Bike Tire Tube Size Chart

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Road Gravel Cyclocross And Hybrid Tyres: 700c Wheels

What Size Bike Inner Tube Do I Need? || REI

Simon Bromley/Immediate Media

  • 700 × 2025mm for traditional road bikes with 700c wheels and 20 to 25mm tyres
  • 700 × 2532mm for road bikes with 700c wheels and 25 to 32mm tyres
  • 700 × 2837mm for road, cyclocross, gravel and hybrid bikes with 700c wheels and 28 to 37mm tyres
  • 700 × 3247mm for road cyclocross, gravel and hybrid bikes with 700c wheels and 32 to 47mm tyres

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 your tire. There are three types of valve stems: Schrader, Presta and Woods/Dunlop. The Woods valve stem is extremely rare and typically only found in the Netherlands or Asia, so we wont spend any time on it here.

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. An easy way to remember if you have a Schrader valve is to think of the S. Schrader valves are short, sturdy and standard. If you dont know what valve stem you have, it is likely a Schrader.

The last valve stem type is Presta. Presta valves are traditionally found on higher-end bicycles preferred by professional cyclists. Think of the P in Presta standing for professional, performance and premium. If you have a Presta valve, you usually know it.

Presta Or Schrader Valves

Simon Bromley/Immediate Media

As weve already alluded to, your bikes wheels are most likely to be compatible with either a Presta valve or a Schrader valve, with Presta the more common of the two standards on enthusiast bikes.

Presta valves are longer and narrower than Schrader valves. They have a screw at the tip that you unscrew when attaching a pump for inflation. You can also press down on the unscrewed tip to release air.

Some Presta valves have a removable core, which can be replaced in the event of damage, but be careful not to accidentally unscrew the core when pumping up your tyre.

Schrader valves are shorter and stubbier, and will look just like the valves on your car tyres.

When buying inner tubes, make sure you get the right valve: a Schrader valve wont fit through the valve hole in a wheel rim drilled for a Presta valve. And a Presta valve is too narrow to fit securely in a Schrader valve hole. Try to use this combo and the rubber around the valve will be exposed and rub against the valve hole, risking a puncture.

Some Presta tubes come with valves with removable cores , whereas in others the core is fixed in place.

Removable cores unscrew from the valve stem theres a little tool available to grip the sides of the core so you can replace a faulty one or squirt sealant into the tube . They can sometimes unscrew by accident when youre using a pump, though.

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Inner Tube Dimensions Explained

You wouldve thought that tire manufacturers could all just sit down together and come up with one simple system for classifying bike tires, wouldnt you? Well, actually, they have and its the ISO system . It hasnt been universally adopted though and youll see tires which have both ISO numbering and either metric or imperial.

Before the ISO/ETRTO system pretty much every country seemed to have their own system. Thats one of the reasons why youll see the c in some metric tire codes. Its a hangover from the old French system which categorized tire widths from a narrowest to d widest. For some reason manufacturers still include this on the tires.

And dont think that the imperial system is so simple either. You would expect that a tire listed as 29×2.5 would be a good replacement for a tire that said it was 29 x 2 ½. Weirdly though these two are unlikely to be the same size of tire.

Whilst you need to use a replacement tire that is the exact same size as the existing one, you have a little more wiggle room when it comes to tubes. The diameter needs to be the same but the tubes width will vary depending on the amount you inflate them . This is the reason why you see inner tubes listed with one number for the diameter and a range for the width, e.g. 26 x 1.75-2.25. So, this tube would be fine to use with tires of between 26×1.75 all the way to tires of 26×2.25.

What About The Dunlop Valve

Pin on Bicyclettes

Aside from Presta and Schrader, theres also a third type of valve the Dunlop valve , more common on urban bikes in mainland Europe. Its very rarely seen in the UK/US, or on road and mountain bikes.

The base of a Dunlop valve is similar in diameter to a Schrader valve, but is inflated with the same pump head as a Presta valve.

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What’s Inside Your Tire

People usually think that tires are made of rubber. This is understandable, because rubber is all that you can see, but it’s a serious oversimplification.

A tire is actually made up of three parts:

  • The beads are two hoops of strong steel cable
  • The cords, cloth forming the body of the tire, woven between the two beads. Most modern tires use nylon cords.
  • The rubber, which covers all the other parts. The rubber on the part that contacts the road is thicker, and is called the tread.
  • A bicycle tire is not airtight by itself, so it uses an inner tube, which is basically a doughnut-shaped rubber balloon, with a valve for inflation. The only requirement for an inner tube is that it not leak. Being of rubber, it has no rigid structure. If an inner tube is inflated outside of a tire, it will expand to 2 or 3 times its nominal size, if it doesn’t pop first. Without being surrounded by a tire, an inner tube can’t withstand any significant air pressure.

    How To Figure Out Your Bikes Inner Tube Sizing

    The first thing you want to do is find out what sizing system your bike tires fall under. You can do this by taking a look at the wheels just crouch down and look at the tires sidewall. If you dont know what that is, its basically a rubber strip adjacent to the wheels rim. To be more simple, its that part of the tire that DOESNT touch the ground.

    What you want to look out for is a set of numbers displayed on your tires sidewall. This could read something like 57-584, 27.5×2.25, 650B. Why the long numbers? Well, there are three sizing systems that are used for bike tires ISO sizing, imperial sizing, and metric sizing. In this situation, 57-584 are the ISO numbers, 27.5×2.25 are the imperial numbers, and 650B are the metric numbers.

    You can also refer to them as ETRTO size, English size, and French size. While these systems do have their own scientific terminologies, we can at least have some wiggle room in the naming. After all, anything that can help us better understand this complex mess is a welcoming element.

    The first thing to understand is that the first set of numbers signifies the diameter of the tire, while the second signifies the tires width. However, this seems to be the other way around in the ETRTO sizing system. So, the first set will be the tires width, while the second will be the tires diameter. Go figure.

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    Benefits Of Using A Bike Tire Size Chart

    Here are the key benefits of using a bike tire size chart

    • You will be able to match the specific bike size with the right tire size without making mistakes
    • You will be able to make measurements on your own and determine which type of wheels you should be looking at
    • You can settle on long-lasting tires now that you know the correct wheel size
    • You can be assured of a perfect rim for your bike tire size.

    The Ultimate Bikers Bicycle Inner Tube Size Chart

    How To Read a Bike Tire Size

    Finding the right tube size and type for your bike sounds like an easy task but it can become deceptively complicated if you dont know what to look for. Today, well help you learn the critical ins and outs of how to pick the right bicycle tube along with a bicycle inner tube size chart. Also, well introduce you to insights about bike tubes that will take you from beginner cyclist to badass biker in no time!

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    Basic Bicycle Inner Tube Size Chart

    As you can observe, tubes with the same length in diameter can often have varying sizes when it comes to width. For instance, a tube with a diameter measuring 27.5 inches and a width of 1.15 will probably have a tire of the same diameter but a width thats slightly more than 1.15. On the other hand, a tube with a similar diameter of 27.5 inches may have 3 inches of width, while a tube measuring 29 inches can be comparatively thinner at 1.25 inches.

    These variations in diameter and width arent just for appearance or design. They have striking differences in handling and riding experience based on these dimensions. For example, a wider diameter with thin width implies that the bike may cover more distance, with less effort, and with minimum friction against the wind. So, the tube that measures 29 inches and 1 inch is, essentially built for speed. Meanwhile, a tube with a reasonable diameter but more width will gain more traction on the ground and provide better control. That means the 27.5 inch tube with 3 inch width will perform better on rough roads but wont be as fast as the thinner tube on smooth surfaces.

    Inner Tube Valve Type

  • Schraeder valves â most people refer to these as âthe same as on my carâ. They are the chunkier looking valve, and are usually found on entry-level mountain bikes.
  • Presta valves â a much thinner valve, with a core that needs to be unscrewed before you can inlate the tube. This type of valve is fitted to all of our Ribble road bikes, and can be found on all good quality wheels. The valve lengths do vary in length, so if you are running deep section wheels, a longer one will be required
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    The Chart That Explains Things

    The European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation in conjunction with the International Organization of Standardization developed a unified system of notation. To convert tire tube sizes from one notation to another, it is necessary to use the chart published by the ISO available at any reputable bike shop. The standard is called the ISO 5775, and if your shop doesnt have the chart available, it is published at the websites of the ISO and the ETRTO.

    Rolling On A Flat Tire

    Road Bike Tire Tube Size ~ Becycle Bikes

    Because a tire’s outer diameter is greater than the rim’s, a flat tire “creeps”forward as the bicycle is rolled, and pulls the inner tube with it — except the valve, caught in the valve hole. With a double-wall rim or a valve stem secured by a jam nut, the tube will only bunch up behind the valve. With a single-wall rim, the valve stem increasingly leans backward. You need only roll a bicycle a few feet for this to happen. Assuming that the inner tube is still intact , you may be able to correct the problem by rolling the bicycle backward before inflating the tire. Once done, push the tire sidewalls in all around and look to check that the tube is intact and seated properly inside the tire.

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    Inner Tube Buying Guide

    An inner tube is an essential part of any bicycle, that is unless you are running tubular or tubeless tyres. It is inevitable that at some point you will need to replace the inner tube on your bicycle, so it is always worth having a couple of spares so you can get back on the road straight away.

    With the wide variety of different sized inner tubes, this guide is intended to help make it easier to choose the correct tube for you.

    Inner tubes come in a wide variety of sizes, and also different valve types. Things to consider when selecting your inner tube are

    Ultimate Inner Tube Size Guide

    Whether you’ve got a puncture or are in need of a spare getting the right inner tube is paramount. Our inner tube size guide is the quick way to understand what you need and get it right first time. Knowing what bike inner tube size you need really is one of cyclings fundamentals. No matter if you’ve a road bike, mountain bike or BMX it’s all the same. Once you know your tube sizes you’ve got it for life, so grab a brew and have a read.

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    Bike Tire Size Chart And Sizing Guide

    Do you often find the need to keep changing your bike tires now and then maybe from the wrong choice of the wheel size or the rim size? Lets offer some help! The wrong bike tire size can be a menace especially when it comes to speed and efficiency! Getting the perfect size bike tire is not as easy as it seems, but worry not, we got you!

    A bike tire size chart is a useful resource because you really want to buy the correct bicycle tire sizes. In this article, we will cover the various size specifications on bicycle wheels and how to measure them.

    You Have To Adjust The Tire Pressure Often

    Understanding Tire Sizes | Tech Tuesday #145

    For a fat bike with wider tires, its important to check the tire pressure often and adjust it as needed on different surfaces. If you ride on a hard surface, for example, and the pressure is too low, you might end up damaging your tire. On the other hand, if you inflate your tire too much on a soft surface, your bike will be hard to ride and unreliable.

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    Tire Technology For The Optimum Riding Experience

    Whether you have a city bike, touring bike, road bike, gravel bike or MTB: The tires affect the riding experience like no other bike component. The choice of tire not only determines how well the wheel grips the ground but also influences how easily and comfortably the bike rolls. Ideally, the tire combines such characteristics as maximum grip, high mileage, optimum rolling properties, low weight and reliable resistance to punctures. Sounds technical? The sum of these properties is tangible to every cyclist: as an optimum riding experience. At Schwalbe, we work to continually refine and improve this riding sensation day in, day out.

    C To Inches Explained

    The most straightforward answer to 700c to Inches is that 700c equals 27.5 inches. But unfortunately, as youll see in the table below, its not as straightforward as that.

    If you simply bought a random set of 27.5 tires, they probably wouldnt fit your bike as wider tires require more clearance.

    So, for example, if youre riding a high-end road bike, you wont be able to use 700 x 47c tires. Tires this wide might fit on your wheel, but theyd likely chafe against your frame.

    For those who want an accurate tire size conversion, from 700c to inches, youll find the diameter of each 700c tire size converted to inches and centimetres in the table below.

    If you dont currently have tires on your wheels and need to know what tire size you require, follow this simple guide.

    Tire Size
    72.19

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    Tyre Diamter And Width

    To determine the tyre size, there are 2 number required . One will be the diameter of the tyre, the other will be the width of the tyre. In this example we have 44-559 and 26 x 1.95 . You need both numbers. Below are some popular sizes and their examples.

    • Children’s Bike Inner Tube size example:

    1. Diameter – 12″ to 18″ 2. Widths – 1.75 – 2.125

    • BMX Inner Tube size example:
    • MTB Inner Tube size example:

    1. Diameter – 26″ to 29″2. Width – 1.95 – 3.50

    Bike Inner Tube Size Chart And My Recommendations

    BikeMaster Performance Natural Rubber Motorcycle Tube

    Below is the list of my recommended inner tubes.

    Once you know your tire size , scroll down below until you get to your tire diameter . Look through the table for your tire diameter and youll see the most popular tire widths for each of those diameters . Beside each of these is a BUY NOW link which will take you to the product page for my recommended inner tube. Simple!

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    What Type Of Valve Do I Need

    Left = Presta valve, Right = Schrader valve

    There are three main types of valve.

    • Presta is the most common and found on all road bikes, and most gravel bikes. They require the smallest hole in the rim, as they are the narrowest valve, and need the end to be unscrewed before they can be inflated.
    • Schrader valves are the same as most car and motorbike tyres. Larger in diameter, they require a bigger opening in rim than Presta valves. They are slightly sturdier, with no fragile end, so are typically found on mountain and hybrid bikes.
    • Woods alves have the same diameter valve as Schrader, but use a removable flange to secure the valve in place. These are all but obsolete now and are very unlikely to come on any new bike, so best not to worry about them.

    You’ll need a different pump fitting for each type, though many pumps will be equipped for both Presta and Schrader valves.

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