Bicycle Mechanics - Road Rim Strips... worth installing?

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rusto
07-09-08, 09:22 AM
Just received an order from Performance Bicycle and it seems whoever packed the box goofed and dropped in the box two packages (two rolls each) of Road Rim Strips, 700c x 18mm. I was not charged for them.

I doubt they will want to pay for the shipping cost to return them, but I'll do the right thing and notify them of the error... but is there any value in installing them if they say "aw, just keep them"?

HillRider
07-09-08, 09:48 AM
Worth installing on what? I hope your current wheels already have rim strips. If not, certainly install the new ones.
rusto
07-09-08, 09:59 AM
I've got "cloth" ones installed now, these are "polyvinyl chloride polymer" which I assume is no different than PVC.

supcom
07-09-08, 10:19 AM
Unless you are an obsessed weight weenie, there is no reason to replace cloth rim tape. It's as good as it gets.
Captain Slow
07-09-08, 12:39 PM
Your cloth ones are far superior. I ran the PVC strips on a set of wheels... because they were already mounted... What I noticed is that they'll move around after replacing a tire or repairing a flat, possibly
exposing the tube to a spoke hole.

Hmmm, I thought. Now here's a new & improved product that's actually far inferior to the old fashioned
one it replaces. What's next, plastic wheels? (Oops! CF rims are everywhere...)

Finally, I went to replace a tire... and when I pulled out the tube, the broken plastic rim strip came out
with it. It was back to the Velox Fond de jante for me, bien sūr...

BTW, electrical tape works pretty well, too... at first. It gets really messy once it starts to deteriorate.