Bicycle Tubes (A review of sorts)

For quite some time, I’ve been using Torelli Extra-lite tubes (or Torelli Ultra-legere, if you prefer). Primarily because these were the only tubes at my preferred LBS which have smooth (unthreaded) stems, which I find to be a big plus. They slip into and out of my Silca Pista’s chuck much easier than their threaded counterparts, thereby lessening the frequency of the dreaded valve separation plus they don’t tear up the rubber washer inside said chuck. There were two problems with these tubes:

• They’re a bit on the pricey side (6 or 7 bucks, as I recall)
• They seem rather porous, needing to be topped off every day or two.

Anyway… I rode to the bike shop the other day to get some tubes (after my aforementioned Satanic tire debacle) only to discover that it was closed (apparently Roger was living it up in at Interbike in Las Vegas). So, I ordered some Michelin Ultralight tubes from Performance Bike. I must say, I’m pleased with these tubes. They have the smooth stems I value and they seem to hold air much better than the Torelli’s. They don’t come all nice and pre-talced like the Torelli’s, but that’s a minor point. All in all the “Michelin Road Ultralight Presta 700-18/23 Tubes” earn “Crazy Greg’s Seal of Approval”.