Schwalbe and BASF jointly develop novel bicycle tube made entirely of Elastollan

With the market launch of its new Aerothan bicycle tube, Schwalbe presents a new generation of bicycle tubes based on BASF's thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) Elastollan.

Aerothan bicycle tubes are the result of unique developmental work between the market leader for bicycle tires and tubes in Europe and BASF's Performance Material Division.

The new Aerothan bicycle tubes are designed around a specially developed material combination based on BASF's Elastollan. The close cooperation is characterized above all by the targeted material development and tube prototype production at BASF's Lemförde Technical Center, followed by tube assembly and intensive testing at Schwalbe.

The new bicycle tube not only offers good performance, but is also around 40 per cent lighter than the established alternatives on the market.

To achieve this, all parts of the new tube, including the valve stem, are made entirely of Elastollan.

The advantage of the reduced weight is not limited to just better handling, but is also evident in the smaller packing size, which makes the Aerothan tube an ideal backup tube.

Elastollan is highly resistant to abrasion and wear and is therefore extremely durable, even under sustained high pressure loads. At the same time, the material is extremely flexible, elastic and heat resistant.

“In developing Aerothan bicycle tubes, we were breaking new ground right from the start. The combined ingenuity and developmental work of BASF and Schwalbe has resulted in a high-end alternative to conventional bicycle tubes,” said says Felix Schäfermeier, Product Manager at Schwalbe.

Mark Ottens, Segment Manager Extrusion TPU at BASF, explained: “Elastollan allows the use of thin walls, in order to reduce weight and at the same time produce a bicycle tube that offers significant advantages over butyl- or rubber-based bicycle tubes both in terms of puncture resistance and handling and on the manufacturing side.”

Another advantage of the Aerothan bicycle tubes is their recyclability – they are made entirely of thermoplastic polyurethane. Like all Schwalbe tubes, Aerothan bicycle tubes can be returned to the manufacturer, easily and free of charge, via the tube recycling program. The material of the old tubes is processed and then reused as sealing or insulating material.