Aerothan is a special thermoplastic polyurethane which Schwalbe has developed in cooperation with BASF. It serves as base material for high end bicycle tubes, Aerothan tubes, which are made in Germany using a patented welding process.

Aerothan tubes are extremely light, yet highly puncture resistant. The low rolling resistance offers an extremely dynamic riding experience. Aerothan retains its shape and ensures stable riding characteristics on all bicycles, even at low air pressures. At the same time, its dimensional stability makes it easy to install because the tube does not slide around and cannot get pinched.

Schwalbe is the expert for tubeless tires. However, some cyclists prefer using a tube despite tubeless as the state-of-the-art option. Additionally, certain wheel types are not suitable for tubeless. Therefore, we have developed Aerothan tubes – the high-end alternative to conventional bicycle tubes. Many of its technical advantages achieve the same high standards that tubeless systems do.

Aerothan tubes are available for all common tire sizes for: Road, Allround and MTB. You can find an overview with all sizes here.

Aerothan tubes are available in the categories Road, Allround and MTB, where Aerothan has extremely diverse areas of application due to its particular material characteristics. You can find an overview with all sizes here.

Aerothan is a flexible material and is subject to limited tolerances (as opposed to solids such as metal). Despite highly elaborate manufacturing and control procedures, deviations in weight of +/- 5% may occur.

Like all Schwalbe tubes, Aerothan tubes are 100% recyclable. As opposed to conventional butyl tubes, Aerothan tubes are completely made of a thermoplastic polyurethane – including the valve. This makes the recycling process even more straightforward. We are currently working with our partners on the details of the recycling process and the return of used Aerothan tubes.

Aerothan is extremely temperature stable. The material can withstand both high temperatures of up to +70°C and low temperatures of down to -50°C without any problems.

You can easily repair Aerothan tubes using Schwalbe Glueless Patches Roughening, as with a butyl tube, is not necessary. Instead, the self-adhesive patches are directly placed on the area to be fixed. To do so, the surface should be as clean as possible.

For larger holes or cuts (max. 4 mm), it is recommended to use two patches overlapping over the defective area. It is helpful to clean the defective area with cleaning alcohol in advance to improve the adhesion (adhesive strength) of the patch.

Can I use classic tube patches with vulcanizing fluid to repair a puncture?.

Repair and inflate sealant sprays do not seal Aerothan Tubes because the thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) has a very high surface tension. The use of puncture sprays in tubes made of TPU is not recommended due to the chemical composition. For optimal performance, Aerothan Tubes should be used without puncture sprays. Continuous use with puncture sprays is not recommended.

The Aerothan Tube has a 40mm long Sclaverand (SV/Presta) valve. Just like the tube, the valve stem is made of thermoplastic polyurethane and is also 100% recyclable. Certain Aerothan tube sizes are also available with longer 60mm or 80mm valve lengths.

"The valve core of the Aerothan Tube is screwed in and can be replaced if necessary. This also makes the valve stem suitable for extensions.
Tip: Extensions should ideally be fitted with a thread locking compound (LOCTITE® 222 Purple Threadlocker). Schwalbe (tubeless) valve extensions are ideally suited for Aerothan Tubes (https://www.schwalbe.com/en/TUBELESS-VALVE-EXTENSION-3461). Only extensions that are screwed into the Aerothan valve stem and have a screw-in limit should be used.

No. Valve cores for Aerothan Tubes have a special rubber seal. For Schwalbe butyl tubes, valve cores with a Teflon seal are used. The mechanical and thermal properties of rubber harmonize much better with the material TPU. This guarantees an optimal seal with the TPU valve stem.

The valve stem diameter of the Aerothan Tubes is matched to the standard diameter of a (SV/Presta) Sclaverand valve hole in a rim. When the valve core is screwed in, the valve stem expands slightly. This can prevent the valve stem fitting through the rim valve hole. In this case, the valve core should be unscrewed. Then insert the valve stem through the valve hole in the rim and screw in the valve core again. Under no circumstances should the valve stem be machined. This carries the risk of defects.

An AV valve hole has a diameter of approx. 8.5 mm. The SV valve of the Aerothan Tube has a diameter of approx. 6.1 mm. This difference can lead to noise while riding and puts above-average strain on the material. In this case, a reducing sleeve should be used, which is pushed over the valve stem of the Aerothan Tube and held in the valve hole by the valve. Reducing sleeves or valve hole adapters are not available from Schwalbe.

An AV adapter can be used. For a secure fit, it must be screwed approx. 3-4 turns onto the external thread of the valve insert.

The valve base is conically shaped towards the tube. It serves as a support for the valve stem, thus counteracting strong mechanical effects, such as shear forces. During assembly, the cone can rest on the rim well and retracts slightly into the valve hole as the air pressure increases. This ensures that the valve stem is held securely in the valve hole. The valve base is made of the same material as the tube, so that the tube and valve base expand evenly.

Assembly Instructions

The transparent Aerothan material changes colour when in contact with the compounds of the tread. This is due to diffusion of volatile substances which are released as a result of the vulcanization process. This occurs especially with new, unused tires. The change in colour has no impact on performance or durability of the tubes.

If a sealant is no longer able to seal the tire while you are on the road, you can of course use the Aerothan Tube as a first aid measure, even without completely removing the sealant from the tire. Afterwards, the tube should be cleaned as quickly and thoroughly as possible with water and a cloth or cleaning alcohol. Under no circumstances should chemicals be used to clean the tube. The tire should be replaced depending on the size of the defect.

An Aerothan tube may be inflated carefully outside the tire until it has no more folds and is round in shape (equivalent to max. 0.3 bar).

Yes, however, a CO2 cartridge should only be used once the tube has been fully installed. Outside the tire, Aerothan tubes may only be inflated carefully until they reach a round shape and are free of folds (equivalent to max. 0.3 bar); CO2 cartridges are not intended for this purpose.

Yes, however, an Aerothan tube may only be reinstalled into a tire of the same or of greater width.

Sealing liquid does not achieve any sealing effect with Aerothan tubes because the surface tension of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is very high. Using latex based sealing liquid for tubes made of TPU is not recommended due to the chemical composition. For optimal performance, Aerothan tubes should only be used in tires without sealing liquid. Long-term use with sealing liquid is not recommended.

Repair sprays do not achieve any sealing effect with Aerothan tubes because the surface tension of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is very high. Using repair spray for tubes made of TPU is not recommended due to the chemical composition. For optimal performance, Aerothan tubes should only be used without repair spray. Long-term use with repair spray is not recommended.

If a sealant is no longer able to seal the tire while you are on the road, you can of course use the Aerothan Tube as a first aid measure, even without completely removing the sealant from the tire. Afterwards, the tube should be cleaned as quickly and thoroughly as possible with water and a cloth or cleaning alcohol. Under no circumstances should chemicals be used to clean the tube. The tire should be replaced depending on the size of the defect.

Talcum is not harmful to the AEROTHAN Tube. However, it is not necessary to use it, as the AEROTHAN Tube is provided with a special lubricant during production. In addition, the friction between the TPU material of the tube and the rubber carcass of the tire is extremely low.

All Aerothan tubes are approved for rim brakes. Aerothan tubes are extremely resistant to heat and can sustain high thermal stress (for example during emergency braking). Also, in case of a defect, air does not suddenly escape, which is why riding stability remains unaffected.

All Aerothan Tubes are suitable for use with carbon rims. Here, too, the heat resistance of Aerothan material is an advantage over latex and butyl.

Tyre pressure sensors can be mounted if they are screw-in systems. These are then screwed onto the visible external thread of the valve core. Please check compatibility with the respective supplier.

"Rim tape, when used correctly, always provides additional protection against defects. The Aerothan Tube is generally compatible with all common rim tapes. It is best used with Schwalbe Tubeless Rim Tape (https://www.schwalbe.com/en/TUBELESS-RIM-TAPE-887029). Always make sure that the width of the rim tape matches that of the rim. If the rim tape does not lie neatly from flank to flank in the rim bed, it can come into contact with the tube. See also: https://www.schwalbe.com/en/technology-faq/rim-tape/

Mini pumps with screw-on pump heads (e.g. from Lezyne) can be used. To do this, the valve core of the Aerothan Tubes must be firmly seated in the valve stem (see above reference thread locking compound). The pump head should be screwed onto and off the valve core with as little tension as possible. Ideally, the valve stem should be held in place while screwing and unscrewing the pump head, so that only the thread of the pump head is moved.

"Thanks to their enormous shape stability, Aerothan Tubes can be used at significantly lower air pressures than conventional bicycle tubes. The recommendations for tubeless systems can be used as a guide for the correct air pressure. It should be noted that the minimum pressure engraved on Schwalbe tires is for use with butyl tubes. When using Aerothan Tubes, the values may be lower. The Schwalbe MTB Pressure Prof can be used to quickly and easily calculate the optimum air pressure in the tire online:"

Go to Pressure Prof  

At the maximum pressure for Aerothan Tubes, the pressure range indicated on the tire side or rim should be observed. If the specified tire pressure of the rim is lower than that of the tire, the maximum pressure of the rim must be observed. If in doubt, contact the manufacturer.

Aerothan tubes are on a par with butyl tubes in terms of how well they retain air. Frequent re-inflation, as is necessary with latex tubes, for example, is therefore not necessary. For optimal performance, it is recommended that the air pressure be checked regularly.

The Aerothan Tube can be left in the tire without concern. It is recommended that the tire pressure be slightly reduced by one to two bar below the maximum permissible air pressure of the tire or rim (whichever is the lower). Information on tire pressure can be found on the side walls of bicycle tires. Find out more at: https://www.schwalbe.com/technik-faq/spezielles/https://www.schwalbe.com/en/technology-faq/special/