Run flat inserts for tubeless road tires.
Mountain bike
Gravel bike (currently out of stock)
Except of course that a patch kit will generally have the materials to make several patches. As an aside, it was touch and go with bike supplies over the summer. The good patch kits (the ones that work–using rubber cement) ran out, and for the first time ever I bought the self-sticking patches that come already with the adhesive on them.
I don’t recommend it. They will hold well enough to get you home, but the leak-by becomes noticeable after a few days, requiring more frequent pumping of that one tube. In which case, yeah, I suppose you might as well just buy a new tube: a tube patched with a stick-on will never be the same. Conversely, I’ve found conventionally patched tubes last… as long as the tube lasts.
If the cement doesn’t dry out before the second use, and the patch will last as long as the tire except for the rare cases when it doesn’t, and it’s still one more piece of work to be done, all to save at most five bucks for a tube. Yeah, the patch kits are cheaper, but not by enough to make it worth it, even for someone as frugal as me.
In my experience the tires do feel a little heavier after you pre-slime. I probably wouldn’t have noticed it if I hadn’t rode before and after to compare.
No need to buy new patch kits all the time. If you have a spare inner tube with you (and possibly a CO₂ cartridge inflator, so you do not even need to spend time pumping, let alone patching), you can just use the big tube of rubber cement you keep at home. And pieces of old inner tubes = spare patches 
On my road bike I run standard, good-quality tires and tubes, un-slimed. I used to have Mr Tuffy years ago but they eventually disintegrated enuf they were no longer useable. I still recommend them (and RhinoDillos, which I have on my tour bike). I have considered the pre-slimed tubes but have yet to try them. I rarely get flats, but I expect them, so here are my priorities:
- Always carry a NEW tube on every ride. This is the quickest way to get going after a flat. I usually do a rubber cement patch on a salvageable puncture at home.
- Sticker patches for emergencies, like if my 2nd tube punctures. Very rare. Also, to help someone else, when needed. These patches, as mentioned, are just to get you home - they do not last. However, they are compact and nearly weightless.
If I was riding in an area that is more flat-prone, I would be more tempted to try the pre-slimed tubes. But tire liners are also a decent bet.
Since the apocalypse (and the ensuing shortage of bike supplies) I’ve started cutting off choice sections of tube for that end. Haven’t had to make use of it yet, though. Saving for a last resort (I mean, still ahead of self-adhering stick on patches, which is a non starter for me).
Here’s a question… have you ever salvaged a sticker patched tube after getting home? Like, by removing the sticker and then successfully managed to adhere a proper rubber cement patch in its place and had it hold? I’ve never tried it myself, but I currently have a “backup tube” with a sticker patch on it that–if push comes to shove–I would like to be able to get into the best possible shape for future use.
The tube on the rear wheel on my bike is now on its second tire. It must have half a dozen patches. Probably more.
A tube, even a patched tube, is quite capable of outlasting a tire.
I have tried that once and was unsuccessful. I test a patched tube with a spare wheel and tire, and mount the patched tube there, inflate to pressure and leave overnight or a few days to see if it holds. Even then it may be iffy once subjected to riding. I recommend your “backup tube” always be a new one.
I have never found the rubber-cement patches to be even a patch on the old style vulcanizing patch.
I used to use slime alot for the goat heads. When a tube would finally need to be tossed, you could see all the little repairs it had done. I still use it for wheelbarrow tires and dump some in the various bikes. I dont ride long distance, mostly errands and local off trail stuff.
i think some flats were my own fault, for not scraping out the inside of the tire after I had found a thorn on the outside, often times the tip remains inside and repunctures the tire in a new place. Duh me.
Note that these are for tubeless setups, so not really relevant to whether to put sealant into tubes. They’re also designed with the expectation that there will be sealant in the tubeless tires.
I personally wouldn’t pre-slime a tube, but then I’m currently running tubeless which of course involves sealant in the tires. I also carry a tube in my seat bag as insurance.
I’m a mountain biker and (of course) run tubeless, but I don’t recommend it for the casual biker. It’s great if you ride frequently - I haven’t had a flat in several years. I use the Stans syringe to refresh the sealant about every six months (I never break the tire bead seal), and it works great.
But for the casual biker, they may skip a few months between riding, and if the tire pressure goes down enough, you break the seal at the tire bead, then the sealant dries out, and you need a compressor to seat it again. It’s just too much hassle for the infrequent rider.
My recommendation for them are the heavy duty tubes that you can get at Walmart. These tubes hold air for months, even a year. I sent the first son off to college with regular tubes on his bike, and he was always having flats because the pressure would get low but he’d ride anyway, and then get a pinch flat on something, so his bike always seemed to have a flat. With the second son, I put in heavy duty tubes and the problem was solved.
There are other options.
I have a foot pump with two modes. In one mode it pumps the tire up like any other pump, in the other mode it charges an accumulator that you can then release all at once into the tire. This usually enough to seat it.
$310???
No thanks.
That’s in New Zealand. It’s discontinued anyway. Listed at around 149 stateside.
This one’s MSRP is 130.
I mentioned that you need a compressor to seat a tubeless tire to the rim, or I guess a special pump with a reservoir. But you can get a compressor for less than the pump costs. I just looked it up, and you can also get a reservoir tank that you pump up, and use it to seat the tire, but my point was that for casual bikers, tubeless tires aren’t worth the hassle, and casual riders aren’t typically going to have a specialized pump or even a compressor.
CO2 inflators work too, for tires up to about 35c.
Bigger tires, perhaps not so much. Hell, I had a hard time with 29+ tires and a compressor. But smaller tires, CO2 works.
Yeah fair point. Personally I think all bikers, casual or not, should have a floor pump because they’re awesome compared to a hand pump, but running tubeless tires on a mountain bike implies a certain level of commitment that most casuals wouldn’t have.