homemade rim strip easy
09-13-23, 06:48 AM
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homemade rim strip easy
I was rehabbing a really old bike yesterday and was out of rim strips and didn't feel like running to the bike store so I made one. Took about 10 minutes. I took and old innertube which most people have or can get free from any bike shop. I hooked it to my vise so I could easily stretch it out and cut it. Then I cut a long skinny strip from it being careful to follow the seam lines so it was straight. Then I stretched the strip along the wheel to get correct length allowing 1" extra. I took some thread and sewed the overlapping one inch with a few quick stitches and punched a valve hole with my paper punch. Voila worked fine and stronger than the flimsy usual rim strips.
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09-13-23, 07:38 AM
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I guess we all define easy differently.
If I need rim strips or tape, I make the effort to hike upstairs to the bathroom, open the cabinet and swipe the roll of cloth surgical tape from the first aid supply.
The hardest part is remembering to replace it.
If I need rim strips or tape, I make the effort to hike upstairs to the bathroom, open the cabinet and swipe the roll of cloth surgical tape from the first aid supply.
The hardest part is remembering to replace it.
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09-13-23, 08:50 AM
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I'll give O.P. cheap, but I have to agree with FBinNY on easy.
Really easy would be having the spare rim tape float up to the top of my spare parts box when I need it.
Really easy would be having the spare rim tape float up to the top of my spare parts box when I need it.
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09-13-23, 09:00 AM
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Rubber is too bulky for some tight fitting tires. I use two layers of 10mm kapton tape from eBay. Super inexpensive.
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09-13-23, 10:24 AM
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Rim strips are cheap to begin with. I'd rather spring for an extra bick or two, be able to thrown them on in 10 seconds and not worry about flatting because my homemade strip gave up the ghost at an inopportune time.
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09-13-23, 01:03 PM
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one problem with using an inner tube as a rim band... Spokes poke holes in INNER TUBES, which is why we should all install Actual Rim strips.... or Medical bandage tape... 
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09-13-23, 02:34 PM
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back in my day we used packing tape. I still am using a wheel from the early 90's that has had the same piece of packing tape on it since probably 1993.
09-13-23, 02:42 PM
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I've used red electricians tape with good success. Not sure if it's stronger than standard black electricians tape...
09-13-23, 05:38 PM
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+1 but I now have three different widths of Kapton tape for various rims... it adds up. Works great, however.
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09-13-23, 10:27 PM
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09-13-23, 10:36 PM
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I cover every spoke hole with a Tricot-Mesh Band Aid™.
09-13-23, 11:32 PM
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That's allot of work. Its gonna work well...
I use High Temp Wiring Loom Harness Self-Adhesive Felt Cloth Electrical Tape (Amazon). Its cheap. I keep several rolls in the beer frig and no longer worry about having the right size rim strip.
It also works good for Bar Tape.
Man... I am such a cheap bastard too...
I use High Temp Wiring Loom Harness Self-Adhesive Felt Cloth Electrical Tape (Amazon). Its cheap. I keep several rolls in the beer frig and no longer worry about having the right size rim strip.
It also works good for Bar Tape.
Man... I am such a cheap bastard too...
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09-14-23, 06:34 AM
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Never had a problem with two layers of cheap 10mm kapton tape which stays in my bike tool box.
09-15-23, 03:23 PM
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I am still a velox cloth tape only guy for tubed setups
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09-15-23, 05:14 PM
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I'm with maddog on this. The inner tube might look the part but there's nothing to keep it from poking into the spoke hole like ... an inner tube.
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09-16-23, 12:23 PM
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While I don’t prefer them, I’ve used a lot of rubber rim strips in the past. They aren’t much different than a tube section. They also fail for the same reason, but take several years to do so unless your spokes are too long. Other than Velox I’ve used several kinds of tape, generally without issue. It’s even easier on double walled rims where you just have to bridge the holes.
09-18-23, 06:10 AM
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Cloth electrical tape. An inner tube as a rim strip is asking for a flat from a spokehead in all but the lowest pressure rarely used wheels.
09-19-23, 08:49 AM
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Fiberglass Filament tape
To the OP, Kudos, for a low/no budget solution, and making things worth, with what you got.
09-19-23, 10:54 AM
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I've had wheels where the previous owner used duct tape. I usually use electrical tape in a quick need of a rim strip. I was at the co-op last month and they didn't have any, so I used a rubber rim strip on top of the rubber rim strip on one wheel.
09-19-23, 12:34 PM
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Yes to packing tape (with fiberglass filament). It has no stretch. Is, latitudinally tear resistant. Buy a wide roll as it is easy to tear straight longitudinally, so that one roll serves different rim bed widths (perfect custom width every time).
To the OP, Kudos, for a low/no budget solution, and making things worth, with what you got.
To the OP, Kudos, for a low/no budget solution, and making things worth, with what you got.
10-18-23, 11:14 AM
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At Recycle Your Bicycle, we go through rim strips by the hundreds in just one weekend, and we just heard our distributor is out of stock on some sizes UFN.
I've tried making rim strips out of old (next size down) tubes, but my experience in trying to cut or punch a Schrader-size hole without creating a plane of weakness that eventually tears has not been good. We can go to the ol' "3 loops of inexpensive electrician's tape", but were hoping there might be a better option. And no, our budget is nowhere near that which would allow the use of "real" cloth rim tape for hundreds of bikes.
Do you use the 3/5", 3/4", or 1" width? The 3/4" (18 mm) looks like it would be the most useful width. By my calculations, we could do about eight 26" rims per roll.
I've tried making rim strips out of old (next size down) tubes, but my experience in trying to cut or punch a Schrader-size hole without creating a plane of weakness that eventually tears has not been good. We can go to the ol' "3 loops of inexpensive electrician's tape", but were hoping there might be a better option. And no, our budget is nowhere near that which would allow the use of "real" cloth rim tape for hundreds of bikes.
Do you use the 3/5", 3/4", or 1" width? The 3/4" (18 mm) looks like it would be the most useful width. By my calculations, we could do about eight 26" rims per roll.
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10-18-23, 02:24 PM
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BITD we used to make rim strips with inner tubes, gluing the ends instead of sewing. Worked OK on single wall rims/low pressure tires, but not on double wall/high pressure, as the tube would force the strip into the spoke holes.
10-18-23, 02:41 PM
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At Recycle Your Bicycle, we go through rim strips by the hundreds in just one weekend, and we just heard our distributor is out of stock on some sizes UFN.
I've tried making rim strips out of old (next size down) tubes, but my experience in trying to cut or punch a Schrader-size hole without creating a plane of weakness that eventually tears has not been good. We can go to the ol' "3 loops of inexpensive electrician's tape", but were hoping there might be a better option. And no, our budget is nowhere near that which would allow the use of "real" cloth rim tape for hundreds of bikes.
Do you use the 3/5", 3/4", or 1" width? The 3/4" (18 mm) looks like it would be the most useful width. By my calculations, we could do about eight 26" rims per roll.
I've tried making rim strips out of old (next size down) tubes, but my experience in trying to cut or punch a Schrader-size hole without creating a plane of weakness that eventually tears has not been good. We can go to the ol' "3 loops of inexpensive electrician's tape", but were hoping there might be a better option. And no, our budget is nowhere near that which would allow the use of "real" cloth rim tape for hundreds of bikes.
Do you use the 3/5", 3/4", or 1" width? The 3/4" (18 mm) looks like it would be the most useful width. By my calculations, we could do about eight 26" rims per roll.
...Kapton tape is pretty cheap, and it comes in various widths, in bulk rolls. I used to use Velox, but Kapton tape is cheaper, and it works a little better.
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10-18-23, 02:50 PM
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That inner tube strip might expand into the spoke holes in box section rims. I thought the rim strip's job was to prevent that. (Big fan of the Velox strips and their shelf life seems to be near forever so I have no excuse for not being stocked up. Except during COVID, choices were so slim I bought wide rolls knowing I was going to slice them to size with a sharp knife.)