Tyre slime question

[flat-pack]

A freind has bought and fitted two inner tubes treated with the slime stuff as he is fed up of punctures.

I have never looked into this stuff but wonder what happens when you want to pump the tyre up ?

He says that when he went to pump a tyre up some slime came out of the valve and he could not get any more air in ?

Now he is not the most accomplished at things practical so wonder if he did not read the instructions that came with the tubes ?

Seems to me if the slime stops any air leakage then you pump tyres to the desired pressure and that is that till you have to replace them ?

Anyone ?

 

[PpPete]

Shlime=washte of time
Avoid.
Especially at road bike pressures.
Just MHO.

 

[lazyfatgit]

+1

use good quality tubes and rim tape. keep at appropriate pressure. inspect tyres regularly and remove debris.

 

[flat-pack]

He is running a Giant Cypress which has road tyres and his route involves a cycle track which is very gritty, hence punctures, don't think he inspected for debris till it was too late.

However the tubes are fitted so can he re-inflate ?

 

[Debian]

Slime tubes are excellent, I've been using them for years.

Yes, the tube can be inflated to whatever pressure you like, deflated, taken off, put back on, patched, exactly the same as a standard tube.

The only issue is that sometimes some of the gunk hardens around the schrader insert and this stops you inflating it. If this happens all you have to do is remove the core, clean it and replace it, problem solved.

Other than that they are superb.

 

[Debian]

Oh yes, nearly forgot. Once a year or so, remove the tube, take out the core and add a desertspoonful of water to keep the slime mobile.

My latest tube has been in for nearly three years and I've only had to remove it once to patch a nail hole. Also once I had to remove and clean the core as I described in my last post.

 

[PpPete]

He is running a Giant Cypress which has road tyres and his route involves a cycle track which is very gritty, hence punctures, don't think he inspected for debris till it was too late.

However the tubes are fitted so can he re-inflate ?

I ride gritty cycle tracks and country back roads on lightweight narrow road tyres - Schwalbe Stelvios. They have a puncture protection belt - not as chunky as Marathons, but more than enough for most hard surfaces. Only punctures I've ever had have been pinch-type due to under inflation. And just once a very long thorn actually went through the kevlar.

OTH the one slime tube I tried on junior's MTB was utter cr@p. The slime didn't seal the puncture and leakage prevented the patch adhering properly. After 3 attempts at patching it went in bin. Never again.

Slime may seal some punctures on low pressure tyres but for me a good quality tyre properly inflated is the best prevention.

 

[Debian]

I ride gritty cycle tracks and country back roads on lightweight narrow road tyres - Schwalbe Stelvios. They have a puncture protection belt - not as chunky as Marathons, but more than enough for most hard surfaces. Only punctures I've ever had have been pinch-type due to under inflation. And just once a very long thorn actually went through the kevlar.

OTH the one slime tube I tried on junior's MTB was utter cr@p. The slime didn't seal the puncture and leakage prevented the patch adhering properly. After 3 attempts at patching it went in bin. Never again.

Slime may seal some punctures on low pressure tyres but for me a good quality tyre properly inflated is the best prevention.

All I can say is that's not my experience. I've never had a problem patching a slime tube and the only time it didn't seal was when I had a carpet tack puncture it and stay in.

I generally run my tyres at around 65 psi and the slime has always sealed.

 

[PpPete]

Hmmm, interesting that our experiences are so different.
Maybe I will try them again for MTB.

Although I'd take a lot of convincing before running them with road tyres at 115psi

 

[Debian]

Hmmm, interesting that our experiences are so different.
Maybe I will try them again for MTB.

Although I'd take a lot of convincing before running them with road tyres at 115psi

LOL, indeed, so would I.

Seriously though, for MTB work I've found them excellent. Prior to using them I had at least one puncture every ride, sometimes two or three. Since fitting the slimes (actually Halfords own brand) I get maybe one or two punctures a year.

Also, I just repatched my three year old tube again. It was no trouble to patch and though it now looks like it has more patch than original tube it's still good to go.

 

[shippers]

I used alfords own brand orange slime in a hybrid for a couple of years, and it did the trick. On one occasion I heard the tell-tale hiss, and it actually spurted orange crap for a few seconds before it sealed the hole, and I could continue on a slightly softer tyre.

On a road bike, I've not heard good things. Even the nice chap at Halfords told me they were a waste of time. He said the higher PSI simply forces the slime out of the hole. However, you can now buy tubes with the slime already in- maybe they've thickened up the slime?
Anyway, I bought one but managed to pinch it hideously and tore an inch long hole in it. Bums.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

i'm confused, if the high pressure tyre is leaking, eventually it will be low pressure and then the slime will work. would it not?

 

[flat-pack]

Thanks everyone, interesting comments.

He is running road tyres as supplied with the bike, I think they are meant to have some protection built in but it is not working, probably will not be as effective as the protection built in to a MTB tyre ?

I am pretty sure he has prestex valves, can they be taken apart like the schrader ?

 

[lazyfatgit]

Yes the valve gubbins can be unscrewed on a presta valve.

 

[flat-pack]

Sorry but I am not that familiar with bike valves - so you have the twiddly bit that we all undo to pump up, do you then unscrew the thinner bit that the twiddly bit screws on to ?

Guess it has to be really Not much else is there ??