In this article I will share my view about the Pirelli Roadtube, a lightweight butyl inner tube from Pirelli for disc and rim brakes. For Alpe d’HuZes 2025 I’ve opted for Pirelli P Zero Race TT Road tires and replaced the TPU inner tubes for the Pirelli Road Tubes.
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Key features Pirelli Roadtube
On the product page of the Pirelli Roadtube inner tube you can read the following product description:
The Pirelli RoadTUBE is the modern interpretation of the classic butyl inner tube used by millions of cyclists around the globe The RoadTUBE takes advantage on the practicality and reliability of the butyl in a modern and advanced application focused on performance and lightness. The result is a lightweight cycling butyl tube which is perfect for everyday use and as a spare tube.
The packaging of the Pirelli Roadtube states that a single inner tube would have a weight of 85 grams. My kitchen scales give a weight of 90 grams including the yellow valve cap and the elastic band that keeps the inner tube rolled up. For comparison reasons the RideNow TPU Inner Tube weighs 36 grams and the CYCLAMI TPU Inner Tube for road bikes weighs xx grams.
I’m running the FFWD F2A wheelset with consists of aluminum rims and DT Swiss 240 hubs. While TPU inner tubes reduce the rotating weight significantly, I didn’t want to risk overheating during a decent of the famous Alpe d’Huez climb. During a La Marmotte adventure in the past a friend blew up his latex inner tubes due to overheating, resulting in a crash. So resistance to overheating is a key feature for me (in this specific high mountain scenario).
Since I opted for Pirelli P Zero Race TT Road tires it was a logical combination to opt for the Pirelli Roadtube inner tubes as well. And this combination didn’t let me down during the event (and the training rides in the Alpe d’Huez region).
The Pirelli Roadtube inner tube is suitable for both rim brake and disc brake set-up.
Concluding thoughts and wrap-up
The price point of the Pirelli Roadtube with 48 mm valve is around € 5,95 which is fair. The Continental Race 28 Light inner tube is slightly more expensive.
TPU Inner tubes would still be my preferred choice for rolling terrain, but in this high mountain climbing (and descending scenario) the switch the Pirelli Roadtube butyl inner tube was more than logical.
So far the combination of Pirelli P Zero Race TT Road tires and Pirelli Roadtube work really well (without punctures). This is for me a good choice for the high mountain scenario (and even for rolling terrain).
- Have you used the Pirelli Roadtube ?
- What inner tubes do you use on long mountain decends ?
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