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Front, back or both tubes on a tour?

10K views 31 replies 16 participants last post by  SurfsUp 
#1 ·
I heard somewhere that if you take one spare tube, it should be the front one because in an emergency it can be used to replace the rear tube. Is this true?
If so, what is the down side of this? Do you need to get the right tube in ASAP i.e. this is really only an desperate emergency fix.
If not, then I guess one of each is recommended on a tour.

My mechanic told me that the back one is the one you should take if you only take only one.
His reasoning is that the front one is far more readily available. I am in Europe and intend for a trip in Italy, so this could be a regional thing.

Can anyone comment on this

thanks
 
#3 · (Edited)
I did 3m tubeless conversion, so in best case scenario I put in a plug, inflate with portable compressor and continue on my way. On extended trips I carry a front tube and tire irons in case tire bead comes off and I cant get it to re-seat. Not as worried about rear bead but I could stuff the front tube into rear tire and limp back to civilization if necessary. If you are staying with tubes, bring a patch kit and a spare front tube is my recommendation (it's what I did before going tubeless). If you are really going off the beaten path bring patches and both front and rear
 
#4 ·
Let me point put that a front tyre puncture is a very rare thing - it only happened to me once in almost 40 years of motorbiking, and I know this is also the case with most riders. I personally take both inner tubes with me as if I put the 21" in the back then I will need to change it soon with an 18" and prefer to avoid that.
 
#8 ·
I’ve had a run of bad luck and have had three flat front tires in four months, all on my ATAS. Prior to that, had two rear tubes go out on my KLR over the 9 seasons I had it.

On one of the three front flats, I did use a rear 18” tube and stretched it (very carefully). It was a short day ride and made the mistake of thinking I didn’t need all the gear I normally take.

Either way, on a longer tour I will have both front and back tubes. I tend to go to remote areas and have learned the need to be prepared for anything.

Safe riding!
 
#13 ·
Bad experience with not bringing both tubes on a long journey. Bring both! Find room. The alternative is a pain in the arse - i.e. not riding.
 
#17 ·
Has anyone used or hear of kevlar tyre liners?
I had some on my mountain bike when I was touring and never had a direct puncture through this liner. An I am talking about +8k kms. Wore the tyre out without a puncture!

Searching for them seems to bring up bicycle tyre liners. Do we not have something like this for adventure bikes?
 
#20 · (Edited)
The front one is smaller and lighter, the front one will fit in the rear and run for as long as it takes you to get a new rear. A rear will NOT fit in the front. If you ride a lot on sealed roads do not get UHD tubes (stick with HD or standard)they get very hot and in a lot of cases will start to melt the rubber on the surface of the tube. If you ride on gravel and rockey roads you will typically get front punctures with a tube (big hit, tube gets pinched on rim) If its objects on the road its typically the rear that gets holed or staked by an object yes the front will stand up an object for the rear to run it over.
If you go tubeless (KTM just use a rubber strip over the spoke nipples) I use Outex, you will cut the punctures down by at least 50% more like 80% you can still run air pressures down at 22PSI front and back but the front might get a bit beaten up with big rock strikes. I still carry front and back tubes in bags on the front crash bars. Take patches as well , put the spare front in the one you hole then swap back out that night if you only carry a front and you have put it in a rear.
 
#24 ·
Thats what I have done. Ready to hit the trails now.

Was amazed at the weight difference between the 2. Rear is much heavier.
I got a natural rubber for the rear, but the front one is a mystery. Cannot find anything on the box.
 
#26 ·
This last one the dealership stepped up and instead of patting me on the head, charging me to change it out and sending me out the door, they realized the same thing - this isn’t right. The bulk of the miles are interstate commuting. I’d say 2500 are my ‘adventure rides’ on two lane state roads, county dirt roads and keep trails. All flats happened on the highway commute.

The two tubes they used, and the one I used, were all the same ‘puncture resistant’ brand and type. This time they suggested going with a standard thickness, name brand tube (Michelin’s) as their thought is there was too much rubber and created heat which wore the tube down. The Michelin, while thinner, is made of better rubber and won’t get as hot.

We will see.

I aLao put on a new set of tires. Off to Utah and Burr Trail Road next week and I don’t want to have to deal with a tube issue.

Safe riding!
Bookem
 
#31 ·
Repeated flats on a tire make me think there is something in the tire carcass or rim causing it, like a piece of debris or even a manufacturing defect in the tire. Were you having the same dealership fix your flats? I went in for an oil filter and crush washers recently and watched someone change two dirt bike flats. The first one caught my attention because of how rough he was being on it. I don't want my rims treated like that. But what really got me was how he pulled the tube out, stuck another one in without wiping the inside of the tire or the rim, and without putting any air into the tube to keep it from getting pinched or twisted. I know that changing tires is the first chore above sweeping the floors to the shops - so I don't trust anyone but me to work on mine.
 
#28 ·
I don't think it's tube thickness that is the issue. I've been riding 40,000 kilometres on the bike with UHD tubes and haven't had a flat. In the first 10,000, I had a nail flat in the front with the OEM tube.
 
#29 ·
In hot temps a UHD ie 4mm thick tube puts a lot of heat stress on both the tire and the tube itself I have seen several become like wet paper when they fail you can easily tear them with your hands. UHD is fine, low pressure, lower speeds, lower temps not on sealed roads at high speed.
 
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