Dr Sludge Self-Sealing Inner Tubes.

Getting a puncture when cycling is no fun, the are fixable but it easier to just prevent them in the first place. If you’ve had multiple punctures you will know how frustrating it is to replace or patch the tube at the side of the road. That’s where self sealing inner tubes come in. They contain a viscous liquid inside which, when the wheel spins, gets forced to the wall of the tube. When the offending object pierces the tube the ‘sludge’ seals the hole and stops the tire deflating  The tube can only stop holes up to 3mm in diameter so it will not stop a large gash, but for thorns and pieces of glass it should stop them. The 700c x 28-35c inner tube claims a weight of 250 grams, which is 150 grams more than a standard inner tube. If you are prone to flats then a 300 gram weight increase shouldn’t annoy you too much as its benefits outweigh the weigh cons. If you are a weight weenie worried about flats these probably are not for you. I have been running these in 700X28c tyres and have had no punctures on glass strew roads, potholes and even a poorly maintained coastal paths (road bikes are surprisingly good off road). They work but they have bot been trouble-less, the sludge seems to have partially sealed up the valves, making inflation and deflation frustrating but not impossible. I also found that when first inflating the sludge affected the seal on the valve so it would stay airtight though this is no longer a problem. I also worry what would happen to the sludge if it got a puncture it couldn’t handle, I fear sticky sludge would adorn me and my bike at 120 psi, not nice really. So if you need an affordable puncture resistant inner tube these are probably for you, I think these are the cheaper version of the more widely renown slime inner tubes. The sealant comes in all common tyre sizes and also in a bottle so you can add it to your own tubes.

Puncture Prevention –  ✰✰✰✰✰, no punctures in 6 months.

Value – ✰✰✰✰, only £7.75 on Amazon. It will save you more in replacement tubes than it costs.

Usability – ✰✰✰, Bit annoying inflating but I suppose that is the nature of the beast.

Overall – ✰✰✰✰, Good for commuters or road cyclists that dislike puncture, I suppose all cyclist hate punctures.

Amazon link-  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sludge-Self-Sealing-Tube-28-35mm-Presta/dp/B0012Z7FB4

If you are looking for normal inner tubes I would recommend these, LifeLine essential tubes. No flats on these either.

This orange theme is completely un-coincidental…

Funny slime explosion video.