Has anyone tried out that solid rubber tube that Michelin makes??? Anyone know how heavy they are?

the newest MX action gives a review on the bib mousse, check it out.

probably not worth the money unless you are planning a very long ride, or ride all the time

the coolest thing i've seen yet is the TB-27 system by SRC Inc. TB (stands for tennis balls) and 27 (how many in a rear tire) is a new thing dreamt up by Scott Summers and his father. looks really cool and they claim is flat proof. you might wanna check this out as well.

I do ride a lot, I do hare scrambles and I do a lot of rec riding with my bike. I would like to know how heavy a solid rubber tube is going to be though.

I had one in the front of my CR125. Was good for XC but it did feel different than air. I wouldn't want one for moto but for hare scrambles I think they would be great. MXA like those new Michelins but they were pretty pricey, seems like $180 each or something like that, maybe someone can correct me if this isn't right.

OK I got off my lazy rear and dug up the article. They are $170, weigh approx 4 ounces more than the average tube, and start similating 16 PSI but after about an hour similate 13 PSI. Kinda steep for the price for me but about 1 flat 10 miles from the truck and I might think otherwise...

If you are racing, consider the cost to prepare for the race, drive to the race, pay your entry fees, etc. etc. and then get a flat and either don't finish or finish poorly. There are other inserts that are not quite as expensive. They actually don't cost, they pay.

Doug, You nailed it man!! I've spent up to $600.00 on just one weekend of racing only to have one little mechanical problem to give me a DNF. It's heartbreaking to put so much effort and money into something to lose it all so fast. The next time I race long distance I think I'll go with the new Super HD tube from Moose and fill it with slime, have you seen these tubes?? They are double the thickness of heavy duty tubes (im not kidding) I could'nt see getting a flat with that set up. Has anyone used these tubes yet??


Dan

I am about to get that kind of tube. Not sure who makes it but they say it is double the thickness. Use the neon green slime with rubber fragments(advanced auto carries this)and it works really well. I had a flat tire and I put half the bottle in there had to fill it up once more as it sealed and I was jumping 9 feet into the air landing on flat land(no downslope) and it held for about 7 of these jumps, then I went on a trail ride, matter of fact it is still full of air. I did all this yesterday.

dan (and anybody else),

slime is a waste of money. actually a double waste of money.

get the stuff called "MasterSeal" from a tractor supply store. 16oz of it (8 in front and 8 in rear) costs the same as 8oz of slime and will seal anything but a pinch flat. i currently have a thorn in the front of my bike. i race the last race with it that way too. don't know when i got it. pretty sure i did 4 moto's of MX with it in too. i know for a fact it will seal a hole as big as a pencil.

Kinda off the subject but.... When I used to race jet skis years ago there were guys who had a near dead battery in their jet ski and all year long they always had to jump start it at the line. That was bad enough. Then they go to Lake Havasu for the world finals and guess what? Yep, still a dead battery. They spent $1000 to go to the races but wouldn't buy a $50 battery. Arghhh.....

So in alot of cases the steep price of a bib mousse would be worth it.

I race enduros. They are typically the rockiest trails know to man. I used to average one flat every other ride! I started using those very thick supertubes (most tire manufacturers make them)about two years ago and I (knock on wood!) have NEVER had a flat since. Every time I change my tires (about every 300 miles) I just reuse the tubes. I had the same ones in my XR for about 3 years and never got a flat. They are only about $15 each and about the best thing you can do to avoid flats. Slime is crap. If you get a flat (probably will with a regular tube and slime) you won't be able to patch it (too slimy) and you will get slime EVERYWHERE and use a lot of foul language. I've never used the inserts but my take is that they are expensive and a nightmare to change. You have to park the bike on a stand too since constant pressure will deform them. The T29 system looks cool but why mess with it when you can just use a thick tube? And if you pop one or two of the balls how will you ever know it?