escuta

Hi, Here in Brazil it's hard to get some items, including tape for mounting tubular tyres. I wish to use tape rather than glue. My rims are 1980s Campagnolo Lambda Strada and from my measurements I need tape that is 18mm or at a pinch,19mm wide.

3M double sided tape is manufactured locally and there seems to be 3 types of double sided tape that are 19mm in width and readilyavailable. All are Vhb (very high bond) varieties.

There's the 4905, which has red backing, 0.5mm of thickness, Vhb and clear. A second "model" code of HB004670665 is given for the 4905. Can be used with PVC, aluminium and glass.

There's also the 4910 which comes with either red or green backing. The red is 1mm thick, clear and can be used on various materials. Is also Vhb and transparent. The green seems to have the same specs.

There's also the very thick (1.5mm) 19mm wide CV-150 Vhb tape. It's grey in colour.

Are any of these tapes suitable? My guess would be to use the 0.5mm 4905 tape.

Thanks

TiHabanero

Probably not suited for the job, however there really is only one way to find out and that is by trying it. Could be risky if the tape lets go of the tire or rim when cornering. I saw that happen in a race once. The guy improperly glued the tire and it rolled off the rim. He went down and almost took out a few others.

WizardOfBoz

Yeah, I can second TiHabanero's point. No fun when the tire rolls off the rim, sticks in the brake, and you go over the handlebars. Spitting out parts of 13 teeth, and having the doc scrape the dirt out of your chin bone before sewing you up is a drag.

That said, you can ride without glue or tape for 99% of riding. But DON'T! (see above). 3M products are generally very well engineered, but I'd worry that in extreme heat, or exposure to water and mud, the adhesive might melt or fail, introducing not an adhesive force but a lubricant. And as an engineer I can think of may ways that the tape may be an awesome product, but for some use cases it might be poor.

If good tapes are not available, and you can't get Vittorio Mastik, I did read once that 3M Weatherstripping adhesive worked well. So if you have access to 3M products... May be available at auto repair stores.

joesch

Same technique used to apply leather wrap to bars results in leather slip once the adhesive dries. Dont want this fail for tubs.

Andrew R Stewart 

3M FasTac auto trim adhesive has been used for sew up mounting for many decades. It is fairly thin and dries quickly and is a pain to center a tire on the rim because of this quick dry time. because of the very thin nature of the glue I suggest building up a couple/three layers on an new rim or a tire with an un coated base tape.

I knew someone who was using carpet tape, the tape that goes between the carpet and the floor. I never heard of his rolling a tire so I guess it worked for him.

But having rolled two tires long ago (still have the scar patches on my knee's side) I would be very careful about trying alternative methods. I strongly suggest experimenting before actually riding. Andy

grumpus

IIRC they replaced the solvent based FasTac with a water based product (that is probably not as good, but safer for the professionals who use it all day).

FBinNY 

I don't worry as much as many here about tires rolling due to a poor gluing job. (please read "glue" as meaning glue or tape herein) Tire width matters, but generally the 7atm pressure does a great job at constricting tires against the rim, so a strong glue doesn't matter so much. IMO --- 50yrs on tubulars --- the most important reason for glue is to prevent creep.

OTOH I've experienced multiple issues with overly strong glue. Flat tires can ce overly difficult to remove, especially in the cold or rain, when they are most likely. Also, the base tapes are only attached with rubber cement, so overly strong glue risks the tire coming off from its base tape, leaving you with the base still firmly glued to the rim.

I'm not familiar with the products you mention, but suspect that they're overly strong.

WizardOfBoz

The Fast-Tack MSDS shows that its now water-based with an acrylic adhesive.

The 3M Weatherstripping adhesive is still the good stuff: MEK and MIK and ethylbenzene and toluene! 3M™ Black Super Weatherstrip Adhesive

escuta

Thanks for all the comments everyone. I think I'll give up on tape especially since there's no tape specifically made for tubulars here that makes economic sense to buy (all $$$$). My tyres are Vittoria Rally. I'll get Vittoria Mastik One as it seems well regarded.
All the best,