Tubes Are 'Slime' tubes worth the extra money?

AussieSteve

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I put a slime tube in my electric bike a few weeks ago and got a flat yesterday. When I pulled the tube out to patch it, I was surprised to see that it was only the tiniest pinhole, barely visible. The slime is supposed to seal holes larger than that, up to 1/8" according to the box.
Is this just an odd tube out, or are 'self-healing tubes' a fallacy?

... Steve
 
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AussieSteve..same thing here..dont use that nasty stuff any more....bought good tires and tubes

Hi Tedd, I didn't think that mine would be an isolated problem.
I just glued a patch on it, but with a tiny bit of slime oozing out when I roughened and cleaned the area, I'm wondering how well the patch will hold.
I heard where the leak was and got away with

I've got a pretty good tyre, but I'll get better and a tyre-liner, I think.
This electric bike is a PITA to get the rear wheel off and on to change tubes or tyres, takes about 2 hours. I'll wait until my next major puncture then look at liners.

... Steve
 
I bought the Hemisprere tires and some thornproof heavy duty tubes..wraped rim with about 6 revulutions of electrical tape..no problems since for about 400 miles...they use ground up sea shells and rocks down here on some trails..like glass...had a bunch of flats with stock Del Mar tires and tubes with slime in...right off the bat.. when they were brand new...glad I spent the money..
 
Is that 'Hemisprere' or 'Hemisphere'? I'll check them out. Thornproof tubes and tyre liners too, I reckon. I can't afford to get stuck miles from home.
I have double-wall rims, so I don't need the tape. Just a normal rubber rim liner is fine, since the spoke heads come nowhere near the tube.
This is my first true puncture in 345 km, the previous time was a pinch flat from too low a tyre pressure, so in a way that doesn't count. Yesterday's happened in my own gravel driveway, at the end of a 10km ride. Lucky.

... Steve
 
------------------------- that's it Iam sold

Thornproof tubes and tyre liners too, I reckon. I can't afford to get stuck miles from home.

that's what I have been running for a while now
last flat was a long time ago -- and was before adding the liners
I had no spare or pump with me
it was a long walk
trying to hold the rear end up a little
because with the weight of the motor and all
if I would not have held it up while walking the bike
the long walk would have wrecked the rear tire

had a nice experience with the liners when they were new
was out riding
at a stop looked down at one of my tires
oh no
a large open safty pin sticking into the tire kind of sideways
I pulled it out
it had not gone through
------------------------- that's it Iam sold

as we ride those THINGS
 
that's what I have been running for a while now
last flat was a long time ago -- and was before adding the liners
I had no spare or pump with me
it was a long walk
trying to hold the rear end up a little
because with the weight of the motor and all
if I would not have held it up while walking the bike
the long walk would have wrecked the rear tire

had a nice experience with the liners when they were new
was out riding
at a stop looked down at one of my tires
oh no
a large open safty pin sticking into the tire kind of sideways
I pulled it out
it had not gone through
------------------------- that's it Iam sold

as we ride those THINGS

Ha Ha, I'm sold too.
When I got the pinch flat on the electric bike a couple of weeks ago, I didn't just push it home but kept the electric power on to help and was surprised at how well the tyre fared. About 2 miles. Some on lawn but most on concrete and bitumen. I still put a new tyre on because the old one was s h i t, but a friend took the old one and there were no bulges etc in the walls. The electric bike has a h e l l of a lot of weight over the back wheel; the battery and the hub motor. I expected the tyre to be chopped to pieces and the rim to possibly be damaged, but no way could I lift the rear end and carry it that far.

... Steve
 
The effectiveness of a slimed tube will depend on where you are and what type of tire you use. The slime works well for me in the desert, where our biggest puncture threats seem to be the small thorns that get scattered by the wind.
If you have a nail or thorn lodged in the tire, the tube will generally leak until you remove the nail or thorn.
I think the slime tubes are worth a try.
 
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