Rim tape problems - Solved ☺

paulbnix

I built some wheels using DT Swiss RR 411 rims for my rim braked bike.
These are described as 18mm internal.

I use inner tubes - I am not tubeless.

I had some cheap Lifeline rim tape from Wiggle that I fitted but had a disaster when the rim tape shifted about exposing the nipple holes and creating a hole in the tube.
The lifeline rim tape was only 15mm wide and quite thin and insubstantial.

I bought some Schwalbe 700c / 622 x 18 mm High Pressure PU Rim Tape.
This tape is quite thick and not tapered towards the edges.

I then found that this tape actually caused a depression in the inflated tyre and I could feel it on a smooth road.I checked this with a new tyre as well.  
I use Schwalbe Durano tyres and can only assume that the extra circumference caused by the non-tapered edges was distorting the tyre.
I proved this by fitting some Continental 16mm Easy Tape that I had salvaged from some old wheels and there was no depression.

So my questions are -

What rim tape should I fit?

Should I go for 18mm tape?

Will 16mm tape be ok or will it possibly move around on the rim?

whyamihere

I would use tubeless tape. It's thin, strong enough to protect the tubes and sticks to the rim so won't move. You generally go a few mm bigger than the internal rim width so that it can fit down into the rim bed correctly, so 20-22mm tape would probably be about right.

slowmart

Or just use black electrical tape… it does the job.

paulbnix

I've found some Vittoria 18mm rim tape that should arrive today.

If that doesn't work I think I have been told that 19mm Tesa 4289 tubeless tape should work ok.

whyamihere

slowmart said:

Or just use black electrical tape… it does the job.

I've found electrical tape is a bit too stretchy and deforms into the spoke holes a lot at road bike pressures, which isn't ideal.

First.Aspect

whyamihere said:

slowmart said:

Or just use black electrical tape… it does the job.

I've found electrical tape is a bit too stretchy and deforms into the spoke holes a lot at road bike pressures, which isn't ideal.

This, you need a couple of passes around the rim.

It's also got adhesive on it, which can be a blessing or a curse depending on how many decades its been on there.

photonic69

Velox cloth rim tape. Tried and trusted for decades. Fit and forget.

paulbnix

photonic69 said:

Velox cloth rim tape. Tried and trusted for decades. Fit and forget.

My other bike is disc brakes and I built some wheels using the DB versions of these rims.
I used Velox cloth rim tape and had a disastrous incident where the end of the tape shifted sideways and punctured the sidewall of the tyre.
It may have been user error but I'm not going there again.

paulbnix

I fitted the Vittoria rim tape and still had the depression in the tyre on the opposite side to the valve.

When I looked closely I could see that there looked to be a gap between the rim and the tyre bead.

I use 5 bar in my 28mm tyres so I pumped up to 8 bar and the tyre bead snapped into position.

I tried the same 8 bar on the other wheel with the thicker Schwalbe rim tape and it didn't snap in the same way so I replaced with Vittoria rim tape and all was well.

I've not had this problem with other wheels so I assume it's something to do with the internal shape of rim.

Anyway all sorted now.

dj58

I have a pair of tubless compatible wheels 17m I.D. that came with two layers of tubless tape, I use latex tubes and thought this would be O.K. Start of a ride last year the back tyre had a sudden deflation, walked back home and removed the tube and found a circular hole in two locations where the tube lay against the rim bed. That was with a max pressure of 65 p.s.i. took approx. three years to fail at those particular spoke hole locations. Replaced with velox cloth tape, never had a problem with velox. Also used self adhesive electrical tape on other wheels with good results.

paulbnix

I had a rear wheel puncture yesterday and found that even with a co2 injector the tyre bead did not snap completely into the correct position so I had a bumpy ride home.

I think the next, and hopefully final, stage is to take some hand cleanser with me and spread a bit on the rim tape to ease the bead snapping into position.