How to find out if a slime tube works

[Dangermouse]

Its simple really.............let my missus out with it, yep she has had a puncture, the slime tube did pump back up but then deflated after 20 minutes..........she really is a puncture magnet just lately. and I need to show her how to fix her own punctures.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Conclusion - they don't work?

 

[Dangermouse]

Conclusion - they don't work?

It did, it got her home after being inflated a couple of times, but now its in the bin

 

[Donger]

Last time I changed my tyres, I found 3 lots of green splatter where I had punctured 3 times without even knowing it. I swear by the things, and almost never have tyre problems, despite being >20 stone.
My only bad experience with them was the occasion when I over-inflated one. Don't do it! Quite why I was pumping it up in my living room I'll never be able to explain. The result was a snotty green version of the Big Bang that splattered the furniture, the ceiling, the TV, the carpet, Mrs Donger (while she sat reading the Sunday paper)and one of our cats. It was like the library scene in Ghostbusters where everything got covered in ectoplasm. The inside of the tyre looked like it had been painted green. Many months, perhaps a year or two later, we were still finding little green splatters on the underside of coffee tables etc.
Mrs Donger and I agreed that I would do all my bike maintenance in the garage in future.

 

[babytiger]

Why do I have to mend the puncture when I've got my bike mechanic to do all the dirty work

 

[Dangermouse]

HAHA Donger Have you ever tried to deflate one at the valve.............snot everywhere, I have banned the things now.

 

[Donger]

HAHA Donger Have you ever tried to deflate one at the valve.............snot everywhere, I have banned the things now.

I did once forget to tell the mechanic at my local bike shop that I had slime tubes fitted (didn't have a green cap on the valve either). He was decent about it though. He actually reckons it's not so bad as long as you position the wheel with the valve at the top.

 

[G3CWI]

Any Sportive that runs through the New Forest will provide a good test by all accounts.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Last time I changed my tyres, I found 3 lots of green splatter where I had punctured 3 times without even knowing it. I swear by the things, and almost never have tyre problems, despite being >20 stone.
My only bad experience with them was the occasion when I over-inflated one. Don't do it! Quite why I was pumping it up in my living room I'll never be able to explain. The result was a snotty green version of the Big Bang that splattered the furniture, the ceiling, the TV, the carpet, Mrs Donger (while she sat reading the Sunday paper)and one of our cats. It was like the library scene in Ghostbusters where everything got covered in ectoplasm. The inside of the tyre looked like it had been painted green. Many months, perhaps a year or two later, we were still finding little green splatters on the underside of coffee tables etc.
Mrs Donger and I agreed that I would do all my bike maintenance in the garage in future.

HAHA Donger Have you ever tried to deflate one at the valve.............snot everywhere, I have banned the things now.

I presume that these things are not repairable once they don't seal any more?

 

[Donger]

I presume that these things are not repairable once they don't seal any more?

Dunno. Had them for 5 years now, and it hasn't happened yet. (Except for one that I put an enormous hole in when getting side wall damage riding over a large bit of sharp flint).

 

[Colin B]

I got 5 normal tubes for £6 from halfords one slime was £7.95 I'll stick to normal tubes

 

[Sara_H]

I've only had a punture in a slime tube once and it was marvellous, just pumped it up and never had a problem with it since. I used a can of slime on one of son's punctured tyres once and thats never caused a problem since either.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I've only had a punture in a slime tube once and it was marvellous, just pumped it up and never had a problem with it since. I used a can of slime on one of son's punctured tyres once and thats never caused a problem since either.

Same here when I still had stock tyres. Then discovered marathons, no need for slime anymore

 

[Sara_H]

Same here when I still had stock tyres. Then discovered marathons, no need for slime anymore

Funnily enough, this was a marathon tyre that punctured. Massive thorn!

 

[Octet]

Never used them, call me old fashioned but I prefer to fix it with a good old, reliable patch. Personally I want to know I have the means to fix it if a tube does puncture (instead of relying on the "self-healing" process to do (or not do) its stuff), equally I know that a patch will hold for years whereas slime might degrade and/or not hold.