A frequently asked question by newbie cyclists is, “how often do I need to change my tires?” Tires will often last 1000-5000 miles in the rear tires, depending on the weight of the rider, road conditions, etc. The front tires can last 2-3 times as long as the rear tires. You generally don’t need to even worry about your tires until you start seeing the woven casing that is hidden under the top layer of rubber. Tubes, on the other hand, are a completely different story. You can expect to get a flat tire about once every 1000 miles or so, and every now and then your tube will get punctured prematurely.

If you get a flat and the puncture is less then 1/8″ big, you should definitely give Slime a try. A normal patch is pretty much only a temporary solution, and should get you home where you can replace the tube. If you use Slime Tire Sealant, and a patch, your tube is as good as new, and can last up to two more years! You can even put Slime into your tube before you get a puncture, and it will prevent your tire from going flat! Here is the high tech explanation of how Slime works:

The Slime chemists have developed a state of the art system of environmentally friendly fibers, binders, polymers and proprietary congealing agents that inter-twine and clot to seal punctures up to 1/4″(6mm) in tubeless tires & 1/8″(3mm) in tube tires.

This Fibroses lattice, together with the viscous transportation system, seeks out and tightly packs itself into any puncture area, preventing and repairing flats with a flexible long lasting plug.

I also found this comment by Anthonaut on bikeforums.net helpful. It is a good testament to how well this stuff works.

8 Months ago i was given a bottle of Slime as a present. I had never tried it before but thought, what the heck, ill give it ago.

Installed it easily into my tubes not long after that and now, eight months later, today was the first time ive had to take one of my tubes out since i put slime in them. AND it wasnt because it had a puncture, it was because i was changing a worn tire. I then checked my old tire for thorns, found 5 and a patch had even been ripped off the tube- they were all sealed by the slime with no problems at all. Further, I found another 2 thorns in the tube itself which i pulled out and were sealed instantly by the Slime.

The price is right at only $5 for enough to repair or prepare two tubes. They also sell a tubeless tire version for you mountain bikers.

Get more info here. [slime.com]