Slime sounds too good to be true

[slowmover]

So my daughters bicycle had a flat when she's ready to leave work in the big city and it was a big problem for her to walk it to some repair shop.I see where you can buy tires made with Kevlar and tubes made out of alligator ect. But the videos demonstrating sealants make it look so simple.Do they work and if so why don't all tires come with it when you buy them?

[leafman60]

So my daughters bicycle had a flat when she's ready to leave work in the big city and it was a big problem for her to walk it to some repair shop.I see where you can buy tires made with Kevlar and tubes made out of alligator ect. But the videos demonstrating sealants make it look so simple.Do they work and if so why don't all tires come with it when you buy them?

Bicycle tubes already pre-filled with Slime when sold are popular.

I've been using Slime or similar sealing fluids in motorcycle (and bicycle) tires for many years with great success.  I use it primarily in tube-type tires because changing a tire is less messy than when you have slime inside a tubeless tire.

Over the years, I've picked up many a nail in my tube tires but I've never had a flat when they were sealed inside.

Because of this, I don't cringe or feel as adverse about tube tires as other people do.

[bigbikerrick]

I have had better luck from a sealant made for atv tires, its some pink stuff I got from rocky mountain atv. We have huge thorns here in the desert, and this is what I have found works best.
Rick.

[Testarossa]

Slime seems to work pretty well. If you later need to deflate the tire (to replace a tire for instance) be careful about letting the Slime come out the valve -- the valve will clog and the tube become useless (ask me how I know). I think if you put the valve stem at the top of the wheel for awhile to let most of the Slime drain to the opposite side of the tube, it may be safer to deflate.

[Triple Jim]

I installed pre-Slimed tubes in my mountain bike when I made some new trails near my house, and was having problems with thorns causing flats regularly.  I have not had  a flat since then, but if you look closely at my tires, you can find little green dots where Slime oozed out a little and sealed.  In my opinion it works well for small punctures like that.  I doubt if it would help much if you got a large gash from a broken bottle in the city.

The reason all tires don't come with it or something similar, at least in the world of high performance, light bikes, is the weight.  My bike gained a pound or two with the Slime filled tubes.  With cheap department store bikes, they probably don't want to add a couple bucks to the manufacturing cost.

Edit:  Testarossa, with all schrader and most presta valve type tubes, the valve core can be changed if you let Slime clog it up.

[Testarossa]

Testarossa, with all schrader and most presta valve type tubes, the valve core can be changed if you let Slime clog it up.

That's the theory and maybe it works if you remove the core right away. But my daughter deflated my mountain bike tubes and returned the bike to me three days later -- and the presta cores were effectively cemented in place.

[screamday]

She should really carry and extra inner tube with her and a couple of CO2 cartridges. It takes about 5 minutes to change a bike tube.

[stratoguzzi]

Works good in lawn tractor tires.Had a slow leak that I could not find,added some slime and it sealed it good.A little green came out around the puncture and it was a weird slice under the tread block that prevented me from seeing it.Might work well on my tubed SP,but you don't have to worry about balance on a lawn tractor. 

[normzone]

It's been aeons since I used it - the Eldo in the eighties, mountain bikes in the oughties, and the formula may have evolved, but in my experience it hardened in use after a while.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Back when it was available, I used PJ1 Balance Plus in all of my motorcycle tubes. Did a good job of balancing and like Slime, sealed small punctures without me every knowing I even had one. It didn't/couldn't seal the tire/tube that had three nails in the same hole though! 

Ride-On seems to be virtually identical to the Balance Plus, other than the color. Seems to work just as well.

[Triple Jim]

That's the theory and maybe it works if you remove the core right away. But my daughter deflated my mountain bike tubes and returned the bike to me three days later -- and the presta cores were effectively cemented in place.

Understood.  I've had my presta valves get very gunked up from the Slime and corrosion, but luckily mine were still not difficult to replace.

[Huzo]

Can some one who actually knows, explain the physics of how a fluid substance "knows" where the heavy side of an unbalanced wheel is, and manage to position itself opposite. 'Cos a wheel can be out of balance due to mass or radial run out. Please, no half baked analogies that don't apply or conventional wisdom. I wonder if it's just the addition of mass (fluid) that helps to mask the initial problem.

[leafman60]

Can some one who actually knows, explain the physics of how a fluid substance "knows" where the heavy side of an unbalanced wheel is, and manage to position itself opposite. 'Cos a wheel can be out of balance due to mass or radial run out. Please, no half baked analogies that don't apply or conventional wisdom. I wonder if it's just the addition of mass (fluid) that helps to mask the initial problem.

Good grief.  Everybody knows the answer to that!

The fluid simply does the same thing as those little beads that some people put in their tires!

.

[Tom]

Uh.......How about a full apology then?   

I've used PJ1 before and Slime now.  Mostly on motorcycle tubed tires.  Works good on bicycle tubes and motorcycle tubes.  I've used the tubeless formula on a tubeless car tire.  No problems there.   

[Lannis]

Bicycle tubes already pre-filled with Slime when sold are popular.

I've been using Slime or similar sealing fluids in motorcycle (and bicycle) tires for many years with great success.  I use it primarily in tube-type tires because changing a tire is less messy than when you have slime inside a tubeless tire.

Over the years, I've picked up many a nail in my tube tires but I've never had a flat when they were sealed inside.

Because of this, I don't cringe or feel as adverse about tube tires as other people do.

 :1: to this.    There's no downside that I can see to putting "Slime" in motorcycle tire tubes.   I've never had it clog a valve, but it if did, you can just change the valve, I have hundreds of them, they're about a nickel each.

No flats on the road on a Slimed tire for me, ever.   

Lannis

[Sheepdog]

Slime is a pretty amazing product. Bicycles are probably the best application for the stuff. It was required among the goat heads (sharp, caltrop thorns) of New Mexico. Acceleration be damned; flats are a pain...

[Chesterfield]

I wonder if it's just the addition of mass (fluid) that helps to mask the initial problem.

I think it`s something like that, the liquid dampening out vibration.

[Huzo]

 :bike-037:d

I think it`s something like that, the liquid dampening out vibration.

Yeah there's a lot of people that reckon it balances an out of balance wheel. Well here's the thing... If your wheel is too heavy on one side by 20 grams, that may be 0.1% of the total mass, if you then distribute EVENLY a certain mass inside your tyre then consequently that 20 grams becomes a smaller fraction of the total mass. But for the slime to balance a wheel, there would have to be more of it on the "light" side than the "heavy side" would there not ? And how would that little trick be achieved ? And you'll never balance a wheel it there's run out present.

[Huzo]

Good grief.  Everybody knows the answer to that!

The fluid simply does the same thing as those little beads that some people put in their tires!

.

Yeah sweet **** all !

[Huzo]

Uh.......How about a full apology then?   

I've used PJ1 before and Slime now.  Mostly on motorcycle tubed tires.  Works good on bicycle tubes and motorcycle tubes.  I've used the tubeless formula on a tubeless car tire.  No problems there.   

What's the apology for and from whom ?

[leafman60]

I do not fully understand the principle either.

I use the stuff primarily for the sealing properties. I balance my new tires and tubes before inserting the fluid.  Then, I usually carryover the filled tube to one more tire before replacing the tube.

I have tested the "balancing" benefits for years and I must say that a fluid-filled tire does seem to me to run smoothly.

Many years ago, I even bought some donut disks filled with fluid and beads that installed behind my car wheels and, yes, they "seemed" to work.

These products do not appear to advertise balancing characteristics any longer. Again, I nowadays seek the sealing properties from these fluids and I have been well-satisfied with them.

[Sheepdog]

I've never heard of Slime being used as a balancing agent. High-speed applications can cause some odd stuff to happen under acceleration, so I only use it to repair small punctures on my motorcycle while out on the road. It doesn't require removal of the tire, so the balance is un-disturbed...an excellent solution for folks riding on tubed tires (but the tube should be replaced as soon as practical). Lower speed applications such as bicycles and lawn equipment don't require balancing, so the Slime can remain in the tire for extended periods.

[leafman60]

I've never heard of Slime being used as a balancing agent. High-speed applications can cause some odd stuff to happen under acceleration, so I only use it to repair small punctures on my motorcycle while out on the road. It doesn't require removal of the tire, so the balance is un-disturbed...an excellent solution for folks riding on tubed tires (but the tube should be replaced as soon as practical). Lower speed applications such as bicycles and lawn equipment don't require balancing, so the Slime can remain in the tire for extended periods.

LOL

I can assure and attest that I have experienced no "odd stuff" happening with Slimed tires under acceleration or at high speeds.  At least, I should say, nothing odd connected to the tires or the Slime.

I have one irritation, though, and it's a small one. I wish the marketers had named this stuff something other than "Slime."

.

[not-fishing]

My youngest son and I raced mountain bikes, I was the High School team's bike mechanic.  I always carried plenty of tubes on training rides.

Those kids who could afford it used a tubeless system (rim tape, liquid latex and tubeless tire) that I often retro-fitted to older wheels.

Liquid Latex was the sealer and they're much lighter than Slime ever pedal a heavy wheel up a mountain deer trail?

Nobody used Slime but the downside of the Latex was you had to add it every 6 months.  I've seen bike tires on one training ride where I pulled out 5+ "goat head" thorns and the latex worked fine.

[Sheepdog]

LOL

I can assure and attest that I have experienced no "odd stuff" happening with Slimed tires under acceleration or at high speeds.  At least, I should say, nothing odd connected to the tires or the Slime.

I have one irritation, though, and it's a small one. I wish the marketers had named this stuff something other than "Slime."

.

Laugh if you like, but the stuff remains a liquid within the tire/tube and pools in the bottom of the tire when it's not rolling. It takes a number of revolutions before it evenly distributes itself around the inside of the tire carcass. If you look carefully at the label, Slime does not recommend use with streetbikes...

Also, Slime is water soluble. Though it's a mess when you first dismount a tubeless tire, it can be easily cleaned with a water hose.

[Tom]

Huzo...Uh.......How about a full apology then?   

I've used PJ1 before and Slime now.  Mostly on motorcycle tubed tires.  Works good on bicycle tubes and motorcycle tubes.  I've used the tubeless formula on a tubeless car tire.  No problems there.   
What's the apology for and from whom ?

"Please, no half baked analogies that don't apply or conventional wisdom. I wonder if it's just the addition of mass (fluid) that helps to mask the initial problem."

 

[Triple Jim]

Can some one who actually knows, explain the physics of how a fluid substance "knows" where the heavy side of an unbalanced wheel is, and manage to position itself opposite. 'Cos a wheel can be out of balance due to mass or radial run out. Please, no half baked analogies that don't apply or conventional wisdom. I wonder if it's just the addition of mass (fluid) that helps to mask the initial problem.

There's quite a bit of information about this on the web, including some reasonably scientific explanations.  Here is one example:

https://engineering.stackexchange.com/questions/6015/how-do-tire-balancing-beads-work

[leafman60]

Laugh if you like, but the stuff remains a liquid within the tire/tube and pools in the bottom of the tire when it's not rolling. It takes a number of revolutions before it evenly distributes itself around the inside of the tire carcass. If you look carefully at the label, Slime does not recommend use with streetbikes...

Also, Slime is water soluble. Though it's a mess when you first dismount a tubeless tire, it can be easily cleaned with a water hose.

I wasn't laughing at anyone except myself and the way I have ridden bikes with fluid in the tires.

By the way, it's a semi liquid.  I've noticed that it doesn't all pool down in the bottom of the tire/tube when parked.  It tends to coat the inside and remain distributed to a great extent.  That's why you do not over-fill the tire with it.

If there is a disclaimer not to use in street machines, that is probably a lawyer-induced anti-liability measure.  For the same reasons, many shops will not repair any tire puncture, tube or tubeless.

Anyway, if anyone is dubious about the stuff and reticent to use it, that's fine.  My only reason for posting on the topic is to relay my many years of satisfactory direct experience with fluid sealers.
.

[Huzo]

Huzo...Uh.......How about a full apology then?   

I've used PJ1 before and Slime now.  Mostly on motorcycle tubed tires.  Works good on bicycle tubes and motorcycle tubes.  I've used the tubeless formula on a tubeless car tire.  No problems there.   
What's the apology for and from whom ?

 

Certainly Tom if needs be. But what I was looking for was an accurate description of how slime can be used to "balance" a tyre. Not everyone claims that it does but some do. Can't see yet what the apology is needed for, was it for the request for no half baked analogies ?

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Certainly Tom if needs be. But what I was looking for was an accurate description of how slime can be used to "balance" a tyre. Not everyone claims that it does but some do. Can't see yet what the apology is needed for, was it for the request for no half baked analogies ?

On their website, Slime claims no balancing function and as far as I know it doesn't have any. However, (the now unavailable) PJ1 Balance Plus and Ride-On both do seal and balance - don't ask me how, because I don't know either - but they do.