The 36″ inner tubes weigh about 500g, which is pretty heavy (and feels that way) because it is right at the outer diameter of the wheel. Saving weight on rotating parts will give you much more performance than lightening other parts of your unicycle. Less rotating weight equals less inertia, which equals faster acceleration/deceleration, and a more responsive unicycle.
There are two ways to replace the heavy 36″ inner tube to save weight. You can go tubeless, or you can put a lighter 29″ inner tube in it’s place. Each of these will save from 200-250g of rotating weight.
Tubeless Conversion:
Pros:
- Lightens wheel from 150-250g, depending on how much sealant you use
- Once set up, extremely puncture resistant. Sealant plugs any holes from sharp objects
- You can run very low pressure for off-road without risk of pinch flatting (punctures from the rim squashing the tube if the tyre bottoms out against a hard object)
- It hums. There is no friction between the tube and tyre, which gives it a very compliant ride. The tyre makes a nice hollow hum when revved up to speed.
Cons:
- More complicated to set-up, requires high pressure compressor
- You can’t fix it on the trail. But contrary to what many think, you will NOT be left stranded. You can easily replace the tubeless kit with an inner tube if you carry one as a spare. But it’s difficult to get set up to Tubeless when away from home.
- Takes longer to get the required sealant together. You bike shop may carry a tubeless conversion kit, but a 36″ rim strip is required as well. If you can’t be bothered waiting for one to arrive from Stans No-Tubes, you can try making your own (see separate article).
29’er Tube Conversion:
Pros:
- May save slightly more weight than tubeless. A typical 29’er tube weighs 250g or less.
- Easy to obtain
- Cheaper
Cons:
- It can explode if overinflated
- Can be tricky to get on without pinching the tube. It’s not uncommon to destroy 2-3 tubes before getting it on properly