Articles on: Choosing Tires & Tubes

Aerothan tubes: installation, repair, and care

Installation basics
Aerothan tubes install just like a standard tube — the material's dimensional stability actually makes it easier, since it doesn't shift or get pinched as readily. One important limit:

When pre-inflating prior to installation, only inflate an Aerothan tube until it's round and free of folds — that's roughly 0.3 bar (4.5 PSI) at most.

Don't inflate it further while it's off the wheel, otherwise the tube could explode. Once mounted properly inside a tire, normal operating pressures can be used.

It's normal for a new Aerothan tube to change color once it's been inside a tire for a while. This comes from volatile compounds in the tire's rubber diffusing into the transparent TPU material, especially with new, unused tires. It has no effect on performance or durability.

Tire pressure
Because Aerothan holds its shape so well, it can run at meaningfully lower pressures than a butyl tube in the same tire — the pressure guidance for tubeless setups is a reasonable starting point. Keep in mind that the minimum pressure printed on a tire's sidewall assumes a butyl tube; with Aerothan, you can often go a bit lower than that printed minimum. For the maximum, follow whichever is lower: the tire's rated max or the rim's, if the rim's is more restrictive.

Sealant and repair sprays
Don't use tire sealant or repair/inflate spray with Aerothan tubes. TPU has very high surface tension, so these products can't form a seal, and their chemical composition isn't a good match for the material either. If you're out on the road and can't fully remove old sealant from a tire before fitting an Aerothan tube as an emergency spare, it's fine to use it anyway — just clean the tube thoroughly with water or cleaning alcohol as soon as you can, and replace the tire if the original damage was significant.

Repairing a puncture
Aerothan tubes can be patched with glueless patches made for the material. Unlike a butyl tube, you don't need to roughen the surface first — just clean the area well and apply the patch directly. For a larger hole or cut (up to about 4 mm), use two overlapping patches, and wipe the area with cleaning alcohol first to improve adhesion. Classic rubber patches with vulcanizing fluid are not compatible with TPU.

Valve details
The tube uses a 40mm SV/Presta valve (some sizes are available in 60mm or 80mm for deep-section rims), with a replaceable valve core.

Aerothan valve cores are sealed by rubber rather than the Teflon seal used on butyl tube valve cores — don't swap in a butyl-style core.

If the valve stem doesn't want to pass through a tight rim valve hole, unscrew the valve core first, insert the stem, then screw the core back in — never file or machine the valve stem itself. A Schrader (AV) valve hole is too large for the tube's Presta stem and needs a reducing sleeve for a secure, quiet fit. CO2 inflation is fine once the tube is fully installed in the tire (not for the initial low-pressure shaping step). Talcum powder isn't necessary — the tube already ships with a low-friction coating — but it won't harm the tube if you use it anyway.

Reuse
While aerothan tubes can be reused just like a butyl tube, there are some considerations:

An Aerothan tube can be moved to a different tire later, but only to a tire of the same width or wider — never a narrower one.

Updated on: 08/18/2026

Was this article helpful?

Thank you!