Thorn resistant 26" Schrader tubes?

[JRA]

btw...can slime loaded tubes be patched the conventional way (vulcanizing patch)?

I tried it and with the slime still leaking out, the patch simply would not stick.......I am guessing the slime prevents the adhesion from happening.

That has been my experience. Guessing carrying a little denatured alcohol along might be a solution?

 

[Tars Tarkas]

You can't patch over the Slime, but yes, if you clean the area thoroughly and rough it up properly, you should be able to apply a patch just fine.

TT

 

[Tars Tarkas]

Slime is water soluble so denatured alcohol shouldn't be necessary, but it couldn't hurt if you have some handy.

TT

 

[Gionnirocket]

I was getting the occasional flat... 2 or so times a year.
Since I started using, slime, thorn strips and tires with flat protection (kenda ks shield) I have not gotten one.... Well at least not one that left me stranded.
Nothing is going to be bullet proof but about 2 months ago I had to veer off path to avoid construction and ended up shredding a tire as I ran over a rusted piece of metal that had been dug up. I was able to ride it home a little over 7 miles at 12mph and the tire was still holding air the next morning.

And yes I was able to patch the tire after cleaning with alcohol which I do with all patches anyway.

 

[6zfshdb]

btw...can slime loaded tubes be patched the conventional way (vulcanizing patch)?

I tried it and with the slime still leaking out, the patch simply would not stick.......I am guessing the slime prevents the adhesion from happening.

I carry alcohol wipes which work well for cleaning & patching a Slime filled tube.

 

[6zfshdb]

Looking for new tubes for my Stromer ST1. I originally had extra strong slime tubes installed and that worked without any flats for almost 2 months! Since then I had 2 flats in a week! At this rate, I really cannot justify biking into work anymore. The road on my way in is quite bad (potholes, cracks, bumps, debris...you name it).

The latest incident happened today where I am seeing multiple little punctures in the same vicinity of the Slime tube, which slime did not seal.

I am looking for a more permanent solution at this point. I am trying to decide between the Sunlite Thorn Resistant tube and the Slime super thick tubes. Does anyone have experience with one or both?

Would appreciate any advice.

Thanks!

Avi

I can't offer any opinion on the Slime or Sunlite tubes but I've had no flats in 5000 mi. using Schwalbe Downhill 13D tubes.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ZSLLXS/?coliid=I2MJNMS5IGSSIO&colid=1KERB770YRAW3&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

I added Slime for an extra layer of protection and a Tannus liner for the rear wheel.

 

[psychoanalyst]

I just ordered 2 of the Slime extra thick tubes.....I am going to install those when they come and see how far it gets me.

 

[psychoanalyst]

Just got the chance to remove the tube and the tire and without a shadow of doubt discovered the problem. A pretty big screw lodged deep into my tires. It obviously breached the tire itself causing the puncture on the tube, but looks like it also caused damaged to my rims.

I will be replacing the tubes of course but what is the remedy for the damage done to the rim? I see multiple sharp areas which I could easily see causing future flats from the inside. Light sanding / electrical tape ?

Would love to get thoughts here.

Thanks!

 

[Gionnirocket]

Just got the chance to remove the tube and the tire and without a shadow of doubt discovered the problem. A pretty big screw lodged deep into my tires. It obviously breached the tire itself causing the puncture on the tube, but looks like it also caused damaged to my rims.

I will be replacing the tubes of course but what is the remedy for the damage done to the rim? I see multiple sharp areas which I could easily see causing future flats from the inside. Light sanding / electrical tape ?

Would love to get thoughts here.

Thanks!

View attachment 130811

Sure... Sand, fine file or even dremel gently with a fine abrasive stone. Then clean everything well and a dab of touch up paint. Replace the yellow rim tape if damaged too.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

What Gionni said about the rim. But holy crap! This is almost totally inconsistent with your original description of the problem. And it's very significantly inept to inspect a flat tire and miss something like that. Okay, you missed it, things happen, but it's hard to believe you even looked for the cause! There is always a cause that you should find and remedy, unless your Slime is so effective you don't even realize you had a flat. Sometimes it's a tiny sliver of glass or a broken off bit of thorn, but you almost always have a clue about where to look based on where air is leaving the tube.

Lessons learned, I guess....

TT

 

[psychoanalyst]

What Gionni said about the rim. But holy crap! This is almost totally inconsistent with your original description of the problem. And it's very significantly inept to inspect a flat tire and miss something like that. Okay, you missed it, things happen, but it's hard to believe you even looked for the cause! There is always a cause that you should find and remedy, unless your Slime is so effective you don't even realize you had a flat. Sometimes it's a tiny sliver of glass or a broken off bit of thorn, but you almost always have a clue about where to look based on where air is leaving the tube.

Lessons learned, I guess....

TT

Guilty as charged.....but honestly, today is the first time I actually got the time to run a thorough inspection. After the initial discovery of the holes in the tube, I never had the chance to follow through. With 2 yr old twins at home, time comes at a massive premium for me.

Anyways...lessons learned.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

Thanks for sharing the end of the story despite the potential embarrassment, and for the pics. I liked what you said "without a shadow of a doubt". This is the opposite of The Princess and the Pea.

TT

 

[psychoanalyst]

Thanks for sharing the end of the story despite the potential embarrassment, and for the pics. I liked what you said "without a shadow of a doubt". This is the opposite of The Princess and the Pea.

TT

 

[psychoanalyst]

really appreciate all the advice. I know I owe to you guys to be more thorough....something I will continue working on.

I did forget to ask: does the tire itself need to be repaired now that it has a screw sized hole in it? Or do I just leave that alone for now?

 

[pmcdonald]

really appreciate all the advice. I know I owe to you guys to be more thorough....something I will continue working on.

I did forget to ask: does the tire itself need to be repaired now that it has a screw sized hole in it? Or do I just leave that alone for now?

I had an uneventful additional two years of riding on a tyre following a similar screw puncture. This was with a Marathon Plus tyre so YMMV.

Raising two year old twins.... you're right, you don't need a puncture in your life. As David points out on page 1, focus on the tyres, not the tubes. No combination is invincible, but some will drop your odds of a commute-halting puncture to near zero.

Tubes, Tannus armour and Marathon Plus have served me well. Squirt a little sealant in that tube from time to time if you really want to play the odds. And pay a bike store to install it unless you want to wrestle with the wheel for an hour or two.

 

[AHicks]

Baby twins, ugh! Have patience though. You'll be rewarded, at least for a few years, as they get just a little older (happy grandpa with an identical pair of 5 year old girls).

As far as the tire, I'd run it too, AFTER I checked to make sure the inside of the tire was OK - nothing that might take out ANOTHER tube hanging down inside. Maybe put a 2" square piece of gray tape over the puncture to guarantee the tube doesn't wear on it?

 

[psychoanalyst]

yeah....it's really hard for me.....impossible to squeeze out more than 30 mins of time, unless I am doing it during the weekday when we have nanny support. And that was the point of my original post actually. This particular incident aside, my rate of flats is simply not tenable and on all other occasions, the root cause of the flats are not obvious. For e.g., I got a front tire flat about 2 weeks back and turns out there is a small tear on the rubber that sheaths the schrader valve (this is the standard Slime tube)....not sure what I could have done to prevent this. Maybe the tire pressure was too high (I followed the recommendations printed on the tire). And I find it a bit difficult to patch tears on or around the valve stem.

So in terms of critical parameters, I have the following identified as causes:

1. Poor installation: I have had pinch flats before and especially noticed these when I used to use tire liners. Since then I feel I have gotten better with installation. Always check the uniform seating of the tire bead and use soap water when necessary to reseat the tire.
2. Tube quality: not sure if this factor can be quantified, but I am hoping this can be addressed with the Slime super thick tubes I just received.
3. Tire pressure: maybe inflating to 60-70% of max pressures may help? Does tire pressure correlate with probability of flats assuming that the other variables are not confounding?
4. Factors out of my control: debris, road conditions etc.

Thanks!