FloridaSurveyor

My wife and I have a couple of Schwinn cruisers (26" tires).

I ruined a couple of new tubes (over-inflation, stem damage). These were Slime tubes from WallyWorld.

I decided to visit our only local bike shop for some input...he put in some thicker tubes (he said the WallyWorld tubes were too thin and people always had trouble with them).

I noticed on a later trip to WallyWorld that they were stocking new Slime tubes...the package said they were 10x thicker than the regular ones.

Am I torturing myself by buying these tubes?...Should I stick to the bike shop products??

Also, the bike mechanic told me a lot of the flats he fixes here locally (N. Florida) are the result of picking up sand spurs (very prickly little plant seeds) that work their way into the tires. Gotta be careful rolling on any grass, as my tires had many sand spurs...when removing them with a tweezers, I noticed that many were embedded in the rubber.

Ya learn something new everyday.

Thanks all
-Tim

canopus 

Skip the slime tubes, get regular old fashioned tubes. Slimes tubes don't really work all that well and usually 99.9999% of the time can't be patched for all the gunk flowing out of them. Skip the Thorn resistant tubes also, get regular std tubes. With a prickly thorn problem I would recommend Mr Tuffy tire liners that go in between the tire and the tube. Also before inserting the tube into the tire to sprea some talc inside the tire so that the tube/line doesn't stick to tire and even a dusting of talc on the liner if used so that the tube doesn't stick to it. It also prevents rub throughs that some have complained about (Although I've never had that problem).

skilsaw

Use "Old Spice" talc on your bike tubes to give the bike a nice manly smell.
Maybe a body powder by "Givenchy" for your wife's bike.

peripatetic

Johnson & Johnson baby powder for your kid(s).

+1 on tube liners for your thorn problems. Regular tubes and tires are fine.

Marlin

I use medicated foot powder. It fights athletes tube fungus.