Alternative to slime tube

[Jerry Can]

Hello

After yet another puncture on my cycle ride yesterday - mountain bike ride, traversing bridal paths and byways over the Ridgeway, I am wondering if their is anything better out there to protect against punctures than slime tubes. The bike is a Bizango with 29er wheels. I got 2 punctures in 2 days using the standard inner tubes, and now a I have had three punctures over the last 6 months on slime tubes. Or maybe its the tyre? Are there more puncture proof options. Or finally should I be pleased about only 3 punctures in 6 months. I do around 20 miles a week on the bike in the winter, double that and some in the summer.

thanks

[The_Jackal]

What tyres do you have?
Sounds like you need some decent tyres with protective casing. Onone Smorgasbord (rear) and Chunky Monkey (front) I can recommend, Made for OnOne by Maxxis with Exo protection.

[Jerry Can]

Maxxis Standard bizango fitment tyres, I'll take a look at the tyres you mentioned

Edited by Jerry Can on Monday 6th February 20:39

[yellowjack]

I fitted those 'Slime' innertubes on my wife's commute bike. Nothing but trouble when the puncture is too much for the 'goo' to handle. The answer for her was tyres with more protection rather than letting 'sharps' get through to the tube. I forget what I fitted for her, but they wouldn't be relevant for a MTB anyway.

Me? I've covered 2,871 miles since March '16 on my Giant Anthem. Nearly 800 of those miles in the last three months since I fitted a pair of Schwalbe Nobby Nic 27.5" (650B) x 2.25" dual compound 'Performance' tyres. I've had one penetration of the tyre in that time, and that's what I'd describe as a "slow puncture" - one that doesn't need a tube change, just checking pressure and pumping up every three to four days.

They're not the most comfortable tyres out. At the lower end of the price scale, but it was all i could afford when winter really hit, as my 'summer' tyres (standard 'factory fit' Racing Ralphs) were virtually slick after 2,000 miles. They're fairly hefty, although the 'blurb' claims they're lightweights, and the side walls lack some flex. I measured the pressure with a friend's digital gauge because he thought I was running them at excessively high pressures, but there was only 24psi in them, yet the sidewalls look like there's 50psi + in them. They are, however, very grippy, and great for sloppy winter conditions because they don't gather mud in the tread, but shed it easily. I ride on heathland where there's been a great deal of 'industrial scale' hedgecutting and gorse clearance, and I'm not shy of riding through the odd bramble patch either. I would thoroughly recommend these tyres to someone like you who wants to spend more time riding and less time swapping tubes.

Random link to just one place where you can buy them...

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/schwalbe-nobby-...

...but I got mine from a local shop, and paid near double that for mine.

Another option might be to go tubeless with your next set of tyres. But so far I haven't felt the need to join the 'tubeless revolution', so I cannot really give you any advice on that as an alternative route to puncture free cycling.

[FD3Si]

Just go tubeless.

[Kermit power]

Another vote for tubeless here, and just carry a spare tube with you just in case.

I've ridden about 1,200 miles all off road since converting my MTBs to tubeless, and in that time, I'd guess that I've probably had around half a dozen punctures.

The reason I can only guess at having had those punctures is that I've only ever found out I've got a puncture has been changing onto winter tyres, and you can see little lumps of latex crystal on the inside of the tyre wall at what I assume would've been puncture sites had they not been tubeless with the latex to seal the hole?

[Craikeybaby]

Yet another vote for tubeless, ideally with some of the tougher tyres, the OnOne/Maxxis mentioned above, or Continental Protection which is what I use.

[Esders]

I have no experience of tubeless but have been running Panaracer Flataway tyre liners for the last couple of years without a single puncture. Essentially it is a kevlar based tape that slicks to the inside of the tube and provides protection. Weighs next to nothing (that will be the kevlar) and not messy like either slime or the stuff in tubeless tyres. Oh, did I mention it had kevlar in it, which is much more exciting than slime.

Here is a a video that I did some time ago when I first started using it. Forget the link at the end - I no longer run the website that it links to so it will be a dead link. mail]text|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux9Z8wIN9hE[/mail] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux9Z8wIN9hE

[Gren]

I've always used Schwalbe tyres on my mtb and went through a few punctures on the Racing Ralph I use on the back during the summer. Swapped this to a Double Defence version and not had a puncture since. Not to be confused with Snakeskin which is a stronger sidewall, the DD tyres has more protection in under the treads where you get most punctures. Weight penalty was minimal and certainly not noticeable.

Most other brands do something similar.

Edited by Gren on Tuesday 7th February 13:22

[ukbabz]

I know your pain, I've had a good 8-10 punctures this winter riding around the ridgeway, to the point I thought I may have upset someone at the pub given I'd often have a flat after a post work pint.. the number of hawthorns I've found have been irritating to say the least!

I didn't know snakeskin was sidewall, which might explain why the magic mary's i've put on for the winter mud haven't been better than the old smart sam I had on the front.

[richardxjr]

Tubeless. Lower pressures, more grip. A tad lighter. Oh and self sealing of punctures too. JFDI.



Flataway works well too, as a stop gap, but you don't get the main benefit of tubeless on an mtb which is tons more grip.

[Jerry Can]

ukbabz said:

I know your pain, I've had a good 8-10 punctures this winter riding around the ridgeway, to the point I thought I may have upset someone at the pub given I'd often have a flat after a post work pint.. the number of hawthorns I've found have been irritating to say the least!

I didn't know snakeskin was sidewall, which might explain why the magic mary's i've put on for the winter mud haven't been better than the old smart sam I had on the front.

i guess you must do the thursday night MTB cycle ride from the G&D in Upton. Often thought of coming along myself, but too cold this time of year. Maybe when it gets a bit warmer and lighter in the summer. Are you doing the Uptonogood event this year. I did last year, loved it!

8-10 punctures though, maybe I should be happy with my hit rate.

[Kermit power]

Esders said:

I have no experience of tubeless but have been running Panaracer Flataway tyre liners for the last couple of years without a single puncture. Essentially it is a kevlar based tape that slicks to the inside of the tube and provides protection. Weighs next to nothing (that will be the kevlar) and not messy like either slime or the stuff in tubeless tyres. Oh, did I mention it had kevlar in it, which is much more exciting than slime.

Here is a a video that I did some time ago when I first started using it. Forget the link at the end - I no longer run the website that it links to so it will be a dead link. mail]text|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux9Z8wIN9hE[/mail] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux9Z8wIN9hE

Would you not start picking up snake bite punctures running at the sort of pressures you can run with on a tubeless setup though? Lack of punctures is only really a secondary benefit compared to that for me.

[Herman Toothrot]

Jerry Can said:

i guess you must do the thursday night MTB cycle ride from the G&D in Upton. Often thought of coming along myself, but too cold this time of year. Maybe when it gets a bit warmer and lighter in the summer. Are you doing the Uptonogood event this year. I did last year, loved it!

8-10 punctures though, maybe I should be happy with my hit rate.

Do you know much about the group that does those rides? I'm reasonably local would be nice to have a look on Strava and see how far and fast they go or not.

I Ride the same sort of area but find it more fun towards the Chilterns rather than Wessex Downs, I haven't had a puncture on my mountain bike in two years or so since going proper tubeless (Tubless Tyres, UST type bead lock rims, 50ml Joes fluid topped up every 3 months). I use different tyres on different bikes and times of years, for the area budget tyre I rate Specialized Purgatory Grid 2Bliss they can be had for £35 a pair on Sigma sport which is a steal, very under rated tyre, everyone seems to have hard-ons for Maxxis or Schwalbe these days and seem to ignore everything else. Saying that though my other but more expensive favourites for the area are Schwalbe Magic Mary Evo Trail Snakeskin fronts and Nobby Niks pacestar rear in Double Defense casing.

[Jerry Can]

Herman Toothrot said:

Do you know much about the group that does those rides? I'm reasonably local would be nice to have a look on Strava and see how far and fast they go or not.

I Ride the same sort of area but find it more fun towards the Chilterns rather than Wessex Downs, I haven't had a puncture on my mountain bike in two years or so since going proper tubeless (Tubless Tyres, UST type bead lock rims, 50ml Joes fluid topped up every 3 months). I use different tyres on different bikes and times of years, for the area budget tyre I rate Specialized Purgatory Grid 2Bliss they can be had for £35 a pair on Sigma sport which is a steal, very under rated tyre, everyone seems to have hard-ons for Maxxis or Schwalbe these days and seem to ignore everything else. Saying that though my other but more expensive favourites for the area are Schwalbe Magic Mary Evo Trail Snakeskin fronts and Nobby Niks pacestar rear in Double Defense casing.

I know a little about the group. They generally cycle for about 2 hours and cover around 15 miles,a bit further if it is drier a bit less if wetter, they always finish off at the pub fora drink.

Lots of info about tyres there much of it above my head will investigate

[ukbabz]

Yeah, I go from the G&D on a Thursday. It's been pretty cold on a few of the rides, although last week was warmer and muddier. I did do the uptonogood last year and was a good laugh. The 35miler was rather muddy last year so hard work - was even in my PH jersey

As for distance, yeah around 2hours ish, and 15-20miles seems to be the plan with a bit more in summer and a bit less when it's horrendous.

[Agent XXX]

When I was running Conti X Kings I had NOTHING but puncture after puncture and tyre failures.even WITH Slime.

Switched to Schwalbe Smart Sams and, touch wood, haven't had a single one in over a year of using them and that's on some hard hard riding and big distances. Did slime them too when I got 'em but I think they are generally a very tough and very durable tyre.

[Craikeybaby]

Agent XXX said:

When I was running Conti X Kings I had NOTHING but puncture after puncture and tyre failures.even WITH Slime.

Switched to Schwalbe Smart Sams and, touch wood, haven't had a single one in over a year of using them and that's on some hard hard riding and big distances. Did slime them too when I got 'em but I think they are generally a very tough and very durable tyre.

Which version though? My bike the crap OEM X Kings when I bought it, the Protection ones are much better (but more expensive). There is also a lightweight race version too.

[Agent XXX]

Craikeybaby said:

Agent XXX said:

When I was running Conti X Kings I had NOTHING but puncture after puncture and tyre failures.even WITH Slime.

Switched to Schwalbe Smart Sams and, touch wood, haven't had a single one in over a year of using them and that's on some hard hard riding and big distances. Did slime them too when I got 'em but I think they are generally a very tough and very durable tyre.

Which version though? My bike the crap OEM X Kings when I bought it, the Protection ones are much better (but more expensive). There is also a lightweight race version too.

Standard X Kings. I'm sure the 'protection' ones are better but the whole time running them just put me off the make.

[Esders]

Kermit power said:

Would you not start picking up snake bite punctures running at the sort of pressures you can run with on a tubeless setup though? Lack of punctures is only really a secondary benefit compared to that for me.

You are right, this doesn't protect the side walls. I also tend to run higher pressures than most people do so haven't had any snake bite punctures since using these.