Guess it's a moot point if I can't put Stan's in a tire with a tube in it but if I can, can I? Or should I just put some Slime in the tire. I'm doing a tour in May and really need to cut down on the flat issues I've had in the past.
I appreciate all the effort you put in to that response but it wasn't quite the answer I needed. Thanks though.
Liz, what size tires are you using? For the road I've used the light slime tubes. Half the weight of the regular slime tubes and work really great. I couldn't find them under 30mm but I know they make them. I tried Stans in my road tubes but it gunked up on me a couple times and made bumps in my road tubes.
I do. I buy tubes with removable cores (Q Tubes is the brand I buy at Jenson) and put Stan's inside. I find Stan's works better than Slime.
Get tubes with removable valve cores and you can add Stan's or Slime to any tube. Ultralite tubes with sealant weighs about the same as a standard tube.
Thanks guys. Mike, these are 650's that we have on the touring tandem. Needless to say, a rear flat loaded with panniers is an absolute bitch to deal with. I need some good sturdy tubes. Do you think they make 650's with removable valve cores? I can't afford to have any gunk I put in a tube to screw up. I'm not mechanically competent at all and neither is my stoker. If the Slime has less of a chance of screwing up, I'd prefer that. On the other hand, if Stan's rolls better and is lighter, maybe that. Idea's and suggestions?
Removable value cores on any sized tube are not that easy to find. I have the best bet finding removable cores on Continental tubes. But why not just buy a slime tube seems easier and if you stay away from the Slime Light tubes they are heavy duty tubes. Dean
Slime makes a special blend just for bikes. It's different than their regular formula in that it smells better, comes in smaller bottles, and costs ten times as much. I just bought a gallon of regular Slime at Wal Mart and it works as well as anything else. Cheaper than Stan's, works as well, and will literally last forever.
If I was really worried about flats, I'd put in some Mr. Tuffy's. They add a bit of weight but they are pretty good at inhibiting punctures on the tread. They won't help pinch flats or side wall tears though. A good combination would be Mr. Tuffys with some sturdy walled tires like armadillos.
A loaded tandem is not a place to worry about tube weight. You could use an old racer's trick. Drill another valve hole and put in two tubes, inflate one. If one tube goes flat inflate the other tube.
It's similar to Slime and works quite well for punctures. I'm with Abui on this one. A loaded tandem is not the place to worry about tube weight. Just make sure you keep pressures up. Slime or Stans won't seal a pinch flat IME.
How about a tube protector for the back something like a Mr. Toughy in the back or Slime makes one tooo http://www.bikepro.com/products/tubes/tubes-tuffy.html http://pricepoint.org/detail/16701-343_SLITP7-3-Parts-74-Tubes/Slime-Tube-Protector-Twin-Pack.htm oops saw that above..
A couple things I've learned riding 3500 miles a year on my commuter that you may or may not find helpful. I quit using liners long ago when I found they were migrating inside the tire and the edges would wear through the tube causing a flat and damaging the tube beyond patching. I would start your journey with brand new tires ridden just enough to confirm they are round and seated proper. I don't use any sealant because I thought that it prevented a successful patch on a tube that contained it. First flat, oh well, second flat, I throw that tire in the trash and replace with brand new tire. I have not gotten any flats when on new tires. Some tires last, some don't.
Which tires do you plan to use? Are you pinch flatting? Punctures? I imagine at 650 (I assume 650B?) you are limited to decent touring tires. I don't even think they make slime tubes in a 650. You can can find Q-Tubes in 650B (link here) but I can't confirm they have removable cores. We have some friends who ride a mountain tandem with Stans in the tubes and they say it works well. Sounds like a bit of a hassle to me, but may be worth it if it stops your flats. +1 on the Mr. Tuffy recommendation and good tires. Although I've had the same experience as above with liners causing a flat inside the tire, if you use them for a short term tour then take them out, should work well.
My stoker stoked my memory and reminded me that we did try Mr. Tuffy's one trip and abandoned them due to the migrating issue. The tires are Schwalbe Marathon Racer. Good thick sturdy tires. 85 max PSI. I'll get new ones before we take off on the trip. We do some business with this guy. http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/schwalbe.asp He seems to know his stuff when it comes to tires. Anyway, I still want to use something. I don't want to drill holes in the rims. If debris caused the flat, it'll cause it on the second tube too. I recall most of our flats coming from cheap tubes and debris. So most of you think Slime over Stans? I'll Google Q tubes now.
My experience is this; Stan's permanently seals punctures, with no trouble after that. Slime seems to work great while the wheels are turning, if the wheel sits still for any length of time, air seems to get through the Slime. Maybe someone else has had different luck with Slime, it just doesn't work for me. I've never bought a Q tube that hasn't had a removable core to date. Good luck. Oh yeah... DAMN! How do you pedal that thing?