Slime---OK for a few weeks???
 

My "new" used bike is four years old. It is all original. Including the tires and tubes. I've recked the budget with a rack, a few lights, a helmet and other safety related stuff. The tires are in great shape, the bike was ridden little. I am concerned about flats on my way to work at my new job. (Trial thingy....last thing I need is to be late!!)

I'm not able to replace tubes with "puncture resistant" ones right now, need a paycheck or two.

I do have a couple bottles of Slime, the liquid pour in the stem type. Should I use this as a bit of insurance for a bit? If so, how much would you guess that I put in a 700X35 tire? I know it's a stop-gap measure to tire/tube upgrades but, what I am after right now is a functional solution.

Or, should I just ride.

Thank you.

I wouldn't use it and you will find out why if you have a flat. Roger

Depends on the pressure you run your tires at, you're ok if you stay under 70psi. The reason for the below 70psi is that Slime will not seal any size leak above 70psi, it will blow the goo out of the smallest hole and you have an instant flat. Probably if you're running 35's you're probably running about 60psi so you'll be ok. The Slime will cause your rim liner to turn green if there is a puncture, and cause a green gooy mess inside the tire but that's it.

However I read an error in your future tube purchase plan. Thorn resistant tubes will only prevent at the most about 5% of all flats. Your first line of defense is the tires, but according to you the tires are in great shape so there's no need to replace tires till their worn. So the second best thing to do is to install a tire liner like Mr Tuffy or the Slime liner, or even better howbeit about $3 to $5 more expensive are the Panaracer FlatAway tire liner, these are considerably more resistant to intrusion then the Mr Tuffy and their lighter by about 50%!! The problem is that the Mr Tuffy can be taken out and put into new tires for a very long time, the Panaracer FlatAway cannot be reused due to the self adhesive backing that holds the liner onto the tire. I just bought a set of these liners, I think, though I'm not sure yet, they will peel off, if they do they will loose most if not all their stickiness, which is ok since Mr Tuffy doesn't stick at all so at that point it would or should act similar to a Mr Tuffy. A Mr Tuffy, or a Slime liner can be cut by scissors like butter, a Panaracer FlatAway took quite a bit of effort to cut with scissors, that should be an indication of which is going to resist punctures better.

When it comes time for tires make sure you get the best flat protected tire you can find, and post back here for opinions on such tires. Because you're commuting to work the last thing you want to worry about is a flat and being late to work, the more times your late to work the more likely you could be fired or passed over for a raise or promotion, or they'll force you to use a car or be fired.

IMHO Slime products aren't insurance, they are a liability. I'd ride the cheapest no-name innertube on the market before I'd use that gunk. The only things I've ever seen it do are add weight, ruin valves, and make a gawd-awful mess. My advice is don't do it. Take the Slime to the nearest hazardous waste disposal site and bid it farewell.

Thanks, rekmeyata. My tires say 70-80 psi. I have them at 80.

Ten bucks for the Panaracers sounds wonderful, and do-able. Wear out these tires and I hope cost doesn't matter and I can get the "good" ones.

I haven't looked a lot at tire pressure stuff. At first glance tires, tubes and pressures seem to be like a string, or pick thread on an instrument forum-----fifty different opinions and they are all right!!!!

I think I'll take rhennings advice, although his scenario (of a flat) is what I was hoping to avoid. Best forewarned!!

Then, combine that with yours----keep the slime for the lawn mower and get good liners.

A quick Google search of "Panaracer FlatAway" delivered no super deals. This looks like a great reason to introduce myself to the LBS. That's great. I prefer local, used to drive past Lowes to get to the "neighbourhood" hardware store. Until they closed.

Damn big chains may offer 200 jobs, but they end thirty careers that offered 10 jobs each.

I damaged a perfectly good cheap floor pump with Slime.
It was just a "generic" box store type, but good for 60-65 PSI.
Had Slime spit back (not my bike) and pump is only good for about 30 PSI now.

Also had slime ruin the head on one of my pumps. I was able to order a replacement cheaply and quickly but it was still quite an annoyance.

The FlatAway's cost about the same on Amazon as they do at the LBS, and most LBS's have to order them anyways so you won't save time either.

Here is a good site to make sure you're using the right PSI in your tires; see: http://www.dorkypantsr.us/bike-tire-...alculator.html use the middle calculator, input your fully clothed body weight plus your fully ride ready bike weight (total of both), then simply change your tire size, and hit enter. This is based on a calculation that has been around for at least 40 years, but Michelin made it available in a handy dandy calculator.

I don't see how Slime could ruin a pump head. It might get it messy and need cleaning, but pump heads can be cleaned.

Ruin may have been the wrong word. It was a big big mess and not worth cleaning to me since the cost of a new head was 5 dollars. For 10 dollars, maybe I would have tried to clean it.

Slime is indeed messy and it can mess up your valve stem and your pump.

It also adds weight to the tire which is the worst place to add weight.

A better solution might be to carry some fix a flat with you on your ride. Then, if you get a flat on your way to work, you can squirt it into your tire and be on your way. If you don't have a couple of bucks for a can of fix-a-flat, you can bring your Slime with you along with a valve stem tool and put the slime in when you need it.

No good reason to schlepp the Slime around inside your tires if you don't need it.

HINT: Keep the Slime out of your valve stem internal spring and plunger hardware. Slime has cellulose fiber in it. If this fiber gets into the tiny valve stem spring and rubber valve plunger, it can keep the tube from holding air. Yup, messy stuff and you can argue for and against the actual effectiveness of the Slime for fixing flats.

BTW, you can make your own fix a flat "goo" by mixing latex caulk with automotive winter-grade windshield wiper fluid. Remember it has to be fluid enough to spin around and coat the inside of the tube. Results are probably about as good as Slime...

In my experience in the distant past (early/mid nineties), Slime works well to guard against most flats, but causes other problems. While I never had a problem witht he slime damaging my pumps, I recall that ever Slime-filled tube I replaced was because the Slime had ruined the valve and caused leakage.

I remember one desert ride in 1994 where two of the four of us had slime in our tubes and two did not. THe two that did not wound up walking about ~10 km back to the car.

In conclusion, Slime is probably OK if you live in areas with lots of flat-causing hazards like goatheads and cactii and broken glass, but not necessary for the average rider.

Thanks to all.

eBay funds from sales should roll in next week. I'm gonna go with the kevlar liners then. I've decided that I don't want to deal with the Slime mess. My bottle is already in the flat lawn mower tire. Thanks to mike about the latex and winter washer fluid............that might buy me a few years with the tires on the mower. You think bike tires are expensive? Try gettin' some for your Poulan!!!

For your Poulan parts-
Google AYP+Part#

Kevlar liners are better, for sure (anything is better than slime), but don't find yourself counting on it completely. Little wires still get through the kevlar.

I ride in goathead hell, (denver), and I think the worst defense are the so-called thorn-proof tubes. They are extremely heavy, and the thorns work their way through eventually. I use either puncture resistant tires or tire liners on all my bikes. I have Continental Gatorskin tires on my Peugeot, Mr Tuffy and Tuffy lites on everything else. No punctures this year so far.

I tried that combination when I use to live in the Mojave Desert area of California, another goathead hell area, and the goatheads got through both the tires and the liner, but at least I went from 2 flats a day down to about 2 or 3 a week; but this was about 15 years ago so maybe they improved the Gatorskins. I eventually switched to Specialized Armadillo All Condition tires with a ultralight tube and only had one flat in about 15,000 miles. (the tires didn't last 15,000 miles, they lasted about 5,500 range). It was crazy there for goatheads, there were some areas I rode through where I would have 15 or 20 stuck to the tires and I would just keep going with these things attached, eventually they would fall off.

All of the help offered has been super. Thanks.

My gameplan is to get liners ASAP. My tires are in super shape, so I figure that if I replace them as soon as I can with something like Gatorskins I might be able to get a dollar or two for what's left of my current tires. They should still be in fine condition.

I don't live off eBarf but it adds to the kitty.;) I found a 40 year old guitar cable in my mom's basement. Just as I was tossing it my brain engaged. Sold it for six bucks plus postage. On mans trash is another........

mans hording obsession.

My experience is that Slime works, but is messy. I've had two different shops recommend something similar called Flat Attack. They say it's better. I've tried it and agree. It works, and isn't as messy as Slime.