New slime inner tubes deflated

andyste1

I'm a complete beginner, having bought my first bike in 30 years. I managed to get a puncture first time out, so took the plunge and fitted two slime inner tubes. Went on a ride straight after, and both had completely deflated within a couple of minutes. I can only guess that the valves were clogged with slime, preventing them from closing properly? Unfortunately I don't have a valve removal tool so can't check them yet. Anyone else with similar experiences?

If I remove the valves and clean the o-seals, won't I get the same problem when I come to inflate them again?

cooldad

Doesn't help as I haven't had a puncture for years, but IMHO slime tubes are rubbish and heavy. Have you checked them for punctures?
I would replace with normal tubes and a puncture kit.

Greer_

As above, but check the inside of your tyre for anything sharp, and make sure the rim tape is covering all the spokes.

The Rookie

Some of the slime tubes are useless, was out for group ride when one chap had a puncture, tyre absolutely full of white shite all of which had come out a simple thorn hole in the tube.....

Rocketmagnet

Well sounds like you've learned the lesson we all have ... Slime tubes are utterly useless.

Usual route is .. suffer punctures.. try slime tubes once.. suffer punctures.. finally
move to tubeless setup. The latter is the best overall solution once you get really tired
of fixing punctures.. they don't eliminate punctures totally but nearly do in my experience.

Only barrier is cost and setup hassle, I always carry 2X spare inner tubes + boot for my tubeless just in case
I get a big tear. I was double figures per year punctures but with tubeless I've had a total of 2 in 5 years.

They have been priceless and I'd never consider go back to tubes. Freezing your ass off in the pissing down rain
or getting eaten alive by midges while you fix punctures... well I don't miss it... worth the money imo.

omegas

Wife has used different types of slime/sludge/Noflats over the years and it has always worked , it has to as she cannot change a tube on her own when out riding.

paulneenan76

Slime tubes (the slime brand) havnt let me down in 2yrs of riding. And that includes riding the canal tow paths when the council cut them back. Had 2deflations but more air and a few revolutions of the wheel sealed them nice. Too many midnight trailside repairs in -3 degree conditions pushed me to slime tubes. I would consider tubeless for shedding weight though.

The Rookie

Genuine Dr Slime (green snot) seem OK, cheaper ones (like Halfords) do not.......

pilch

Had varying experiences with (the green) Slime tubes, some worked great, others were useless... in the end I got fed up with hit and miss and the added weight so I went tubeless, has been a much better solution for me.

andyste1

Update: the valves were fine after all. It turns out that in the 200 yards I managed last weekend, I ended up with two punctures in one tyre and one in the other. The holes were miniscule, so I'm guessing they were thorns. As I was pumping up the tubes I could see green slime coming out of the holes. Two of them seemed to seal, but not the third which I ended up repairing. I set off on a ride and 3 miles down the track I ended up with another flat. I don't know if it's another puncture or one of the first ones that have reopened. I couldn't be a**sed taking the tubes out yet again, getting a bit fed up of it all now.

Needless to say confidence totally lost in these slime inner tubes. Are they supposed to self-seal straight away, or would you expect them to go flat, with the idea that they seal when you pump them back up? Not doing my confidence in biking much good - it's only my third time out, on my first bike in 30 years! At this rate it''ll be gathering dust in the shed before it's 6 months old.

Any tips for feeling around inside the tyre for the thorns? I've only ever found one, so I'm concerned that the others are still lurking in there somewhere. Is it enough just to run your fingers around the inside or should I use something else?

maringirl

Better to spend money on better tyres with a puncture resistant layer than wasting it on slime tubes!

Roostoids

Andyste, I think its fair to say you've just been really unlucky.

Everyone thinks their particular setup is brilliant, thats why they chose it after all. For a casual rider, simplicity and ease of use is key.

Take the bike to your local shop, explain you've had a buch of punctures in no time at all and that you can't find the cause. A decent shop will help you look for problems and probably not charge you/charge you very little. Make sure you're after a bit of help rather than just handing the wheels over and saying "fix it for me".

Once the tyres are cleared and the tubes (new or repaired) are on, get out and ride. You've been unlucky, and that won't last. Good luck and enjoy it, it's meant to be fun (but punctures do really suck).

PS I use dr slimes, they're heavy but so am I, no punctures in years.