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Is Belgian Tape the secret to no rolling tire?

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Is Belgian Tape the secret to no rolling tire?

Old 09-11-19, 12:29 PM
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JeffOYB
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Is Belgian Tape the secret to no rolling tire?

I always thought Belgian tape was to build up a rim shape so it matches the tire. More of a modern thing. Also that it was just one option among several.

I've just been using several layers of Mastik One. Letting them dry, then letting the last one stay tacky before mounting tire. Doing same on the tire.

Well, i really never get more than a year out of a glue job.

But I just heard that the Belgian tape GIVES YOU EXTRA YEARS of secure bonding. Is that right? I have some of the stuff. Just haven't used it.

I just rolled a challenge filetread and the whole darn rim seems dry. the thing just popped off. sheesh. glue is from last year or so. of course i did it with a strong hard downward offcamber corner where i got my weight forward and almost endo'ed and bounced on the wheel and the PSI was low at the time... bla bla ... but the bond seemed bad now that i'm looking at it. rats.
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Old 09-11-19, 12:50 PM
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redlude97
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yes. at some point layers and layers of mastik will not make a bond stronger, it will still sheer between the layers. Belgian tape in addition to building up the center has its own adhesive along with the backing, and it seems like the mastik soaks into the tape creating a better joint. With a normal tubular glued with just mastik, you only want it to be sticky enough so that it holds during corner say on the road and still be able to be removed by hand in case you need to do a roadside swap with a spare tubular. This simply wouldn't be possible with a tire glued with belgian tape. Generally to remove a CX tubular you have to cut it off, or use a flathead to get under the tape enough to get a wooden dowel or some other object to leverage the tire off. I've never seen anyone be able to remove a recently glued CX tubular by hand like you see with road tubulars glued with just mastik.
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Old 09-14-19, 07:37 PM
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Yup, there's a good video on youtube, just google Stu Thorne gluing tire.
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Old 09-20-19, 07:37 PM
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No, you don't need Belgian tape to avoid rolling a tubular.
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Old 09-20-19, 10:17 PM
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my subjectline was about rolling but my main interest is in GETTING MORE YEARS out of each glue job.

i understand that a well glued tire isn't gonna roll.

but i typically have issues at the start of each season w tires rolling even after i practice hard on them. grrr... so i'm mostly thinking of the tape in hopes of getting 2 or ... crazy to imagine THREE? ... seasons from one insane glue job.

well i've had the tape laying on my shop table for a couple weeks now ... does that count?
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Old 09-23-19, 05:25 PM
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Is gluing tires really so miserable that getting an extra year or two out of your glue has that much value? Cause the thing is, sure, you may be able to go longer between gluing tires. But you will pay for it when it comes time to remove that tire and prep for a new one. Unlike glue, you have to get all of the old tape off, and take it from me, it’s a very unpleasant and time-consuming task.

And if you regularly have problems with rolling tires, you are doing something seriously wrong. The fix is improving your technique and attention to detail. A sloppy tape job is still bad even if it sticks better.
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Old 02-05-20, 08:39 PM
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I started using Belgian tape a few years ago. My feeling is that it just creates a stronger bond helping to fill the gaps and imperfections in the tires base tape. I had not given any though to increasing bond life since I check all my tires at the beginning of cross season anyway. If I can move any tire off the rim even a tiny bit by muscling it with my bare hands, I reglue it. So far, all the tires I have with Belgian tape on have two years and do not budge, 8 tires I think. I use Vittoria Mastik, two layers on base tape, two layers on rim, one layer on base tape.1-2-3-4-5 slap it on.
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Old 02-06-20, 07:01 AM
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Originally Posted by Emilio700
all the tires I have with Belgian tape on have two years and do not budge, 8 tires I think. I use Vittoria Mastik, two layers on base tape, two layers on rim, one layer on base tape.1-2-3-4-5 slap it on.
Hi again... Still a bit confused. The 5 layer process you describe here doesn't say Belgian tape. So you don't use it?

Do you let everything dry before installing except maybe for the last layer?
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Old 02-06-20, 10:17 AM
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Originally Posted by JeffOYB
Hi again... Still a bit confused. The 5 layer process you describe here doesn't say Belgian tape. So you don't use it?

Do you let everything dry before installing except maybe for the last layer?
I would post the link but this forum doesn't allow me to post URL's until I have 10 posts so..

go to YouTube
Search this exact phrase: how to glue a cyclocross tubular with the Belgian tape method

The video is from Cyclocrossworld. That's how I do my tubs. No need to let layers dry. In fact, I do it as quickly as possible so things are still tacky. Takes me ~30 min per wheel I reckon.

Last edited by Emilio700; 02-06-20 at 12:55 PM.
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Old 02-06-20, 01:34 PM
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Thanks. I have some tape. I'll read up.
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Old 02-06-20, 07:45 PM
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I just use tape. Tufo or, I forget what the other brand is.
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Old 02-06-20, 07:52 PM
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Originally Posted by mackgoo
I just use tape. Tufo or, I forget what the other brand is.
No glue?
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Old 02-17-20, 03:30 PM
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I have enough posts on this forum that I'm allowed to share urls. This is how I do my wheels.


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Old 03-19-20, 10:25 AM
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I've always had a local shop do my CX tubular gluing. I'm 99% sure they just use glue, and no tape.

I've never (knock on wood) rolled a tubular off the rim. I've also gotten multiple seasons out of a single glue job. The last set I had was going on 4 years old before I finally took them in to get replaced, and this was only because the sidewalls were starting to show visible wear. The glue job on that set still seemed to hold fine, though the advice from my shop was that "it does dry out at some point" so I figured why risk it.

YMMV, but it's definitely possible to get multiple seasons out of a tubular glue job. I will not think twice about racing this fall on the set I had glued up at the beginning of the 2019 season.
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Old 04-21-20, 03:28 AM
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Could someone please inform me on this topic. Is there a specific "Belgian Tape" or is this referring to the process? (Which probably should be called Belgian taping) I have glued tires. I have taped tires but I have never glued AND taped a tire. I have only been doing this for 20 years or so and have never rolled a tire although never in a off road type of competition. Is this done because of the low tire pressure and need of extra bonding?
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Old 04-21-20, 06:35 AM
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yeah the peel-off forces in CX are much greater than in road. it's the low PSI plus the off cambers.

i dont think it's a special kind of taping, but the practice of combining both glue and tape in layers.

i dont think there's a lingo for filling a rim w tape to match the profile of the tire but that's also a thing if a rim interior curve/width doesnt mesh w the roundness of the tire. i dont recall that angle being part of the belgian concept but maybe it is.
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