If your tire got punctured and you’re planning to seal it with Slime, you need to know how long the sealant takes to dry out and how soon you will be able ride the bike again.
Well, let’s just say you’re in lucky. Because the moment you fill your tire with Slime sealant, pump air into it, and hop on the bike, you’re pretty much good to go. In today’s post, we’ll explain why.
Slime sealant doesn’t need time to dry because it doesn’t function like glue. Instead, it’s carried by the pressurized air into the puncture, where it builds up and forms an airtight seal almost instantly.
Let’s look in more detail at Slime sealant, how exactly it works, and why you don’t need to wait for it to dry before you can get back on your bike.
How Long Does Bike Tire Sealant Take to Dry?
There’s no such thing as a good moment to get a flat tire on your bicycle. And yet, by Murphy’s Law, it always happens at the worst possible time.
When I studied abroad and rode my bike to and from college, I only had a flat tire during the day just before the most important exam of the year. Nowadays, I’m still lucky—I get flats before important meetings or events I really don’t want to be late for.
Before, I used to carry a couple of patch kits, a mini pump, and a tool kit in my bike’s saddlebag. Nowadays, especially on long rides and group rides, I take a bottle of Slime sealant in my backpack, and I’ll tell you why.
The thing about this type of sealant is that it doesn’t need any time to dry at all.
Instead, you squirt it in your tire and it remains liquid in it for 2-3 years—and this is intentional.
You might be wondering how it can seal a puncture if it doesn’t dry, but the answer is that Slime sealant is not a glue, and it doesn’t need to stick to the hole or dry out in order to work.
Instead, Slime works by plugging the hole up with its ingredients. If you’ve ever blocked your sink with vegetable peelings or had your gutter constantly clog with piles of leaves, this works on pretty much the same principle.
Related: Does Slime Sealant Really Work on Bikes?
The Slime is pulled into the hole by the air that is trying to escape from the tire, and it seals the puncture using a mixture of big and little particles. These serve to fill the gap, and the pressure inside the tire keeps the Slime in place, forcing it not to move as you cycle.
The Slime therefore never needs to dry; it does its job by staying wet. This is an important concept to understand, because you don’t need to wait for the Slime to dry (and there are several advantages offered by it not drying).
What Are The Advantages, Then?
Firstly, the fact that Slime doesn’t need to dry means you can get straight back on your bike as soon as you have finished applying it. The Slime will coat the inside of the tire, block up the puncture, and you can be off again very quickly.
This, when you’re short on time or in a remote area, is definitely a bonus.
Secondly, this means that the sealant can repair any new punctures that appear later in your tire. If you were to apply a substance that dries on the inside of the tire, it wouldn’t be able to repair new holes; it would already be dried and set in its form.
Related: How to Tell If Your Bike Tire Is Punctured
However, since Slime stays moist, you may find that it is perfectly capable of sealing new holes that develop as you continue to use your bike. When a small puncture appears, the slime is drawn to this area by the air flowing through it and gets forced into the hole.
The particles in the sealant then plug the hole, just as they did during the first puncture. This means that you only need to use Slime once per tire. Path kits are cheaper, but you save on the time you’d otherwise need to patch up every new puncture (and all the hassle that comes with it).
How Long Does Slime Stay Wet For?
Slime should still be liquid inside the tire for 2-3 years after its application. Of course, nothing lasts forever, and it will very gradually dry out and become less and less effective as time passes.
This is because it is constantly being brought into contact with air, so it will lose moisture and dry out.
In the end, the sealant will harden and it will stop being effective at plugging up punctures. However, you should get a good amount of use out of it—and the tire— before this happens. After all, your bike’s tires need to be replaced every few years and every few thousand miles.
The manufacturer of Slime says that, after 2 years, you need to replace the Slime. However, they also point out that this is the lifespan of both tires and inner tubes, so you are likely to be looking at a tire replacement at this point anyway.
What’s Slime Sealant’s Shelf Life?
If you don’t open your Slime, you will usually find that it is good for about 4 years.
Like all products, it will eventually dry up and you may find that it needs to be thrown away. However, by keeping it sealed until you need it, you can maximize its lifespan and reduce the risk of waste.
Don’t open your Slime until you plan to apply it to your bike tires, as doing so will make it more likely to dry up. Instead, keep it sealed and store it in a cool, dry place, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Only open the container when you are ready to use it on your bike tires.
If you have any leftover sealant, re-seal the packaging and again, store it somewhere cool and dry. Aim to use it up within a couple of years at the most to reduce the risk of waste.
Seals holes in tubeless tires and inner tubes up to 1/8″ (3mm) big. Works instantly and plugs up new punctures for up to 2 years.
Conclusion
Slime tire sealant does not need to dry out before you can start using your bike again.
This kind of sealant isn’t a glue and there’s no requirement for you to wait while it dries. Indeed, the product is intended to remain liquid for as long as possible so that it can stop up future punctures and keep your tires operating as intended.
