Known Issues & Problems with Specialized Products + Help, Solutions & Fixes

[Jimbo08]

Why not just buy the Slime tubes? Saves a whole bunch of messy work.
Check with your lbs for different battery wedges to stabilize battery when installed. Might help keep the battery in place. Lubing the lock and pin area at the end of the battery is a great idea. Haven't really had too many bikes with this issu, but I would think it a good preventative maintenance idea to lube every time you lube your chain.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I can only tell you that I rode 46 miles on the Marathon E Plus on a variety of surfaces with my other e-bike and although the tyres are very heavy, those gave me an incredible level of confidence. Still, I'm going to keep the Electrak Armadillo on my Vado as these are indeed very strong tyres, too. Regarding the Slime and similar fluids, bear in mind one thing whenever you'll want to replace tyres or tubes in the future: When releasing air through the valve, do it very slowly with the valve pointing upwards; otherwise the Slime would spray out from the tube, and Slime/similar products are not good for your health.

 

[Kam1936]

Why not just buy the Slime tubes? Saves a whole bunch of messy work.
Check with your lbs for different battery wedges to stabilize battery when installed. Might help keep the battery in place. Lubing the lock and pin area at the end of the battery is a great idea. Haven't really had too many bikes with this issu, but I would think it a good preventative maintenance idea to lube every time you lube your chain.

It's not messy if done properly. Also, I initially got thorn resistant Specialized tubes.. I don't think those tubes are Slime tubes..

 

[Kam1936]

It's not messy if done properly. Also, I initially got thorn resistant Specialized tubes.. I don't think those tubes are Slime tubes..

I went ahead and slimed front and back tubes on the bike as well. I feel more confident riding with tube sealant in tires as opposed to only liners and thorn protection. Slime seals punctures up to 1/8 " or 3mm in size. Once my lbs opens up their workshops and I get my other set of tools I'll be able to get hands on instructions for changing flats on the road. Instead of 60F/65B psi, I pumped to 50F/55B as suggested.

 

[Marcela]

Slime might work but with the curvature of the tire and flexing it has been my experience on a motorcycle tire it will continually ooze out. It will hold air though, just need refreshing every once in a while.

I drilled my presta valves out and went down to the five and dime and bought the slime tube with schrader valve. Always available, always able to fill.

Also went to 45# on my tires. Funny, but the difference between 50 and 45 makes a difference I appreciate.

We had a beautiful day today, didn't see corona anywhere. Did 20+ miles in 1:45 and avg. 14 mph. Love this ebike!

 

[Sierratim]

Slime might work but with the curvature of the tire and flexing it has been my experience on a motorcycle tire it will continually ooze out. It will hold air though, just need refreshing every once in a while.

I drilled my presta valves out and went down to the five and dime and bought the slime tube with schrader valve. Always available, always able to fill.

Also went to 45# on my tires. Funny, but the difference between 50 and 45 makes a difference I appreciate.

We had a beautiful day today, didn't see corona anywhere. Did 20+ miles in 1:45 and avg. 14 mph. Love this ebike!

Schrader valves have ~60% greater cross section area vs Presta, i.e. the hole in the rim for a Schrader valve takes 60% more material out of the rim. Probably matters a lot more in super light and narrow road racing rims, but the weight of an ebike on the rim causes me pause. Just sayin'...

 

[Marcela]

Schrader valves have ~60% greater cross section area vs Presta, i.e. the hole in the rim for a Schrader valve takes 60% more material out of the rim. Probably matters a lot more in super light and narrow road racing rims, but the weight of an ebike on the rim causes me pause. Just sayin'...

And the guy at the lbs tried to tell me presta was lighter than schrader so we weighed them and they weighed within a few grams of each other. I’ll stick with the schrader thank you. Prob same rim as the lower priced Como which uses a schrader.

 

[Kam1936]

Slime might work but with the curvature of the tire and flexing it has been my experience on a motorcycle tire it will continually ooze out. It will hold air though, just need refreshing every once in a while.

I drilled my presta valves out and went down to the five and dime and bought the slime tube with schrader valve. Always available, always able to fill.

Also went to 45# on my tires. Funny, but the difference between 50 and 45 makes a difference I appreciate.

We had a beautiful day today, didn't see corona anywhere. Did 20+ miles in 1:45 and avg. 14 mph. Love this ebike!

On my other ebike's stock tires I got a flat in less 250 miles. Ibs suggested slime to save money. I did it myself. Schrader valve for that bike. Much easier to slime. No need for pliers to loosen the nut like Presta valve. Slime took me to almost a 1000 before i decided to upgrade to marathon plus. Between 250=1000 I was getting punctures. Slime sealed them all. Never got another flat. Just added air after it sealed itself and kept on riding. One morning I came out and noticed back tire was flat. I pumped it up. Ordered MP. Rode my bike to lbs and exchanged tires. Slime never failed me. Stock tires were thorn magnets. MP no punctures almost 2000 miles.
Great ride! I love the Vado too.

 

[Sierratim]

And the guy at the lbs tried to tell me presta was lighter than schrader so we weighed them and they weighed within a few grams of each other. I’ll stick with the schrader thank you. Prob same rim as the lower priced Como which uses a schrader.

The facts remain, the Schrader is 60% bigger in area than Presta. Do with it as you wish.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

No need for pliers to loosen the nut like Presta valve.

I loose the nuts in all my Presta valves with bare fingers easily. What gets?

 

[E-Wheels]

I drilled my presta valves out and went down to the five and dime and bought the slime tube with schrader valve. Always available, always able to fill.

Why did you not just put in a presta tube with a removable valve core?

 

[Marcela]

Why did you not just put in a presta tube with a removable valve core?

Presta is a pita.

 

[Marcela]

The facts remain, the Schrader is 60% bigger in area than Presta. Do with it as you wish.

Aren’t you the one carries a tool box cause they’re afraid something is gonna happen? See a pattern here?

 

[Kam1936]

I loose the nuts in all my Presta valves with bare fingers easily. What gets?

I guess the Specialized Thorn Resistant tubes Presta Valves are different. Definitely need pliers to turn the threaded nut to remove valve core. Once that is done it's easy to get slime in the tube just like Schrader.

 

[Kam1936]

I loose the nuts in all my Presta valves with bare fingers easily. What gets?

Slime Your Presta Valve Bicycle Tubes

Slime Your Presta Valve Bicycle Tubes: Puncture vine (tribulus terrestris), also known as goat head thorns (The photo is from Google Images), is a big problem for bicyclists in several parts of the United States and also in a number of other parts of the world. It is certainly a problem …

www.instructables.com

☝ I didn't have to follow his instruction exactly because the valve core in Specialized Thorn RT can be removed entirely with pliers. Once you get it turned a few times with pliers you can then unscrew it by hand. A lot easier then his method. I was able to slime both tires without taking the wheels off. Thank God!!. Saved a lot of time. Just deflate the tires, remove valve core, remove circle ring, apply slime, put everything back, inflate tire (I used portable Pro Tool Presta/Shraeder hand pump) and spin the wheel. Take it for ride. Not messy at all. I did go with 10 psi less in each tire. I've read some over inflated or pumped their tires up to their max psi and the tube exploded. Something about slime expanding in the heat. 50 front 55 back for me. I forgot to mention, you want to put 4 oz in each tube. Good for sealing punctures up to 2 years. If I get good results I'm going to hold on to my Trigger Tires and replace the tubes before 2 year mark. If not, changing them out for Marathon E .

 

[Sierratim]

Aren’t you the one carries a tool box cause they’re afraid something is gonna happen? See a pattern here?

Nope, and I would ask that you play nice. We're all here to share ideas and experiences.

 

[Kam1936]

Aren’t you the one carries a tool box cause they’re afraid something is gonna happen? See a pattern here?

Actually that's me. . I'm waiting on another set from Amazon. Isn't a good idea. If not for me. Maybe for a fellow biker along side the road who needs help. I could probably learn a thing or two in the process.

 

[Marcela]

Actually that's me. . I'm waiting on another set from Amazon. Isn't a good idea. If not for me. Maybe for a fellow biker along side the road who needs help. I could probably learn a thing or two in the process.

That's cool. I'm kind of a tool freak also.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Friends, a new experience. I'm transporting my Vado in my station-wagon car (for some reasons I cannot use the bike rack). Fancy how fantastic is to carry the torque wrench inside your car. The front wheel removed (the axle-thru system), I'm arriving at the route start point, just fasten the wheel with the torque wrench and off I go!

 

[Kam1936]

Friends, a new experience. I'm transporting my Vado in my station-wagon car (for some reasons I cannot use the bike rack). Fancy how fantastic is to carry the torque wrench inside your car. The front wheel removed (the axle-thru system), I'm arriving at the route start point, just fasten the wheel with the torque wrench and off I go!

Yes sir. One day I will be a professional too. Right now I'm a scared to death. After I look at the tools for awhile I may get confident.