Tire Liners?

[Kevin B]

I've gone a decade or more without any on the road flats. Now in the last week I have punctured a tube twice. I think it is because the County has been deploying bat wing mowers in some of the neighborhoods cutting brush and leaving little sharp wood chips on the road. Not finding nails or thorns just punctures in the tube.

Are those tire liners you install between the tube and tire any good? Do they adversely effect the ride? I read some brands actually cause something called "friction flats."

 

[horsefarmer]

It takes almost nothing to make a flat. My wife's bike had a slow leak that turned out to be a super tiny hole. A 1/4" piece of steel radial belt neatly plunged thru the tread and body of the tire and nicked the tube.

 

[Verrt]

I used them for minute when I used to ride in double G thorn country.

I pulled the thorns out a couple of times that had gone through the tire but been stopped by the liner, a few times where it had gone through the tire, liner, and tube (they're ........).
I stopped using them when I had one come misaligned inside the tire and pinch hole in the tube, causing a flat.

I guess they're OK until they're not.

 

[deorman]

Some people swear by Slime for punctures. I expect it's a just a mess in case of an actual blowout.

 

[Verrt]

Some people swear by Slime for punctures. I expect it's a just a mess in case of an actual blowout.

I have slime in one set of wheels. Never had a puncture in that set though, so I have no idea.
Smells bad every time I release a little air to pump up the tire though

 

[horsefarmer]

My one and only experience with a Slime brand tube was on a pretty beat up walmart bike. Was separating tires from rims and couldn't get tube to deflate. Pulled out valve core it was stuck good.
Had to ream out the valve stem with stem on top to keep most goo in and got it deflated. Recently, I reused the tube and could not get the tube to take air. I had to swap out the valve core the old one was corroded! Still don't leak tho...

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

Slime is corrosive, especially to aluminum so I never use it.

Tire liners can be a PITA, I always toss them.

Goatheads are the worst and I've been dealing with them all of my life. Nothing is going to stop them 100%, except for solid tires.

I tend to ride with my tires in the roadway, where vehicle treads pick up most of the garbage off of the street. I use secondary and residential streets mainly for riding on pavement.

YMMV