Tubolito PSENS, an ultra-light MTB inner tube that sends pressure information to your mobile phone ⋆

Tubolito PSENS, an ultra-light MTB inner tube that sends pressure information to your mobile phone

Cyclists can now fit their bicycle with smart inner tubes that enable them to accurately measure their tyre pressures by scanning an NFC chip embedded near the valve with their smartphone. tubolito nfc

The pressure sensor incorporated in the Tubo-MTB PSENS tube is battery free and makes it “the first smart bicycle tube in the world”, according to Tubolito, the Austria-based company that developed it. tubolito nfc

Tire pressure can be a crucial factor for MTB riders. To make the measurement as fast and easy as possible we developed PSENS technology. Tubo-MTB PSENS is the first smart bicycle tube in the world. An NFC chip, which is integrated in the tube, allows riders to measure the pressure with an App (available for iOS. Android version will be available in summer 2021) via the smartphone.

As the chip, which weighs only a few grams, is inside the tube it is perfectly safe and not exposed to small stones etc. To determine the tire pressure, a smartphone and the app just need to be brought close to the chip (app. 3cm).

After a few seconds of measurement, the pressure is indicated in Bar and PSI. The chip does not need a battery and can be used as long as the tube is such.

PSENS technology is currently available in Tubo-MTB 27,5” and Tubo-MTB 29” products

This is a novel technology, but it’s worth asking: “Who is the customer for this product?” Riders concerned with gram counting and puncture protection are likely to ditch tubes for tubeless systems.

As a backup system, Tubolito’s tubes are light and incredibly compact, which has made them a favorite with racers and bikepackers, but does the ability to measure air pressure warrant the price increase over Tubolito’s standard tubes? Very few mini-pumps have pressure gauges, so that’s one mark in favor of the P-SENS system. For some riders, it might be more useful to have NFC chips embedded directly into tubeless tires, or better yet, into the tubeless valve. In any case, it’s likely we’ll see new uses for NFC chips in the coming years.