Lbxpdx

I can’t tell if I’m cheap or industrious. I’m sure there are lighter and better materials available, but I have quite a few dead tubes that need to be repurposed.

WhyFi

More importantly, would the old tubes keep the aired up tube from flatting?

Velo Mule

It has been done by others @Lbxpdx . I thought about doing it because I am thrifty. I can't see why this should be any worse than the rubber rim strips when done correctly.

The reason I haven't done it myself is that it seems like it could be tedious to cut the tube so precisely and I have been lucky so far in not needing rim strips.

I figure that if you use the smallest diameter part of the tube you could make the rim strip without having to splice pieces together. If you use the outside part of the tube, you would have to splice it to get the finished diameter right. But just like the original rim strips, The overlap area is where it might be best to place the valve hole.

If you do this, let us know how it goes and please provide pictures.

wolfchild

The best alternative I have found to rim strips is hockey tape. The width is perfect, it sticks well and doesn't move and lasts a very long time.

Milton Keynes

Will rubber inner tube protect the tube from the spoke holes? Seems like that if one thickness of tube will rub on the edge of the holes and cause a flat, it doesn't seem out of the question for the holes to rub through two thicknesses of tube. Seems like the only time I've ever seen rubber rim tape is on wheels which have the spoke nipples flat on the surface of the rim, not stuck down in holes. But I guess if you had enough thickness of rubber around the rim it would prevent flats.

smd4

You could also wrap your bars in old inner tubes! Save a ton of money, have super grippy bars, and tape that would never get dirty!

Yes, you’re being cheap. Pry open your wallet and spend the $10 bucks for proper rim strips.

3alarmer 

.
...rolls of Kapton tape are pretty cheap, and it works extremely well as rim tape.

3alarmer 

...you can cut crosswise strips off the wide tubes, and use them as rubber bands. Tubes also make OK bungee cords. I sometimes use them for tying plants to stakes out in the garden

VegasTriker

Old tubes make great tie-downs. They are strong and flexible. I've used them to tie a mattress to the top of a car to transport it. Learned that after a removable roof rack came loose and flipped the mattress back. Tied to the roof with the tubes going through the doors, it goes nowhere.

Try using a good brand of electrical tape pulled tight across the spoke holes. It is thinner than a piece of tube and strong enough to not puncture. Easy to apply. Been using this for years and never got a flat underneath the tube. It's always been from the tire side.

LV2TNDM

NO! Rubber rim tape is HORRIBLE! It's cheap and used to save $$ by bicycle product managers. They age and crack. But worse, they don't do a good job protecting the inner tube from spokes, nipples, rim edges, and nipple & rim debris that's oftentimes left behind during production.

In the shop, replacing that junk with Velox was standard procedure. And Velox was so durable, you could re-use it almost indefinitely.

With durable and somewhat inexpensive cloth or plastic tape readily available, I cannot imagine why on earth someone would go to the trouble to do this.

Additionally, I use used inner tubes for various purposes and I am always amazed at how quickly it degrades. It cracks & falls off so quickly, I've decided to stop wasting my time using it.

Gorilla duct tape is pretty dang durable. It works for tubeless wheels as well. If you can find it at Costco, I assume one package would be a lifetime rim strip supply - even for someone doing frequent bike repair.

mstateglfr 

How often are you needing to change your rim strip though? I havent changed mine on tube wheelsets in...probably 6 years. 2 strips of tubeless tape, even though I use tubes, and the rim strips are still doing their job. It just isnt a costly investment to do the correct thing, so why kludge it together?

cyclezen

as noted, butyl tube material is to flexible to protect the real tube from damage by a spoke/spoke hole.
Also noted - old tubes make great elastic tiedowns, I've used old tubes (the thinner, 18-25 size), split down the length, as underlay for real bar tape. Adds just the right amount of 'cush' to the bars and keeps the bar tape from moving/migrating. Also adds a touch larger diameter to the bar size, which is welcome for my hand size.
Also, length of inner tube, split down length, makes a great temporary frame guard, if you transport your bike in side an SUV or van. Keeps rub marks from developing from the bike rubbing while driving somewhere. And/Or depending on what kind of external carrier you're using, again a good frame guard to resist wear from carrier hold-downs.
A bazillion good uses for old inner tubes, but rim strips is not one of them.
Ride On
Yuri

Milton Keynes

I just recently replaced mine, and the original tape looked like it may have actually been the original tape which came on the bike. Which is why I needed to replace it.

Lbxpdx

Looks like I’ll go and buy some velox. I was sitting at home and the LBS wasn’t open, so I figured I would try making a strip. I picked up a 91 Bridgestone MB3 for $30 and when changing the tube the plastic rim strip was broken and fell out.