The Schwalbe Aerothan is a TPU inner tube that replaces butyl with thermoplastic polyurethane, and it weighs 41g against roughly 100g for a comparable butyl tube. This is the road version, for 23 to 28mm tyres, with an 80mm valve for deep section rims.

The whole tube including the valve is TPU, which makes it fully recyclable. The material resists sudden air loss rather than tearing the way butyl does, and it stays dimensionally stable at low pressure. Rolling resistance sits closer to a tubeless setup than to a conventional tube. It also packs down far smaller than butyl, which is the underrated benefit, because a spare Aerothan takes up almost no room in a saddle bag.

Key features

• 41g for the 23 to 28mm road size
• 100% TPU including the valve, fully recyclable
• 80mm Presta valve for deep section rims
• Around 40% lighter than a Schwalbe Extra Light butyl tube
• Heat resistant and approved for rim brakes
• Packs very small as a spare

The obvious upgrade if you are not running tubeless. Worth carrying one even if you are, because it takes up half the space of a butyl tube in a saddle bag.