schwalbe unveils aerothan, a puncture-resistant bicycle tube made without rubber

german bicycle tires manufacturer, schwalbe, presents their new aerothan inner tube made of an innovative thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material that claims to be resistant, stable, light and 100% recyclable — and all that without rubber. created for road bikes, mountain bikes and trekking bikes, this tube raises the bar by creating new standards for light weight and puncture protection.

all images by schwalbe

schwalbe asserts that their new thermoplastic polyurethane called aerothan can make a road bike 100 grams lighter while giving it puncture protection. to make these claims, the company took the material through several comparative tests which resulted in aerothan taking the lead. for example, the plunger test, which simulates s small object puncturing, saw aerothan lasting twice as long as other materials. schwalbe’s new tube also performs best in the snake bite test using a guillotine with much greater falling heights than butyl, latex and other synthetic tubes. unrivalled also for its heat resistance: this property was tested at temperatures of more than 150°C at 78 km/h using a specially developed procedure.

another advantage of aerothan is its exceptional shape stability, meaning that tubes made with it won’t go suddenly flat. in case of a defect, air escapes only very slowly. even at extremely low air pressure, it retains its shape and thus stays rideable in a stable manner – pinch flats or burping becomes much less of a threat. In addition, mounting is much easier. the tube does not slide away and cannot get caught.

project info:

name: aerothan bicycle tube

company: schwalbe