After getting a meaty snake-bite puncture on the notorious Rim Dinger trail at Bike Park Wales, my riding buddies watched in puzzlement as I pulled the Eclipse inner tube from my hip pack. I was assailed with questions and remarks of indignation and interest in equal measures – "What on earth is that?”, "Well that’s not going to survive the day!”.
So just what are these translucent little tubes? They’re claimed to be the world’s lightest inner tubes, and I’m not going to argue there, as my 29 x 2.0-2.6 version weighed in at a scant 72g! Made from TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), compared to the traditional heavy black butyl rubber, they’re all about weight saving. But are they tough and reliable?
Design and specifications
The Eclipse tubes are available in a number of sizes covering 700C for road and gravel and 27.5 and 29 for MTB. I tested the 29 x 2.0-2.6. As mentioned, they’re constructed from TPU, the polymers blending strength and flexibility with an eye-catching translucent finish and weighing in at only 72g. The alloy Presta valve measures approximately 50mm with a small rubber gasket to cushion the connection between the rim and valve once fitted and has a removable valve core.
Performance
The main reason you’d invest in the Eclipse inner tube is the massive saving on weight and size. As they’re so small and light you can fit them in your pocket, and they’ll take up hardly any room in a hip pack too if used as a spare. There’s also a massive drop in rotational and overall bike weight when installed instead of traditional tubes.
As a comparison, one of my traditional butyl rubber tubes of a near equivalent size weighed in at 316g. Some quick maths works that out as a 244g saving in weight (per tube) which is pretty astonishing.
I spent the latter part of the day smashing laps of Bike Park Wales – tentatively at first, thinking that these gossamer-thin tubes would never survive. Tough as the trails were, they held up and performed brilliantly but I couldn’t say I noticed any difference to ride-feel.
Verdict
After many miles, I can happily say it’s still all smiles. Yes, they’re expensive but as back-up tubes the weight-saving and tiny size mean that storing them on or off bike is the number one win. For those who prefer tubes over tubeless setups, weight watchers and racers, these tubes could make all the difference, if your budget allows.
Tech specs: Eclipse Off-Road 29 x 2.0-2.6 Inner Tube
- Price: $36 / £29 / €34
- Materials: TPU – thermoplastic polyurethane
- Sizes: 29 x 2.0-2.6, 27.5 x 2.0-2.6, 700c 20-25, 700c 30-45
- Weight: 72g (29 x 2.0-2.6 tested)
