Reid Welch
1 MW
http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Tube/product_80181.shtml
Dear Lennard,
I realize from your recent article that several teams are using tubeless tires at this year's Tour. That seems like the way of the future, but as for the ways of the past: How many teams are still using tubulars? And of those teams using clinchers, do they use latex tubes, butyl tubes or something else? It's a hassle to pump them up every day, but for me nothing beats the ride of latex tubes.
Chris
http://www.velonews.com/tour2005/tech/articles/8566.0.html
Butyl vs Latex
Before World War 2, tires and tubes were made from natural latex rubber, harvested from tropical trees. When the supply of natural latex was insecure during the war, a substitute, "butyl" was invented. Butyl turned out to be a very successful substitute, better, in fact, than latex for this application. All modern tires and most inner tubes use butyl rubber.
Some riders prefer latex inner tubes, because they can be a bit lighter than butyl ones. Some riders believe that latex tubes have less rolling resistance than butyl.
Latex tubes are commonly a bit more porous than butyl ones, and need to have their pressure topped off more often.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#tubes