Rim tape reccos please

[steve_sordy]

I have just removed Gorilla tape from my Raceface AR30 offset rims, one of them anyway. The addition of the thick Gorilla tape on top of the bulge in the rim cross section that the bead has to get over before it snaps into the gulley is making a very tight WTB Vigilante tyre. So tight I had to use a tube to get the bead to engage and so tight that it took a huge amount of effort from two LBS guys to remove the tyre.

So I don't want that again!

If you want to see the rim cross section , see post #4 here:

Tips on removing a tyre please

I bought a 29x2.5 Vigilante TCS Light High Grip TT SG tyre because of the reviews and I was favourably impressed with the tyres that came with my grandson's bike. I run my tyres tubeless and have done for many years on different wheel sizes, different tyre brands etc. But I could not get this...

www.emtbforums.com

See the pic below that shows the alternating spoke holes. (You can see some adhesive residue that has mostly been removed, but needs a final clean before I use the rim again).

In the above pic, the left spoke hole is off-centre, the right one side is even more offset (by design, they alternate). The one on the right is very close indeed to the bulge in the cross section that the tyre bead has to be pushed over before it snaps into the gulley. The tyre is already very tight, so I don't want a thick rim tape to make the fit even harder. If all I do is cover the spoke holes, the edge between the spoke hole and the top of the bead is so close that I'm sure the tape will move and I'll get a flat. So the rim tape has to go over the bulge and into the gulley. Therefore it needs to be thin and strong.

The only rim tape I have used myself before is Gorilla tape and this is the first time I've had a problem, but I have always had leaking problems with the rim tape fitted as original equipment. So I have no idea what is a good one. As I said it needs to be thin and strong.

Any recommendations please?

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

DT Swiss Tubeless Tape | Biketart

For a simple, elegant solution to the 'how do I go tubeless' problem, DT Swiss Tubeless Rim Tape does the job beautifully. Apply to your chosen rim. overlap, snip and you are ready for valves and sealant. The DT Swiss Tubeless Rim Tape also works perfectly well as an ordinary rim tape for those...

www.biketart.com

 

[johnc]

Insulation tape simples!

 

[steve_sordy]

DT Swiss Tubeless Tape | Biketart

For a simple, elegant solution to the 'how do I go tubeless' problem, DT Swiss Tubeless Rim Tape does the job beautifully. Apply to your chosen rim. overlap, snip and you are ready for valves and sealant. The DT Swiss Tubeless Rim Tape also works perfectly well as an ordinary rim tape for those...

www.biketart.com

Thanks Rob, I've had a look at the website but it makes no mention of how thick it is. If you have tried this, just how thick or thin is the tape? It also says "highly adhesive". Right now I'm having a lot of trouble removing the "highly adhesive" Gorilla tape.

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

I've had a look at the website but it makes no mention of how thick it is. If you have tried this, just how thick or thin is the tape? It also says "highly adhesive". Right now I'm having a lot of trouble removing the "highly adhesive" Gorilla tape.

Hey Steve, it’s proper rim tape, they probably don’t state thickness as there’s no need.

goralla tape is thick! It’s designed to be able to stick to anything, even bricks! It’s full of glue too, as you’ve already found out!

Proper rim tape is much much thinner, and it’s single purpose is to make a seal on your rim.

 

[johnc]

Bit like insulation tape. Used it for years no probs!

 

[Gary]

Gorilla tape is porous so isn't even airtight.
DT SWISS tape is pretty thin. as is Tesa 4289. Either would be a good choice. Even if your rims are wider than 25mm internal 25mm width will be enough,
but first get rid of ALL the horrible resedue from the gorilla tape. Then clean the rim with IPS/Brake cleaner
And when applying the Tesa/DT tape keep it straight and very tight/taught. Remember. as hinted on earlier, you only have to cover the spoke holes. Not right to the sides of the rim. (so long as your rims are welded join, rather than pinned)
Also fit it in a warm room rather than a cold garage etc.
And DON'T cut a fucking stupid cross for your valve. Make the hole carefully with a pick.

Insulating tape will work but it's not strong and WILL stretch into the spoke holes if you use high tyre pressures. A rough spoke hole can also cut it. The solution is to run 2 wraps of it. Which defeats your need for a thin tape.

 

[steve_sordy]

Thanks @Rob Rides EMTB I have just ordered some. Priority delivery of course!

 

[MrPeaski]

Bit late now but this
Tesa 4288 tubeless rim tape 34mm x 66m | eBay

Same as the branded stuff, but a much bigger roll and cost a lot less.

 

[Jamze]

I have the same rim I think - offset i30. Gives you an idea of how it came taped from the factory. And my Verdict came off just using my thumbs ?

 

[deksawyer]

To anyone else looking for a recommendation, the WTB tape (which I think is Tesa 4289) has worked flawlessly for me. 5mm wider than my rim ID and it sealed first time.

I also bought Tesa 4289 but cocked up at the checkout and ended up buying the 19mm stuff. A fiver if anyone wants it.

D.

 

[Gary]

I also bought Tesa 4289 but cocked up at the checkout and ended up buying the 19mm stuff

Applied carefully it'd have worked fine. As you only really need to seal the spoke holes and valve hole

 

[deksawyer]

Applied carefully it'd have worked fine. As you only really need to seal the spoke holes and valve hole

It didn't, unfortunately. Was applied near perfectly as well. Leaked around the spoke holes and at the rim joint - maybe if I put a tube in overnight it might've been OK. The wider tape was a last attempt and if that didn't work, it was back to tubes....so glad it worked.

 

[Gary]

Ah. Not a welded rim joint then.
Fair enough.

I honestly don't know how some brands get away with describing their rims as tubeless ready with a pinned rim joint

 

[Kernow]

Applied carefully it'd have worked fine. As you only really need to seal the spoke holes and valve hole

Surprised you say only cover the holes I never found that to last long at all , the fluid soon finds its way under the tape

when I had Spank wheels I found this video
while looking to see what tape they had used because it was a better job than anything I had ever seen
they actually tell you to use a narrower tape and wind it round twice keeping to each bead with a big overlap in the middle , that actually worked better than ever because it avoided the problems of getting tape to bend un naturally and sit in the rim well , and air bubbles forming etc, especially when it’s cold . I think they called it fritelli tape , but I think chain reaction sell it as efetto tape .

 

[Gary]

Surprised you say only cover the holes I never found that to last long at all , the fluid soon finds its way under the tape

Yeah. By "applied carefully" I was also assuming a well prepped non-pinned joint rim.

 

[steve_sordy]

The rim tape I ordered never arrived, so I took the wheel into my LBS and he fitted some free of charge while I waited. He used one layer of 32mm wide tape on my 30mm wide rim and it looked perfect. I couldn't believe it when he said no charge, so I insisted he take a fiver.

PS: This is covered elsewhere in great depth. Never use Gorilla tape. It works fine, but is an absolute bastard to remove! The fabric tape comes off OK, but the adhesive left behind is something else! I found that a petrol soaked rag shifts it very quickly. There are proprietary solutions that work, but you have to know what they are and go out and buy them. (I'd never heard of any of them).

 

[#lazy]

I’ve used gorilla tape since day one with know issues and as you’ve just said Steve “a petrol soaked rag shifts it easily “ , you’ve answered your own question
If it is porous then the tubeless juice will seal it anyway !

 

[Kernow]

The rim tape I ordered never arrived, so I took the wheel into my LBS and he fitted some free of charge while I waited. He used one layer of 32mm wide tape on my 30mm wide rim and it looked perfect. I couldn't believe it when he said no charge, so I insisted he take a fiver.
wasn’t from chain reaction was it. I had an order thus month that from them that went missing with my Hermes


PS: This is covered elsewhere in great depth. Never use Gorilla tape. It works fine, but is an absolute bastard to remove! The fabric tape comes off OK, but the adhesive left behind is something else! I found that a petrol soaked rag shifts it very quickly. There are proprietary solutions that work, but you have to know what they are and go out and buy them. (I'd never heard of any of them).

i agree bloody gorilla been there trying to clean it up , worst was on a car in frame I put it on the chainstays to protect and it took the paint off in lumps , all gaffa tape is just crap for anything long term don’t think I’ve ever found a use for it where it was really good ,

 

[steve_sordy]

i agree bloody gorilla been there trying to clean it up , worst was on a car in frame I put it on the chainstays to protect and it took the paint off in lumps , all gaffa tape is just crap for anything long term don’t think I’ve ever found a use for it where it was really good ,

Years ago I read a science fiction novel where the space faring humans met a vastly superior alien race who accompanied them for a while. They went through a few "events" where the humans had to fix their ship and their own injuries in an emergency situation. Subsequently the aliens were much taken with the "Universal Fixer" and offered to trade superior technology. Thanks to the language and cultural difficulties it took a while to work out what the "Universal Fixer" actually was. The aliens thought the price was being negotiated upwards and eventually traded significantly advanced technology for a pallet of ......... gaffer tape! They thought it was a fair trade. What larks!

 

[Jackware]

I've used gaffer tape on all my bikes and it's been fit and forget.
IMO any tape adhesive performance depends on the surface it's being laid onto and I've used wide gaffer tape on 3 sets of fat bike rims including DT Swiss where there is minimal metal, as well as my current 35mm wide rims.
On every wheel I used Emery paper to gently remove the internal smooth painted finish and carefully laid the tape while firmly pressing it onto the rim ensuring it adhered across the whole rim and was equal edge to edge.
This meant there was only one tape join exposed to sealant (the tape end).
I've never had a wheel lose pressure or weep sealant but obviously YMMV.