Is Ride-On any good

[Questions]

I am considering the use of ride-on in my tires. I would like the member opinions as to the effectiveness of the product. Satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

[OJ UK]

Oh these products have been around a while now, some being better than others. Here in the UK there are a few.
Two Schools of thought on them: One says they're a very good and convenient product that can save much hassle.
The other says that although they work well there's a danger that the damage to the tire caused by the puncture
can make the tire dangerous and that the rider may not notice that a puncture has occurred, keep his road
speed normal and suffer a blow out.
Me? I'd use it in the rear as it's a custom size and difficult to come by in the UK but never in the front tires, which can be replaced with
a number of different tires that will do the job.
Tire fitters hate the stuff as changing a tire becomes a very messy job! Also if you do use it you can no longer make a conventional
repair which involves vulcanizing a patch on the inside of the tire. Just my 2cents worth!

[SpyderAnn01]

I used to put it in my Spyder tires and my RT622 trailer tires. I had a flat tire on my trailer and the Ride On did me no good, and no, it wasn't a puncture on the sidewall. I now carry a small compressor and a tire patch kit instead.

[BajaRon]

You're going to get all kinds of opinions on this one. Personally, I like it. It helps balance the tire (though you can get the cold bump at times). It helps the tires run cooler which will help them last longer. Probably not a huge plus but there it is.

There are always possibilities. But the most common problem is a slow leak that leaves you stranded on the side of the road or looking at a flat tire as you are getting ready to leave the hotel in the morning or after a meal at a restaurant. Or, nursing a low tire trying to get somewhere before it goes flat. Ride-On will save you in these cases.

Nothing is going to save you from a sidewall puncture or a cookie cutter size hole in your tire. But these are pretty rare as deflations go. (My spell checker tells me 'deflations' is not a word but I'm going to use it anyway!) If Ride-On saves me from one stay on the shoulder of an Interstate then it has paid for itself in my opinion.

Just my 2 cents. If it weren't for inflation... It wouldn't be worth that much!

[SNOOPY]

I have four 16 oz bottles in my garage waiting to be used...no review yet.

[Gray Ghost]

I have used it for years in my bikes. I also carry a compressor and tire repair kit just in case, but I have found evidence that a foreign object had been in my tire for quite awhile with no loss of pressure. I have heard people talking about the mess, but I have talked to the techs who have changed out my tires and they said there was no real issue. Ride on is water soluble and most of it stays in the tire when it is dismounted.

Of course as Ron mentioned there are some things that Ride on won't help you with, but if the hole is big enough the typical tire repair kit carried on bikes will not do any good either.

[SDM]

Both the hubby (Tobor 9) and I have it in our bikes. He has it in his 2011 RS with close to 30,000 miles on it. He just had to replace the rear tire in April and the 2 front tires are still looking good! But, as usual, YMMV!!!

[jthornton]

There are two camps for this kind of stuff, those that like it and those that don't. I'm in the latter camp. I travel with conventional tire repair items like a pump and a plug kit to get me home if need be.

JT

[SNOOPY]

I see most post here about it helping w a flat tire, I bought it mainly because I've heard people here say they use it also as a balancer instead of wheel weights.

[BajaRon]

I see most post here about it helping w a flat tire, I bought it mainly because I've heard people here say they use it also as a balancer instead of wheel weights.

Yes, it is also that. And, Ride-On provides a dynamic balance, unlike wheel weights which are static. As your tire wears the balance changes. There is no way for wheel weights to compensate for this.

Ride-On, being a gel of sorts, constantly adjusts your balance as your tire wears. Not only that but with wheel weights, your tire is only optimally balanced at one speed. It can be somewhat out-of-balance at other speeds. Ride-On will correct this condition also.

The best thing to do is to have your tire spin balanced when new and then add Ride-On (you can not do it the other way around). This gets your tire close to balance at all speeds. The Ride-On will then have to make smaller corrections.

I use Ride-On alone as I don't have an easy way to get my tires spin balanced.

[oldgoat]

Yes, it is also that. And, Ride-On provides a dynamic balance, unlike wheel weights which are static. As your tire wears the balance changes. There is no way for wheel weights to compensate for this.

Ride-On, being a gel of sorts, constantly adjusts your balance as your tire wears. Not only that but with wheel weights, your tire is only optimally balanced at one speed. It can be somewhat out-of-balance at other speeds. Ride-On will correct this condition also.

The best thing to do is to have your tire spin balanced when new and then add Ride-On (you can not do it the other way around). This gets your tire close to balance at all speeds. The Ride-On will then have to make smaller corrections.

I use Ride-On alone as I don't have an easy way to get my tires spin balanced.

So you are adding Ride-On ( or similar product) to a balanced tire (leaving the balance weights on? Some say you must remove the balance weights but I don't see the point of that.

That is what I did for my rear tire & have done for 10 years.

[Chupaca]

There you have it both sides. Seems to always be two sides. But where you ryde and how often you have had flats/balance issues should help decide. Like many I carry conventional repair kit in part because I do my own work and have always hated dealing with the mess of liquid filled tires. I also have had very little problems with tire and balance issues.

[jimnsusie]

I have heard that using the add on stuff will negate a warranty. But in my experience a tire is usually out of the warranty when it fails I used it in my atv and two wheeler but not in the spyder yet.

[BajaRon]

I have heard that using the add on stuff will negate a warranty. But in my experience a tire is usually out of the warranty when it fails I used it in my atv and two wheeler but not in the spyder yet.

Not true. Why would adding a product that will extend the life of the tire create an issue with the warranty? You'll hear this train of thought for virtually anything that comes with a warranty.

[jimnsusie]

I agree with you but I'm not an expert on these things. I used it in my atv and my last 2 wheeler. If it is offered when I get new tires on the Spyder will probably use it again.

[teacherbob]

I use it. I like it. I recommend it.

[BajaRon]

So you are adding Ride-On ( or similar product) to a balanced tire (leaving the balance weights on? Some say you must remove the balance weights but I don't see the point of that.

That is what I did for my rear tire & have done for 10 years.

If you can spin balance the tire before adding Ride-On, by all means do so (leaving the weights on). Taking the wheel weights off is for someone who has installed a new tire and can't get it spin balanced. In these cases you should probably remove the wheel weights because there is no way to know if they are helping or hurting. Luck of the draw, they are probably giving you a greater degree of Out-of-Balance. It's better to just remove them.

[bscrive]

I use it as well mainly for balancing. The tires do last longer. Once a tire gets out of balance it will tend to hop (although it is not really noticeable to the eye) and wear it down faster.