in 2 months, when currently there's only 1 "beta" tester? I guess for me whether I want to be an early adopter based on limited field use (much as I respect your own personal testing) will be very dependent on price. The higher the price, the more likely I will be to let other people shake these down for a couple of months and then watch for feedback and experience from these early adopters.
Also, just for curiousity, are you able to tell us what your relationship with this product is? In the past it's been unclear at times what is or is not "your" product i.e. are you an investor or somehow officially involved in another capacity? Not that this would keeep me from buying a good product at a reasonable price. It just helps to know where you are coming from.
Is the product going to be available through standard distribution channnels (e.g. local bike store, etc.) or be a more of an eBay/specialty type of distribution?
Eclipse is a tubeless kit manufacturer in Switzerland. They appear to make the tubeless conversion kits for DT Swiss and Scott. These will likely be a mainstream LBS product as they become available.
They would be the exact same weight as my tubeless setup - Yellow tape and valve + Sealant is 55grams for me. But then again they wouldn't seal any puntures etc.
I would think there is a difference between "#1" and "only one"...
Interesting. Are they designed to be used with sealant?
I like how sealant helps with thorns around here, but I do not like to deal with mess. I was thinking about experimenting with getting some narrow, light tubes (like for 1" 26" tires) and adding some sealant inside, for still less weight, but more puncture resistance, but never got around experimenting. You can buy Slime tubes, but I found that they do not work as good as Stan's.
I would think that a drawback will be that once sealant dries out (depends on permeability of the material how soon that happens) you would need to throw the tube out. Can not scrub and refill.
Looking forward to try those out. I was always surprised nobody tried many new materials for MTB innertubes. Tons of interesting stuff out there, and many folks will pay a premium.
I'd like to know how well patches work on them, for the unexpected punctures.
Also, will the 26" version stretch comfortably around a 29" rim? That would save me time waiting for the 29" version, I run 26" all the time anyway.
I hope they'll offer a good gram price, I'll probably step in for all of my stable then
These look awesome Nino. Question ; doesn't it seem unusual that this product is planned to be made available for purchase in 2 months, when currently there's only 1 "beta" tester? I guess for me whether I want to be an early adopter based on limited field use (much as I respect your own personal testing) will be very dependent on price. The higher the price, the more likely I will be to let other people shake these down for a couple of months and then watch for feedback and experience from these early adopters.
Also, just for curiousity, are you able to tell us what your relationship with this product is? In the past it's been unclear at times what is or is not "your" product i.e. are you an investor or somehow officially involved in another capacity? Not that this would keeep me from buying a good product at a reasonable price. It just helps to know where you are coming from.
Is the product going to be available through standard distribution channnels (e.g. local bike store, etc.) or be a more of an eBay/specialty type of distribution?
Rest assured i'm not the only tester! BUT i am very close (best friend) to the main man behind Eclipse...and i am the one getting the news first. However i have nothing to do with Eclipse and this is not my product at all. I am however involved in the development stages...Besides many other local racers Eclipse has one of the worlds BEST XC-rider as their tester and you will most likely will see him use this product in the future....he became worldchampion using the Eclipse tubelesskit before and is now at the forefront again.
It will once again take some time to get people convinced. We had the same happen with the tubelesskits before where only slowly and over the years the advantages got known and accepted.
Yes- it will be available through distributors worldwide.
answers to some questions above:
-no air loss! These tubes keep the air thight for a long time.
-the valve is removable just like you have it on tubelesskits too to be able to add some sealant
-for the eventual pucture you have the sealant which should be able to take care of that.the tube comes with Eclipse-sealant so it's your choice if you run them with sealant right away or if you add it in case of a puncture. I haven't used any sealant so far...and never had a puncture until now.
-i am using them inside my Conti RaceKing 2,2" at 1.9-2,0 bar pressure (ca. 28 psi)
Nino, PM me when these are ready for market. I will buy a case!
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