JacobLee 

I was feeling indignant and hurt yesterday over what I thought was a faulty new tube, when I heard a loud swoosh! come from the same spot in the same wheel. Glad I wasn't riding, because that was quick! When I got the tube out, I realized that I had used this Kool Stop rim strip that I got from another road rim. I think when I first found it, it had been used in addition to electrical tape, which should have been a bad sign.



In this case, I had used it in a single wall Araya rim, so the spoke heads were right there, and the Rim Gard obviously didn't prevent the tube from making contact with them. There were also these weird little blisters created in various spots next to the punctures and around the valve hole.



Anyways, I thought it was interesting that I couldn't find any info about the Rim Gard, other than one for sale on ebay for $3. Anybody ever use these? Did you have a similar experience?

Thanks!

Bad Lag

Does anyone make a fiberglass rim strip, or a graphite fiber rim strip?

oneclick 

I had some plastic rim strips that developed a split, it didn't show separated with the tyre off but when inflated a bit of the tube herniated through it, and then with time got cut by the edges.

The best stuff I have found is the Varia polyester woven tape, it's cheap, it works great, you can get it in 13, 16, 22mm widths, and because it comes on a roll you don't have to have particular sizes of those (heavier) plastic or rubber strips.

smd4

I won't use anything other than Velox.

Ex Pres 

I had some plastic ones, it think by Michelin, that did not perform well. Started separating lengthwise, like it appears yours did.

79pmooney

Second here. I've been using it for decades. Stuff works. Failure - rarely. Adhesive doesn't break down so you can pull back the tape, replace a spoke and stick it back down. I've pulled off 10 year old tape, replaced the rim and and reused it. Any patents Velox may have had expired 30 years ago so it's not like competitors have to do something different to sell a good tape.

nlerner

I only use tubeless rim tape. Inexpensive, comes in lots of widths, lightweight, waterproof.

smd4

Those plastic rim strips are heavier than the Velox, too. A lose, lose...

himespau 

2 wraps with 1 mil Kapton tape works pretty well. Cheap enough that one roll of the stuff will last through a whole lot more wheels than I have the desire to build. Not tubeless ready, but I haven't tried going that route yet.

sd5782 

Are the spoke ends protruding out of the nipples? That may start a cut or separation that may not have started otherwise.