Heavy Duty tubes and Slime

[pooks]

This Sunday is the Austin LIVESTRONG race and my husband told me to go buy heavy-duty tubes and slime so he can get our tires ready. He doesn't want to ride on the highway and deal with flats. (He wanted to do this anyway, but now he has a special incentive.)

So, what's your opinion of both/either? Will I be able to tell any discernible difference when I'm riding my hybrid? Will it make it harder to ride? Do they work?

[DDH]

Wow Pooks, I looked at this ride but knew I would not be able to get the funds together. I hope you have a great ride. I live an hour from Austin, if I knew my way around a little better I might drive up there and watch some of the event. Driving in Austin scares me when I don't know where I am going. LOL

[pooks]

I had to scramble to get funds raised for my husband -- he had a family emergency and just didn't try. Suddenly the date was on top of us and oops! (He still has fifteen dollars to raise but I've been told it's coming in by mail.)

[NJBikeGal]

My personal 2 cents...take it or leave it!

Heavy Duty Tubes - Sure, why not...better than ultra-lite racers!
Slime - BIG NO!!!! I would not suggest using this stuff in your tires. It can cause more headaches than its worth in many cases, eg. the slime can pool, making your tires rotate unevenly.

My opinion is...fixing a flat on a ride like that is not a huge deal...lots of support vehicles on the road if you need help (at least there was in Philly).

Good luck by the way...our ride was much fun...hope yours is the same!!!

[Cassandra_Cain]

Hi Pooks - how exciting about your upcoming ride.

Back to the topic at hand...I've been using slime tubes on my bike from the get-go and have mixed feelings about them.

The good: last sunday for instance, I heard the distinct, unmistakable sound of a goathead going through my tire while on a bike path. I was a good 2.5 miles from home and was able to ride back with no problem - there was enough air to get me home.

The bad: they are messy!!! prepare to have green, cliche I know, but slime-looking stuff all over your wheel and tire, not to mention tube and your hands! Thus I have been taking a rag in by bike bag because it is really messy otherwise. Then you have what BikeGal mentioned about tire rotation, plus the simple fact that it is a heavier tube as well as more expensive.

My inclination now is to switch to kelvar tires, ala specialized armadillos, tape, and maybe some Thom thorn-resistant tubes (which are not like the slime ones).

Good luck with your event

[pooks]

Kelar tires? That's interesting. I'll check that out.

[Kano]

I had slime in my tubes when riding my knobby tires that came on the bike. When I changed to slicks, I put on Specialized Nimbus Armadillos. If you're considering "puncture proof" tires, Pooks, and you don't ride dirt trails, you want to consider these smooth tires, REALLY! Maybe it was all in my head, but I'm SURE that I went faster and had a much better ride from day one with the new tires.

I didn't put slime in with these armadillo tires.

Karen in Boise

[Cassandra_Cain]

Kelar tires? That's interesting. I'll check that out.

Sorry Pooks – me no spell!!!

I meant Kevlar tires, and yeap, the specialized armadillo’s are a good example of such a tire.

Here's another example of the same idea:

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=5420

[mtkitchn]

I had a set of armadillos on my bike until yesterday, when I must have caught something metal and ripped a 3 inch gash in the tire. Up until then I had almost 2000 miles on the tires without a flat. I plan to go get another armadillo. They're heavier, but I'm not racing, and I like not dealing with flats. I think I paid $30/tire.

[pooks]

Okay, so the armadillos are smooth but tough, sound great. Now to get on the phone and see if I can locate some in Dallas!

[Kano]

Okay, so the armadillos are smooth but tough, sound great. Now to get on the phone and see if I can locate some in Dallas!

They're not all smooth, Pooks, but I think you'd like smooth ones if you're riding mostly pavement rather than dirt. I've taken my bike on really hard packed dirt roads since putting the slick tires on it, but I tend to ride more slowly, since there's less traction!

Armadillos are made by -- or marketed by -- the Specialized bike people, so look for a Specialized bike dealer, and you'll probably find them!

Karen in Boise

[spokewench]

Do you have lots of goatheads or something where you are riding? Are you riding on the road?

I'm sort of a light weight freak so I would never ride slime and heavy duty tubes unless there are goatheads around or something like that. Remember that the rolling resistance and weight of your wheels has a great deal to do with how hard it is to ride. If your wheels are heavy, it is harder to ride. A lot of times people will ask me what upgrade is the best to do for their bike and a lot of times I will recommend wheels cause they will get the best advantage on the bike from lighter wheels.

I've ridden mountain bikes a lot and never ride slime here in the mountains. It is rocky, but if my tires are aired up properly, I rarely have flats - had one all year. I also raced mountain bikes in the desert and never ran slime - now that is taking chances with all the cactus, but again, I never had a flat. THe only time I run slime in my tubes (and they are never heavy duty), is when I race 24 hour races in the desert. Can't avoid the cactus at night on a 24 hour race after every tom, **** and harry have run into the prickly pear and knocked all that stuff right into the middle of the trail.

But, of course, I can change a tire pretty easily too so I don't really worry about flats all that much if I do get them. I've probably had 5 flats in my entire riding history (but I've changed tons of flats since I lead women's rides and change everyone else's flats) it's great practice!

[pooks]

Thanks, Spokewench! Good info to have.

Kano, is the Nimbus smooth? That's what they've got waiting for me to pick up!

[Kitsune06]

I don't race, etc, and I run Slime in normal-weight tires. Weight doesn't bother me much (My bike itself isn't a feather-weight gazelle...) and I'm generally only going abotu 40-50 miles round-trip. My mindset on this is that I feel justified adding that bit of extra weight if it means I don't have to worry as much about riding through glass in the bike lane or having to stop to fix a flat in a shady neighborhood. (yes, I'm enough of a sissy and woodland hick to consider lots of places in Portland 'shady')

Then again, I'm a youngin' with strong legs and lots of endurance. Would I fly if I had light tubes and took my heavy-a$$ rack/trunk off? Probably, now... but they're pretty essential where I'm going. *shrug*

[Kano]

Pooks, yes, the Nimbus tires are smooth. I have them, and really like them! (make my bike look a little goofy, since it's supposed to have knobbies....)

Karen in Boise