Bicycle Mechanics - rim tape

This is probably a pretty basic question, but it's odd to me. This morning, my front tire was flat. When I changed it, the rim tape was out of place and that's what had caused the flat. This tire / tube has never been off the bike since I got it over 4000 miles ago. Could it have taken this long to flat? Or could something have caused it to shift?

I repositioned the rim tape and put the new tube on. The old one had 3 holes and slime in it (slime no more, took 10 minutes to clean everything up). Should I replace the rim tape? It looks like a rubber of some sort. I had to be careful for it not to shift over the nipples when I was putting the new tube back on.

Would suspect that the rim tape moved when you were removing the tire / as the innertube started to deflate.

You don't say where the flats were, if they were anywhere other than the part of the innertube covered by the rimtape, the rim tape had nothing to do with the flats.

There's rim tape thats actually more like tape. I use some made by velox. Its less likely to move than the giant rubber band style "rim tape" put on most lower end wheels.

Yes, but it does tend to not stick all too well. I like cloth Velox but I make sure I wipe down the rim where the tape is going to sit with alcohol before I apply it.

You don't say where the flats were, if they were anywhere other than the part of the innertube covered by the rimtape, the rim tape had nothing to do with the flats.

The holes were right over the exposed spoke nipples.

So since I put my giant rubber band "rim tape" back in place, am I good to go? The rest of it seemed stuck to the rim, except for this section. Although it may have stuck to the tube when I was removing it. There was no doubt the holes were caused by the spoke nipples though.

I agree with everyone else. ditch the rubberband and get some Velox. it comes and 3 widths. clean the rim with alcohol (rubbing type not the drinking kind) then apply the Velox pressing down on it as you go.

http://www.ebikestop.com//prodimages/VLXTAPE.jpg

http://www.ebikestop.com/velox_rim_tape_narrow__10mm__56e-VX-30.php

clean the rim with alcohol (rubbing type not the drinking kind)

Nothing wrong with using ethanol for cleaning if it is pure. I don't tend to like the smell of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol as it makes my nasal passages feel all pinchy and hurty. I also don't like the cost of isopropyl either as you can usually only buy it in the tiny pint bottles at the drug store.

Instead I buy denatured alcohol by the gallon at the home store for about $10 Denatured alcohol is mostly ethanol (plus about 5% methanol and a few other trace poisonous alcohols) but can't be consumed because the government would rather poison and kill its citizens rather than miss out on a few pennies of revenue in booze taxes.

But it makes a decent cleaning solvent and camp fuel even if you can't drink it. It cuts glop quite well and does every bit as good a job of removing goop and grease and driving out moisture that isopropyl does, doesn't make my nose pinch, and is much cheaper. I use a LOT of the stuff. I save he isopropyl for when I get a cut and need to clean it out.

Velox.

Any guide about which size to use? I have 700 X 35 tires. They are the stock rims on my Trek 7000.

agree with everyone about ditching the rubberband tape, but as a long time user of Velox tape, have gone off it in the last year or so, and have started using plastic rim strip.

Have used a few brands, Specialised is pretty good, but my favorite is Schwable Blue, it's light, and strong, and unlike the Velox, does not retain water, or leave a residue on the rim when removed. There are plenty of size options avaliabe see the link below.

http://www.schwalbetires.com/accessories/rim_tape

Got some thanks.. he handed me 2 rolls and I assumed they were sold in a pair. Then I realized they were just stuck together and he charged me for both. Probably good anyway in case I screw up the first time.

Self adhesive rim tape is targeted specifically for double walled rims and intended to protect the tube from the sharp edges of the holes drilled in that second wall. The spoke nipples sit beneath that inner wall in a double walled rim and present no danger to the tube.

The OP apparently has a single walled rim with a rubber rim tape protecting the tube from contact with the sharp edges on the nipples or the possibility of a protruding spoke end. Its impossible to get enough surface contact area with a self adhesive rim tape to keep it in place. A rubber or nylon of the correct with is a much better option. Any spokes that pro trude past the nipple should be ground down before installing the tape.

Well, I got it installed, now I'm doubting myself (rightly so based on what I read). My rim isn't flat inside. It kind of has a U inside where the spoke nipples are. The rubber rim tape I took about was probably about 1 cm wide. The smallest Velox they had was about 17 mm wide. I put it in, but it kind of runs up the sides of the U. After looking to see if this is normal, I found out that the rim tape is suppose to be flat and not run up the sides.

It's kind of like this, and the rim tape goes to the top of the bottom part.
|_ _|
|_|

Edit: Ok, so the second line should be centered. But when I post it goes away.

AFAIK, that's normal.

Well, I got it installed, now I'm doubting myself (rightly so based on what I read). My rim isn't flat inside. It kind of has a U inside where the spoke nipples are. The rubber rim tape I took about was probably about 1 cm wide. The smallest Velox they had was about 17 mm wide. I put it in, but it kind of runs up the sides of the U. After looking to see if this is normal, I found out that the rim tape is suppose to be flat and not run up the sides.

It's kind of like this, and the rim tape goes to the top of the bottom part.
|_ _|
|_|

Edit: Ok, so the second line should be centered. But when I post it goes away.


Rim tape is supposed to be installed FLAT. If it goes up the rim wall area it could easily interfere with putting on and taking off a tire and could also prevent the tire bead from seating properly.

Rim tape is supposed to be installed FLAT. If it goes up the rim wall area it could easily interfere with putting on and taking off a tire and could also prevent the tire bead from seating properly.

It doesn't go up the rim wall where the bead sits.

The holes in most double walled are 8mm and some are larger, IIRC. 10mm wide tape doesn't get you much coverage.

The holes in most double walled are 8mm and some are larger, IIRC. 10mm wide tape doesn't get you much coverage.

It's not a double walled rim. It's a single walled rim, with a U shaped recess over the spoke nipples. It's barely wider than the ends of the spoke nipples. The U shaped recess is what the rim tape is going up, not the sidewall of the rim where the tire bead sits.

I'm hoping this is OK, because I'm planning on riding tomorrow morning. I'll check in a bit to see if anyone tells me not to ride this way, but if this isn't OK, I'll learn the hard way I guess.

It's not a double walled rim. It's a single walled rim, with a U shaped recess over the spoke nipples. It's barely wider than the ends of the spoke nipples. The U shaped recess is what the rim tape is going up, not the sidewall of the rim where the tire bead sits.

I'm hoping this is OK, because I'm planning on riding tomorrow morning. I'll check in a bit to see if anyone tells me not to ride this way, but if this isn't OK, I'll learn the hard way I guess.

If the tapes doesn`t affest the seating of the tire bead and left you enough to get the tire on then there should be no issues. Shouldn`t have any second thoughts about riding it.

If the tapes doesn`t affest the seating of the tire bead and left you enough to get the tire on then there should be no issues. Shouldn`t have any second thoughts about riding it.

Thanks for the confirmation. It seems odd, and probably a bad setup, but I couldn't figure out why it would cause a problem. Although next time I'll make sure I find a skinnier rim tape so I don't have the issue of getting it in that groove. It wasn't easy. i gotta return that other roll, I think.

I was in a similar situation as the OP. I ordered wheels, tape, tubes and tires. The 16mm Velox tape rode up the walls of the 'more recessed' U-channel where the spoke nipples reside. I made sure to pack the tape in as best I could so it wouldn't slip and cause it to ride up to one side or the other.
The max pressure on the tires is 95psi. I've run them at max pressure for a couple weeks and ~300 miles.
No issues yet...