Bicycle Mechanics - New rim tape and flats...

About two rides ago , I decided it was time to replace old adhesive back, paper-like rim tape with new rim tape. I purchased "Michelin's , 'soft rim band,' road tape.. It was the only brand available at my bike shop for narrower rims for a road bike.
The material is a plastic-liked blue in color , non -adhesive backed rim tape..
About two rides later, I have a flat. The hole in the tube lines up with a spoke's hole in the rim...... The tube's hole looks very much like a deep dimple in the tube.. The rim tape adjacent that hole does not appear to be deeply recessed.
. The tube has several deep dimples lining up with the holes in the rim.. None of the spoke's nipples seem extended causing the dimples in my tube..
.
/Question........ Could it be this style rim tape is inferior to paper like rim tape. ? Or, could it be the tube has seen too many miles and it's just worn out.. When I applied the new rim tape , I did not put on a new tube...
.. I have three road bikes.. Seems one other road bike has this same style of rim tape applied to it's rim and I've yet to have a problem.
What style rim tape do you suggest as being more effective.?

Without seeing your wheel I can only guess. In most cases the issue is rim tape that doesn't cover every tiny little crescent of spoke hole. Ideally the rim tape should cover from rim-flange to rim-flange.

Retro.. If by crescent you mean 100% of the circumference of the spoke hole, then the answer is yes.. No frayed edges of the spoke's hole are uncovered.. It comes darn close to covering 100 % of the surface from flange to flange..

That blue stuff is really thin, if there was a some sand caught in there it could be the culprit.

When you ride, there is frictionbetween the tube and the tape and the tire, etc...so it's possible.

When changing tubes, cleanliness is your friend.

I seldom have a problem with cloth tape, it's much more robust...but mainly, it doesn't move around when you mount the tire and you can reuse it.

That blue stuff is really thin,.
That was exactly my fear.. I was wondering about the luck of others with the use of this 'blue stuff.'

FWIW, I have the stock mavic platic-like rim strip on a set of wheels and it is dimpled in at every spoke hole. But hasn't caused any flats - either with road tires at 110psi or with cyclocross tires at 35psi (same tube!). So I would guess that as long as nothing sharp is in there and the tube can't go all the way into the spoke holes, then that type of rim strip should work fine.

I've only seen it on lightweight wheelsets, it's probably the lightest rim tape available.
I had it on one set of my own wheels, without issue.... first tire change, it went in the trash.

If it didn't sit right the first mounting, it never will.

But, I notice you also put in a used tube.... if weight isn't important to you, use something else.

Duck. I can't imagine me putting on new rim tape without checking for tube wear.. Does not seem it looked all that worn..

I read your description again.

Let me say this, butyl rubber is porous. Its ability to hold air is not absolute. If a thin spot in the tube landed on a dimple, it might have just been an inevitable flat that you couldn't possibly predict or foresee.

That is my best explanation, but you seem to know your own equipment well enough.

We all hate flats. That blue tape just seems too loose fitting, and I don't like it. But they sell it, and people use it and maybe it just doesn't match up perfectly with your rims.

You can always go back to what you were using before.

I myself use hockey tape instead of rim strip tape its robust enough doesnt tear and cost like 2$ for 50 foot

Just buy some green velox cloth tape and be done with it. Last time you'll ever deal with rim tape problems. If the flat was caused by thin tube thickness, I would still say that it could have been avoided with some thicker/stronger rim tape. No use horsing around with light weight rim tape if it's going to cause flats. Any advantage that you gain in a race by having 5 fewer grams in your wheels will be lost a thousand times over when you get another random flat during a race. And if you're not racing, just use the most reliable stuff from the start...Velox.

-Jeremy

I myself use hockey tape instead of rim strip tape its robust enough doesnt tear and cost like 2$ for 50 foot Works great for me too.

Velox rim tape, no problems, ever.

And if you're not racing, just use the most reliable stuff from the start...Velox.

-Jeremy

+1

Velox. Nothing better.

You guys will like this article on rim tape: http://redkiteprayer.com/?p=3433