Rim Tape
 

Got a flat the other day (glass caused flat, not protruding spoke) and when patching tube noticed rubber rim strip broken. Didn't have any extra strips and wanted to ride so I used good quality (3M USA made) electrical tape. Should I replace the tape asap or is it good enough for single wall rims with no protruding spokes. I've noticed in the past that those cheap rubber strips seem to migrate inside the rim. Thanks

Electrical tape is not strong enough and is too stretchy to work for long and those rubber strips are junk. Go to an LBS and get the proper width Velox cloth rim tape. It will last the life of the wheel.

Especially with high pressure tires.

Tubes have a motion within the tire, and will work their way down , over any protrusion or into and gap or hole. If there is a sharp edge, flats happen.

I agree that the elecrical tape is not appropriate for the task long term and Velox rim tape is one of the best available.

Good quality electrical tape (like 3M) can do the job indefinitely on high-pressure rims with spoke holes up to 7mm or so, provided you use at least two slightly staggered layers and pre-stretch it upon application.

When you stretch it, you feel it reach a point where it stops wanting to stretch, and it takes a good deal more force to break; that's the key. The adhesive alone won't stop the tape stretching into the holes unless it's already stretched.

Vewlox tape. http://draco.nac.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/8b.10.html

Velox. It works trouble free for decades.

I agree that cloth rim strip is the best. In the meantime you can repair the broken rubber strip by using electrical tape to tape the ends together. I have had success doing this in the past.

1+ @kimmo.

Make your mind easy, nobody'll know.

FBinNY advocates filament tape, also an adequate solution.

http://draco.nac.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/8b.10.html I guess this about says it all. Thanks to everyone for replies.

Good Post, okane, As a temp fix, I've used friction electrical tape, ( cloth w/ light adhesive) with a second wrap of plastic electrical tape, until I obtained correct rim tape. As an aside keep plastic electrical tape away from paint finish of bike frame, it will remove finish paint down to primer paint layer

Common, Single wall rims, the rubber tape will do.. [it is prone to tearing at the valve-stem-hole..
Double wall rims the cloth Velox [Or stiff plastic ones] is needed to resist the airpressure
pushing the tube thru the hole in the inner wall of the rim.

Cloth based friction tape and the Velox stuff will be pretty much interchangable,
But watch the width, if the tape overlaps onto the tire bead seat on the rim,
tire fitting gets more difficult, and potentially, insecure leading to a blowoff.

I've found that cutting a 3cmx3cm square of rubber from an old tube, and cutting a hole for the valve, works well as a reinforcing patch and will tend to prevent damage to the tube/valve stem from the hole in the rim. It's always worked for me! HTH

- Wil

Cloth rim tape is great at what it needs to do: stay in place and keep the tube from getting damaged.

But there are a few nylon/urethane rim strips that work with just about any rim style, whether or not there are holes drilled in the rim to accommodate a spoke nipple. A rim strip is nice if you have the need to replace spokes or need access to nipples that are inside the rim, since you can remove and re-install rim strips easily.

FSA 700c x 17mm Rim Strips Red Nylon are commonly available, and they're not expensive.

Yup. I have a Trek 620 that hasn't had the rim tape off since 1991; still doing great.

It sat unridden for most of that time, but I put over 1000 miles on it last year with no troubles.

-TH

What does a wrap of Velox Weigh ??

Duct tape is fine on MTB or low pressure wheels. It can be used on high pressure road wheels, but you better put at least two layers and even then I still wouldn't recommend it.

About 25g IIRC. Not really confident on that. Might've been 12g.

What difference does it make?

16g for 17mm wide tape. Check the listing under weight weenies. There are not that much that are both lighter and more durable. Although some people will go with veloplugs, I have no experience with them. BHS sells both.

A full roll of 17 mm Velox (used for most double wall road rims), complete with it's plastic core, weighs 16 gms. So discarding the core and cutting the excess tape to get a butt joint on the rim probably gives and installed weight of about 12-13 gms.

There's a big difference between the ballistic tape needed for covering the recesses in hollow double wall rims, and simply covering the nipple heads in single wall rims.

For the latter one turn of electrical tape will do a great job providing that, as the OP described, there are no protruding spokes. If there are protruding spokes, they must be ground flush first.

For hollow wall rims, then plugs, or a ballistic tape such as the cloth Velox tape, urathane band, or filament tape is needed. It has to be strong enough to not resist the tire pressure trying to blow it down into the hollow.

my vote is velox (and velox brand specifically....I have had other brands of cloth tape not work nearly as well)

I don't know, how much does a flat caused by rim tape/strip failure weight?

JK...

Anyway, I still haven't changed out the lousy rubber-band strips on my cheap thrasher joke of a "mtb" (another advantage of lower tire pressures).

I run Velox on the rest of my bikes (regardless of tire pressures).

Hey wait a minute, I just remembered that I haven't changed my recent "all-arounder" build from the wheelset "OEM" rubber strips to Velox (was out of stuff when I installed the tires)... Nope, couldn't wait to put it together the right way the first time. Dum-dum-dum.

Oh well, this is just another reason for always having a few rolls of Velox around.

I do the same thing with a small square of old tube. I experienced leaks around the valve on several tubes. I found sharp, ragged metal where the rim had been drilled that was wearing a hole the tubes. I first rounded the ragged edge with sandpaper and then used the square rubber patch as extra protection. No more trouble since.

Walk into a bike shop ask for a roll and hold it in your hand, and gain real tactile experince..

if it matters take the effort.

I always use Velox clothe tape if I can get away with it. But I have had several instances, always with wider tires, where the clothe tape seems to interfer with the tire centering itself on the rim. In those cases I have used Velox high pressure plastic tape; it is rated to 149 lbs. Also my wheel building guru uses nylon filament tape, it works great but it is a ***** to get off!

If you really want to go hitec there are rim plugs http://www.upgradecycle.com/velocity...g#.UPmjmPL4ajY