Notices
Bicycle Mechanics Broken bottom bracket? Tacoed wheel? If you're having problems with your bicycle, or just need help fixing a flat, drop in here for the latest on bicycle mechanics & bicycle maintenance.

Slime Tubes

Old 08-05-22, 04:28 PM
  #1  
TGoat
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Slime Tubes

I bought two Slime tubes and one new tire. I couldn't get the exact tires I wanted. They were either out of stock or didn't have my size. So I compromised and got a reguar Elecony mountain bike tire with 600 TPI vs 300 TPI (threads per inch) for $27. I had one tire worn pretty smooth, and I got 5 flats in one week so something had to give. I've only had this configuration a short time now, but so far no flats.

I've looked at tire inserts, tubes, liners, tires you name it. My neighbor told me he used to cut up old tubes and line his tires with those. Said it worked OK.

I'd be interested in hearing from anybody else who has any experience with these kinds of products, especially the Slime Tubes. They were only $7 apiece on Amazon.
TGoat is offline  
Old 08-05-22, 06:23 PM
  #2  
Crankycrank
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 3,651
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 835 Post(s)
Liked 1,056 Times in 741 Posts
My experience with Slime Tubes is that they did very little to seal punctures but once in a while they worked. Trying to patch a leaking Slime filled tube on the road was nearly impossible as well as the slime prevented any vulcanizing fluid from bonding properly. Could be done at home with some good cleaning and careful handling of the tube to prevent the Slime from coming out but can be done. Using old tubes as tire protection seems to have only minor success as well and dedicated plastic tire strips are a little better. The best way to prevent flats is to have a good tire with a thick carcass and some puncture resistant belts molded into the tire. This of course can make a heavier and less supple ride if that matters but at least you keep rolling.

Last edited by Crankycrank; 08-05-22 at 07:04 PM.
Crankycrank is offline  
Likes For Crankycrank:
Old 08-06-22, 09:39 AM
  #3  
Iride01 
I'm good to go!
 
Iride01's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 14,811

Bikes: Tarmac Disc Comp Di2 - 2020

Mentioned: 50 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6100 Post(s)
Liked 4,732 Times in 3,262 Posts
Are you determining why every flat happened? If you don't verify that every flat was an actual tread punctures from road debris, then you might be just chasing for puncture resistant tires and tubes that won't be much help at all.
Iride01 is offline  
Old 08-06-22, 11:12 AM
  #4  
Kai Winters
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Northern NY...Brownville
Posts: 2,556

Bikes: Specialized Aethos, Specialized Diverge Comp E5

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 234 Post(s)
Liked 444 Times in 257 Posts
Slime tubes suck !
Just had to replace one in the shop...freakin' green goo all over the inside of the tire and of course I had to clean it out to do the repair/replacement correctly...ick what a mess.
Kai Winters is offline  
Likes For Kai Winters:
Old 08-06-22, 11:28 AM
  #5  
TGoat
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by Iride01
Are you determining why every flat happened? If you don't verify that every flat was an actual tread punctures from road debris, then you might be just chasing for puncture resistant tires and tubes that won't be much help at all.
95% of my flats come from thorns.
TGoat is offline  
Old 08-06-22, 11:39 AM
  #6  
Iride01 
I'm good to go!
 
Iride01's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 14,811

Bikes: Tarmac Disc Comp Di2 - 2020

Mentioned: 50 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6100 Post(s)
Liked 4,732 Times in 3,262 Posts
If thorns then I'll leave the suggestions to others. I don't live where thorns are an issue and all my riding is on paved roads. So maybe someone with some Mtn bike experience will no more about those other products you ask about. Have you considered tubeless?

However when my tires go thin and are showing threads or very close to that, then flats are expected. Once I get the first flat at that point in the tires life I replace it.
Iride01 is offline  
Old 08-06-22, 03:41 PM
  #7  
CliffordK
Senior Member
 
CliffordK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,600
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18320 Post(s)
Liked 4,489 Times in 3,338 Posts
Do you have Goat Heads?



They're just nasty.

I'm not sure if there is any single solution to them. Certainly picking them out of the tires every once in a while helps. Get the stickers out too. If you've gotten several flats in a week, it is possible you missed some thorns.

There are a couple of solutions that people have tried. One option is to use tires with a thick absorption layer, so it is less likely a thorn will stick all the way into the tire.

Schwalbe Marathon Plus
Michelin Protek Cross Max



Tire liners may also help.
CliffordK is offline  
Old 08-06-22, 03:57 PM
  #8  
TGoat
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I only ride on paved roads, but these goat head thorns and Acacia Tree thorns can blow in from the undeveloped areas, or wherever they plant the Acacia Trees. There is a stand of them right by my house. The Acacia Tree thorns can range from 1/8 inch to 2 inches long. Check out these photos.



TGoat is offline  
Old 08-06-22, 07:30 PM
  #9  
veganbikes
Clark W. Griswold
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ,location, location
Posts: 13,280

Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26

Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4253 Post(s)
Liked 3,866 Times in 2,579 Posts
No slime tubes and certainly no whatever no-name tires those are, that is not a brand I have heard of or would use. Schwalbe tires level 5 or 6 and standard butyl tubes also from Schwalbe, Continental, Specialized....(good quality) would be my go to with a fresh rim strip and burr free rim and proper pressure. If I needed more protection I would use Tannus Armour liners which are a lovely foam insert for the tire which will likely prevent little thorns and goat heads from getting to the tubes.

I don't want goo in my tubes they are messy and don't work and any mechanic is going to hate you for it. Tubeless isn't so bad, it is still messy but no more pinch flats and likelihood of fewer issues of punctures as hopefully the sealant will do its job and seal the little hole.
veganbikes is offline  
Old 08-07-22, 03:35 AM
  #10  
Hondo6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: SW Florida, USA
Posts: 1,296

Bikes: Yes

Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 541 Post(s)
Liked 656 Times in 456 Posts
Continental Super Sport Plus are of similar design to the Schwalbes with the puncture belt listed above, but I think they use a denser, thinner belt. They're somewhat less usually than Gatorskins, IMO at leas as puncture resistant, and quite long wearing.

I live in an area where there tends to be a fair amount of small (and generally not visible) bits of road debris that often punctures tires - e.g., wire bits from tire blow-outs, staples, small (and not so small sometimes) nails, etc . . . . Before I started using the Super Sport Plus, I'd get punctures regularly - sometimes more than once weekly. With the Super Sport Plus, very rarely. I can think of 2, and both of those were from oldish nails that visually blended into the road surface that might have caused a flat (or at least a slow leak) on a car tire.

Best I can recall, the Super Sport Plus is available in both Kevlar- and wire-bead versions. The latter can be tough to install - but I've had folding bead tires (Conti Ultra Sports) that were as hard if not harder. They're available in 700c-23, -25, and -28, but the last can be hard to find.

I've also used tire liners when I didn't have a Gatorskin or Super Sport Plus handy. Those seem to work about the same.

Neither solution is low-rolling-resistance, so you'll give up a bit there. But I don't do tubeless - and I'd have a bit lower average speed than spend 20 min on the side of the road changing a flat.
Hondo6 is offline  
Old 08-07-22, 11:31 AM
  #11  
TGoat
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by Hondo6
But I don't do tubeless - and I'd have a bit lower average speed than spend 20 min on the side of the road changing a flat.
I've never changed a flat on the road. How do you find the leak?
TGoat is offline  
Old 08-07-22, 01:10 PM
  #12  
Hondo6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: SW Florida, USA
Posts: 1,296

Bikes: Yes

Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 541 Post(s)
Liked 656 Times in 456 Posts
Originally Posted by TGoat
I've never changed a flat on the road. How do you find the leak?
Finding the leak in the old tube is usually easy - just remove the old tube and inflate it somewhat with your frame pump, then look/feel to see where it's leaking. I've always been able to find such a puncture without having to immerse the tire. I also mount tires with the label diametrically opposite to the valve hole. That plus the location of the puncture tells me where to focus the search for embedded debris in the tire. But I generally check the entire inside of the tire, just to be sure.

I carry a spare tube in a small seat bag when I ride. After checking the interior of the tire with a finger (very carefully) to find whatever punctured the tube if it's still embedded in the tire, I then remove anything embedded in the tire and put in the new tube.

Often the location of embedded debris is visually obvious. But if it's not, careful and gentle rubbing with a finger will usually find whatever it was that caused the puncture if it's still embedded. (It can also provide a small blood sacrifice to the tire "gods" if you're careless or work too fast because you're impatient. )

I then carry the dead tube home and make a "patch or pitch" decision. I get puncture flats so infrequently these days it's almost always "pitch".

Last edited by Hondo6; 08-07-22 at 01:25 PM.
Hondo6 is offline  
Likes For Hondo6:
Old 09-03-22, 07:10 PM
  #13  
TGoat
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Five weeks so far and no flats. That's a record for me.
TGoat is offline  
Old 09-03-22, 08:15 PM
  #14  
Nwvlvtnr 
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: Boise, Idaho
Posts: 160

Bikes: I have a few

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 43 Post(s)
Liked 155 Times in 71 Posts
I find that slime works very well for small punctures with one caveat. Thorns like those from goat heads with usually break off and remain imbedded in the tire. To use slime properly where goat heads are common you need to remove the tire from the wheel and pull out all of the thorns from the inside, nearly as much work as patching an inner tube. You can buy purpose made “thorn guards” a liner made of something like Kevlar that fits between the tube and tire under the tread or use “puncture resistant” tires as mentioned earlier that have puncture resistant fabric embedded in the tire carcass.
Nwvlvtnr is offline  
Old 09-03-22, 08:46 PM
  #15  
MudPie
Senior Member
 
MudPie's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Southern California
Posts: 2,190
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 114 Post(s)
Liked 118 Times in 91 Posts
I've never been a fan of or used Slime filled tubes.

My philosophy is to never let the offending object even touch the tube! The first line of defense is a robust tire, with a puncture resistant belt. I've picked out many goat heads and thorns from the tread without damage to the tube. So I do spend a bit more on endurance type road tires, focusing on puncture resistant belts and high mileage tread, instead of light-weight, supple race tires. I'd rather ride than fix flats on the side of the road.

I've used tire liners in the past too. They're a bit of a pain to install and align, but it is one more belt of protection for the tube.
MudPie is offline  
Old 11-26-22, 01:00 AM
  #16  
TGoat
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
17 weeks and only one flat tire-kinda. I was out on a ride and something wasn't right. I got off and noticed the tire was low-not flat. Then I found a thorn right in the middle of the tire. When I pulled it out it made a hissing noise, and then my fingers got wet. That was the Slime doing it's thing. I had enough air in the tire to get the last two miles home-filled it up-that was five weeks ago and I'm still riding.

I guess you could say I'm sold.
TGoat is offline  
Old 11-26-22, 01:18 AM
  #17  
maddog34
Senior Member
 
maddog34's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: NW Oregon
Posts: 2,974

Bikes: !982 Trek 930R Custom, Diamondback ascent with SERIOUS updates, Fuji Team Pro CF and a '09 Comencal Meta 5.5

Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1299 Post(s)
Liked 739 Times in 534 Posts
Slime considers the VALVE to be a leak. Once that junk oozes out thru the valve it WILL plug the valve. You have been warned.

I throw away slime tubes when i extract them from a donated bike's tires.

i remove Tire liners, have never installed a single one.

Both add weight, cause out-of-balance, and make bikes feel heavy and sluggish, IMO.
maddog34 is offline  
Likes For maddog34:
Old 11-26-22, 10:36 AM
  #18  
JohnDThompson 
Old fart
 
JohnDThompson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Appleton WI
Posts: 24,936

Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.

Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3571 Post(s)
Liked 3,367 Times in 1,916 Posts
Originally Posted by maddog34
Slime considers the VALVE to be a leak. Once that junk oozes out thru the valve it WILL plug the valve. You have been warned.
When (not "if") this happens, remove the valve core from the stem and soak it in a household ammonia solution. This will dissolve the latex in the slime and allow you to brush or blow off any residue and sealant fibers. Rinse, dry, and replace the core in the stem, and Bob's yer uncle.

N.B. you can expedite this by have a replacement valve core or two on hand. Pull out the clogged core to soak, put in a clean core, pump up the tire and ride on. Replacement cores can be purchased separately or salvaged from discarded inner tubes.
JohnDThompson is offline  
Old 11-29-22, 10:47 AM
  #19  
ser_gio
Newbie
 
ser_gio's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2022
Location: Toledo, OH
Posts: 38
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 19 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 6 Posts
I also wanted to try slime tubes but really hated them. They are filled with liquid which adds weight, drag and unpleasant water shedding sound if you listen carefully. I doubt if they will be successful preventing a major leak, but if they do, they will most likely create a mess inside the outer tire. I would much rather carry a spare tube. If you need extra protection, I would be aligned to use tires with built into 1mm, 3mm, or even 5 mm protective belt, depending on your protection needed.
ser_gio is offline  
Old 12-01-22, 01:29 AM
  #20  
tFUnK
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 3,652

Bikes: Too many bikes, too little time to ride

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 424 Post(s)
Liked 442 Times in 303 Posts
Slime tubes worked great for me when mountain biking. Think I pinch-flatted once, though, and that was a mess on the trails.

I think if it's a high volume/low pressure application then slime (or any other sealant) inside inner tubes could work well. I am skeptical about skinny tire/high pressure use cases, though.

I've had ok success with tire liners on commuter and road bikes, but did manage to get a puncture once as well. Eventually, I decided that the extra weight and hassle of installing them properly led me to give up on them. I'm a low mileage guy who mostly ride on smooth roads now, and my gravel bike is set up tubeless so I haven't had punctures in a while. If I really wanted to guarantee flat-free riding on roads with a lot of urban debris, I'd probably go with a tubeless setup or tire liners with inner tubes.
tFUnK is offline  
Old 12-01-22, 07:15 AM
  #21  
jgwilliams
Senior Member
 
jgwilliams's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Surrey, UK
Posts: 866

Bikes: Dolan Tuono 105 Di2, custom built 653 and 531 bikes with frames by Barry Witcomb, Sonder Dial XT mountain bike and a Brompton folding bike.

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 297 Post(s)
Liked 139 Times in 99 Posts
I've ordered some Muc-Off inner tube sealant to try out.They seem to think it's suitable for road tyres so I look forward to trying it with interest. You ideally have to have inner tubes with removable valve cores which, as it happens, I do.

I tried slime (or similar, can't remember exactly) inner tubes on a mountain bike after a spate of punctures and it seemed to work ok - at least, I didn't have another puncture for a good while. It does dry out eventually, of course.
jgwilliams is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.