Hey UDC and KH! We need a trials tube!

I was in downtown Apex today with a crowd of spectators. I was riding mostly flatland, but I was playing on some curbs. I came off one curb and heard pssssttt. My 2.1 mm 20 x 2.125 tire was just installed three weeks earlier and was inflated between 23 and 25 psi.

Maybe this tire wasn’t the best tire for trials riding. Well, I’ve tried just about everything from your standard generic tube, to the supposed trials tube offered by renegade juggling, and even the BMX tubes offered at my LBS.

The only tube that lasted me months was the original tube that came with my KH20 unicycle.

:thinking: I am extremely frustrated and annoyed that UDC has not come forward with a true trials tube. IMO, this is the only negative to my KH20, but it is a big inconvenience.

Now I have a flat and no more options available to me.

Please Help!

Josh

You should check your rim, tire and rimstrip… a normal 20x2,125 tube lasts nearly forever for me… and i ride trials + im below 23 psi (70kg rider with not so smooth style :wink: ).

And maybe get another tire. If you still ride the MAxxis… that one has quite bad sidewalls imo. The TryAll or the Monty EagleClaw are way better

Thank you. I’ve checked my rim and I do ride tryall tires.

You probably need a higher tire pressure, or your technique isn’t good. In 3 years I’ve only had to replace 2 tubes, one got a slow leak after 2 years and the other got a thorn in it. I just use the generic tubes, my bike shop has some trials specific ones but they were significantly heavier than the normal ones. I can’t see a reason for KH or UDC to design a trials unicycling specific tube, because there are hundreds (or thousands, I’m not sure), of trials bikers/unicyclists doing a lot more than messing around on curbs whose tubes seem to be fine.

Julia,

I am not suggesting that UDC or KH create a trials tube. I am suggesting that they offer one. I think it would sell quite well.

What pressure do you ride at?

My technique is fine, but I ride very hard and for about 15-20 hours a week.

Josh

Oops, I assumed you meant create because KH doesn’t distribute :o. My tire pressure is at 25ish when I do street, a bit lower (maybe 21ish) for small street/rolling flatland, or still lower (18ish) for not rolling flat (spins/flips). Do you have any videos or something to see you riding?

Edit: Also, for now, I would recommend trying to order one off a different website if you’re set on a trials specific tube :).

The videos I have now are about a year old from when I was riding really sketchy. Actually, I was getting less flats then. I will stick with the generic tube until I am able to find a better option. I will check my rim again and make sure my pressure is higher.

I haven’t been able to find a website that has a trials specific tube. Know of any?

Thanks Julia.

I’ve never looked for one, google could probably tell you though :p. I also read somewhere that some people used motorcycle tubes and that they were really heavy duty, so maybe look into that too.

Yeah. Motorcycle tubes and super heavy weight tubes is all I can find. I would be happy with the original tube that came with my KH20. It’s not all about the thickness. Some rubber is designed to take a 4 foot drop, and the original KH20 tube seemed great even though it wasn’t that heavy.

get a thorn resistant tube in the biggest size they make.

Also raise your tire pressure some, 23psi is pretty low and is just asking for trouble.

Goodluck!

cut an old tube and wrap it round the one youre using

Thank you Padst3r for reminding me about that! Ive had like 6 flat tires in 2 weeks and began to feel a little anpyed about it :stuck_out_tongue:

motorcycle tubes work good. just a bit heavy but bounce is great

Some local bikeshop can order 20x2.5" tubes, but here it costs $30 for these and about $8 for a normal small tube. Last year, I was riding an old monty with pretty bad sidewalls, then I changed for CC, still bad sidewalls… I’ve had 11 flats last year, all of them were pinch flats because of some crazy trials lines. Now I’m riding a Monty and I’ve never had problems with flats since.

Buy patches! I think patches are better, it costs less, and once your tube is patched everywhere, it’s like if it was super reinforced! :stuck_out_tongue: