I picked up a pair of Specialized 26 X 2.3 tyres from an lbs a couple of weeks ago. I was previously running Fire XC Pros and fancied something a bit chunkier. The guys in the lbs insisted that I needed some bigger tubes to go with the tyres and sold me some rather overpriced 2.3-3.0 Specialized inner tubes to go with the tyres. I’d have usually turned down the offer but as they were insistent that my old tubes would be too small and due to the fact that I was riding that afternoon I didn’t want to get home and find out they were right.

The tubes are almost double the size / weight of my old 1.75 – 2.2 inners and I gather they are probably more for downhill size tyres.

Is there really any benefit to running these tubes with these tyres? I have a couple of 1.75-2.2 tubes in my Camelbak which I take for longer rides. Will these be too small to use in case of emergencies?

I wouldn’t worry. I use 2.0-2.3 29er tubes in my 3″ Knards. I also fitted a 1.5 tube as an emergency into a 2.3 tyre a while back and still haven’t changed it!

The guys in the lbs insisted that I needed some bigger tubes to go with the tyres and sold me some rather overpriced 2.3-3.0 Specialized inner tubes to go with the tyres.

The guts in your LBS were talking shit I’m afraid.

I assumed the smaller tubes would thin out the more they are inflated, so it’s a choice between light and delicate, or heavy and puncture resistant?

I assumed the smaller tubes would thin out the more they are inflated, so it’s a choice between light and delicate, or heavy and puncture resistant?

Bingo. More stretch = less puncture resistance.

Indeed it is, but a 2.2 tube doesn’t need much stretching to fit into a 2.3 tyre, so if it’s fine in a 2.2 it’s unlikely to cause major disasters in a 2.3.

Of course tubeless works with any size tyre 8)

Tubes & tyres are measured using the non standard make it up as you go along inch so a 1.5-2.2 might come up really small if the 2.3 is quite big leading to you over stretching it and getting loads of punctures.

I’ve used a 26″ 2.3-2.7 tube in my fatbike’s 4.0″ tires. They stretch. Only becomes an issue if the tube won’t stretch enough around the valve stem, maybe thicker rubber or something there.

IMO, you didn’t need the bigger/heavier tubes. They would be more puncture resistant, though.

I normally run tubeless w?\Stan’s.