!*?*!?** punctures - slime?

cookeeemonster
cookeeemonster Posts: 1,991
edited November 2013 in Commuting chat
ok...I can go 6 weeks, sometimes 8 without punctures then get a run of a load in a short space of time - all different types except pinch flats as I keep them at a higher pressure usually.

Anyway...I've destroyed durano pluses, marathon pluses, vred-something tricomps well before they were worn (with big chunks/slashes taken out etc) and now I'm on GP 4 seasons - I've suffered 2 puncture in each wheel the last 2 weeks...including 2 in the rear today (4 miles walk home as I didnt have a 2nd spare tube and couldn't find where the hole was to patch it...

Most though not all of my punctures come on the CS3 cyclepath by the A13 or the even crappier one east of that..plus some of the roads I use once in town are pretty rubbish too, but mainly my punctures come on the cyclepath it seems (all sorts of crap finds its way there (or is dumped) plus theres loads of kerbs to go up and down (lots of side roads - the crap accumulates by the kerb of course)

So anyway. I'm gonna change the rim tape on the rear as I have that spare (did the front wheel the other week) and of course over the weekend I'll see what caused the latest 2 in the rear.

But - what do you lot think of adding the slime liner things and the slime pro inner tubes? (http://road.cc/content/review/97019-sli ... inner-tube)

I'm getting peed off. And desperate now. Thats's an exaggeration. But I am peed off.

whaddya think? Go back to marathons front and rear when the 4 seasons need replacing? (though the last one only lasted under 1000 miles anyway...though I was unlucky I realise with that one)

Thanks in advance!

Comments

  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    That's some pretty hard treatment of your gear. I'd do 1,000 miles in a couple of months and in my mind my tyres would still be new! Maybe another reason to avoid cycle paths?
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/41991871@N ... otostream/
  • cookeeemonster
    cookeeemonster Posts: 1,991
    BigMat wrote:
    That's some pretty hard treatment of your gear. I'd do 1,000 miles in a couple of months and in my mind my tyres would still be new! Maybe another reason to avoid cycle paths?

    I've looked before but I have to go out of my way a bit to avoid it...but I might well try and find a different route this weekend!
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    What sort of pressure?
    How about dropping it a little ...
  • cookeeemonster
    cookeeemonster Posts: 1,991
    Slowbike wrote:
    What sort of pressure?
    How about dropping it a little ...

    the recommended pressure is between 85-115, I normally run the front at 95/100 and the back at 105/110 depending.

    I weigh around 90kg's. But like I say, they dont generally seem to be pinch flats
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    ok - doesn't seem too hard - my 23mm GP4000's and GP4seasons tend to run at 100psi front and back, but I'm sub 75kg. My thought was that perhaps the tyre was a little too solid so any debris ended up embedded in the tyre rather than the tyre flexing around the debris - could be entirely wrong though and your pressures don't sound high.

    My 4seasons have done just over 3000 miles and the 4000s' around 1k so far - although I have wrecked one of each - replaced the 4000s but patched the 4season - with sidewall slashes.
  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    Gatorskins.
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    OP - if I were you, I'd try a slime tube out on one wheel (probably the rear, as that's where you tend to get most punctures). After a couple of months (or however long it takes to experience several punctures) look at whether the wheel with the slime did any better. This is about the closest you can get to a scientific test, and will allow you to make an informed decision going forward (as opposed to listening to a bunch of opinionated people on a forum).

    If you do this, please report back and let the rest of us know!
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    TGOTB wrote:
    as opposed to listening to a bunch of opinionated people on a forum
    Seems to be a popular phrase these days ....

    so I have to ask - why on earth would you bother asking a question if you didn't want to hear peoples opinion on the answer?
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,355
    Slowbike wrote:
    TGOTB wrote:
    as opposed to listening to a bunch of opinionated people on a forum
    Seems to be a popular phrase these days ....

    so I have to ask - why on earth would you bother asking a question if you didn't want to hear peoples opinion on the answer?
    So you can tell them all they're wrong of course. :P
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • cookeeemonster
    cookeeemonster Posts: 1,991
    edited November 2013
    Veronese68 wrote:
    Slowbike wrote:
    TGOTB wrote:
    as opposed to listening to a bunch of opinionated people on a forum
    Seems to be a popular phrase these days ....

    so I have to ask - why on earth would you bother asking a question if you didn't want to hear peoples opinion on the answer?
    So you can tell them all they're wrong of course. :P

    totally! ;)

    Thanks for all your responses so far!

    Anyone tried the slime (or panaracer) liners? (with road tyres) mixed responses on the web though mainly they seem to be from mtb'ers with wider tyres.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Veronese68 wrote:
    Slowbike wrote:
    TGOTB wrote:
    as opposed to listening to a bunch of opinionated people on a forum
    Seems to be a popular phrase these days ....

    so I have to ask - why on earth would you bother asking a question if you didn't want to hear peoples opinion on the answer?
    So you can tell them all they're wrong of course. :P

    Well - I suppose that is true - I do know all the answers ... sometimes I share the answers - and on even rarer occasions I share the right answers ... just to keep you all on your toes you know ... plus I wouldn't want to put anyone off with my superiority ...
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    Slowbike wrote:
    TGOTB wrote:
    as opposed to listening to a bunch of opinionated people on a forum
    Seems to be a popular phrase these days ....

    so I have to ask - why on earth would you bother asking a question if you didn't want to hear peoples opinion on the answer?
    Sorry, my post came out rather narkier than intended!

    Just thinking of the GP4000s thread - so many conflicting opinions that at least half the posters must be wrong. I quite like the idea of these tubes if they're as good as they claim to be, but (touch wood) my puncture rate is low enough that I'd have to do this test for at least a year to come to a meaningful conclusion. Just as I was mulling over this conundrum, and debating the merits of commuting with sh*t tyres for a month as an "investment", up steps someone with a puncture rate high enough to reach a conclusion by the end of the year...
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    TGOTB wrote:
    Slowbike wrote:
    TGOTB wrote:
    as opposed to listening to a bunch of opinionated people on a forum
    Seems to be a popular phrase these days ....

    so I have to ask - why on earth would you bother asking a question if you didn't want to hear peoples opinion on the answer?
    Sorry, my post came out rather narkier than intended!
    :D
    TGOTB wrote:
    Just thinking of the GP4000s thread - so many conflicting opinions that at least half the posters must be wrong. I quite like the idea of these tubes if they're as good as they claim to be, but (touch wood) my puncture rate is low enough that I'd have to do this test for at least a year to come to a meaningful conclusion. Just as I was mulling over this conundrum, and debating the merits of commuting with sh*t tyres for a month as an "investment", up steps someone with a puncture rate high enough to reach a conclusion by the end of the year...
    The problem with tyres threads are that there are too many variables.
    So if you look at one specific tyre you've then got to consider:
    the riders weight
    the pressure they use
    the tube they use (thinner/thicker)
    the wheel it's used on (rim width)
    the type of area they're riding in
    the weather conditions that may affect that area
    and
    the 'youregoingtogetapuncturetoday' factor ...

    I remember commenting on one thread about GP4ks - someone had sidewall failure problems - shortly after I suffered a flat due to some debris slashing the sidewall - a while afterwards on the same ride my wife suffered the same on her GP4seasons - wrote off two tyres in one ride :( - then nothing for a month until I get another slash, but this time on my GP4seasons (it's always the rear!) I've patched that one up for now...
    On that basis alone I should get a different tyre - but we've done > 4000 miles on those tyres with just a handful of punctures - including one sportive where there were ppl getting punctures left right and center - yet we rode through unscathed.

    As it happens - I have changed my tyres on the commuter - gone from the GP4seasons (23mm) to Specialized Flakjackets @32mm - blimey what a difference - they're dead! Riding has become hard work :(
    I only changed because the roads were covered in crap following the storm and I had the tyres in the garage from my wifes hybrid when she used it for commuting - theory being that I'd wear these ones out over the winter, hopefully not suffer any punctures and then experience a revelation when going back to some decent tyres, but I'm not sure I'll stick with it tbh - they're such hard work!
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,355
    I didn't think your reply was overly narky, I read it as tongue in cheek. I'm interested to hear if it works too.
    I think one of the comments after the article said about putting some sealant into a normal tube, with a removable valve core, being a lot cheaper. If you look in the MTB section here you will see which sealant is better, some last longer than others. Got to be worth a go.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    Veronese68 wrote:
    I didn't think your reply was overly narky, I read it as tongue in cheek. I'm interested to hear if it works too.
    I think one of the comments after the article said about putting some sealant into a normal tube, with a removable valve core, being a lot cheaper. If you look in the MTB section here you will see which sealant is better, some last longer than others. Got to be worth a go.
    Good thinking. I vaguely recall reading a claim on the TT forum that such an approach could glue the insides of your tube together if you left the tyre flat for an extended period, but even if true this is never going to happen on a commuter. I already have removable valve cores and a bottle of Stans for the CX bike, think I'll give it a try. I'll report back in the Spring :-)
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • keyser__soze
    keyser__soze Posts: 2,067
    TGOTB wrote:
    think I'll give it a try. I'll report back in the Spring :-)

    I know the extra weight slows you down a bit but adding two entire seasons to your journey is a bit much ;)
    "Mummy Mummy, when will I grow up?"
    "Don't be silly son, you're a bloke, you'll never grow up"
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,355
    TGOTB wrote:
    Veronese68 wrote:
    I didn't think your reply was overly narky, I read it as tongue in cheek. I'm interested to hear if it works too.
    I think one of the comments after the article said about putting some sealant into a normal tube, with a removable valve core, being a lot cheaper. If you look in the MTB section here you will see which sealant is better, some last longer than others. Got to be worth a go.
    Good thinking. I vaguely recall reading a claim on the TT forum that such an approach could glue the insides of your tube together if you left the tyre flat for an extended period, but even if true this is never going to happen on a commuter. I already have removable valve cores and a bottle of Stans for the CX bike, think I'll give it a try. I'll report back in the Spring :-)
    Just checked on the MTB General forum and Stans is the one that gets the nod. Are you going to manage Ugo's ride tomorrow morning or are you off racing?
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    Veronese68 wrote:
    Are you going to manage Ugo's ride tomorrow morning or are you off racing?
    Neither I'm afraid, parents are visiting for the weekend; don't think I can persuade them to spend most of Saturday in a muddy field watching people chasing each other on bikes :-(

    There was talk of another ride next Saturday; I'll be up for that if it's too wet/windy for TTing (which seems highly likely at this time of year...)
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • cookeeemonster
    cookeeemonster Posts: 1,991
    For the record...I added some panaracer tyre liners (seemed to be higher rated than the slime ones) and given that I didn't get a puncture this morning, and given the typical bikeradar style response to anything tyre related...I have to say that they are the best thing ever and 100% effective for everyone, everywhere, and they have also cured cancer.

    I'll update this thread when I get my next puncture...or in a few months if I dont maybe :)

    Also...I bored myself silly reading about slime. Basically they seem great for lower pressure tyres (mountain bikers, they love 'em) and very variable for higher pressure roads tyres (basically all the online reviews are either 1 star they are the worst thing ever etc etc or 5 star they are the best thing ever etc etc).

    I've used slime or similar in my vespa tyres (old style with inner tubes plus new style without) with huge success...and they are also run at lower pressures, so I think tyre pressure may be the defining factor (a few people mentioned this on threads here and in the reviews I read).

    Hope that helps! ;)
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    CookeeeMonster wrote:
    ...I didn't get a puncture this morning, and given the typical bikeradar style response to anything tyre related...I have to say that they are the best thing ever and 100% effective for everyone, everywhere, and they have also cured cancer.
    I didn't get round to adding Stans to mine over the weekend, and rather amazingly I didn't get a single puncture on the way in this morning. I have concluded that adding sealant to inner tubes is completely pointless...
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • cookeeemonster
    cookeeemonster Posts: 1,991
    TGOTB wrote:
    CookeeeMonster wrote:
    ...I didn't get a puncture this morning, and given the typical bikeradar style response to anything tyre related...I have to say that they are the best thing ever and 100% effective for everyone, everywhere, and they have also cured cancer.
    I didn't get round to adding Stans to mine over the weekend, and rather amazingly I didn't get a single puncture on the way in this morning. I have concluded that adding sealant to inner tubes is completely pointless...

    actually I read that someone on the interweb would have had 173 punctures in a day without them so you're totally wrong about this.

    apologise now!!!
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    CookeeeMonster wrote:
    apologise now!!!
    I'm sorry if you read something on the Internet that you thought was misleading...

    Will that do?
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,355
    After the ride on Saturday I had to clean my bike and I discovered the front had punctured, slow leak so I hadn't noticed during the ride. There were a few things of note about the ride, the amount of mud in a couple of points, a few fallen trees on the tow path, a close pass that resulted in the passing car losing it's wing mirror and taking a wrong turn that lead to an electric fence.
    Now I've encountered mud and fallen trees before without punctures and plenty of close passes. So I can only conclude that electric fences cause flats.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • cookeeemonster
    cookeeemonster Posts: 1,991
    TGOTB wrote:
    CookeeeMonster wrote:
    apologise now!!!
    I'm sorry if you read something on the Internet that you thought was misleading...

    Will that do?

    oh ok ;) :P
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,747
    Not sure about the puncture-sealing properties, but the major problem found (through borrowing a bike with 'slime' tubes fitted) was that if you want to let any air out of the tyre (if your changing a worn tyre for example), the stuff backs up into the valve and clogs it completely. Next time you want to top up the air pressure, you either have to take the valve core out and clean it out, or the tube is useless.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    rjsterry wrote:
    Not sure about the puncture-sealing properties, but the major problem found (through borrowing a bike with 'slime' tubes fitted) was that if you want to let any air out of the tyre (if your changing a worn tyre for example), the stuff backs up into the valve and clogs it completely. Next time you want to top up the air pressure, you either have to take the valve core out and clean it out, or the tube is useless.
    Hmmm... May vary from one slime to another. I'm using Stan's with tubeless tyres on my cross bike, and end up letting air out of the tyres a couple of times a week (incorrect tyre pressure one of the most important excuses for poor performance in CX races, and then you need to pump them up much harder to ride any distance on road), and never had this issue. That said, I did have a set that clogged sufficiently to stop me injecting more sealant (though air went in fine). Could also be that the Stan's valves are different, I guess...
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    TGOTB wrote:
    CookeeeMonster wrote:
    ...I didn't get a puncture this morning, and given the typical bikeradar style response to anything tyre related...I have to say that they are the best thing ever and 100% effective for everyone, everywhere, and they have also cured cancer.
    I didn't get round to adding Stans to mine over the weekend, and rather amazingly I didn't get a single puncture on the way in this morning. I have concluded that adding sealant to inner tubes is completely pointless...
    Turns out I actually *did* get a puncture this morning; rode home (through a sea of irony) at about 40psi because I couldn't be bothered to stop and pump it up. So it turns out that sealant is actually the dog's proverbials...
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • cookeeemonster
    cookeeemonster Posts: 1,991
    :):):)
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    CookeeeMonster wrote:
    Anyone tried the slime (or panaracer) liners? (with road tyres) mixed responses on the web though mainly they seem to be from mtb'ers with wider tyres.

    I've got the panaracer liners inside my 700x23c gatorhardskins and not had one flat yet. The roll was about 2 inches too long so i cut that one which was very difficult, then tried to force a pen through it and couldn't. Even with the pen straight up on the desk and me putting as much weight as I could through it, it still didn't split. I would definitely recommend it. Similar to how this guy did it with a nail
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ostb6ysNce4

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