Anyone using Slime

Dan B · September 29, 2020, 12:50:53 PM

Anyone using slime in their fat bike tires to avoid punctures? Does it help or just hype.. Also would you recommend tuffie liners and the use of slime? I ride some on limestone trails and the small rocks have sharp points which have punctured my cruiser bikes tires..

RadJohn · September 29, 2020, 02:39:54 PM

Not hype, Slime brand tire sealant works very well as long as you use the correct amount and realize it will dry out and become less effective over time (Slime says it has about a 2 year useful life on their website FAQ section). If pre-Slimed tubes are available in your size, that's the easy way, if not you'll have to add the stuff to your own tubes. It's probably best to replace the tubes/Slime every couple of years or so rather than just adding more Slime to make up for what has dried out.

Mr Tuffy liners are another proven item which work well if you use the correct size, but they don't protect the sidewalls from getting sliced in really rocky terrain.

There are also several brands of foam tire inserts available, reviews are mixed, and some might not be available in your size (you didn't mention what that was).

Explorabook · September 30, 2020, 05:12:12 PM

A product I can't recommend enough is Stans No Tubes https://www.notubes.com/shop/tubeless/sealant

I have been using it on all my bikes both with tubes and without for years never had a flat and I ride everywhere I have had nails, glass shards, metal pieces in the tire but never a flat thanks to Stans.

When I received my RadRunner in June I had no Stans and it was out of stock everywhere so I was riding for months without Stans and sure enough, a flat caused by a staple.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTlZvOVG8zs&t=4s&ab_channel=Stan%27sNoTubes

Jr Samples · October 01, 2020, 05:58:22 AM

What about Tannus Armour Inserts? I have them but have not had a chance to install them yet. (Just got our Rovers this week

There are several YouTube vids out there that tout them and all are very positive. They are a bit more expensive than the other option though.

https://tannusamerica.com/pages/tannus-armour

Jman · October 01, 2020, 05:54:12 PM

I use tuffy liners and slime after my radrunner had a flat tire from just a small twig. I have had no flats since using the slime and liners. I would have preferred to use Tannus Armor inserts but they don't make the correct size for the Radrunner yet. I did notice the slime formula that I recently purchased is different than one used about 10-15 years ago, not sure if it is better or worse yet(old slime had bigger rubber particles).

Dan B · October 01, 2020, 07:40:36 PM

Quote from: Jr Samples on October 01, 2020, 05:58:22 AM
What about Tannus Armour Inserts? I have them but have not had a chance to install them yet. (Just got our Rovers this week

There are several YouTube vids out there that tout them and all are very positive. They are a bit more expensive than the other option though.

https://tannusamerica.com/pages/tannus-armour

I have been going over you- tube videos on tire protection and at first I was thinking about slime and the Mr Tuffy liners, but since seeing the Tannus Armor vids I may look into those for more protection. I still would like to get opinions on how they perform after a few hundred miles.

Dan B · October 01, 2020, 07:42:19 PM

Quote from: Explorabook on September 30, 2020, 05:12:12 PM
A product I can't recommend enough is Stans No Tubes https://www.notubes.com/shop/tubeless/sealant

I have been using it on all my bikes both with tubes and without for years never had a flat and I ride everywhere I have had nails, glass shards, metal pieces in the tire but never a flat thanks to Stans.

When I received my RadRunner in June I had no Stans and it was out of stock everywhere so I was riding for months without Stans and sure enough, a flat caused by a staple.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTlZvOVG8zs&t=4s&ab_channel=Stan%27sNoTubes

Thanks, I will look into this option also...

Koki · October 04, 2020, 04:20:12 PM

Thanks to this thread. I just bought some slime just to have it available in my garage.

sc00ter · October 04, 2020, 04:49:38 PM

I've shockingly have not gotten the dreaded "F" word yet, "F" word being flat! That's the worse word to say around road bike riders. I still need to get some Mr. Tuffys for my RadRunner. Use them in all my other bicycles with great results.

robtcutting · October 05, 2020, 06:08:30 AM

So I ordered a bottle of Slime sealant to put inside the inner tubes. But before I try it out I was hoping someone might already have experience with it for touring

sc00ter · October 05, 2020, 06:49:34 AM

Here's my thing with Slime. I had a old beach cruiser that I used for bar hopping at the ocean front. I was using Slime inner tubes in it. I was running the tire pressure around 60psi. So I'm pedaling along on my way to fun and I ran over some something. I hear a slight hiss from the front wheel. Thankfully I have Slime! Nope. I feel the tire getting spongy and stop to check it out. I had a tiny pinhole in my tire and the Slime just sprayed out, giving me a neon green stripe down the middle of shirt and shorts. So when I got back home I removed the inner tubes and threw them away. Went back to normal tubes with liners. Another fun fact is when you have Slime it will sometimes spray you when you go to put air in the tires. And finally, most every tire shop for cars and motorcycle shops HATE working on wheels that have been Slimed. It didn't work for me, just gave me a neon green racing stripe and I still got to walk home. Guess others have better luck with it.

Altema · October 05, 2020, 08:32:18 AM

My experience with similar sealants has never been good. It's never worked successfully for me, except for slowing the leak down as it sputtered the slimy contents all over the place, then the shop often will not fix a tire that has sealant in it. Even if it did work for me, I'd prefer to know I have a hole and just fix it, as opposed to possibly riding around with several holes waiting for the sealant to wear out. It's just an opinion though.

Winterhawk · December 03, 2020, 12:00:44 PM

I was tired of multiple punctures and flats so 2 weeks ago I bought slime inner tubes. So what happened? I got another flat! The puncture was small and all the slime did was go right through the pucture.and onto the rim.. What a mess, so I threw them away today and will go back to conventional tubes, but will try a liner next and hope that works.

Mudder · December 05, 2020, 01:35:05 PM

Stans No Tubes sealer here.

Altema · December 07, 2020, 09:11:15 AM

Quote from: Winterhawk on December 03, 2020, 12:00:44 PM
I was tired of multiple punctures and flats so 2 weeks ago I bought slime inner tubes. So what happened? I got another flat! The puncture was small and all the slime did was go right through the pucture.and onto the rim.. What a mess, so I threw them away today and will go back to conventional tubes, but will try a liner next and hope that works.

The mess is one of the things I dislike about sealants. You may want to consider Tannus Armour inserts, as they protect the tube by keeping tire punctures distant from the tube itself. People that have tried them say they also make the ride more comfortable.

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Anyone using Slime