Slime Skabs Bicycle Tire Patch Review

Slime Skabs are a pre-glued patch for your inner tube and can be used if you get a puncture while you're out on the road. While they are not one of the seven things that you need to carry with you on a ride, they're not a totally bad idea either. They are intended for quick and easy patch repair, with no need for rubber cement and the waiting time for the cement to set. The goal is to make your repair quick and easy so you can get back home.

• One-inch pre-glued patches
• Six in a container suggested retail $2.49
• Simply peel off the backing and apply over the puncture
• Cost suggested retail price of $2.49 for six 1-inch pre-glued patches.

• Easy to use
• Lightweight
• Better than the patches in the Bell Deluxe Patch Kit (but not by much)

• Not reliable for high-pressure tires
• Not intended for long-term repairs.

With a nifty little storage container and decent adhesive, you'll find that these Slime Skab patches will do the trick in a pinch, but don't count on them for a permanent repair like a traditional patch held on by rubber cement. They will likely get you home, but they won't hold much longer than that, probably not even overnight. Also, while they'll work okay for lower-pressure tires like on a mountain bike or cruiser, their holding ability will be challenged particularly when applied to high-pressure tubes like you find on a skinny-tire road bike.

Another thing that we found was that when fresh, the glue on the Skabs worked reasonably well. However, over time the types of temperature extremes found in a typical garage, both hot and cold, can degrade the effectiveness of the glue. If you can keep these stored at a more constant temperature, you'll help yourself.

If you are choosing between carrying a full rubber-cement flat repair kit or the Slime Skabs on a ride, take the rubber cement and do the patch job once. Better yet, just carry a spare tube and a CO2 cartridge or a pump. However, if you just need something light and quick to simply get you back home again, the Slime Skab patches might be able to do the trick - but it was definitely hit-and-miss in our experience. But plan on replacing the patch with a permanent fix to repair the puncture for good before you plan to do any more riding, and be wary about the reliability of the Skabs on any tubes that require even relatively high air pressure for inflation, like a hybrid bike or road bike. My bottom-line assessment: skip the Skabs, and use traditional rubber cement patches for more certainty of success on your repair.