The origin

Eclipse was founded in Switzerland in 2001, twenty years before TPU tubes became a talking point in cycling media. For the first decade we worked quietly in materials engineering, developing the processes and patents that would eventually make ultralight TPU tubes possible.

 

In 2011, we introduced the world’s first commercial TPU bicycle inner tube. Not a prototype. Not a limited run. A production tube, available to any cyclist, built around a patented welding process and a patented alloy valve stem that we still use today.

 

The material itself — thermoplastic polyurethane — was already used in aerospace seals, medical devices, and high-end footwear. We were the first to apply it to bicycle tubes at production scale, and the first to understand that its real advantage was not just weight, but recyclability.

The brands that followed came later. We came first.

Made in Germany

Our tubes are manufactured in Germany. Not assembled. Not finished. Made — from raw TPU pellet to finished, packaged tube — under our direct quality control.

 

Every tube we produce undergoes two tests before it leaves our facility: a water immersion test that reveals any micro-leak the naked eye cannot see, and a 24-hour pressurisation test that confirms the tube holds consistent pressure over time. Not a sample from each batch. Every tube, individually.

 

The alloy valve stem is a separate matter. Most TPU tubes — including those from competitors — use a rubber base where the valve meets the tube body. Rubber fatigues. It cracks at temperature extremes. It is the most common point of failure in TPU tubes that fail early.

 

Our valve stem is made entirely from alloy, with a patented connection to the TPU body. It is lighter than a rubber base, more thermally stable, and significantly more durable under the stress of repeated inflation and deflation. This design is patented worldwide because it works differently — not just differently in appearance.

 

The circular loop

Butyl rubber tubes cannot be recycled in any meaningful sense. They are vulcanised — chemically cross-linked during manufacture — which makes them impossible to reprocess into new material. Most end up in landfill.

 

TPU is thermoplastic. It can be reheated, reprocessed, and reformed without losing its structural properties. A used Eclipse tube is not waste. It is raw material.

 

We operate a take-back programme through partner bike shops and a mail-back service for riders who prefer to send tubes directly. Returned tubes are cleaned, shredded, and pelletised. Those pellets re-enter production — as new tubes or as other small TPU components. The loop closes.

 

We also ship carbon-neutral. Not as a marketing footnote — because a product that cannot be recycled and arrives on a diesel truck has not thought the problem through.

 

Three lines. Every tube.

Our range has three lines. They share the same recyclable TPU material, the same alloy valve, and the same testing standard. What differs is the wall thickness and the rider it is designed for.

 

Performance The everyday tube. 35–70 g depending on format. Balanced between low weight and confidence-inspiring durability. The one most riders buy first and stay with.

Ultra The competition tube. Down to 19.5 g for road. Thinnest wall, lowest rolling resistance. For riders who have made the decision to go as light as the physics allows.

 

GT (Gran Turismo)  The durable tube. Thicker wall, higher puncture resistance. For bikepacking, daily commuting with loaded panniers, rough roads, or any riding where the consequence of a puncture is serious. Heavier than Performance, lighter than any butyl alternative.

 

What we don’t do

We do not make butyl tubes. We do not make latex tubes. We do not make tyres, wheels, or any other component. Eclipse makes TPU tubes, and only TPU tubes — which means every decision we take, every engineering iteration, every material refinement, applies to this one product category.

 

That focus is deliberate. TPU tube technology is not finished. Air retention, wall thickness, valve interface, end-of-life reprocessing — all of these have further to go. We intend to be the ones who take them there, as we have been since 2011.