Even though tubeless is becoming more and more popular, a tube still belongs in your touring backpack. Because if sealant and sausages are unable to close the hole - which happens from time to time - then only the good old rubber part can help. However, rubber is no longer the only material used to make bicycle inner tubes. For some time now, there have been particularly lightweight versions made of thermoplastic. They weigh less than half as much as conventional butyl inner tubes, can be rolled up smaller and are also said to be more puncture-resistant.

Tubolito specializes in thermoplastic hoses. The two founders, a chemist and a mechanical engineer, were researching durable membranes for the speakers in smartphones. As they experimented with thermoplastic, the two mountain bikers thought that it should be possible to make inner tubes from it. They have since established the characteristic orange tubolito air chambers on the market.

And now they are coming up with the next level tube, the "MTB PSENS". An NFC chip reports the measurement result of the pressure sensor to the smartphone. Thanks to induction, the chip does not need a battery, but is powered by the phone if you hold it close enough to the bike. The tubolito app is currently only available for iOS; an Android version is due to be available from summer 2021. However, the technology comes at a price: the smart tubolito costs over 40 francs, the analog versions between 25 and 30 francs. Incidentally, thermoplastic tubes are not suitable for rim brake wheels. But anyone who still brakes on the rim is unlikely to be interested in the world's most modern inner tube.