Tire Liners: Slime

[Albula vulpes]

Funny thing is...................................................


I paid $10.00 for this super thick slime tube. I would pay $12.00 for the same tube without the slime in it. I always carry a patch kit and pocket pump with me, and will continue to patch my tubes. I'm not interested in shelling out $100.00 for kevlar tires to put on a $150.00 bicycle.

Slime is a marketing scam. It catches people, that is about it. Why would they add coloring to make it that lime green color. So people would buy it. That is about it. If it doesn't have a purpose, it shouldn't be in there. Color has no purpose on the overall effectiveness, and I would rather not have slime in my tubes.

 

[Goat Herder]

I run dirt cheep tires from the likes of walmart with it tires thoroughly breaded with Goat Stickers Hence where my user name came from. Pre-slimed tubes will never work there is simply not enough product in the tube this is what I am trying to say. In essence what is happening here is anyone and there uncle that tries a pre-slimed tube will go off crying it did not work.

They will not work here ether and never will. It is a useless concept to me. Then what happens is the part of denial trying to patch one that simply needed to have enough product in it to do the job. There is a huge difference in a lightly coated tube and a active working puddle. Pre-slimed tubes do not match this criteria.

The day when tubes come with up to 7 ounces of product in them [ pre-slimed] will never has never happen thus forth folks giving bad reviews. I assure you it works great for me this way on dirt cheap tires and heavy duty tubes. It will only work this way to. To the tune of stopping punctures by nails and yes permanently that of course do not reach the rim.

The way the stuff works is by actively having enough in the tube to have moving activity during riding. If you park a bike for weeks or months it will loose air pressure if you ride it it simply does not loose air pressure.

The worst thing I have seen happen here is the nonchalant belief that a pre-slimed tube works they do not work and never ever will in my opinion. I thought to explain why is all and share my experience. The way I use it is the only way anyone will ever achieve any good results IMO.

It is funny that the stuff is green they should simply make it clear like water perhaps so no one will be able to say they saw any thing green. I never had any luck with tires liners they pinch tubes in my opinion and ruin ride quality. I just will not use them. Paper thin tubes have been deemed truly useless to me for everything except for an emergency road side tube in all my travels in which case I will usually have a severely tore up tire.

So I solemnly say it works flawlessly for me this way and yes truly even on cheaper generic Wallmart tires but only with enough product and only on thick tubes. I will say it again I absolutely do not use patch kits ever at all what so ever.

Experience with a minimalistic pre-slimed tube will always produce a bad review IMHO.

YouTube - Slime Tube pucture Demo 002.AVI

 

[Skarrd]

the only reason why i run a slime tube is mostly because the actual tube has a thicker wall than the regular ones.

i don't expect it to take a beating and still have air in it. (reason why i make my own tire liner out of duct tape) i only use them as something to give me some time to get home, then take the car and get a new tube.

i think the problem is people expecting them to 'patch' it's self and keep going.

 

[The_Aleman]

I agree with GH, pre-slimed tubes are a gimmick, IMHO. I've been sliming my own tubes for over a decade, with very very few failures. My SA7 in my album never had one flat during it's 3100 mile life. I tried pre-slimed tubes on my old Giant MTB and both failed within 2 weeks. A quality liner, thorn-resistant tube, 6-8oz of slime = as close to bulletproof as you can get.

That said, I've never tried a kevlar-belt tire. I haven't found one that I liked.

 

[buzbikebklyn1]

$100 bucks?
What kinda bike shops charge that for Kevs?
I've gotta open myself an online shop-
Specialized Kevlar bicycle tires, they come in many different styles and sizes...From $36.00 for the fat chevron semi slick the Hemisphere or its thinner little brother the Zepher. YES they come in knobby style.

BBB

 

["the prussian" Shop Dogs]

I use slime in the tubes and (knock on wood ) havent had a flat in years .
During my peddling years i found that using an obcene amount of baby power on tube ,then inflate to half pressure ,massage tube around then deflate and fill to full pressure . Works to defet the dreaded pinchers.this letts tube and liner to "float" without sticking together.
My buddy buttons ran tuffys for two years on his mb and kept getting flats were the liner overlaps itself. In tube slime may leave you with low pressure but gets you home or too a pump
Hope you get it figured out

 

[Albula vulpes]

Thanks for your ideas, gave me alot of new ideas if any future problems occur. I ended up taking the tube back and showed it to the clerk, they could see the tube was a defect in workmanship where it came apart at one of the seams, and I got a new one.

Tempted to try goatheads idea with loading the tube with slime. That bottle of green stuff on the shelf looked so damn good, I might have even tried to put it on a hot dog and eat it.

Anyhow, I'll use the above ideas if any future problems occur, but I think it might have just been a defective tube. Thanks again,

 

[Goat Herder]

Tempted to try goatheads idea with loading the tube with slime. That bottle of green stuff on the shelf looked so damn good, I might have even tried to put it on a hot dog and eat it

Catsup,ketchup,
It even comes in blue and purple now I think?

 

[The_Aleman]

Heck with eatin it. But definitely give Slime a try if you haven't already. I see a lot of people here have never tried it it, and I find that suprising. Slime is your friend, unless you're a cleaning maniac and run over nails daily.

 

[matthurd]

Catsup,ketchup,
It even comes in blue and purple now I think?

purples a launch color, right along with green, never saw the blue stuff though.

how exactly do you get the slime into the tube though? through the valve stem? seems like a very slow and messy process unless i'm missing something.

edit:nvm got curious and looked it up on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxA8rgavySI

 

[Bikesnfire]

Slime is easy to use. Just remove the core from the valve stem. Attach the little hose that comes with the slime to the valve stem and end of your slime container. Then all you do is squeeze in the amount you need. A little chart is on the bottle as well as ounce markings to make it easy to do. I've used it for years in bikes and outdoor power equipment. I buy it by the gallon which has a pump attachment. Each pump activation dispenses one ounce. The stuff really works.

 

[baadboy]

I've been a bike rider all my life tried to get my lic but i gota lead foot so didn't keep it long I've used slim tubes along time now and use armadillo tires never have a flat every once in awhile gota add some air and valve stem get a little build up so i gota clean it out but that is it after a year or so replace or the stem gets wore out

 

[Albula vulpes]

If you run a friction drive, do not purchase/buy the SuperThick Slime tubes. they can not hold a load. They are not built that well, and the added pressure the roller adds to the tube causes it to blow out at the seams. I've been thru 2 of them already.

Currently I'm running a slime tire liner in the front, I've never had a flat with, and nothing in the rear. Just a standard tube and I do not know how but I've been flatless for quite some time. I took the Mr. Tuffy lire liner out of the rear because it started to fall apart when the Slime tube failed and the slime got on it.

The Kenda Slicks(non-kevlar) ($9.99 each) are awesome for the friction drive. I've got over 1,000 miles on my rear one and I'll probably get at least another 1,000 more.

 

[Albula vulpes]

I should have knocked on wood. I started to get some flats now, so I decided to do the double tire gig I read about in another forum. Putting a tire in a tire. I blew out a bead on one of my other slicks, so I just cut off the bead and it fit. So far so good, however If I get a flat again, I still have the other slime tire liner, I think I might try and wedge between the two tires and have like an oreo cookie effect, but somthing hard in the middle instead of cream.

 

[Goat Herder]

If you run a friction drive, do not purchase/buy the SuperThick Slime tubes. they can not hold a load. They are not built that well, and the added pressure the roller adds to the tube causes it to blow out at the seams. I've been thru 2 of them already.

Currently I'm running a slime tire liner in the front, I've never had a flat with, and nothing in the rear. Just a standard tube and I do not know how but I've been flatless for quite some time. I took the Mr. Tuffy lire liner out of the rear because it started to fall apart when the Slime tube failed and the slime got on it.

The Kenda Slicks(non-kevlar) ($9.99 each) are awesome for the friction drive. I've got over 1,000 miles on my rear one and I'll probably get at least another 1,000 more.

So what you trying to say ? A paper thin tube trumps a thick one? Your observations I dare say are flawed. Here is a ride I built that weighed over a 100 pounds I weighed another 200+ pounds and hauld all manner of grocerys and cargo. http://motorbicycling.com/attachments/f3/28652d1283392806-cargo-004.jpg http://motorbicycling.com/attachments/f3/28653d1283392817-cargo-003.jpg http://motorbicycling.com/attachments/f3/28655d1283392847-cargo-001.jpg Slime don't eat rubber or plastic. It comes in a plastic bottle. I hauled stuff on bikes like this in this manner for ever now for more than thirty years. With my said tube arrangement.

Thanks for your ideas, gave me alot of new ideas if any future problems occur. I ended up taking the tube back and showed it to the clerk, they could see the tube was a defect in workmanship where it came apart at one of the seams, and I got a new one.

 

[Goat Herder]

I have actually never seen a tube split at the seams before. Certainly not saying it did not happen. It could have been a Monday in the work week in china?

 

[Albula vulpes]

Tempted but not swayed...........................


Been running the tire in a tire now for about 500 miles with no flats. I didn't even have to run the tire liner in between the two tires. The addition of the extra tire in the tire also increases sidewall rigidity. My back wheel feels rock solid. I currently have 4,200 miles on my friction drive bike pounding the pavement everyday on it.


No slime for me thanks...................................................

 

[industrialphreak]

Tempted but not swayed...........................


Been running the tire in a tire now for about 500 miles with no flats. I didn't even have to run the tire liner in between the two tires. The addition of the extra tire in the tire also increases sidewall rigidity. My back wheel feels rock solid. I currently have 4,200 miles on my friction drive bike pounding the pavement everyday on it.


No slime for me thanks...................................................

Sounds interesting ill have to try that the tire within a tire within another tire microcosm.

I rock those slime tubes love the extra beefy feel to them, though i go the extra mile and drop around half a small bottle in each tire.

 

[happyvalley]

Just noticed this thread. There is a trick with tire liners used with a friction drive I discovered a couple of years ago with trial and error, IE errors called pinch flats.

When you lay the liner in the tire, lay it so the overlapped liner end is facing the front of the bike and nearest the tire casing. Doing it the other way causes the lap end to pinch the tube when the drive roller passes over that spot. Now this probably sounds fussy but believe me I experimented with this numerous times logging and marking exactly where the pinch was happening and it always occurred at the same spot at the liner end.

I use Kenda slicks, tuffy liners, thorn proof tubes, no slime and have no more flats.