gholt

This is probably a dumb question, but here goes:

What grade of rim tape is recommended for rims. On my mt bike rims. they have the rubber stuff that does not stay in place, so I think that it is probably not too good.

Anyhow. i'm buying new wheels for my road bike (Ultegra hubs with Mavic Open Sport) from Performance and nd they have three different grades of tape. They have the following:

Velox $3.99 each
Forte $3.50 for a pair
Forte Rim Strips (I think this is what I have in the mt bike.) $1.99 a pair. Not trying to be tight with the funds, but I wonder if the Velox is worth it or not.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Al1943

Velox goes on all of my rims (road).

supcom

Velox. Never have problems with it.

Bob Dopolina 

Balance the price of some good rim strip with the price of a tube. Cheap rim strip cost more in the long run.

rmfnla

The "Tears easily" part of the product description causes me some concern.

Considering the longevity of rim tape, three bucks a roll isn't that bad (and saving a half a buck each for a Chinese knock-off isn't such a great savings).

Regardless, the rubber rim strips suck, period.

barba

Velox all the way. The first blown tube makes the "savings" on the cheap stuff disappear.

Raiyn

Velox goes on all my rims - never had an issue.

caloso

Velox. There's a reason everybody uses it.

well biked

Velox for me-

Retro Grouch 

So you're worried about $2.00 per wheel. How many innertubes can you buy for that $2.00?

alicestrong

Velox lasts forever it seems a cut above the rest. Anytime lots of different people agree that one thing is the best there's usually a reason....but if you still feel real cheap you can wait until tape's on sale at nashbar for $1.49 per pair. I've had the nashbar on my commuter bike two years no issues.

...cheaper still electrical tape.

operator

Yeah if you like nice long walks home when it fails.

alicestrong

Has this happened to you? I'm curious because I have a neighbor (old guy with alot of bikes for sale in the yard type) who swears that he's been using electrical tape in his rims for years without a problem. Seems hard to believe...

barba

Not necessarily. Velox holds up very well over time, and withstands the heating that happens under braking (long downhills, etc.) well. I am not saying that using medical tape is going to make your wheels explode, but this frankly seems a dumb place to save money. I bought two rolls of Velox for $7 the other day. Small beer in the world of bike expenses.

Raiyn

Of course it is. He's probably had the same tires and tubes for many many years, because he doesn't ride that often.

alicestrong

I know that medical tape is the best stuff to use to wrap blistered feet when backpacking...it really grips and sticks...stays put no matter what.

I wonder what makes the Velox so good? Anyone venture a guess?

Raiyn

Have you ever handled velox tape? It's a nice quality, fairly thick cloth tape that's proven itself for YEARS

zonatandem

I do not use rim tape!
Google: Veloplugs

alicestrong

I heard about those! How do you like them?

Boss Moniker

Velox isn't that adhesive, but generally it's fine for its application. What makes it nice is that the width is perfect for certain sizes of rims.. and the thickness leaves a little slot to each side of the strip, and the tire bead fits in there perfectly. With the little flap of rubber that goes past the bead on most tires, the risk of pinch flats is minimized because the enclosure for the tube is almost perfectly cylindrical (at least with 23mm wide tires). That was my experience, it'll probably differ for others.

A (more expensive) option are veloplugs, which are lightweight, reusable, and easier to install, provided they fit your rims.

alicestrong

Yeah the last time I went to REI to buy some they were all out so I got Pedros instead. Similar to Velox a fairly thick cloth tape...but it just wasn't quite the same. I'm not sure if it was the fit or the stickyness...or something in the construction of the cloth itself.

jbrians

It depends. Electrical tape that only needs to cover the nipple head will do an OK job on a single wall rim. On a double I don't think so!
I had a blow out a week ago on my double wall rimed FUJI (Alex rim) The tape ruptured and the tube blew into the spoke nipple hole. What a pain that was to fix on the side of the road.

gholt

OK I get the point. I guess being an accountant make one want to see the cost benefit of all thing before they buy. I'll get the velox.

Psydotek

[echo]...velox...[/echo]



Velocity veloplugs also get pretty rave reviews too but they're not as easy to find as Velox rim tape which can be had just about anywhere. The veloplugs usually need to be ordered online or special ordered by your LBS.

cyccommute 

Yes. It's French.

To gholt: I've used both the Velox and the Performance. Either works and last forever. DO NOT use the rim strips! If you do, you'll be buying the Velox eventually