Thorn resistant 26" Schrader tubes?

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psychoanalyst

Member
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
 
Can your wheels support tubeless? If yes, you may want to consider tubeless as an alternative to tubes.
 
Avi, it's quite possible the thorn that got your first tube is still in the tire! If that's the case, it's going to keep taking out tubes until it's removed. If you have an idea where the hole in the tube is, you can reference that location with the filler valve, and usually locate it in the tire pretty easily by using that reference.

I'm a big fan of Slime, or something like it, inside the tube to help minimize flats....
 
It's very suspicious that the punctures are in the same area. AHicks has a great point. Also, where are the punctures? Could the spoke nipples be causing the problem? (They are on the wrong side of the tube for best Slime protection.) Inspect the inside of the tires carefully and check for any protruding or uncovered spoke nipples.

I usually like to debate the idea of going tubeless to avoid flats. Tubeless tires don't have as many flats mostly because they are filled with Slime, or something like it. Tubed tires will have as few flats as tubeless if you use Slime, or a similar product. Tubeless tires are often easier to patch when you have a flat, but most people who go tubeless recommend carrying a tube just in case, so go figure....

Among other things you can do is add more Slime. It's quite alright to overdose the tubes.

TT
 
The puncture resistant tubes I have seen just have a thicker layer of rubber on the top of the tube and the sidewalls are the same thickness as any standard type tube. As above puncture resistant tyres would help but you could also add tire liners. After all that a psi of about 50 should work? Stromers have plenty of power so running high psi to gain mileage at the sacrifice of at least some comfort is up to you. With all that protection the tires aren't going to be very supple.

Also as mentioned tubeless is an option and personally I feel it is the best. However it would probably take an investment depending on if your wheels are TLR, or tubeless ready. Then it would be a matter of buying the aforementioned tires in a tubeless version and I also would recommend using a cush core product for sidewall protection. Add in sealant and if you get it done or YouTube it and it can add up but IMNSHO is the way to go.
 
The last flat I had on my tubed tires was about 3 years ago before I started using Slime. No flats since then.

I don't see any logical connection between tubeless and no flats. Whether it's Slime or Stans or Flat Out or whatever, it's the sealant that prevents flats, not lack of tubes.

TT
 
Great points all...I will inspect the tire and the tube carefully and add pictures here. What bothered me is the multiples punctures were relatively small in size and yet the slime didn't seem to plug the holes.....but I had slime leaking all over the inside of my tires......

More info to follow.
 
psychoanalyst said:
Great points all...I will inspect the tire and the tube carefully and add pictures here. What bothered me is the multiples punctures were relatively small in size and yet the slime didn't seem to plug the holes.....but I had slime leaking all over the inside of my tires......

More info to follow.
Click to expand...
What tires are you running? Brand and model.
 
Attached are some pictures. The pic where the green slime is leaking out is a fairly big gash and then there is a series of smaller punctures in the immediate vicinity (but on the other side of the tube). Not sure if it started off with the big gash and then as I kept riding, the others developed as a result.

What I know is I need to come up with a long term solution for this as this rate of flats isn't sustainable for me, especially since I am commuting for work.
 

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AHicks said:
Avi, it's quite possible the thorn that got your first tube is still in the tire! If that's the case, it's going to keep taking out tubes until it's removed. If you have an idea where the hole in the tube is, you can reference that location with the filler valve, and usually locate it in the tire pretty easily by using that reference.

I'm a big fan of Slime, or something like it, inside the tube to help minimize flats....
Click to expand...
I did a quick check and I could not spot anything obvious, but will take a closer look today.
 
A good reference is your LBS asking their recommendation based upon the amount of flat-repair service they are doing in your area. In my area both the Trek store and my LBS highly recommended tubeless after my 3 very inconvenient flats last year. Initially I used Slime, but the puncture hole sizes were too large. Even with Slime the tire would go flat before the thorn was removed. i now also carry a rechargeable pump. 1,600 miles tubeless on my Gravelkings and rolling fine. Yes, I add air every couple hundred miles.
 
@psychoanalyst : This, I can tell you: On my Haibike Full FatSix and in thousands of miles of riding, with so many flats, I can't tell you the number, this I found:

Mr Tuffy Liners will pass a thorn if long enough to hit the tube....it will.
Tannus Armour will pass a thorn if long enough to hit the tube....it will.
If you have gone Tubeless........and if you invested in alot of money for a Dynaplug plugging kit and all kinds of extra Dynaplugs.......rest assured, your tire will get an unpluggable slash...........about 14 miles away from home.

This, I can tell you.

The only thing I can tell you is to go with the Tannus Armour. Go with the Mr Tuffy's. Go with the thicker tubes. Go with the Slime. Go with Tubeless and the Dynaplug plugging system. Or go with none of those anti-flat fixtures of the bike flat repair scene, cause none of them are really going to save you from that next flat to come your way. At the present time in bike tire technology, tread and wall thickness, it's just the way it is.

The only and best Anti-Flat Feature that I know works for me, is a sharp eye on the road ahead and avoiding riding deep into a paved shoulder, where all the roadside debris just waiting to ruin your day, awaits your arrival!

This, I can tell you. Yep!
 
psychoanalyst said:
The front tire is the stock Stromer ST1 tire (Schwalbe Big Ben) and the rear tire is Serfas Drifter.
Click to expand...
I've had good runout of Big Ben, no punctures in 5000km commuter but no thorns in my area. Puncture protection on BBs is very good, next up from that is Marathon Plus.

If BB are being punctured regularly by thorns I don't extra protection on Marathorn will make difference. Tubeless maybe way to go, BB should support it even it not meant to be run tubeless. Sealing rims maybe issue.
 
I haven't had any firsthand experience but I've been researching in preparation for my bike.

I've seen really good results from FlatOut. They claim it will close a hole up to 1/2" in diameter. I read another user's post on here discussing how he ran over a strip of 6 nails, lost air, refilled using a portable pump a few times until he slowly heard the leaking slow and eventually stop. I think their formula is more effective than Slime.

As it stands, when I get my bike I'm going to install Mr Tuffy + FlatOut in the tubes. Tannus seems legit but I don't like the fact that they flatten out after a couple months. I saw a video of one month old Tannus liners taken out of the bike. They were completely flat.
 
Escoozeh said:
I haven't had any firsthand experience but I've been researching in preparation for my bike.

I've seen really good results from FlatOut. They claim it will close a hole up to 1/2" in diameter. I read another user's post on here discussing how he ran over a strip of 6 nails, lost air, refilled using a portable pump a few times until he slowly heard the leaking slow and eventually stop. I think their formula is more effective than Slime.

As it stands, when I get my bike I'm going to install Mr Tuffy + FlatOut in the tubes. Tannus seems legit but I don't like the fact that they flatten out after a couple months. I saw a video of one month old Tannus liners taken out of the bike. They were completely flat.
Click to expand...
I recall some people talking about Flat Out freezing in their tubes....

They can claim away all they want, but there is no product out there that is going to physically close a 1/2" diameter hole in a thin wall latex rubber tube and maintain it's integrity while the tire rotates & deforms to the road surfaces under it. And by the time the tire is pumped back up 4-5-6 times, a person would be well in the process of physically repairing the holed tire and tube with a proper cold vulcanizing patch.

These claims made by these manufacturers of these products are border line Snake Oil fantasy's. When the day arrives that bicycle tire manufacturers can come up with a heavy duty, multi layered steel belt system inside their tires, will we come to a point where the number of tire flats is cut in half. But in that quest for being the lightest and the fastest and the grippiet, I don't believe that is on the agenda for these bike tire companies.
 
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.
 
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