milKit TPU Inner Tubes
milKit TPU Tubes – an inner tube for tubeless riders?
Swiss firm milKIt are known for their innovative tubeless valves, that we reviewed way back in 2016. Their one-way valve allowed you to remove the Presta valve without losing any air. This made tyre inflation and sealant checking much easier. Since then they have gone on to produce other tubeless related products, boosters, rim-tape, sealant and sealant cleaners. All of these are tubeless related, but their latest product is a milKit TPU inner tube.
These new milKit TPU tubes are made from Thermoplastic Polyurethane. TPU is a mixture of rubber and plastic that combine to produce a material that is elastic, transparent and is resistant to oil, grease and abrasion.
Puncture resistance
When it comes to inner tubes, TPU’s properties bring a number of claimed advantages. First off and probably the most important, is superior puncture resistance. The milKit TPU tubes are said to offer double the puncture protection over a standard tube. Obviously this is a major advantage, no one wants a puncture.
This resistance to punctures seems to come about due to TPU’s flexibility, allowing it to stretch around an object that has pierced a tyre. milKit say that an object can penetrate “deeper into the milKit TPU tube (19 mm vs. 16 mm) before causing a punctureI”. They also claim that the tube “withstands significantly more force (32 N vs. 15 N) before being pierced by a sharp object.” This is similar to latex tubes, which have similar flexibility. The milKIt TPU tubes however, don’t suffer from latex’s porosity; so you won’t have to pump them up before every ride.
Lower rolling resistance
Another advantage that is claimed for TPU inner tubes is an improvement in rolling resistance. Apparently this comes about again, from TPU’s flexibility. This flexibility lowers the resistance you have to overcome to keep your bike rolling. How much of a difference does this make? Users of latex tubes have always claimed that the difference is noticeable and can enhance any tyres performance. A study by aero experts Aerocoach, showed that TPU tubes do provide an improvement in rolling resistance compared to traditional butyl tubes.
Lighter than butyl
Another advantage of using miKit TPU tubes is their lighter weight and compact size. When it comes to weight the road version weighs in at a claimed 55g. That’s lighter than 76-100g for a standard, light butyl tube. And being made from TPU, these tubes can be rolled up a lot smaller, handy if you’re tight on space.
Sustainable manufacturing
milKit say their tubes are produced in Europe and are recyclable, which makes them seem a good option compared to butyl. While companies such as Schwalbe have set up recycling systems for butyl inner tubes, most people will just bin them. So will TPU be easier to recycle? Taking a quick scan through my local council’s recycling page, TPU is not specifically mentioned. This may mean that while TPU can be recycled, your local area might not.
milKit TPU, inner tube for tubeless?
Surely the whole point of tubeless is in the name; tube-less? Well there are times where tubeless doesn’t work. Could be that your tyre is cut rather than a simple puncture; cuts are generally too big for sealant. Alternatively, maybe you haven’t checked your sealant and it’s dried up. Or worse, you’ve forgotten to put some in a new set of tyres (I hold my hand up to that one!)
Whatever the reason, I always carry in inner tube; just in case. So one that is lighter, more resistant to punctures and easy to carry sounds good. I’ll get hold of some of them and let you know how I get on.
milKit TPU Technical Information:
| Road & Gravel | MTB | |
| Tire Compatibility | 28-622 – 45-622 (700x28c-45c) | 50-584 – 64-584 (27.5”x2.0”-2.5”) / 50-622 – 64-622 (29”x2.0”-2.5”) |
| Pricing | MSRP: EUR 29.95 | MSRP: EUR 29.95 |
| Weight | 55 g | 76 g |
| Material | Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) | |
| Puncture Resistance | 2x higher than standard butyl | |
| Sustainability | Recyclable, made in Europe | |
