Which inner tube for my bike

What are inner tubes? What inner tube do I need for my bike? Then, within these categories, there are further sub-divisions, such as 26 inch, Tyre Width: To add to the variety, you also have different tyre widths. There are wide road tyres and narrow road tyres, wide downhill mountain bike tyres and narrow cross-country mountain bike tyres. Get the wrong size, and you could have too much tube to fit inside the tyre, or too small an inner tube to fill it out.

So how do you know what size you need? There are two fool-proof ways to ensure you get the right inner tube size: Check your tyre sidewalls : The best way is to look at the markings on the sidewall of your tyre. Printed onto the tyre should be something like "x23c" on a road bike, or "29x1. The first number in this sequence refers to the circumference of the wheel, the latter refers to the width of the tyre. This would look like "" for a x23c tyre or "" for a 26"x1.

Check your bike's specifications: The other way to identify your wheel and tyre size is to look at the specs of your bike which you should be able to find on the manufacturer's website. Assuming you haven't changed the specification from when you originally bought the bike, then look for the tyre size in the product description, such as "Tyres: Continental UltraSport x25c".

Valve type - Schrader or Presta The valve is used to inflate and deflate the inner tube. The right inner tube for you Shop Inner Tubes at Wiggle. The letter at the end of the tire diameter is a carryover from an old French system that used letters a, b and c to designate inner wheel rim diameters.

Step 2: Picking the Right Valve Stem After you know your tube size, you need to select your valve stem type. The valve stem is the metal part of the bicycle wheel that sticks out and allows air to go into and stay in your tire. Schrader valves, on the other hand, are the most common valve stems found on bicycles.

The most recognizable of the bunch, sometimes they are referred to as standard valves. The last valve stem type is Presta. Presta valves are traditionally found on higher-end bicycles preferred by professional cyclists. If you have a Presta valve, you usually know it. The last consideration you need to keep in mind when selecting a tube is durability. There is no reason for you to suffer from flat tires - Riding flat free can be a reality. Self-sealing tubes are heavy duty and designed to stop flats for up to two years!

What does c or b mean? They are the two most common standard sizes in the world of cycling. The number is an approximate measure of the diameter of the wheel in millimetres, including the tire. The letter is a historical indication that no longer has any real meaning. In all cases, the measurements represent the approximate diameter of the wheel including the tire.

Are you confused by the various wheel sizes for adult bikes? Here is a chart that shows the equivalencies. The same basic logic applies for the width of the tires. If the size of your wheel is metric, the width should be as well. You will find the width of your tire in the second digit marked on the sidewall of the tire.