If you’ve looked at those fancy Aerothan tubes from Schwalbe, you’ve probably noticed that they’re lighter and more puncture resistant than regular butyl or latex tubes, but also pretty expensive. And the fact of the matter is that you’re still going to get a flat now and then, no matter which type of tube you choose — or even if you ride tubeless with sealant. Flats just happen.
I’ve had good luck with the Aerothan over a few thousand miles so far. But several weeks ago I ran over a thorn so hard and sharp that I thought it was a tiny nail when I first checked my tire. Alas, even the Aerothan can’t resist a thorn like that. I changed the flat, putting in a different tube, and rode home, but I didn’t want to throw out the Aerothan that still looked almost new other than the hole.
Schwalbe supposedly makes patches that work on the Aerothan, but I have never seen them in stock anywhere. (The same goes for Tubolito, by the way.)
But while I was searching, I noticed that someone mentioned in a review that Park Tool GP-2 Glued Super Patch kit patches work perfectly with those tires. Next, I went directly to the Park Tool site and saw the same information on their patch page, along with a confirmation comment directly from someone at the company. “Our test showed that a GP-2 will adhere to a Schwable Aerthon tube. There is no need to rough the surface with sandpaper, but it is important to make sure the surface of the tube is clean.”
I put one on my tube and have been riding with it for more than a month. It’s holding air perfectly! I usually just threw away punctured latex or butyl tubes in the past because I didn’t want to ride around on patched tubes. But considering the expense of the Aerothan and the fact that it looked almost new when I took it out of the tire, I figured I’d give it a try.
Pirelli and Tubolito both make similar tubes to the Aerothan, but I don’t know if they are made of the exact same material, so I’m not sure if the Park Tool patches work for those. If you’ve tried it, let us know in the comments.
I just patched an aerothan tube with the Park Tool GP-2, cleaning the punctured area with an alcohol wipe, and the tube failed on my first ride out. FWIW, I run my rear tire pressure at 60Ppsi (28mm tire)…failure
My own patch is still going strong. I also run at around 60 psi, 30mm tire.
Did it definitely fail at the location of the patch?
I did not clean mine with alcohol. I just wiped it off with my finger. I wonder if that makes a difference.
Yes it did. I checked it under water when I got home . . . I’m going back to Tubolito, as at least their patches work (I have three Tubolito’s with at least two Tubolito patches on each tube).
There were never any Tubolito patches available for sale when I looked for them because they were completely sold out, which is why I switched to Aerothan.
Have you considered trying to pull that patch off and put on a new one? Might have been a fluke, because you’re the first person I’ve heard from with a bad experience.
Thanks for the information about the Tubolito patches and letting us know that they work. Although I find it a little disconcerting that your Tubolitos need to be patched that often. Do you live someplace with a lot of road debris? I’ve only had two flats ever with Aerothan or Tubolito (which I switched away from when I couldn’t find patches), and it was a very sharp and hard thorn once and a tiny metal wire the second time. Over an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 miles, although I generally ride in areas where the roads are pretty clean.
tubolito usa has the patch kit