Slime Tubes

[Millfox]

Hey people!

Recently I've been getting a lot of punctures and It's starting to get on my nerves. Cheap wire bead Continentals that I have on my 2'nd bike have a piece of sh*t protection against punctures. Nothing like the RaceSport ones that can handle a lot of abuse.

I don't want to experiment with tubeless and these seem like the next best thing. Anybody got any experience with these?

[Bike Whisperer]

They work for some punctures, you might look at tire liners first.

Speed Skins are the best in the liner market

Universal Cycles -- Spinskins Duro Tire Liners

[J.B. Weld]

Mostly bad.

Seriously though, I'm not a fan but they do work well if your flats are mostly small punctures like thorns (goatheads!) and such. A good tire is a more expensive but better cure IMO.

[Millfox]

Mostly bad.

Seriously though, I'm not a fan but they do work well if your flats are mostly small punctures like thorns (goatheads!) and such. A good tire is a more expensive but better cure IMO.

The tire liners seem like an interesting thing. I'll have to check what is available here.

When I ride I seriously try not to pinch flat. I usually ride at 25/30PSI or lower. The thing that makes the biggest problems for me are wild roses and Locust tree thorns. they're sharp hard wooden thorns about 1-4 millimeters thick and 2-4 centimeters long. Do you think that slime tubes could seal that?
I dont want to throw out Perfectly good Continental tyres, even though I patch the tubes pretty much every 3rd ride the tyres behave well for my riding style and conditions. I've got RaceSport version on my other bike and its a totally different story when it comes to puncture resistance

[J.B. Weld]

Yes, slime will work on punctures that size- but not always. Sometimes you will have to re-inflate and spin the wheel to get it to seal. I once stuck an ice pick completely through a tire, in one side and out the other, and it did seal but with holes that size it is somewhat of a temporary fix. Slime makes it very difficult to patch tubes.

Watch your lines on the trail (stay in the middle!) and you will avoid most thorns.

[Call_me_Tom]

In my area you have to run tubeless or Slime tubes. Two my bikes have tire liners & Slime tubes & they have never went flat. This is riding in the Palm Springs area with tons of thorns & cacti.

[J.B. Weld]

In my area you have to run tubeless or Slime tubes. Two my bikes have tire liners & Slime tubes & they have never went flat. This is riding in the Palm Springs area with tons of thorns & cacti.

Well, you don't have to.

I have spent much time riding in pretty much the undisputed thorn capitol of USA (Tucson) where everyone claimed that you must run slime tubes (this was before tubeless was popular).

Being the weight weenie that I am I could never get with that sloppy slime crap and so I always ran light tires and regular tubes. I must be blessed, or extremely lucky- not sure which because I have spent much more time waiting on riding buddies repairing flats than they have waiting for me, and that spare tube in my bag would often hang out there for weeks, sometimes months unused.

I attribute it to staying in the middle of the trail.

[Call_me_Tom]

Well, you don't have to.

I have spent much time riding in pretty much the undisputed thorn capitol of USA (Tucson) where everyone claimed that you must run slime tubes (this was before tubeless was popular).

Being the weight weenie that I am I could never get with that sloppy slime crap and so I always ran light tires and regular tubes. I must be blessed, or extremely lucky- not sure which because I have spent much more time waiting on riding buddies repairing flats than they have waiting for me, and that spare tube in my bag would often hang out there for weeks, sometimes months unused.

I attribute it to staying in the middle of the trail.

You don't have to ride trails on a mountain bike either, what's your point? I can walk/hike a trail.... I like to ride & not worry about thorns, you can do what you want. The OP asked about Slime tubes... are you going to answer his question or continue to brag how you teleport through cacti & hover over rock gardens.

[J.B. Weld]

You don't have to ride trails on a mountain bike either, what's your point? I can walk/hike a trail.... I like to ride & not worry about thorns, you can do what you want. The OP asked about Slime tubes... are you going to answer his question or continue to brag how you teleport through cacti & hover over rock gardens.

Whoa Tom, did I catch you at the wrong time of the month?

I am sorry if I came off as bragging, I certainly didn't mean to. It may have been slightly off topic but I was just responding to your claim-

In my area you have to run tubeless or Slime tubes.

which I have heard a lot in my area too so I was just relating my experiences which are that you can run without sealant in cactus and glass infested areas and still not be plagued by flats. I ride everywhere, not just on trails BTW.

Nothing at all against slime, it does work as claimed.

[Millfox]

OK.

Lets theoretically say I'd like to try tubeless. I've got a pair of Continental Mountain King II wire bead and rims of unidentified standard... so lets just assume they're not UST. I don't have a compressor. What are the chances of getting it to work and how much effort would it cost? I'm afraid the sealant would destroy the tyre long before the thread would wear.

[Bike Whisperer]

OK.

Lets theoretically say I'd like to try tubeless. I've got a pair of Continental Mountain King II wire bead and rims of unidentified standard... so lets just assume they're not UST. I don't have a compressor. What are the chances of getting it to work and how much effort would it cost? I'm afraid the sealant would destroy the tyre long before the thread would wear.

Stans Rim Strips would be your best option if you choose to go tubeless with your current setup. A kit which includes tape, rim strips, and sealant runs somewhere around $60.

[Millfox]

Stans Rim Strips would be your best option if you choose to go tubeless with your current setup. A kit which includes tape, rim strips, and sealant runs somewhere around $60.

Okay. That would be a lot more expensive than a pair of SLIME tubes and strips. Not worth it for now. Thanks though. I'll reconsider once I'll get a better wheelset and tyres.