Them self sealing inner tubes?

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
mercalia
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Re: Them self sealing inner tubes?

Post by mercalia »

sreten wrote:hi,

Tyre liners are a waste of time with puncture protected tyres,
which basically incorporate tyre liners, far more effectively.

PPT's IMO are the way to go.

rgds, sreten.


but then so is slime tubes? and so people with such tyres never get punctures?
Bikefayre
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Joined: 1 Dec 2014, 3:36pm

Re: Them self sealing inner tubes?

Post by Bikefayre »

HATE THEM!!!!! GRRRRRRRR!!! Sorry! they make me mad as the slime jams the valve solid and then the tube sprays green slime when the pump bangs off. Can no-one be sensible and stick to Plus tyres from Schwalbe, Continental, Panracer, Halo, Samura etc. so much easier! One of the best is the new Energizer from Schwalbe. So far have had three punctures [one glass, two thorn] in over ten years with standard non puncture proof tyres and standard non slime tubes, not bad for a thorn infested area!
Last edited by Bikefayre on 29 Dec 2014, 3:01pm, edited 1 time in total.
sreten
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Joined: 29 Sep 2013, 10:59pm

Re: Them self sealing inner tubes?

Post by sreten »

mercalia wrote:
but then so is slime tubes? and so people with such tyres never get punctures?


Hi,

Pay your money, take your choice. Slime tubes are useless after about 6 months
I think, but would be great for a 1 month tour. I have puncture protected tyres
and luckily (probably) have never had a puncture since I started riding again.

So my innertubes and tyres are 2 years old and I've never changed them.
(Tell a lie, I had to change a tube due to a stuck valve once.)

YMMV but IMO if you average < 5 punctures per year, forget fitting slime tubes.
(The stats work out the slime will fix only 1 puncture per wheel before being useless.)
If your tyres are not puncture protected, fitting such will lower your rate more.

rgds, sreten.
Phil Fouracre
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Location: Deepest Somerset

Re: Them self sealing inner tubes?

Post by Phil Fouracre »

sreten wrote:
mercalia wrote:
but then so is slime tubes? and so people with such tyres never get punctures?


Hi,

Pay your money, take your choice. Slime tubes are useless after about 6 months
I think, but would be great for a 1 month tour. I have puncture protected tyres
and luckily (probably) have never had a puncture since I started riding again.

So my innertubes and tyres are 2 years old and I've never changed them.
(Tell a lie, I had to change a tube due to a stuck valve once.)

YMMV but IMO if you average < 5 punctures per year, forget fitting slime tubes.
(The stats work out the slime will fix only 1 puncture per wheel before being useless.)
If your tyres are not puncture protected, fitting such will lower your rate more.

rgds, sreten.


Sorry, got to disagree completely!

I've had no 'life' problems with slimed tubes, been on some of my bikes for years. What 'stats' are you talking about? Why would they only fix one puncture, think about it, it makes no sense. Taken tubes out with numerous 'scabs' on, with barely a drop in pressure.
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity
sreten
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Joined: 29 Sep 2013, 10:59pm

Re: Them self sealing inner tubes?

Post by sreten »

Phil Fouracre wrote:
Sorry, got to disagree completely!

I've had no 'life' problems with slimed tubes, been on some of my bikes for years. What 'stats' are you talking about? Why would they only fix one puncture, think about it, it makes no sense. Taken tubes out with numerous 'scabs' on, with barely a drop in pressure.


Hi,

You really think your slime tubes still work ? If so they have would have taken over the bike world years ago.

Comparing normal tubes and slime tubes, the latter are great for lighweight racing tyres, and short term touring.

If they don't work at all after 12 months, and you average 4 punctures per year, 2 per wheel, without
them, they will fix ~ 1 puncture each on average before being useless in terms of puncture protection.
Simplistic statistical analysis, but basically true. Of course if you would puncture a lot they are great,
but you will need to replace them every six months or so maintain your touted puncture resilience.

In my case with puncture protected tyres and so far recently no punctures over 2 years,
they are a pointless expense, with limited benefit over six months and next to no benifit
over twelve months, years old slime tubes are simply old heavier thicker standard tubes.

I understand slime for filling tubes says you can fill a tube 3 times before chucking
it, and that gives about 18 months per fillable standard tube, not useful for me.

rgds, sreten.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Them self sealing inner tubes?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Why don't you think they'll work after 12 months?
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Phil Fouracre
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Location: Deepest Somerset

Re: Them self sealing inner tubes?

Post by Phil Fouracre »

Sorry yet again, but you are talking rubbish. Slime 'does what it says on the tin'! From other conversations I gather the main downside for ultra serious, weight conscious bikers is the perceived additional weight and stories of imbalance in the wheels. For 'run of the mill' cyclists who want security it is perfect.
Why say 'if they don't work after twelve months'? It works fine for years.
Why would you need to refill it three times? Why call it touted resilience? And why say it needs replacing after six months? If you haven't got any reasonable arguments for not using it, why not just say that you don't like it?
The original question asked if people found it useful, everyone is entitled to their own opinion surely. At least try and base any arguments on facts rather than supposition.
ps. No I don't have any interest in selling the stuff in case you were wondering:)
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity
JohnW
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Re: Them self sealing inner tubes?

Post by JohnW »

Phil Fouracre wrote:.........Having a blow out being messy, ........why would they in particular, blow out...................


So that's good marks for slime et al then Phil. Just out of interest, what brand was the tyre(s?) that blew out?
Phil Fouracre
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Re: Them self sealing inner tubes?

Post by Phil Fouracre »

Apologies, responding to different comments. Forget who said 'when they blow out', don't know why any make would do that, and why having slime in would make any difference to the tube/tyres strength.
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity
JohnW
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Re: Them self sealing inner tubes?

Post by JohnW »

Phil Fouracre wrote:Apologies, responding to different comments. Forget who said 'when they blow out', don't know why any make would do that, and why having slime in would make any difference to the tube/tyres strength.


Agreed. However, my question was an academic one, and referred to the tyres, not the tubes.

Having said that, and thinking objectively, if the tyre does blow out, then the tube also blows out and slime cannot be expected to maintain the tube's integrity under those conditions.............but then where does the slime go? - under pressure? - and how do you clean it off wherever it's gone, 70 or 80 (or more) miles from home? As someone has commented above, the Kevlar et al strips in many of the quality tyres that are available nowadays nave transformed the puncture situation to the extent that they are actually the exception rather than the rule.

Among those of my cycling colleagues who have tried slime, some swear by the stuff -(quote : "..........never had a puncture since I started using it........."); on the other hand, some swear at it. The longer-distance riders who've tried it seem to favour it less than the shorter distance (on a daily basis and on an annual basis) riders. I've heard it said that if you do puncture with slime in your tube then you're in worse schtuk than you would have been if you'd not put the slime in your tube.

I can't speak from my own experience but, however much of a nuisance punctures are, the anecdotes I've heard from those who have punctured on slime treated tubes are sufficient to dissuade me from using it.
townbikemark
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Re: Them self sealing inner tubes?

Post by townbikemark »

Got one on the front tyre of one of my bikes. Can recall wheeling the bike around a car boot sale when someone pointed out that I had a tack stuck in the tyre. There was no puncture so effective in my experience.
stereotype nonconformance...unpigeonholable...

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JohnW
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Re: Them self sealing inner tubes?

Post by JohnW »

townbikemark wrote:Got one on the front tyre of one of my bikes. Can recall wheeling the bike around a car boot sale when someone pointed out that I had a tack stuck in the tyre. There was no puncture so effective in my experience.


Well.......that's a recommendation......... :D
Phil Fouracre
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Re: Them self sealing inner tubes?

Post by Phil Fouracre »

Interesting comments. I think you can only go on personal experience. I've been fairly convinced for a long time, as I just stopped getting punctures when I originally tried it. Riding country lanes it was becoming a depressingly regular experience. Impression confirmed when I changed tyres on one bike a while ago and noticed small brown spots on tube, as you do, picked it off to expose a small spot of green under it. Counted a number of these and became a complete convert.
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity
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Cunobelin
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Re: Them self sealing inner tubes?

Post by Cunobelin »

I use Marathon Plus on the grounds that any performance penalty is worth half a dozen sessions beside the road on a dark wet windy and cold winter night

Slime is fine a s a fit and forget, but never plan to remove the tyre or deflate the tyre

I used slime a few years a bike with narrow brake clearance. You cannot deflate the tyre without the slime getting into the valve and blocking it, never mind the mess of greenstuff all over the spokes and rim that has to be cleaned off

Would not touch it with a barge pole
reohn2
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Re: Them self sealing inner tubes?

Post by reohn2 »

Phil Fouracre wrote:Interesting comments. I think you can only go on personal experience. I've been fairly convinced for a long time, as I just stopped getting punctures when I originally tried it. Riding country lanes it was becoming a depressingly regular experience. Impression confirmed when I changed tyres on one bike a while ago and noticed small brown spots on tube, as you do, picked it off to expose a small spot of green under it. Counted a number of these and became a complete convert.


Which is a great endorsement IMO.
In my usual 7,000 to 8,000 mile per year I will puncture about three time max but usually only twice .
That's riding mainly on about 70to75% country lanes only using A or B roads when I have to and 25to30% towpaths,gravel/dirt roads,bridleways and tracks,etc.
There was a time when thought my best protection against punctures was thicker treaded tyres ie;Marathon H308 and H368 with short spell on M+'s.
However there's been no puncture increase since using lighter tyres,Gatorskins,Paselas(which had there own problems with sidewall deterioration)Marathon Slicks(now obsolete,Mr Schwalbe why did you stop making them? :? ) which are really nice riding tyres.P/racer Ribmos are nice tyre to ride and seem to puncture less(two in 6years use).
But the daddy of them all are Hypers :D incredible tyres one puncture in 5,000 miles and the ride is unsurpassed IME.
I can fully understand someone who cycles to deadlines,commuting,etc,using slime or M+'s,but if you puncture regularly I'd be thinking about riding technique and tyre maintenence,though some parts of the country are worse than others for flints,etc.
I'm not criticising anyone or slime tubes as I've never used them but never felt the need to,M+'s and I suspect other similar type tyres OTOH aren't a pleasant experience IME.
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