Rim Tape

[Jobst Brandt]

Richard J Peterson writes:

> Nobody has mentioned my favorite -- fiberglass reinforced packing tape. A roll (almost a lifetime
> supply) will run you about two bucks. It comes in 3/4 inch width and can easily be torn to a
> narrower width. About two passes of this around a rim and the problem is solved. I just use an
> Exacto knife to cut the stem hole open. I have NEVER had a spoke end flat using this tape.

It shouldn't be mentioned because it fails miserably with age, separating into longitudinal strands
of glass fiber. This tape is designed to work in tension. It is easily separable laterally, to which
you allude. Of course in a pinch you can use it and put a single wrap of electrical tape over it to
give it some manner of lateral cohesion.

Jobst Brandt [email protected] Palo Alto CA

 

[Matt O'Toole]

<[email protected]> wrote in message news:5M3Fa.990$%[email protected]...

> Richard J Peterson writes:

> > Nobody has mentioned my favorite -- fiberglass reinforced packing tape. A roll (almost a
> > lifetime supply) will run you about two bucks. It comes in 3/4 inch width and can easily be torn
> > to a narrower width. About two passes of this around a rim and the problem is solved. I just use
> > an Exacto knife to cut the stem hole open. I have NEVER had a spoke end flat using this tape.

> It shouldn't be mentioned because it fails miserably with age, separating into longitudinal
> strands of glass fiber. This tape is designed to work in tension. It is easily separable
> laterally, to which you allude. Of course in a pinch you can use it and put a single wrap of
> electrical tape over it to give it some manner of lateral cohesion.

I've used packing tape, with disasterous results. The tape split longitudinally, and the tube
bubbled into the holes and popped. The fibers didn't hold up either. They just broke over the edges
of the holes. Afterward the mess was a pain to clean off the rim.

I know you like the Kool-Stop plastic tape. I've used it before too. It's great stuff, probably
better than Velox (it's thinner), but it's really hard to find.

Matt O.

 

[Jobst Brandt]

Matt O'Toole writes:

>>> Nobody has mentioned my favorite -- fiberglass reinforced packing tape. A roll (almost a
>>> lifetime supply) will run you about two bucks. It comes in 3/4 inch width and can easily be torn
>>> to a narrower width. About two passes of this around a rim and the problem is solved. I just use
>>> an Exacto knife to cut the stem hole open. I have NEVER had a spoke end flat using this tape.

>> It shouldn't be mentioned because it fails miserably with age, separating into longitudinal
>> strands of glass fiber. This tape is designed to work in tension. It is easily separable
>> laterally, to which you allude. Of course in a pinch you can use it and put a single wrap of
>> electrical tape over it to give it some manner of lateral cohesion.

> I've used packing tape, with disastrous results. The tape split longitudinally, and the tube
> bubbled into the holes and popped. The fibers didn't hold up either. They just broke over the
> edges of the holes. Afterward the mess was a pain to clean off the rim.

> I know you like the Kool-Stop plastic tape. I've used it before too. It's great stuff, probably
> better than Velox (it's thinner), but it's really hard to find.

My preference to Kool-Stop is because it is removable. This was once important with spoke failures
in which the spoke broke in the nipple, which was about as common as at the other end. This required
peeling back the Velox tape with difficulty to replace the nipple. This is a seldom occurring
problem these days, but Kool-Stop has this convenience.

Jobst Brandt [email protected] Palo Alto CA

 

[David L. Johnso]

On Mon, 09 Jun 2003 20:50:45 +0000, Jeff Wills wrote:

>> I've used packing tape, with disasterous results. The tape split longitudinally, and the tube
>> bubbled into the holes and popped. The fibers didn't hold up either. They just broke over the
>> edges of the holes. Afterward the mess was a pain to clean off the rim.
>>
>
> One layer will do that to you. I usually had to apply three layers to make a reliable rim strip.
> It still had to be replaced every year to keep it from migrating down the spoke holes.
' And so, the advantage of packing tape would be what?

--

David L. Johnson

__o | It doesn't get any easier, you just go faster. --Greg LeMond _`\(,_ | (_)/ (_) |