Tires don't hold pressure long!

[Alaskan]

I enjoy tweaking and fine tuning my bikes to get the most out of them. I get that others are not so inclined and just want to ride.

Rare is the ride when I don't spend 15 minutes or more fine tuning, wiping down or lubricating my bike afterward. I ride 7000 miles per tear and had just one flat in 2020.

Recognize that convenience and inattentiveness carry costs too. If one is willing to sacrifice efficiency for convenience, great. That is a valid choice.

Just don't kid yourself that you are not paying a price for it with every mile you ride. It may be just pennies but pennies add up to and become dollars.

 

[AHicks]

How is a slimed tube for repairing with a patch?

In the 7 or 8 years since I started using Slime, I've never (ever!) had a flat. The only failure was a complete blow out, that pretty much remains unexplained, as I had given the tire a pinch test previous to the ride, and never hit a thing on the ride! I was on pavement that was in pretty good condition.

That said, I would not want to try and patch a Slimmed tube, though I'm pretty sure it's possible. Slime is water based, and you would have to remove any trace of it, then dry it before a patching attempt. The presence of the Slime may help locate the leak? -Al

 

[6zfshdb]

How is a slimed tube for repairing with a patch?

Slime can make a mess. I carry alcohol wipes which do a good job of cleaning a small area for a patch. Usually, Slime plugs small leaks that would otherwise be patchable so the flats you do get will likely be severe enough to require tube replacement.

Keep in mind, Slime does harden inside the tube over time and requires replacement every year or two.

 

[AHicks]

Slime can make a mess. I carry alcohol wipes which do a good job of cleaning a small area for a patch. Usually, Slime plugs small leaks that would otherwise be patchable so the flats you do get will likely be severe enough to require tube replacement.

Keep in mind, Slime does harden inside the tube over time and requires replacement every year or two.

That blow out mentioned earlier taught me that Slime WILL be a mess in that scenario. It went everywhere. Thankfully it is water based and any mess is easily cleaned up.

Have heard about the "hardening" thing before, but I've never experienced it. That leaves me wondering if Slime hasn't evolved over the years, from a product that might harden over time, to one that does not? Dunno. What I do know is that I've changed 3-4 year old tires and found the Slime to be very similar to what it was when installed when letting the air out of the tubes. -Al