Sidewinder Easy Fit Endless Inner tube (24 & 26 Inch Wheels)

Sacman

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May 27, 2008
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Corona & Irvine, California, USA
I saw these special inner tubes on ES before but I did a search and couldn't find it so I'm asking about them here. http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product.asp?pf_id=11126
Has anyone tried these inner tubes yet... and what do you think of them? Do you think the ends would just blow out?

I thought it would be make great emergency fix for my rear wheel flats since I don't have to disconnect my hubmotor wires or take the wheel off the bike. It probably wouldn't be balanced perfectly on the wheel and I'd expect a little bulge or wobble from the tire but it would be good enough to get me home.


SidewinderEasyFitEndlessInnertubefor2426InchWheels.jpg
 
Ja, the name escapes me, but also related to snakes somehow.

Doc in Fairhope has some:

docnjoj said:
I now have those funny tubes that can be put on without removing the wheel since they have a hole to fit the valve over/ Do carry one as a spare. May use it depending on how far we are from home.
 
I haven't had to use one yet but we got 3 and each carry one on our trikes. You really only need them for the motor wheels on a trike because the other 2 wheels are on a one sided axle.
otherDoc

Oh Yeah. They are called Cobratubes by Fly Bikes.
 
Thanks doc those Cobra tubes look a bit higher quality than the Sidewinder tubes but then as I searched the internet the Cobra tubes are also more than 10 times more expensive! :shock: But these two look like the only ones making this kind of innertube. Too bad neither of them make it with a Presta valve. :(

I ended up just getting 8 of the cheaper Sidewinder tubes (for 65 cents each). I don't intend to keep them on the bike for long. I'll only use them in an emergency (when I get a flat) to get me back home. Then I'll replace it with a proper circular innertube.
 
I figured at 65 cents each I'd take a gander at their site, but I can't open it at all, even the root of the link in the first post just goes to an "invalid character" error page. :?

I could really use something like this for days like today, when the tube blew as I was making a turn. I really would like to be able to just stuff another one in there, inflate it, and continue riding.



I tried two tubes in the same tire, and that didnt' work, as both just leaked and eventually failed, in something under two weeks IIRC; might've only been a few days.

Can't just change the tube normally without a huge deal because of the cargo boxes and such (although they actually make it easier to get the wheel off ground, as I can just stick stuff under them to lift the bike up).

Am just about ready to stick the other "airless" tube on the wheel and live with the ~30PSI equivalent that has, and the associated loss of power due to high rolling resistance with this really heavy bike.
 
Really... you can't open the link?
Try doing a Google search for St John Street Cycles (SJS Cycles) in the UK. They're the ones that sell it.
Also, I made a mistake on the price when I said I bought it at 65 cents. It's actually 65 pence or £0.65 (GBP) each. And I just went on their site and it looks like they hiked up the price to £0.77 each. :roll:

amberwolf said:
I figured at 65 cents each I'd take a gander at their site, but I can't open it at all, even the root of the link in the first post just goes to an "invalid character" error page. :?

I could really use something like this for days like today, when the tube blew as I was making a turn. I really would like to be able to just stuff another one in there, inflate it, and continue riding.



I tried two tubes in the same tire, and that didnt' work, as both just leaked and eventually failed, in something under two weeks IIRC; might've only been a few days.

Can't just change the tube normally without a huge deal because of the cargo boxes and such (although they actually make it easier to get the wheel off ground, as I can just stick stuff under them to lift the bike up).

Am just about ready to stick the other "airless" tube on the wheel and live with the ~30PSI equivalent that has, and the associated loss of power due to high rolling resistance with this really heavy bike.
 
Sacman said:
Too bad neither of them make it with a Presta valve. :(

If your rim is at least 24mm wide, you are probably better off with a Schrader valve. Presta valves have at least four common ways to fail that normal Schrader tubes don't. Their only advantage is that they are 7mm in diameter instead of 9mm, so they can use a smaller hole in a narrow rim.

Surly putting only Presta valves on their fatbike tubes is one of the most boneheaded design mistakes I have ever seen.

Chalo
 
Chalo said:
Sacman said:
Too bad neither of them make it with a Presta valve. :(

If your rim is at least 24mm wide, you are probably better off with a Schrader valve. Presta valves have at least four common ways to fail that normal Schrader tubes don't. Their only advantage is that they are 7mm in diameter instead of 9mm, so they can use a smaller hole in a narrow rim.

Surly putting only Presta valves on their fatbike tubes is one of the most boneheaded design mistakes I have ever seen.

Chalo
Well thanks for that info Chalo.

These Sidewinder innertubes will work just fine on most of my ebikes because they
use innertubes with Schrader valves.

But my off-road ebike has tubeless rims and tires setup.
And I don't know why but tubeless rims are only sold with Presta valves.
So I can't readily use these Sidewinder innertubes as an emergency backup on that bike.
 
I tried the link in the OP, and sjscycles.com instead of .co.uk, as well as google searches for alternate sites. All I tried give me this page:
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/invalid-characters-artlinvalid/
and then after a while of sitting waiting for a page to load, I get this message:
"Firefox has detected that the server is redirecting the request for this address in a way that will never complete."
That's on teh windows PC. Same thing with Safari or Firefox on the imac.

I can pull up google caches of the page and they "work", but they don't load anything that references the actual page (like images). Wierd.

For tonight I just changed the tube to another well-patched normal one, which isnt' as thick as I'd like and still has a valve stem I don't trust, like almost every tube I've had so far. I also changed from the Maxxis knobby to the slick Ohzee sent me his old (but barely used, if ta all) pair of (the ohter one is on the rear of the Fusin bike still). Didnt' test ride it yet. more info in the CB2 thread:
http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=609709#p609709
 
amberwolf said:
I tried the link in the OP, and sjscycles.com instead of .co.uk, as well as google searches for alternate sites. All I tried give me this page:
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/invalid-characters-artlinvalid/
and then after a while of sitting waiting for a page to load, I get this message:
"Firefox has detected that the server is redirecting the request for this address in a way that will never complete."
That's on teh windows PC. Same thing with Safari or Firefox on the imac.

I can pull up google caches of the page and they "work", but they don't load anything that references the actual page (like images). Wierd.

Exceedingly weird. You can't even use the "Shop by Product" link on that page?

I don't know anything about the tubes but the principle seems sound and I've used SJS for years - they sell good stuff well. The new bars and grips on ShadowFax came from them.
 
I don't *get* a page, just the error. I cannot even load their homepage. I even tried it in whatever old version of IE comes with WinXP, and it never loads a page there, either (though it doesn't give an error). It's always blank.

The only thing I can open is the Google caches of it, which means the page itself *can* load in my browsers, but I can't access the live site itself. :(
 
amberwolf said:
I don't *get* a page, just the error. I cannot even load their homepage. I even tried it in whatever old version of IE comes with WinXP, and it never loads a page there, either (though it doesn't give an error). It's always blank.

The only thing I can open is the Google caches of it, which means the page itself *can* load in my browsers, but I can't access the live site itself. :(
Here are the Cobra tubes in the US AW
http://www.danscomp.com/products-PARTS-Tubes/446004/Fly_Bikes_Cobra_Tube.html
otherDoc
 
Apparently rubber has gone up in price 'cause even the cheapes slime tubes at Walmart are $10 apiece these days. Their belted kevlar tires that I use are now$20. Inflation? :lol:
otherdoc
 
docnjoj said:
Here are the Cobra tubes in the US AW
http://www.danscomp.com/products-PARTS-Tubes/446004/Fly_Bikes_Cobra_Tube.html
otherDoc
Only available in 20", apparently. :( Not gonna work for any of my existing bikes--could be used on the trailer, I guess. However it is easier to carry a spare *wheel* for the trailer, just block the trailer up on that side with something, press the QR button on the hub, and swap it out. could be carried kinda like a Continental Kit. :lol: (actually until this moment, I haven't put much thought into flat fixes for the trailer, becuase I can't remember ever having one, despite the loads carried and NO protection of any kind, other than a little Slime in the oldest trailer, and nothing in the new one!)

And at $11.99 each, plus $6 for ground shipping, that's a lot compared to the "sidewinder" clones. Then again, I dunno the quality of either one, so.... I guess it comes down to what shipping cost would be on the ones from SJS in the UK, to here in Phoenix. Currently irrelevant since I can't open the SJS page, which is still wierd. I suspect they have a programming bug or nonstandard code in their webpage, and it happens to cause this with my browsers--it probably works great with the latest IE, which I cannot install on my computers because all the newer ones than what came on them screw up things I need to work in very specific ways.
 
SJSCycles charged me $25 for shipping. So I got RAPED on the shipping!
But the 8 Sidewinder tubes I bought from them only costed me $9
So it turned out to be ($34)/8 = $4.25 each tube, which is actually cheaper
than the regular tubes I buy from my LBS so I went for it.

BTW I found the 26" Cobra tubes for $8.45 each being sold at this website
http://www.ebikestop.comwww.ebikestop.com/flybikes_cobra_tube_26_schrader_valve_sold_eachh-TU4305.php?cat=1098
 
http://www.danscomp.com/446004.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa36wTCvBZo&feature=related

I stumbled across this product randomly in the related videos section of YouTube
12 bucks is clearly more than the 5 that my tubes normally are, but not having to remove the wheel on a ride.. that's gotta be worth 7 bucks
 
I guess that would be great for BMXs and Trikes.

Can a I stretch it over a 26" rim? :mrgreen:

EDIT: I'm seeing 24" at Amazon... good for some of us here.
 
26" are available

http://www.amazon.com/Fly-Bikes-Cobra-Tube-26x2-125/dp/B006J841K2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348796199&sr=8-1&keywords=cobra+tube
 
In my tools I cary with me is a cobra tube. I ride a tadpole trike and I would not like the idea of replacing the rear tube on the road. I have never used the tube and I hope I never will. But it is a comfort to know That I have a solution if needed. Remember a sharp knife to cut the bad tube will be a needed tool.
 
Looks like the 26" is discontinued for Cobra tubes? Anyone else have an alternative?

Should I take a 700c tube and "make" a cobra tube with some glue and scissors. Anyone see problems? It would only be for having a tube to get my bike home where I can properly take off the motor wheel.
 
If you can find glue and/or mounting methods that will hold the end closed against the pressure, let me know what it is. I would reallly like to be able to DIY some of those tubes!


In my experience typical stuff like rubber cement used for patches only works because the patch is held against the tube by the pressure against the tire--this is why I haven't been able to patch around a valve stem or on holes from nails/etc that went all the way thru the tube to the inner circumference--the patch glues on fine but blows out at an edge becuase nothing is holding it down. :( It may last for a short while, then leak a little, or jsut blow out, or it may pop as soon as the tube is mostly aired up inside the tire. :(

So I expect that the ends of the tube will not stay sealed with patching glue because there isn't another matching mating surface to hold the ends shut. Maybe rolling them up like a toothpaste tube would work, but I expect that really you'd end up having to heat seal them together in some way that actually bonds the rubber together permanently. :(
 
My Cobras are heat sealed at the ends. They seem to have better Q/C these days cause the last 3 we used are still working at least a month later. I now only use them for motor wheel emergencies and we use regular tubes for the one axle wheels on the trikes. Still a good idea but making your own probably will need heat to seal the ends. They are cheep enough at 7-10 bucks apiece but shipping adds 3-4 bucks per order. Rubber even at Wal-mart and Amazon has gone up. I did start using 305mm (true 16" wheels) on my fronts cause my 20" wheels were falling apart. The 16" are from FFR and plastic but seem to work fine with Schwalbes but I am trying the Walmart white 16x 2.125 tires as an experiment. 16 bucks and real ugly but highly visible/w Kevlar belts. We will see. Still 20" rears on the Steintrike. Low ground clearance may be a problem for my feet but the handling/ride is real good.
OtherDoc
 
Having a 26" Cobra Linear/Sidewinder tube in repair kit is great idea for rear motor driven tire in a recumbent!

Now why is the larger 26" version only carried in UK and Australia?

I've posted to Jensen and Flybikes asking about the 26" version. Does anyone else have another source?
 
I question the viability of this idea of just tucking in another tube after you've flatted. About 50% of the time when I've gotten a flat there's something lodged in the tire's tread that, if not found and removed, is just going to cause another flat on the next tube inserted. These days when I get a flat, I remove the tube, being careful to note its orientation to the tire. Then, when I pump it up again and find the hole, I carefully examine the spot on the tire where the puncture was made, removing whatever might be poking through the tire's tread. I have a hard time envisioning what circumstance would compel me to forgo this precaution and take the risk of flatting a second time--in which case stopping and removing the wheel would be mandatory. To summarize, the appeal others appear to see with this sort of tube is lost on me.
 
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