What do you do with old inner tubes?

hoboin

Active Member
Region
USA
I am doing cleaning and organizing, and i am trying to find a use for old inner tubes. I have a box of many tubes that i just can't throw away. What do you use your inner tubes for?

Found this video and i am kind of glad i kept my old tubes


I love the idea of using it as shims!!!

a comment from the video... using them as the base layer for handlebars
 
I keep old tubes to cut up to wrap around frames under clamps
 
Old tubes are a quick source for a valve core when the Slime plugs one up. Good for shimming up handlebar accessories,
 
You could also make a mean slingshot with an old inner tube and use it against some clown trying to steal your bike. I can imagine that a couple of well placed steel ball bearings will dissuade even the most hardened bike thief.
 
I keep one or two.
I had a door for my summer camp trailer cut out of plywood since it is a 1974 trailer and the floors are rotted etc. Doors for trailers are $300 up + freight from Muncie. So with the uneven floor, a brown bird kept walking under the door, flying around inside all winter & leaving his marks on the furniture.
I made a sweep for under the door from an old 2.1" inner tube. Has enough give to even out the massively damaged floor. No more indoor bird.
 
You could also make a mean slingshot with an old inner tube and use it against some clown trying to steal your bike. I can imagine that a couple of well placed steel ball bearings will dissuade even the most hardened bike thief.
When I was a kid, I loved making slingshots, and natural rubber inner tubes were the elastic of choice. When synthetic (neoprene, maybe?) tubes came out, they lacked the lively elasticity of natural rubber, and I knew the world was on a downward spiral. But bike inner tubes might be okay. I'll see if I can get my grandson to try them out.
 
I used a whole bunch to wrap my bike to make it less appealing to potential thieves. Makes me a little sad I don’t get to enjoy its beautiful color.

Before and after.
 

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They make really excellent heavy-duty prophylactics. Reusable indefinitely.

On a more serious note, I've read they can be sliced lengthwise and used to double up on inner tubes for added thorn protection.
 
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