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Dr. Sludge and other gungy tyres

I gave some Dr. Sludges a try for the commute. Was getting to work late too often. Only a 5km route but broken glass everywhere, yet I can do miles in the country no problems of course. Well I got mixed results. They didn't prevent flats; they would *sometimes* stay up after a repump long enough for me to get where I was going.
The real problem I had was the valve on the tube would gunge up with he green fluid and could not be pumped up anymore. They would slowly loose pressure and need to be chucked out eventually.

Any suggestions for sorting these valves out or would I be better just investing more money in a better pair of tyres.

cheers, G

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9 comments

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musicalmarc | 11 years ago
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I've not managed to puncture Gatorskins or Top Kontakts in 10,000 miles of commuting through London. Keep the pressures up.

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Simon E | 11 years ago
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Go for better tyres. Then you don't need to put that stuff inside and the bike will roll much better.

Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase. Good speed for such a resilient tyre and not particularly heavy. My choice for 700c.

Schwalbe Marathon Plus

Specialized Nimbus Armadillo

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localsurfer | 11 years ago
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Expensive brand name ones I've had nothing but problems with. The Halfords own brand cheapies though, they work very well.

You hear 'pooosh' as you get a puncture, then 'poosh, poosh posh pss pss ps nothng' as it seals up. The secret with sealing tyres though, is DON'T STOP WHEN YOU HEAR A PUNCTURE. You need to keep the wheel rotatting.

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colhum1 | 11 years ago
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I found if you have the valve at the 10 to 2 or 12 o'clock position the valve seems to stay clear when sticking air in.....the slime moves down the tube...  4
Always seems to block up when the valve is set low.....

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Organon | 11 years ago
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You buy them with the green gunge inside them already. It just leaks out when you release any air from the tyre and then sticks up the valve.  13

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Organon | 11 years ago
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You buy them with the green gunge inside them already. It just leaks out when you release any air from the tyre and then sticks up the valve.  13

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Daclu Trelub | 11 years ago
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I converted my rear wheel to tubeless - no punctures for the past year. Although at the same time I changed to a Kevlar belted tyre, so I'm unsure what's had the biggest effect, likely that - but if and when it does puncture, the slime inside should get me home.
After years of trusting to tubeless tyres on motorcycles and cars, I saw no reason to distrust them on bicycles, with the same setup.
There was one thing I did find on a motorcycle - a tube with slime in it doesn't seal at all well and only if you're lucky will it allow you to carry on. A tubeless one with slime in will just work.

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Gkam84 | 11 years ago
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Were you using the can of Dr Sludge to fill the tubes you had in already??

BAD MOVE

Buy the pre lined tubes  3

But as said above, I'd be getting (better) puncture resistant tyres

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TheHatter | 11 years ago
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No experience of filled tubes but I'd recommend better tyres. I have a similar commute and use scwalbe duranos on my road bike or marathons on my hybrid and while I get a lot of cuts from the glass its rare that I get a p******e.
It doesn't take that much longer to swap out a tube than to pump up a tyre anyway.

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