Not all rim tapes are equal - in installation or in use
26/01/25 15:38 Filed in: Gear
Rim tape seems a very simple thing. It should be air tight, sticky, durable and flexible to go into the rim and just sit there through multiple tyre changes. I found many OEM rim tapes all wrinkled up at the first tyre swap. Always disappointing.
I've tried a lot of different rim tapes in the past 15 years of riding tubeless. Gorilla tape is good, but not great. And it leaves too much residue on the rim - which has to be cleaned off for the next taping. I used Tune branded tape, which worked really well but dated from an era when rims were narrow - the tape was too narrow for 30mm internal channel wheels. I had OK luck with the Effetto Mariposa tape. It claims to have better glue on it, but it didn't stick any better than several other tapes I've used. That Stan's yellow tape that has been around since nearly the beginning of tubeless is about as good as anything and now that I have a long roll of 35mm wide yellow tape, it will be my go-to tape for the foreseeable future.
My Canyon DH bike came with DT Swiss wheels. Every part is DT Swiss. Rims, spokes and hubs, plus nipples and even rim tape are all DT Swiss. The tape has been excellent, surviving several changes of DH tyre with CushCore (including taking the tyres off on day 1 just to fit the CushCore).
[side note:] What hasn't been so robust in the DT Swiss wheels is one of the nipples. They appear to be aluminium given how easily it twisted out of shape. I had one loose spoke and put a good Park spoke key on the nipple, resulting in a heavily twisted nipple. What madman specific alloy nipples on a DH wheel? To replace the nipple, the rim tape has to come off. The rim tape lasted longer than the nipple did! When it is time, the tyre has to come off so the wheel can go in the truing stand. New nipple on at least that one spoke. That is my slightly dented rim too - so maybe it won't go back to "perfect"?
I've had several pairs of Bontrager wheels - alloy and carbon rim models - and they have all used a moulded rim strip to seal off the spoke hole. Those strips are great. Easy in. Easy out. Air tight. Tough. A bit heavier than tape, but so much easier. They are even tolerably priced should replacement be necessary. They do make tyre changes slightly more difficult by filling up some space in the rim cavity.
Velox was the rim tape of choice for tubed road tyres. There ought to be something as universally applicable and durable for tubeless as the Velox canvas rim tape.
I've tried a lot of different rim tapes in the past 15 years of riding tubeless. Gorilla tape is good, but not great. And it leaves too much residue on the rim - which has to be cleaned off for the next taping. I used Tune branded tape, which worked really well but dated from an era when rims were narrow - the tape was too narrow for 30mm internal channel wheels. I had OK luck with the Effetto Mariposa tape. It claims to have better glue on it, but it didn't stick any better than several other tapes I've used. That Stan's yellow tape that has been around since nearly the beginning of tubeless is about as good as anything and now that I have a long roll of 35mm wide yellow tape, it will be my go-to tape for the foreseeable future.
My Canyon DH bike came with DT Swiss wheels. Every part is DT Swiss. Rims, spokes and hubs, plus nipples and even rim tape are all DT Swiss. The tape has been excellent, surviving several changes of DH tyre with CushCore (including taking the tyres off on day 1 just to fit the CushCore).
[side note:] What hasn't been so robust in the DT Swiss wheels is one of the nipples. They appear to be aluminium given how easily it twisted out of shape. I had one loose spoke and put a good Park spoke key on the nipple, resulting in a heavily twisted nipple. What madman specific alloy nipples on a DH wheel? To replace the nipple, the rim tape has to come off. The rim tape lasted longer than the nipple did! When it is time, the tyre has to come off so the wheel can go in the truing stand. New nipple on at least that one spoke. That is my slightly dented rim too - so maybe it won't go back to "perfect"?
I've had several pairs of Bontrager wheels - alloy and carbon rim models - and they have all used a moulded rim strip to seal off the spoke hole. Those strips are great. Easy in. Easy out. Air tight. Tough. A bit heavier than tape, but so much easier. They are even tolerably priced should replacement be necessary. They do make tyre changes slightly more difficult by filling up some space in the rim cavity.
Velox was the rim tape of choice for tubed road tyres. There ought to be something as universally applicable and durable for tubeless as the Velox canvas rim tape.