The simple answer is “no, it doesn’t.” Let us look at some more information about inner tubes and why there are different sizes. This will help us to understand the reasoning behind this answer better.
The first thing to know about mountain bike tire sizes is that they come in metric measurements of width rather than inches.
This might seem confusing at first, but it can be easier once you realize that most bikes have tires around 27-28” wide. That’s an awfully big number to have memorized or written down, so just round it up to 28″.
The next thing you need to know is that the standard metric measurement for tire width is 19mm.
So, even if you didn’t round up to 28″ for the tire diameter, you can use 28″ as the reference number for figuring out which size of the tire is right for your wheels.
Now that we have the basic measurements covered, you might wonder why there are different sizes of tubes. Tubes come in either 26″, 27.5″, or 29″ diameters, each of which is designed to fit a specific-sized wheel.
26″ tubes are made for rims about 622mm in diameter, 27.5″ tubes are made for 635-645mm rims, and 29er tubes are made for 658mm rims. The tube diameters are based on the size of the tire, not the wheel.
On most 26″: 27.5″ bikes, tires are made with a 622mm diameter, which fits 622mm rims best. On 29″ bikes, the 658mm rims are required by law to get a minimum tire width of 635mm (for traction reasons).
So even if you had a 27″ wide rim, you’d still get a better ride out of mounting a 700x28C tire than a 700x26C in your 29er because the bigger tire would have more surface area and be better in wet and slippery conditions than the smaller one.
If you’re riding a rigid mountain bike with 26″ wheels and you want to be able to run bigger tires, you can use a 650B rim and 26×1.75″ or 26×2.1″ tire if you want.
This combination is often called “650b”, which is just a technical term for this particular wheel & tire combo.
Most 650b wheels come in both disc and non-disc versions, so the 650b version will have the same diameter rim with slimmer spokes than the 26″ version.
The last thing to know is that even though most MTB tubes are “ISO” sized, they don’t all fit ISO-sized rims. That means there’s no guarantee that your tire will fit properly.
If your rim is made for a different size tube, you’ll have to find a tube that fits the same rim. For example, if you get a 700x25c tubeless tire and it doesn’t fit your 26″ rim, then get another one with the same dimensions but ISO size.
It’s really not that hard to figure out if your tire will fit your bike correctly. Here’s how:
Get a spare tube and check it with the wheel of your bike to see how it stacks up against the inside of the tire on the rim.
If the tube is too long for the side of the tire, don’t try to force it in there. The tire won’t be able to stretch out enough to fit properly. If it’s too short, you’ll have trouble getting the bead on the rim.
If you’re planning on using a tube that’s not your original one, make sure to buy a new one with an ISO-size opening in case you need to get a different one if it doesn’t fit.
A Little About Inner Tubes.
The inner tube is not a part of the tire, it’s just there for you to inflate your tires with air.
The diameter of the inner tube doesn’t matter as long as it fits inside the rim and has enough room in its walls to allow inflation without bursting or leaking out.
When choosing an inner tube you should always choose something bigger than the recommended minimum.
This way when inflated properly you won’t get any pinch flats from overinflating. You also don’t want to underinflate either, otherwise, you risk having no pressure left in your tires after a puncture.
Final Words
So, to answer the questions again:
No, you don’t necessarily need to match the inner tube to the tire.
Yes, you do need to ensure that the inner tube is large enough to accommodate the maximum amount of air needed for proper inflation.
The diameter of the inside of the tube must fit snugly within the outside diameter of the tire. If it doesn’t, there can be problems as you describe.
If the tire gets too small, it can cause “pinching” between the tire and tube. When you inflate the tire, the internal pressure pushes against the sides of the tube causing them to bulge outwards.
The result is that the tube becomes pinched between the sidewall of the tire and the rim. As you continue to pump up the tire, the sidewalls will eventually break down allowing air into the tube.
Once the tube starts filling with air, it continues until the entire volume of air is used up. At which point, the tire stops inflating because there is nothing else to push against.
If the tube is too large, then it will not fill completely during normal operation. This means that when inflated, the tire won’t reach its full potential capacity.
Over time this causes uneven wear across the surface of the tire. Eventually, the tire wears more than the rest of the tread and begins to fail prematurely.
