worried about slime

[Bill Wright]

I kept getting punctures in my bike tyres because of all the hawthorn thorns, so I bought a tube of 'slime'. I put it in the tyres before I read the instructions, unfortunately. When I did read them it said put it in with the valve holder at the top of the wheel so it runs down to the bottom where the wheel gets all the punctures. But I'd done the job with the bike upside down, so although I happened to have the valve holder at the top it was of course, in reality at the bottom. Has anyone with experience of 'slime' any knowledge of whether this will prevent the stuff form working?

Bill

[harry]

The stuff distributes around the inside of the tyre as the wheel rotates and remains liquid until there is puncture when it solidifies in the hole. AFAIK, the reason for the valve being at the top is to make injecting the stuff easier. The stuff I have recommends removing the valve, injecting the gloop, spinning the wheel and then replacing the valve.

[David]

As you have correctly said, the tyre only ever gets flat at the bottom. Gravity will ensure that's where the slime ends up, so you'll be fine ;)

David

[T i m]

But the chances are you won't need put air in the tyre so often as the Slime also reduces the natural porosity of the tube ... and taking the valve out to clean it once every so often (not that I have *ever* had to) is a small price to pay (IMHO) than even getting one puncture.

I typically run slimed tubes in Schwalbe Marathon / Plus (puncture resistant) tyres on all my bikes (and tandem) because I care less about good rolling resistance than I do getting home with no (puncture) issues.

YMWV of course. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[PeterC]

Good luck with removing a Presta valve!

[The Other Mike]

Never underestimate what can be accomplished with a pair of mole grips and a hammer.

The slime must react with the air presumably in a short period of time in service to seal a puncture, but what makes it possible for it to be introduced to the tyre and not react with air in the process or with the air in the tyre when it is reinflated?

[Brian Gaff]

Slime is an anagram of smile so I'd not worry! Brian

[T i m]

I did?

What part of 'Slimed' didn't you get?

Like I said, YM*W*V, because that's your MO. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[alan_m]

Despite them suggesting it can be used in car and motorbike tyres the small print says....

"Use as a preventative/repair measure in all NON-Highway vehicles"

[michael adams]

The two statement aren't contradictory.

The first statement is a suggestion. That it CAN be used in the appropriate circumstances.

The second statement is an exhortation that it SHOULD be used in ALL non-highway vehicles. The emphasis here being on the word ALL.

The implication being presumably that there are some road going vehicles where its use would be unecessesary, or impractical. But that this limitation doesn't apply to non-highway vehicles for some reason or other.

michael adams

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