fix a flat vs solid tubes

[jkflyer]

So in the past few weeks between two bikes we've had four flat tires.
I was hoping to here from some experience because I was thinking on buying solid tubes
Though, I've heard they can have some wear on your rims....is this true?
In the past I've filled the tube with fix a flat and it usually holds up well. But the key word is "usually" so.... Fix a flat or solid tube?

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

I tried using solid tubes back when I was living on an off-shore island with pretty darn rough roads. They certainly stopped all the air going to the top of my tyres when I ran over sharp objects, but they did give a harsher ride.
I can't really comment on whether they cause damage to the rims, though I will say that I didn't notice any problems.

 

[maniac57]

I HATE fixing flats, but the harsh ride made me stop using them within two days. It was like riding a bike with steel wheels on a gravel road. I could run over a dime and tell what year it was minted.
No rim issues with mine but I would not be shocked considering how rough the ride was....

 

[MysterySandwich]

I It was like riding a bike with steel wheels on a gravel road. I could run over a dime and tell what year it was minted.

If flat's happen to you often, I would suggest thorn resistant (aka heavy duty) tubes AND some Mr.Tuffy liner, will be around $25 total but it's well worth it

 

[GearNut]

I recall one member (maby he was on the "other" forum) who tried the solid tubes.
He reported that the ride was sort of squishy feeling and the tires seemed to wander or feel "wiggly" when turning. The last straw was while taking a rather sharp turn at a reasonable speed the tire came off of the rim.
The resulting crash taught me to never use solid inner tubes on an motorized bicycle.
I gladly learned from his experience and I never plan on testing the accuracy of it myself. He was an honest individual.
Apparently the Solid inner tubes do not hold the bead of the tire onto the bead of the rim nearly as well as an inflated inner tube.

 

[xseler]

My tubes are Slimed, and I've never had an issue......though maybe I'm just a lucky guy.....

 

[Dave31]

I recall one member (maby he was on the "other" forum) who tried the solid tubes.
He reported that the ride was sort of squishy feeling and the tires seemed to wander or feel "wiggly" when turning. The last straw was while taking a rather sharp turn at a reasonable speed the tire came off of the rim.

Not sure if you are speaking about me but that was exactly my results with them and I mounted them on a pedal bike first. If I could not ride them with a pedal bike I knew a motorized bicycle would be a death wish.

I have both no-more flat tires and no-more flat tubes. Both hang in my shed collecting dust. It was a waste of money for me.

Maybe others will have better luck or have good luck with them. For me, it was a bad experience and I wont ever use them again unless something better comes along on the market.

Here is one thing I have always wanted in a 26" tube, but I have yet to find one. http://www.danscomp.com/products-PARTS/446004/Fly_Bikes_Cobra_Tube.html

With the Cobra tube you could change a flat without having to removal the wheel. That would at least make changing tubes a lot easier on the road.

Wait! I just found a 26" one http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/fly-cobra-26-tube/rp-prod90559

AWESOME! I'm gonna try them out.

 

[KCvale]

If flat's happen to you often, I would suggest thorn resistant (aka heavy duty) tubes AND some Mr.Tuffy liner, will be around $25 total but it's well worth it

I completely agree, heavy duty tubes are about 4x thicker than stock tubes, and those liners between the tube and tire are like frigg'n kevlar.

$25 a wheel it's worth it, and forget slime!
Slime is hands down the worst thing to prevent flats as it doesn't, you tube is already punctured, it just makes a mess every time you add air to your tire.

 

[placidscene]

I had ok with the slime on small holes.
After my first flat on the rear tire on my motorized bicycle, I bought the Thorn Resitant tubes, I have never had a problem since. I don't even have to top them off very often, which it seems like I am always doing on my other bikes that dont have them.
The only reason I don't use them on my regular bikes is that they are much heavier, and on a regular bike, I care about weight.

 

[rustycase]

uh... I dunno, kc...

My fellow gutter riding buddy, the goatherder says he is able to wear tire carcasses out by using slimed heavy duty tubes on his motor assisted bicycle.
He's got pretty serious puncture vines where he is at... which is pretty near you, mof!

We can't really ride bicycles here without slime. Too much down time.
Best
rc

 

[maniac57]

If flat's happen to you often, I would suggest thorn resistant (aka heavy duty) tubes AND some Mr.Tuffy liner, will be around $25 total but it's well worth it

I do use hd tubes although I don't use a liner. Flats seem to run in spurts around here...one month I get two or three, other times I go for several months with no problems. All of my punctures seem to be from large nails or screws from all the junk on the roadsides here and Slime is a waste when you pull a 4'' drywall screw from the tire. It also makes a real patch impossible. I have never seen a single slimed tube that would hold a patch no matter what I used to clean it.
I carry a patch kit and small pump whenever I ride so I get along fine. Annoying as flats are, a slimed flat that won't seal is worse. I don't care for slime myself, but for people with smaller thorn type punctures, it seems to work quite well.
Just my opinion. Your results may vary.

 

[2door]

I tried Slime but it seemed to clog the valve stem and prevented adding air unless I loosened the stem, or removed and cleaned it. It also ruined two good guages I had and I could never get them cleaned. It also didn't prevent flats. I had several and couldn't patch them because of the Slime residue.

I've gone to the thick, thorn resistant tubes and kevlar liners and I haven't been plagued with a flat for a couple of years. Just one man's experience.

Tom

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

I tried slime on the rear tyres of my Hercules trike and it was no use at all, - a total waste of money. As others have commented it became impossible to patch the tubes and it made a mess. Most off the shelf thin wall tubes are not much use on a trike so I tend to treasure the older tubes i have from the 1980's because they are just plain more heavy duty.
Those Cobra tubes look to be very useful though and I think I will get some of those to try out as it's not entirely straight forward to remove the wheels from my trike.

 

[Tang]

There's also kevlar tires to protect.

Tang

The trail life for me.

 

[Desert Rat]

I use slime and slime liners, never one flat in 8 years and I live in cactus country

 

[robert0508]

i had a solid tube for a while, worked ok for first few weeks, then it got an odd flat spot that made me bounce at any speed, also the cornering was horrible. the flat spot finally killed a few spokes and had to replace the whole rim after two months, went with a better tube and tire, at highest pressure the tire could take and no issues with that tire.

 

[Matheneyr3]

Has anyone had experience with the small cans of Fix a flat? I've seen them small enough to fit in a travel pack, and might be good for small punctures? -I would think that might work well in a pinch- carrying a can along for those longer trips....?
-Richard

 

[Goat Herder]

There will always be the easily confused lol. Slime cannot clog a hole and yet one cannot get air in their valve core. http://youtu.be/-8KXFW201nM


I have not clogged a valve core in 8 years seriously...Gods Honest truth!

 

[The_Aleman]

Has anyone had experience with the small cans of Fix a flat? I've seen them small enough to fit in a travel pack, and might be good for small punctures? -I would think that might work well in a pinch- carrying a can along for those longer trips....?
-Richard

Regular Fix-A-Flat does not work on inner tubes (I've tried), but there is a version for bicycles:
http://www.fixaflat.com/products/aerosol-tire-inflators/fix-a-flat-bike/

I d not know how well it works, as I've never tried that version.

forget slime!
Slime is hands down the worst thing to prevent flats as it doesn't, you tube is already punctured, it just makes a mess every time you add air to your tire.

I won't forget Slime. I've been using it over 20 years and well over 100,000 miles traveled on bicycle.
I've had tubes with dozens of punctures last for years without a patch because Slime kept them alive.
You know what's better than heavy-duty tubes and tire liners? Heavy duty tubes, tire liners, and Slime.

If it makes a mess when you add air to your tire, you're doing it wrong! Valve stem position = later than 10, earlier than 2.

I tried Slime but it seemed to clog the valve stem and prevented adding air unless I loosened the stem, or removed and cleaned it.

Experienced Slime users know this one very simple rule: Later than 10, earlier than 2.
Don't add air or check pressure unless valve stem is in that range.

There will always be the easily confused lol. Slime cannot clog a hole and yet one cannot get air in their valve core. http://youtu.be/-8KXFW201nM

I can tell that guy in the video has Slime'd a lot of tubes

I have not clogged a valve core in 8 years seriously...Gods Honest truth!

Only 8? I haven't clogged one since the first time I clogged one! Been at least 15 years for me!

 

[outlawbiker]

ive been running slime in my fat rear OCC schwinn stingray 20 x 4 1/4 since 09', its been the only solution for such a rare tire. no kevlar or torn resistant tube available in this size and im worried about trying to stuff two tuffy's liners in the there side by side. maybe it would pinch cut the tube?

anyways, slime has taken the abuse from fishing hooks ive had to pull out,broken glass,etc. for me for along time.
well,some how my tube got a bigger hole in it than normal,and because the bigger the tire the more slime i used,it blew out all inside of that rim,oh man, it was terrible to clean all that crap up. I dont want to use slime again because of it,but now im nervous to ride long distances because of no tire protection at all.

sigh,the price i pay for such a wide wheel. maybe with fat bikes catching on,i can mod one of those tire liners if they exists?