jgedwa

I bought a lot of black strapping tape on ebay to try out. Here is the auction:

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWN:IT&ih=017

It does not have the fiberglass strands running through it that I associate with strapping tape, but it does seem pretty tough. It is very thin but is seemingly impossible to stretch.

Anyone seen this kind of tape before? How well will it work for rim tape? I have one set of wheels right now with it on with 100lbs of pressure. So far, I am keeping my fingers crossed.

The adhesive is pretty mild. It should stay in place, but should be easy to remove.

jim

FlatFender

yep, I use strapping tape currently. I like it because it is thin, so it make mounting tires easier.

mark9950

three or four layers

Bob Dopolina 

How much cheaper is it than a good rim strip? Add the price of 1 tube. How's it look now?

Bobby Lex

"Cheap" rim tape? Like cheaper than $4.00**********??

I bet you could find $4.00 in loose change under the cushions in your couch, or in your car's ashtray.

Bob

reckon

or that you probably spend more on toilet paper

think about it, so how much is not having a blowout at speed after you hit a nice sharp bump worth.

it's like that old commercial "you can pay me now, or pay me later"

ruppster

I have a pair of wheels with a couple of layers of electrical tape in them. It has held for a year. I didn't have rim tape when I put the wheels on, so I figured I would give it a try. I have rim tape in my toolbox & will probably put it on next time I swap tires. It is 3M tape, not the cheap stuff.

carpediemracing 

+1

Seen way too many flats due to bad rim tape. Just not worth it. Flat tire, ruins your rhythm, might cause a crash, etc. Same reason I replace but don't patch tubes, replace cut tires, and replace creaking bars/bb/etc.

cdr

operator

Rim tape is < $1. Wtf? This is one of the places where it's a bigger waste of time than money to think up something else as a replacement unless it's an emergency.

soma5

I've used the fiberglass-reinforced strapping tape before, just as an experiment. It works very well if you use several layers, but at that point it's not saving you that much weight as comparted to Velox. I'm tempted to try those plastic plugs, but it's just big enough of a deal to worry about it. I say, if you've got the tape already, sure, go ahead and use it but make sure you get several layers in there. If you haven't bought it yet, just keep using Velox. Reliability is paramount.

-soma5

Portis

I always laugh at these threads. "Man, I gotta find a cheaper alternative to that $4 rim tape. That stuff is killing me. I've had to buy 4 rolls in the last 20 years and 350,000 miles. I need a cheaper alternative."

bcart1991

Dang it, we need a rep system asap.

Bill Kapaun

I was in a pinch on a Sun. night with my brothers old 10 speed. I used 4 layers of duct tape. It's still there 5 years later. He had a flat after about 2 years and said the tube came out OK. I expected it would be "glued in", but he said it was only slightly stuck.

bcart1991

PricePoint has real rim tape for $0.98. Add a few to your order when you buy something.

wroomwroomoops

I carefully chamfer the holes on any new rim I buy before building up the wheel. That way I don't really need a rim tape at all. I have one wheel that held for two years like that. I dindn't ride it in the winter, but it has seen plenty of road nonetheless.

tjspiel

Well, I appreciate tips like this.

If you spend some time in the C&V forum you'll find folks who like fixing up lots of old bikes for friends/family or "flipping" them for a small profit. By the time you've put new tubes, tires, cables, pads, bearings, etc. on an old bike your profit margin is going to be slim as it is.

Then there's people like me who've needed to fix a flat for a ride the next morning and there wasn't an LBS open for me spend $4.00 on rim tape. Waiting for a $0.98 roll to show up in the mail wouldn't have worked either.

It's nice to know that there are readily available substitutes that you can buy at 1:00 am if need be that work just fine.

jgedwa

Exactly. YES, I know that it is penny-wise and pound-foolish to cut this corner. But still, there might be times (like those mentioned above) when it could make sense.

Any way, there is nothing wrong with rethinking solutions to problems.

jim

p4nh4ndle

if you're building a wheel, and you're on your way to the bike shop, just pick up the effing rim strip.
then again, if the wheel's built, tomorrow's sunday, the weather is perfect, and you have to ride NOW, packing tape will work just fine.
it's not a good way to shave dollars from the bottom line. it is a good way to get the job done.

ArSa69

I can't find rim tape anywhere in this piece of **** city I live in, Veracruz, Mexico...

One rim strip is worth 105 pesos and I would need 2, I make 100 pesos as income. now, I'm not complaining but the internet is available world wide...but I'm guessing only "americans" use this forums right? So who cares?

Retro Grouch 

I don't know about the particular tape that you have, but I used to use strapping tape with the fiberglass (or whatever) strands as rim tape all the time. In my experience the strapping tape was perfectly functional while it was in use. The only problem I had was if I had a need to remove it because it tended to come up in itty-bitty little pieces. On the positive side, it was easy to rip lengthwise to yield exactly the width that I needed for any particular rim. You can't do that with Velox.

For the record, all of the bikes in my basement today have Velox rim strips but, if I had an emergency, I'd rip down and substitute some duck tape or strapping tape in a flash.

long john

I run a free bike share program for the local soup kitchen. People donate abused bikes that need work. Money is short so I use the cloth electrical tape it works great as a $ saver for free bikes...... But I use rim tape on my bike lol

dabac

Ive used all sorts of things, depending on what's been available. For wider (MTB) tires and lower pressures electrical tape, 2-3 layers have done well enough to be indistinguishable from the real thing. Strapping/bundling/banding tape works OK too. Got a Stokvis MOPP I've been using. Very thin, even at two layers. Good for difficult tires. Will dimple over the nipple holes more than a real rim tape though. Also tried a fiber reinforced one. One layer is enough even at fairly high pressures. Will ALSO dimple over the nipple holes a surprising amount.
Not much of an issue to me really. I'll reach for a real rim tape first, but if none is at hand, riding improvised stuff doesn't worry me.

Al1943

Kapton tape is very inexpensive and works well. It was recommended by a forum member in another thread. I bought two rolls off ebay for about $3 USD per roll from China to my door. It is available in many different widths and lengths so be sure to measure the inside width of you rims if you want a neat job. All spoke holes must be completely covered. I used two complete wraps of 2 mil tape. It's thinner than cloth tape possibly making tires slightly easier to mount, the reason I chose to use it.

El Gato27

Was fixing my wifes old hybrid (new tire, tubes....) and I needed some rim tape. Closest bike "store" is the bike co-op, didn't know if they carried rim tape so I called them before I drove out there. Guy on the phone told me they did sell it and he would sell it to me but also suggested I could use duct tape folded over, said he used that all the time w/o any problems. That's what I used.

That hybrid may see 20 miles in a year. Not sure if I would use it on my regular bikes.

Dsprok

this...