seibaatgung

If I get a flat on a tubeless tire on the road and want to put a tube in, do I have to take the rim tape out?

aggiegrads

No, stuff the valve stem through hole in the tape where the tubeless valve was. The tape prevents the tube from herniating through the spoke holes and puncturing on the spoke ends or nipples.

seibaatgung

Ok so for a tube, rim tape is just as good as a rim band?

Gresp15C

Yes. Rim tape was used before there were tubeless tires.

seibaatgung

then why do bikes ship with rim strips like these


That are heavier and more abrasive, and aren't tubeless-compatible?

Geepig

Because tubes need protection from damage by the spokes, while tubeless set-ups need to provide a seal from the spokes. There are lighter and heavier tapes and bands to protect the tube, some of which in theory could seal a tubeless set-up. On the other hand, any band/strip which seals the spokes will probably be enough to protect a tube. However, that is not to say that there is / could be a technology of sealing the spokes which would not offer sufficient protection for a tube. I suspect that if you can buy a wheel that is tubeless ready someone somewhere is offering tube/tubeless ready tapes/bands, but, as always, not all the market offering 'tubeless ready' is really ready.

Gresp15C

On a historical note, the two bikes that I owned in 1983 were a Schwinn and a Trek. The Schwinn had non adhesive rim strips like shown in the picture, but made of black rubber. The Trek had white cloth adhesive rim tape. Tubeless was not even on the horizon at that point. The rubber stuff deteriorated over time -- it was brittle and shattered when I worked on a 1963 Schwinn recently. And the joint where it went around the valve hole was a point of weakness. Adhesive tape worked better, lasted longer, and I believe is preferable today, but I imagine that it took time and skill to apply.

The new plastic strips like you've shown, I'm not happy with. One bike in the family fleet with "tubeless ready" wheels, came with those strips. Given the amount of effort to mount tires on a tubeless ready rim, the added hassle of the rim strip sliding around was a nightmare, and I switched it over to a modern adhesive tape.

SkinGriz

Maybe this isn’t correct. But I just clean the rubber strip leaving on the rim and wrap 2 wraps of electrical tape around it. 3 wraps if the rubber is deteriorating. Poke a hole where the stem goes through.

seibaatgung

It's certainly not normal. Rim tape is used for 1. watertight surface and 2. non-expandable, which it seems you have accomplished without shelling out money for a product that isn't used for anything else.

seibaatgung

Ever had any issues with this setup?

SkinGriz

No. but full disclosure, I only recreationally ride with my family. I don’t put in the miles a lot of you guys do. And I’ve never owned a presta valve tube.

seibaatgung

How many miles total?

SkinGriz

Maybe 100/year? So maybe that idea wouldn’t work for someone who rides 5k/year. In my defense, I probably have 16 years of professional mechanic experience (not bikes though), so I can see certain concepts, theory of operation stuff that would give me an idea of it something would work or not.

The flip side is someone who rides 5k/year, or someone who commutes by bike I would think would get so good at fixing flats that they’d be ok with trying something to see if it works.

All we’re trying to do is protect the tube from the sharp edges of the spoke nipple, right? Or am I missing something?

seibaatgung

There's still a minimum of time and luggage to take care of a flat on the side of the road. With a two-ended tube, you only need a hand pump, though a tire lever would save a lot of time.
Of course - but there's been not even an unofficial study into rim strip + electrical tape versus rim tape.

SkinGriz

I’ll say one thing I like about my way.

It holds the valve stem pretty tight. I know you’re never supposed to ride on low air pressure. Sometimes real life for me is different, like if my kids ride their bikes while I’m at work, I’m not going to make sure their tires are perfectly inflated. And all tires lose air pressure over time.

That would be the only advantage I see with Presta. Doesn’t presta have a nut that holds the valve stem from rocking?

seibaatgung

Yes

cxwrench

The tape is mostly there to protect the tube from the sharp edge of the spokes holes in the rim, and maybe the nipple inside the hole. The spokes should not be sticking out of the nipple unless they're the wrong size...which is obviously possible. I find it hard to believe that it's not painfully obvious that there needs to be something to cover those holes and that someone would consider removing it and then installing/inflating a tube.

There are a lot of Schrader tubes that have threaded stems and lock nuts, Specialized sells millions of them.

SkinGriz

Thank you. I now know I can get Schrader tubes with lock nuts on the stems. I can see that being worth the expense.

Installing a tube without a barrier over the spoke nipples is probably a mistake someone will only make once. I think I did it once when I was kid.