10 Years of Tubolito: From a simple idea to a new category in cycling
When Tubolito was founded in 2016, the bicycle inner tube was still largely unchanged. While frames, wheels and drivetrains had undergone major developments through new materials and manufacturing techniques, the tube inside the tyre was still predominantly made from butyl, a material that had been used for decades. For founders Akos and Christian, that raised a straightforward question: why had the humble inner tube been left behind?
“We had years of experience with the plastic TPU, so the question for us wasn’t why we could use TPU as a material – it was why bicycle tubes were still made of butyl in the first place,” Akos recalls.
Introducing TPU also meant challenging some long-standing assumptions about inner tubes. One of the most common was that reducing weight would inevitably mean sacrificing reliability. Tubolito says its S-Tubo technology weighs 80% less than conventional butyl tubes while maintaining a comparable level of durability. Another misconception concerned repairs: TPU tubes can be patched using a suitable repair patch. Environmental impact was another area where perceptions differed from reality. As a thermoplastic material, TPU can be recycled and, according to Tubolito, offers environmental advantages compared with butyl.
Turning the concept into a dependable product, however, took considerably more work than simply choosing a new material. Bicycle tubes are exposed to thousands of load cycles and have to remain reliable across their entire surface and at every seam. With no existing machinery or established production standards designed specifically for TPU bicycle tubes, the founders had to develop much of the manufacturing process themselves, including the necessary equipment.
The company’s development was also shaped by circumstances beyond its control. The Covid period initially brought an unexpected surge in demand, putting pressure on supply chains. Later, the market moved in the opposite direction, leaving many retailers with large amounts of existing stock and less room to focus on smaller components such as inner tubes.
Despite those difficulties, the response from cyclists provided an important incentive to continue. Over the past decade, Tubolito has gone from an experimental approach to a recognised alternative to traditional butyl tubes, helping establish TPU as a new material category for bicycle inner tubes.
“Today, we’re proud to have pioneered TPU bicycle tubes and created an entirely new category in cycling. Seeing our products used at the Olympic Games, world championships, and in everyday life by cyclists everywhere is the best confirmation of our work. Thank you to the incredible cycling community for trusting our products!”
Ten years on, the company sees plenty of room for further development. TPU tubes can still be refined in terms of weight, durability, performance and manufacturing, while new applications and product ideas remain under exploration.
“Despite these achievements, we’re convinced: we’re nowhere near done. There are still many directions we’re exploring, and plenty of parameters left to optimize. So there will keep being innovative products from Tubolito. We can’t wait to see what the next 10 years bring.”
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