Slime Inner Tubes

[wbmkk]

My daughter had a puncture on her bike and was just going to buy an inner tube.

She noticed there were 'slime inner tubes' and asked me about them. I have never actually heard of them, but after a quick Google search see that they are supposed to be 'self-sealing' tubes.

This sounds perfect, but of course, many things sound great 'in theory' but they don't always work so well in the 'real world'

Has anybody here used them and what are your general thoughts.. I think they are maybe double the price of a normal tube.

thank you

 

[Drago]

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/gunked-tubes.298069/#post-7220924

 

[bluenotebob]

Or here:

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/tubes-with-slime-in.304110/

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I use them

well not SLime as such - just normal inner tubes with sealant in them which makes it cheaper

Not sure of the otehr sealants are better or worse but they do seem to work in terms of preventing small punctures

I would say that the sealant doesn;t last forever and I tend to remove it after a year or 2 and replace it

and it can b****r up your valve at time if it gets into it

but it is worth it for the times when it prevents a puncture on a ride
although something like a 2 inch screw does defeat it - as I found out once!

 

[dicko]

Having to cycle to work in 1963 I bought two bottles of inner tube sealer (3/- each) from Curries the then only cycle shop in town. In the five years I cycled to work and back I never ever had a flat tyre.

 

[mickle]

The best defence is puncture resistant tyres (Schwalbe Marathons et al). Inner tubes with sealant (either injected at the factory or DIY) are a great second line of defence. I go decades between p*nctures with such a set up.

 

[Psamathe]

I've considered and rejected them as I've assumed that a puncture automatically repaired by slime is a weakness in the inner tube. I'd rather know about the issue so I can properly fix it. But also fixing a puncture roadside is grief and in cold weather my fingers stop working anyway. So I carry a Vittoria Pit Stop https://int.vittoria.com/products/pit-stop (other versions/manufacturers are available) - tiny light canister that once you have a puncture both re-inflates and adds sealant so fixes the puncture. Only had to use one once and I was well impressed: push canister onto value wait for a few minutes (litterally a couple of mins) and puncture sealed and tyre re-inflated.

One occasion I did need it after using it all looked good but just in case I headed straight for home (5 miles) "just in case". But after a few miles it was fine so I extended the ride and a few days later (when I replaced the inner tube) it was still fine.

nb inner tubes are cheap so as I use Marathon Plus tyres punctures are rare so I'd generally replace tubes so they are 100%. I do have puncture repair kits and do have some repaired tubes but generally 1 repair=1 tube of glue as by next time the previously opened tube has dried out.

 

[wbmkk]

OP here .. thank you for your replies and links

I've told her just to buy the normal tube, in fact a couple, so she has a spare.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I agree that Marathons are a good defense against punctures

Like you I also have tubes with sealant to reduce the chances

and carry a spare tube plus self adhesive patches to cover all likely options
and to help others if I find then stranded after someone helped me

probably over kill - but as I have an ebike I can afford the extra weight!

I did get a problems once - a sliver of letal that JUST stuck through the tyre and re-punctured the tube when I rode

when I had found it and sorted it out I checked the rest of teh tyre

and removed 7 thorns and bits of metal that the marathons and sealant had stopped from cauing a probelm!!!

 

[Psamathe]

and removed 7 thorns and bits of metal that the marathons and sealant had stopped from cauing a probelm!!!

Around me hedge cutting has started. Saw first a week ago. Also in Norfolk fine chips of glint can cause punctures (personal experience from pre-Marathon fays).

I have Marathon Plus tyres but problem is I have no idea how many thorns/flints don't cause punctures. Might be every ride my tyres save me from several punctures or, maybe I hit just one thorn a year ...

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I get a lot less punctures since I was stopped from riding one particular trail with a lot of hawthorn hedges along it

basically part of the trail collapsed and became inaccessible with an ebike - only just possible on foot with no bike!!!
and they locked a gate that I used to be able to get through just to make it even harder!