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Trying to find the correct sized inner tube to replace the existing one on your bike wheel can be confusing and annoying, can’t it?
If you’ve been searching for a while, you’ll no doubt have seen lots of bicycle inner tubes in a wide range of different sizes…and probably none of them have been in the size you’re looking for: 700x37c.
So, I wrote this article to help you out and get you back out cycling as soon as possible.
I’ve got two things for you here. Firstly, I’ve got a recommendation for one of my favorite inner tubes (which is the perfect size for your bike). Secondly, I’ve got some info on why choosing inner tubes is such a challenge.
Feel free to ignore that second part – it’s totally optional – if you want to just go right ahead and buy the tube I suggest, that’s fine. I’m not going to get upset!
My recommended inner tube:
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What inner tube do I need?
A reliable inner tube with great puncture resistance.
Take a look at the REI page and you’ll see that these tubes come in a number of different sizes. The one we’re looking for is the 700 x 35-43c.
The valve used on these tubes is the type you normally see on car tires. This is known as a Schrader valve and most bike pumps will fit this style of valve. (There’s a second type of valve that you might see elsewhere called a Presta valve. This is slimmer and longer than the Schrader we have here).
This tube is perfect for your wheels because it will fit tires from 35mm wide (1.37 in.) up to 43mm (1.69 in.) At 37mm wide your tires are smack in the middle. If they were a bowl of porridge, they’d be Goldilock’s favorite.
Take care when you’re fitting the inner tube. As with any bike tube, it’s easy to put a hole in them when you’re fitting the tire around them. I use a set of plastic levers which are a great help in avoiding this.
This inner tube is a high-quality product and gets rave reviews from purchasers like “Great replacement tube”, “Top quality”, and “Worth the money”.
Why are bike tubes so difficult to choose?
If you just want to buy the tube above, head out and ride, and forget about the rest of this article – that’s fine! I know how you feel, and I’d do the same thing.
But, if you want a little more background on the confusing world of tubes, then read on. It’s great to have you along!
First up, what do the inner tube and tire codes stand for?
Well, they’re part of a metric system for sizing tires and tubes. 700(mm) means the nominal diameter of the tire. 37(mm) is the nominal width of the tire. C is a bit of red herring. This is a tire width code that was originally part of the French tire system. It meant the tire was a medium width – ‘a’ was the narrowest one and ‘d’ the widest. It doesn’t mean a great deal these days, but many manufacturers still add it on.
There are at least three different systems for coding tires and tubes in the world. And that can lead to a lot of confusion. There’s the imperial system (using inches) which is mainly used in the US. The metric system (in millimeters) which is used throughout Europe and in some other countries. Plus there’s the ETRTO/ISO system, which was designed to bring everything together and simplify the whole lot.
Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a mixed bag with some tire and tube producers using inches, some millimeters, some the ISO system. And then there’s some that use all three at once!
Conclusion
Bike inner tubes can be really confusing, and it can be tricky to work out which is the right one for your bike wheels.
I hope that this article has gone some way to explaining what you need and how tubes are categorized. And I hope that my recommended bike tube gives you many miles of happy cycling.
Enjoy!
**Please note that our reviews are based on customer reviews, star ratings, and online complaints. Therefore, Bicycle Volt are in no way liable**
