How long do inner tubes last?

[Brucey]

... I used to write the date of a repair on the patch; I'd have tubes which were still in use ten years or more since their first puncture....

so every new puncture was a little trip down memory lane.... I like it!

cheers

[Gearoidmuar]

If inner tubes are inner tubes, then what are outer tubes?

In Ireland have always been just called "tubes"

It reminds me of golf commentators. They put "golf" into anything.

A great golf course, on the golf course, a great golf shot, a good golf swing..

You don't hear a great rugby kick, a fanstastic football header etc.

Speaking of tubes, I retire them after six or seven punctures and if going touring, I retire them if they've a patch on the inner circumference as if you're descending a long steep road with the brakes on an a full load, the heat will cause such a patch to blow. It's happened me more than once, but strangely, not on my way to Innerleithen on a previous tour.

[horizon]

Speaking of tubes, I retire them after six or seven punctures and if going touring, I retire them if they've a patch on the inner circumference

But surely the question is, where do they spend their retirement?

[Ayesha]

Go into a bike shop and ask for a pair of tubes.

"Which ones?" he'll ask. " The down, top or seat?"

[Gearoidmuar]

Speaking of tubes, I retire them after six or seven punctures and if going touring, I retire them if they've a patch on the inner circumference

But surely the question is, where do they spend their retirement?

You can cut them into rings and use the rings as handbrakes when parking your bike on a hill.

You can use cut strips of them, knotted, as big durable and very handy giant elastic bands.

You can use the rest of these very elastic non-rigid objects for the manufacture of politicians' spines...

[Gearoidmuar]

Go into a bike shop and ask for a pair of tubes.

"Which ones?" he'll ask. " The down, top or seat?"

In Ireland he would give you inner tubes. I reckon in England he'd work that out too!

Going to England on Fri for Lejog. I'll ask!

[[XAP]Bob]

"Outer tubes" are tyres, or tyre carcasses.

[Ayesha]

"Outer tubes" are tyres, or tyre carcasses.

We know them as 'covers', short for 'outer covers'.

"I need a new set of covers and inners."
That's Brummagem for yow.

[reohn2]

I repair my innertubes and find they last quite a long time,dunno how long but certainly a heckova lot longer than tyres,after they become irreparable,usually when the valve parts company with the tube or if there's more patches than tube , I use them for all kinds of things,bungees,chainstay wraps,etc.
Which reminds me,when a tyre is worn out it's usually because the tread has either worn very thin or it's got slashed and cut up pretty badly.
In the case of the tyre wearing thin,where does all that rubber compound go .
In the case of glass slashed/cut up tyres I take them to the recycling centre .

[Keith Bennett]

Recently changed a tyre on a little used bike, the tube, a few patches on, is red rubber I well remember buying only these at one time probably in the 1960 or 70s It went back in the new tyre.