Rim strip for old 27" road bike wheels?
#1
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Rim strip for old 27" road bike wheels?
I'd like to find a source of rim strips for 1970's vintage 27-inch road bike wheels. I use 27 x 1 1/8 tires, so it is a narrow rim. I have four wheels in this size.
I'd like a simple low-cost stretch-on loop but I guess they are not made to fit my rims. So I thought to try a roll of adhesive rim tape and cut it to length.
Then I thought about trying the tape used for tubeless tires. It is overly expensive but bike shops just don't seem to sell self-adhesive rim tape I could cut to length.
Would anything made for 700cm rims work? Can it be cut and glued?
This is not something I use much. I replace the rim strips about every 10th time I take the tires off to fix a flat.
Obviously, with 27" rims, I'm a casual/fitness rider. I ride about 60 to 100 miles a week.
I'd like a simple low-cost stretch-on loop but I guess they are not made to fit my rims. So I thought to try a roll of adhesive rim tape and cut it to length.
Then I thought about trying the tape used for tubeless tires. It is overly expensive but bike shops just don't seem to sell self-adhesive rim tape I could cut to length.
Would anything made for 700cm rims work? Can it be cut and glued?
This is not something I use much. I replace the rim strips about every 10th time I take the tires off to fix a flat.
Obviously, with 27" rims, I'm a casual/fitness rider. I ride about 60 to 100 miles a week.
#2
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It depends on the type of rim. If you have single-wall rims like below, I prefer Velox cloth tape that is narrow enough to fit the lower channel. Usually that's the 10mm wide size:
For a double-wall rim with this type of profile, I prefer very thin tape that is wide enough to span the whole bottom. Tubeless tape is great, but you can buy the same thing cheaper in generic form:
For a double-wall rim with this type of profile, I prefer very thin tape that is wide enough to span the whole bottom. Tubeless tape is great, but you can buy the same thing cheaper in generic form:
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#3
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Looks like I have single-wall rims. I thought the old Volex tape only came in 16mm. Got a source for the narrower Velox? There is an Amazon seller who has 13mm for $9 per wheel which seems too high.
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IIRC, it's available in 10mm, 13mm, 16mm, and 22mm.
#5
Senior Member
Absolutely do not buy cotton cloth tape like Velox unless you get it narrow enough to fit within the center channel. You can force too-wide cotton cloth to work in a pinch, but it's not ideal, prone to slippage and developing roughness.
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In a pinch, I might even try a 26 rubber liner.
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#7
Really Old Senior Member
Ever try to stretch a rim strip 8+" over its intended length? It'll rip by the valve hole.
Many years ago, I used a couple layers of electrical tape because I needed something "now". (Sat. night?)
I never did switch it out. I built a new set of wheels for it eventually and the old steel wheels are hanging in the garage with said tape.
Many years ago, I used a couple layers of electrical tape because I needed something "now". (Sat. night?)
I never did switch it out. I built a new set of wheels for it eventually and the old steel wheels are hanging in the garage with said tape.
#9
Senior Member
Kapton tape is cheap, works well, and typically leaves no residue. Use 2 wraps of the tape.
#12
I'm a fan of Schwalbe rim tape which can be had from Amazon in 50m roll -- about enough for 25 wheels -- for $30 to $35 a roll. It's thinner than Velox and seems tougher. I've used it on single wall rims and haven't had any problem though it's about 15mm wide. Others' experience, apparently, is different. For rims like the Super Champion depicted above, the original solution may have been rim rope.