So, I caught my second flat in 2 weeks tonight (just a couple hours after buying new clips/staps/pedals too damnit! I wanted to ride all night.) After the first one when I went in to buy a new tube the dude tried to get me to get the pre-slimed tube, but I figured he was just trying to push the more expensive crap on me, and I was wary due to how heavy it was too. So, I got the regular one put in. Couple days later, I go to buy a spare tube to carry around and then this girl tries to get me to get the thorn-proof which I also didn't get because ... well I don't know. So, I do think now that it's probably worth it to get one or the other. Anyone with experience using and advise for/against either type feel free to enlighten me. Thanks.

you're probably doing something wrong when you put a new tube on. two pieces of advice: learn how to properly seat a tire and start patching your tubes and re-using them.

slime is gross..
thorn proof all the way..

1st, I didn't put the tube in, the person at the bike shop did. 2nd, I pulled the thorn out of the tire tonight and had nothing to do with it being seated wrong. 3rd, it's the beginning of goathead season here and those ****ing things are everywhere. I know how to patch and can reuse tubes but that won't solve the problem of getting flats often due to a brazillion goatheads all over the place.

patching tubes is janky

What kind of tires do you ride on? Try some Gatorskins or other puncture resistant tires and don't worry about it (if you don't already use them).

Yes, I think you'll be better served by better tires than by slimed tubes.

Don't forget, also, to diagnose your flats. They could be caused by poorly placed rim tape, which would expose the edges of the spoke holes, and pinch the tube. If it's pinch flats, than the remedy would be properly inflating your tires. If it is indeedd about punctures, than you'll need something puncture resistant - and I'd rely on tires to be more puncture resistant than tubes.

^^^ agreed.
If you haven't already done so, check the insde of your tires for pointy bits that could puncture your tube. Make sure the tire bead is not pinching the tube upon installation/inflation. Check your rim tape, and if necessary remove and replace it (or do what I did, and just run another layer of tape over it... I did mine in a pinch, and used electrical tape. That was months ago, and I haven't had a flat since. Now, watch... I'll get one tonight.).
Save some money, and patch your tubes. Reject society's disposable attitude. It only takes a minute.

clearly some of you have no idea what it's like to ride in portions of the southwest. goatheads are ****ing brutal. you can be the best tire/tube installer on earth and you aren't going to avoid that suck.



i'd go with a more puncture resistant tire, and, if you are in a particularly bad area, then i'd also recommend the thorn tubes. you pay a price in weight, but at least you don't have to patch or replace tubes every 15 minutes.

Thronproof tubes are good but really heavy. I have them on my commuter along with Continental Gatorskins and Mr. Tuffy liners.

Yeah.

They're heavy.



[i refuse to comment on the number of flats i've had so far though]

jaysus. how heavy are they?

i dunno about you, but i'd think the weight of a bag, tools and other krap, non-spandex gear, flat soled shoes, and all the other crap we normally ride with has a much greater performance penalty than do a pair of heavy tubes.

if the slime or thorn proof tubes prevent flats, go for it. only one way to find out.

WHOA! I've heard the roadies in the other forum talk about this, but damn, I'd never seen a picture of them.

That ish is intense.

i dont have much to offer for off-road ridding. but in my experience the best insurance for flats on the road is to ride a good tire with flat protection (gatorskin, armadillo, etc) use a good standard type tube (none of that cheng-shin crap), and keep them at full pressure. viola!

for what little extra protection a slime tube offers, its not worth it for the greater weight, crappier ride, utter mess if they blow, cant patch bigger stuff...

Holy crapaloni those thorns are vicious! I've used slime tubes on my commuter with 700cx23 tires and have gotten some pretty nasty gashes in my tire from glass and rocks, but these tubes work pretty well at stopping those small leaks. I've been running the slime tubes with gatorskins for a couple years now with pretty good luck. I'm using the slime lite tubes now, which have yet to have a flat for 2 months now, and i did pull a chunk of glass out of my tire the other day and they are pretty light too. I would try them if you have trouble with flats, but if you bike on clean streets then normal tubes and any decent puncture resistant tire would be fine.

Well, the thing is all that extra weight with the tubes and liners is rotating weight and it's definitely noticible when i switch between my commuter and road bike. But the great thing is that i can really fly along when i get back to my road bike on the weekends.

yeah, having a heavy wheelset really makes acceleration feel sluggish. it feels a lot like when your tires are under-inflated. but, it's typically a worthwhile trade-off -- better they feel flat than actually be flat.

OK so I need some new tires. Sigh, I'm almost sick of spending money on this bike. Anyway, lot's of peeps recommending the gatorskins. I'm curious, though, is there something similar to gatorskins that I can get in color? Just curious.

Color, not really. However, specialized armadillos have a reddish-brown sidewall that looks really nice with brown brooks, if you happen to be running one. Armadillos are arguably a little burlier than gatorskins, but they're not so hot for skidding.

Also, thanks to Shants for showing people how fierce the desert can be.

Note: in my experience, slime doesn't seal high pressure road setups. All you get is a clogged pump, a flat tire, and a green stripe up your back.

Good tires are the best protection against flats- check them every so often, and pick out any small sharp objects which are slowly making their way through the tire.

If you're getting goathead punctures, then it's generally pretty easy to find the puncture and patch it. Don't even have to take the wheel off the bike.

The Vittoria Rubino Pros come in red, blue, and yellow and 700cx23 and 25. They even have a little bit of tread if that matters to you.

i live with the goatheads out here too. i bought gatorskins, i get flats less, but the goatheads still find there way into the less protected sidewall. i've also tried mr. tuffies and had the same experience. i refuse to use slime/true goo tubes, i've heard too many messy horror stories. haven't tried the thornproof tubes, they just seem too bulky, no way am i hauling around a spare thornproof tube. i've decided the only real defense is to try and avoid them completely. i hat 'em.

goatheads are the devil's spawn...

I'm in colorado too and dillo's are the only tire I have found to be at least a little better, oh and they ride like a brick and slide out under you if you hit a wet spot

I just curious, you mention that a shop replaced your tube. If you're paying a shop to fix your flats, that's a good way to go broke in a hurry. Learn how to patch your tubes and you'll find flat tires aren't that big of a deal.

On the other hand if you're just sick of fixing flats, go with a quality tire over slime/thorn proof tubes.

we have them here too. in Washington

i used the Specialized Armadillos for awhile and never had a problem with flats.

i put on new tires last week and got goathead flats every night of this last weekend.

Goat heads will stick to Armadillos, butI haven't had one go all the way through yet.