Sealant tubes (NOT tubeless)

[robgul]

I have a customer with a hub-geared bike that wants to reduce the risk of having to remove the rear wheel if he has a visit.

Any suggestions on the best way - seems that there are Slime tubes and several chemicals that can be added to ordinary tubes (assuming the valve core, Presta, can be removed)

Experiences or ideas/brands welcome, thanks

[Paul H]

An alternative is to add such sealant when needed.  The Zefal repair spray does that and inflates at the same time, it's likely to repair anything that slime would, without having it sloshing round the rest of the time.
https://www.zefal.com/en/repair/175-repair-spray.html

I was sceptical, until I saw it used by a Deliveroo rider, a week later he was still riding round on it and it's only supposed to be a temporary fix.

I had tyres with slime in, though it was some years ago, my recollection is that it worked to an extent, though it can also mask a problem. until it's too late, then it's very... well slimy.
Or, practice fixing the puncture without removing the wheel.  I'm told that used to be common practice when more bikes had chaincases, I don't know if it still is in those counteries where many bikes still do.

[robgul]

An alternative is to add such sealant when needed.  The Zefal repair spray does that and inflates at the same time, it's likely to repair anything that slime would, without having it sloshing round the rest of the time.
https://www.zefal.com/en/repair/175-repair-spray.html

I was sceptical, until I saw it used by a Deliveroo rider, a week later he was still riding round on it and it's only supposed to be a temporary fix.

I had tyres with slime in, though it was some years ago, my recollection is that it worked to an extent, though it can also mask a problem. until it's too late, then it's very... well slimy.
Or, practice fixing the puncture without removing the wheel.  I'm told that used to be common practice when more bikes had chaincases, I don't know if it still is in those counteries where many bikes still do.

I've used the Zefal things a couple of times years ago on a 26" wheel hybrid - the repairs didn't seemed to hold for very long - it was a get you home (a bit like CO2 that degrades over 3 or 4 days and needs replacing with real air).   

Knowing the rider any attempt at repair without removing the wheel will be a chanllenge . .   again I did it once, back on a weekend camping ride when I was in the Scouts (so over 60 years ago!)

On balance the risk of having to (eventually) deal with an inner tube full of sticky gloop is probably worth taking the chance.

[Adam]

A couple of Dutch bikes I've looked at had inner tubes which weren't circular but were formed with ends, so rather than sending 30 minutes dismantling the chain guard and coaster brake to try and remove the wheel, you could just pop the edge of the tyre off, pull out the tube and presumably push in a new one.  No idea if you can get those tubes here in the UK.

[Bolt]

I've a hub geared bike and have put "Slime" sealant into the schrader valved tubes. Over the last year or so it seems to have worked pretty well with just a couple of punctures that resulted in a semi deflated tyre which responded to a quick pump at the roadside to properly seal.  All in all I've had better results using "Slime" and inner tubes compared to running the same tyres (Geax Mezcal 26x2.1") tubeless.

Sent from my motorola one zoom using Tapatalk

[andrew_s]

A couple of Dutch bikes I've looked at had inner tubes which weren't circular but were formed with ends, so rather than sending 30 minutes dismantling the chain guard and coaster brake to try and remove the wheel, you could just pop the edge of the tyre off, pull out the tube and presumably push in a new one.  No idea if you can get those tubes here in the UK.

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/inner-tubes-double-ended/

As well as slime tubes, you can inject tubeless sealant into tubes that have removable valve cores.
Both will work best if the tube is on the large side relative to the tyre size so the tube isn't stretched (eg a 28-45 tube in a 25c tyre)

[rogerzilla]

Pros: often works.

Cons: a lot of extra rotating weight, short effective life (so you WILL be removing the wheel anyway), can be a bit messy during tyre inflation and can gum up valves.

Marathon Plus tyres are a better solution.

[The Family Cyclist]

I don't rate slime but this is based on  very old experience where it didn't seal but was bubbling out enough to prevent me getting a pitch to stick

I have however used something called oko which I got from the agricultural dealer I worked at on various kids bikes and buggy and works really well as far as I can tell. Although when one inner tube exploded, it did make a mess

[robgul]

Have to say my thinking on Slime tubes, injecting slime/sealant etc aren't the finest of solutions - and I've tried the "sausage tubes" - worked OK for a fat tyre MTB but awkward on a 700 x 28 tyre (which is the bike in question)

Having now found out a bit more about the likely usage of the bike - not a lot, low mileage and not far from home  - and the gumming up of valves, stuff going off etc - it looks like just stick as it is or possibly as Roger suggests a Marathon Plus (although that has potential fitting/removal issues)   What I will do is give him a lesson in removing/replacing the Nexus/Alfine hib wheel - it's pretty simple.

[rogerzilla]

Have to say my thinking on Slime tubes, injecting slime/sealant etc aren't the finest of solutions - and I've tried the "sausage tubes" - worked OK for a fat tyre MTB but awkward on a 700 x 28 tyre (which is the bike in question)

Having now found out a bit more about the likely usage of the bike - not a lot, low mileage and not far from home  - and the gumming up of valves, stuff going off etc - it looks like just stick as it is or possibly as Roger suggests a Marathon Plus (although that has potential fitting/removal issues)   What I will do is give him a lesson in removing/replacing the Nexus/Alfine hib wheel - it's pretty simple.

Some sizes of M+ are easy to fit, like 26 x 1.35.  I don't remember a problem with the 700 x 38, either.  The 700 x 25 seems to be the really tricky one to fit.  It's so springy that it won't stay on the rim long enough for you to get to the last bit of bead.  You can use toe straps or zip ties, but then you'd have to carry them everywhere.

One thing to watch with M+ is that they are often larger in circumference than other tyres of the same width, and can foul mudguards.

[robgul]

Have to say my thinking on Slime tubes, injecting slime/sealant etc aren't the finest of solutions - and I've tried the "sausage tubes" - worked OK for a fat tyre MTB but awkward on a 700 x 28 tyre (which is the bike in question)

Having now found out a bit more about the likely usage of the bike - not a lot, low mileage and not far from home  - and the gumming up of valves, stuff going off etc - it looks like just stick as it is or possibly as Roger suggests a Marathon Plus (although that has potential fitting/removal issues)   What I will do is give him a lesson in removing/replacing the Nexus/Alfine hib wheel - it's pretty simple.

Some sizes of M+ are easy to fit, like 26 x 1.35.  I don't remember a problem with the 700 x 38, either.  The 700 x 25 seems to be the really tricky one to fit.  It's so springy that it won't stay on the rim long enough for you to get to the last bit of bead.  You can use toe straps or zip ties, but then you'd have to carry them everywhere.

One thing to watch with M+ is that they are often larger in circumference than other tyres of the same width, and can foul mudguards.

Thanks - Yes, yes, and yes

 I used to manage an LBS and wrestled with many Marathon+ - the BBB "tyre pliers" work pretty well and don't weigh much to carry on the bike (and help with arthritic fingers) - in my workshop at home I have the Park Tool Tire Seating Tool . . . awesome leverage!

[Paul H]

There's also the closed cell foam inserts that go between tyre and tube, I thought they were a bit of a gimmick, but apparently they've improved in resent years and are being taken seriously by some MTB'ers. I have no experience.

[PhilO]

There's also the closed cell foam inserts that go between tyre and tube, I thought they were a bit of a gimmick, but apparently they've improved in resent years and are being taken seriously by some MTB'ers. I have no experience.

MTBers used them inside tubeless tyres. The idea is that they provide extra cushioning between the tyre and rim when you pinch through running a low pressure. In normal use they don't get any direct contact from the ground surface, and hence don't introduce any additional rolling resistance. I suspect that they'd be very draggy if you sandwiched them between a tyre and inner tube.

[robgul]

There's also the closed cell foam inserts that go between tyre and tube, I thought they were a bit of a gimmick, but apparently they've improved in resent years and are being taken seriously by some MTB'ers. I have no experience.

MTBers used them inside tubeless tyres. The idea is that they provide extra cushioning between the tyre and rim when you pinch through running a low pressure. In normal use they don't get any direct contact from the ground surface, and hence don't introduce any additional rolling resistance. I suspect that they'd be very draggy if you sandwiched them between a tyre and inner tube.

I don't think that he meant "between tyre & tube" (to me that would be pretty pointless?)  - years ago you could get a thick slef-adhesive plastic tape that you stuck inside the tyre casing to, allegedly, give protetction (this was probably before so many tyres had a built-in Kevlar band) - AND there were foam "aircell" inserts that replaced the tube altogether.  I can recall seeing a few, getting them fitted was a challenge, removing them required a Stanley knide and/or a hacksaw to cut off the tyre case!


Back to my OP - the bike owner has decided that he's going to learn how to remove the rear wheel and mend a puncture, and then replace the wheel with the gears still changing nicely!