Flat Tire Prevention Advice

[Engine44]

Apparently, flat tires are a significant issue for ebikes. I've read that there are prevention sealants (e.g. Slime Red) available which help. Do the majority of owners use sealants or perhaps some other methods to minimise the number of flats? I am only a casual paved road rider.

 

[AHicks]

After years of listening to our LBS's and avoiding Slime (and similar products) while filling my tires once a week (8.00 tubes and 30.00 tubes made no difference) about 10 years ago I had had enough and tried some. Haven't had reason to look back yet. Tires stay up for months rather than just days, and flats are at an absolute minimum. I'm a BIG proponent of using whatever sealant you like. I mention Slime in particular as it's available everywhere, it's cheap, it's easy, and it works. Walmart even sells inner tubes pre-treated with Slime.....

 

[Engine44]

After years of listening to our LBS's and avoiding Slime (and similar products) while filling my tires once a week (8.00 tubes and 30.00 tubes made no difference) about 10 years ago I had had enough and tried some. Haven't had reason to look back yet. Tires stay up for months rather than just days, and flats are at an absolute minimum. I'm a BIG proponent of using whatever sealant you like. I mention Slime in particular as it's available everywhere, it's cheap, it's easy, and it works. Walmart even sells inner tubes pre-treated with Slime.....

Thanks

 

[Tars Tarkas]

I use Slime and haven't had a flat since I started using it a couple of years ago. I've probably been lucky. Flats are inevitable and they aren't that big a deal. I carry a patch kit, a spare tube, a few CO2 cartridges, and the tools necessary to fix a flat and I don't worry.

There are other things you can do. This is a hot topic. You'll probably get a lot of responses.

TT

 

[Alaskan]

Apparently, flat tires are a significant issue for ebikes. I've read that there are prevention sealants (e.g. Slime Red) available which help. Do the majority of owners use sealants or perhaps some other methods to minimise the number of flats?

Some tires offer significantly better protection against flats. Strategies include use of slime, lining tires with Aramid or Kevlar protective tapes of various brands, heavy duty or more puncture resistant tubes like Tubolito and Tannus Armour - or some combination of the above

With over 20,000 miles, over the past four years, on ebikes, my experience is that tubeless tires with sealant offers far and away the best protection. For the most part tubeless tires are available for road and gravel bike tires as well as for mountain bikes. There are few options for commuter, trekking and touring type tires.

Last month I found a tag of dried sealant on the center tread of my e-gravel bike which has over 2000 miles on it. I pulled it off and there was a big stainless staple sticking strait in to the tire. I pulled the staple out without a hiss or any loss of air. When I got home I put a pressure gauge on the tire and measured less than 5% PSI loss in the tire. If I had not spotted that dried latex tag on the tire, I never would have know about the avoided flat.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

There are some additional nuances, but from everything I've been able to tell, in terms of flat prevention, the reason tubeless tires do well is because they are filled with sealant. Fill your tubes with sealant and be done. I certainly wouldn't go to the expense of changing tubed tires for tubeless ones just for the sake of flat prevention. If your rims aren't tubeless ready, unless you just like throwing money around, forget it. If your rims are tubeless ready, consider changing to tubeless next time you need new tires.

Richard's anecdote about the staple would work just the same on a tubed tire filled with sealant.

Like I said, there are other nuances, and other opinions. If you are racing or heavy into single track mountain biking look into tubeless. For the broad range of commuter/pleasure riding, go with what you have.

And i want to say again, flats are inevitable and not a big deal. It amazes me how much people worry about them! There are people who don't know an 18mm open end wrench from a baloney sandwich, and there are people with (other) disabilities for whom a flat means having to figure out how to get their bike to a shop, and for them, spending extra money on flat prevention extremes may be a necessity.

TT

 

[Alaskan]

There are some additional nuances, but from everything I've been able to tell, in terms of flat prevention, the reason tubeless tires do well is because they are filled with sealant. Fill your tubes with sealant and be done. I certainly wouldn't go to the expense of changing tubed tires for tubeless ones just for the sake of flat prevention. If your rims aren't tubeless ready, unless you just like throwing money around, forget it. If your rims are tubeless ready, consider changing to tubeless next time you need new tires.

Richard's anecdote about the staple would work just the same on a tubed tire filled with sealant.

Like I said, there are other nuances, and other opinions. If you are racing or heavy into single track mountain biking look into tubeless. For the broad range of commuter/pleasure riding, go with what you have.

And i want to say again, flats are inevitable and not a big deal. It amazes me how much people worry about them! There are people who don't know an 18mm open end wrench from a baloney sandwich, and there are people with (other) disabilities for whom a flat means having to figure out how to get their bike to a shop, and for them, spending extra money on flat prevention extremes may be a necessity.

TT

Actually my experience is that slime is significantly less effective that tubeless for avoiding flats. I has numerous flat while using slime in tubes, none using tubeless with a good sealant. I am not sure if that is because of the different way the sealant works in tubes rather than in just the unlined tire or if it has to do with the difference in the goop being used.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

Actually my experience is that slime is significantly less effective that tubeless for avoiding flats. I has numerous flat while using slime in tubes, none using tubeless with a good sealant. I am not sure if that is because of the different way the sealant works in tubes rather than in just the unlined tire or if it has to do with the difference in the goop being used.

Could be the kind of goop or it could be the amount of goop. I overdose my tubes by 25 to 50% and I just don't have any problems. I don't have nearly a big enough data set to draw any scientifically valid conclusions though. Probably none of us do. I just have a strong opinion that Slime works very well for me in tubed tires. I'd say it's good we both have solutions that work for us.

TT

 

[Engine44]

Could be the kind of goop or it could be the amount of goop. I overdose my tubes by 25 to 50% and I just don't have any problems. I don't have nearly a big enough data set to draw any scientifically valid conclusions though. Probably none of us do. I just have a strong opinion that Slime works very well for me in tubed tires. I'd say it's good we both have solutions that work for us.

TT

Thanks. If I use Slime in a tube tire, do I have to replace the tube after a period of time?

 

[AHicks]

NO! That may be contrary to what you hear from some, but the downside of using Slime in your tube is pretty much -0-.

I agree too, that if we were using the same goop Richard is using in his tubeless tires to keep our tubes sealed up, we should have similar flat tire resistance, all else being equal.

 

[Luv2ride]

I use Tannus Armour inserts with a slime filled tube.

Tannus Armour Inserts

Tannus Armour protects your tube against 90% of common bike flats using 15mm of multi-cell foam. Say goodbye to pinch and puncture flats.

tannusamerica.com

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Thanks. If I use Slime in a tube tire, do I have to replace the tube after a period of time?

Actually with any tube or tire you'll want to replace it after a period of time. The biggest problem with slime in inner tubes is that eventually it clogs up the valve core, which you can generally easily fix by removing the valve core and cleaning it, and possibly replacing the valve core.

The biggest downside to tubeless, for me, is the mess factor. Working on tubeless tires, especially if you are inexperienced, can produce a spectacular mess. It isn't a good idea to try it for the first time in your apartment. You really need access to shop space (e.g. in your garage) and should have a mop and bucket on hand, and also probably an apron. On the other side of it I agree that tubeless tires, properly cared for, can make serious flats very rare: e.g. under most field conditions all you'll have to do is pump some more air in the tire and you are on your way.

 

[Engine44]

NO! That may be contrary to what you hear from some, but the downside of using Slime in your tube is pretty much -0-.

I agree too, that if we were using the same goop Richard is using in his tubeless tires to keep our tubes sealed up, we should have similar flat tire resistance, all else being equal.

Thanks

 

[Engine44]

Some tires offer significantly better protection against flats. Strategies include use of slime, lining tires with Aramid or Kevlar protective tapes of various brands, heavy duty or more puncture resistant tubes like Tubolito and Tannus Armour - or some combination of the above

With over 20,000 miles, over the past four years, on ebikes, my experience is that tubeless tires with sealant offers far and away the best protection. For the most part tubeless tires are available for road and gravel bike tires as well as for mountain bikes. There are few options for commuter, trekking and touring type tires.

Last month I found a tag of dried sealant on the center tread of my e-gravel bike which has over 2000 miles on it. I pulled it off and there was a big stainless staple sticking strait in to the tire. I pulled the staple out without a hiss or any loss of air. When I got home I put a pressure gauge on the tire and measured less than 5% PSI loss in the tire. If I had not spotted that dried latex tag on the tire, I never would have know about the avoided flat.

Thanks. Had you been using Slime when you found the staple?

 

[Alaskan]

Thanks. Had you been using Slime when you found the staple?

I was using Stan's tubeless tire sealant on a WTB Byway 650B x 47mm tubeless tire. No flats in over 2,500 miles on the same tires installed back in December. I had three flats in one year back when I was using slimed tubes on Schwalbe Super Moto X tires. Could have just been bad luck but that has been my own experience.

 

[Engine44]

I was using Stan's tubeless tire sealant on a WTB Byway 650B x 47mm tubeless tire. No flats in over 2,500 miles on the same tires installed back in December. I had three flats in one year back when I was using slimed tubes on Schwalbe Super Moto X tires. Could have just been bad luck but that has been my own experience.

Thanks

 

[fooferdoggie]

slime does not work well with higher psi's like 70 psi and above. Stans worked ok. I just put in specialized high psi sealant to test.

 

[rawlus]

I use slime in tube and Mr Tuffy liners between tire and tube. No flats so far (knock on wood)

 

[Tars Tarkas]

I have never had any trouble with Slime clogging valves at all. If I did, it would probably just blow out with a tire pump. And it's water soluble, so pull the core and rinse it. Slime does state that it's good for 2 years. I replace my tires and tubes due to wear on about that schedule anyway.

TT

 

[Engine44]

A high quality inner tube can help prevent flats. I would like to put Big Ben's on the bike. Schwalbe also makes tubes that are highly rated. Perhaps also use Slime. My riding is primarily city. Does this sound like a good approach? Thanks.