Now how to maintain them - always

If your Tubes are of good ‘silicon rubber’ quality/without any repaired punctures and always secured with a 'dust cap' - which is seldom the case - there shouldn't be any noticeable pressure drop for days together - particularly when the Ambient Temps aren't dropping (courtesy Charles/Boyle's Laws !).

However, it's a good policy to check once every week or 10-days and reset when ‘cold’ - as explained above.

Also, it’s penny-wise pound-foolish to get the original tube ‘neck’ replaced by a crude ‘brass’ one in case it’s damaged – instead of going in for a new tube altogether. This is coz – i) such ‘retrofits’ are seldom 100% leak-proof, ii) They can’t make a good seal with the Rim either thus letting in water inside it – leading to large scale corrosion and lastly –iii) Adds to unbalance of the wheel calling for larger balancing weights – which tend to fall off compared to smaller ones.

The (in) dispensable ‘Dust Cap’ – whether on Conventional or TLTs

Very few people realise the importance of the easily forgotten ‘dust-cap’ on the Tube ‘necks’. If they were all that dispensable, do you think their manufacturers would still be providing them ?

Consider this –

i) Even if you drive for one solitary day without them, as much dust and water will get inside the tube neck and there’s nothing you can do about it till ‘ignorance is bliss’ is staring in your face.

ii) With such ‘foreign matter’ having got into, the next time you check your tyre pressures and push in some more air, these invaders promptly get deposited on the delicate rubber seals of the Tube valves.

iii) With the Valves so affected – a slow leak of the Cancer kind sets in and there’s nothing that you can do about it. Even putting on Dust Caps post-haste will be of no avail. If the Tubes are otherwise healthy – replacing them with ‘new’ Valves and promptly covering them with Dust Caps is the only solution.