Tubeless Rim Tape

MarioM

Likes Dirt
Well I had my first failure after 8 months or so with the norton bear tape a couple of weeks back in a race . The rear started deflating halfway around each lap . Not too bad was able to pump up and keep going each lap . The front failed on Saturday nights race and was too bad that I had to pull out . I`m kicking myself for not doing the front when the rear went .
When I initially set them up I did the once only wrap around as per my other wheels with stans tape ( which are still perfect ) . It turns out that the tape had worn through at the nipple holes , not all the way around , just on a few .

So I guess for longevity with this tape it would be best to double or even triple wrap your rim , or just suck it up and get the right stuff .
 

DJR

Likes Dirt
Well I had my first failure after 8 months or so with the norton bear tape a couple of weeks back in a race . The rear started deflating halfway around each lap . Not too bad was able to pump up and keep going each lap . The front failed on Saturday nights race and was too bad that I had to pull out . I`m kicking myself for not doing the front when the rear went .
When I initially set them up I did the once only wrap around as per my other wheels with stans tape ( which are still perfect ) . It turns out that the tape had worn through at the nipple holes , not all the way around , just on a few .

So I guess for longevity with this tape it would be best to double or even triple wrap your rim , or just suck it up and get the right stuff .
I did point out earlier you should use 2 or 3 layers of it, that's what I do on all my rims, it's dirt cheap anyway.
 

stirk

Burner
Well I had my first failure after 8 months or so with the norton bear tape a couple of weeks back in a race . The rear started deflating halfway around each lap . Not too bad was able to pump up and keep going each lap . The front failed on Saturday nights race and was too bad that I had to pull out . I`m kicking myself for not doing the front when the rear went .
When I initially set them up I did the once only wrap around as per my other wheels with stans tape ( which are still perfect ) . It turns out that the tape had worn through at the nipple holes , not all the way around , just on a few .

So I guess for longevity with this tape it would be best to double or even triple wrap your rim , or just suck it up and get the right stuff .
I use this tape and being new to tubeless am keen to understand this wear you mention. At rest the tape will not move nor wear. When riding the tape would push ever so slightly into the nipple hole when pressure spikes up from hitting bumps and landing jumps. This stretching motion of the tape into the hole eventually wears through the tape in a circle pattern around the hole. Is this what happens? Thankfully I double wrapped mine.
 

D/\M0

Likes Bikes
I'd suspect, essentially, yes as per your description.
Double wrap minimum sounds the go. Actually happen to have Gorilla tape in the car already so this will be the cheapest tubeless conversion ever...
cheers guys :israel:
 

MarioM

Likes Dirt
I did point out earlier you should use 2 or 3 layers of it, that's what I do on all my rims, it's dirt cheap anyway.
I know that . I had done mine a fair while before that and did it as I have done with the stans tape . So the next stage is to see how long it lasts as a double this time around .
 

MarioM

Likes Dirt
I use this tape and being new to tubeless am keen to understand this wear you mention. At rest the tape will not move nor wear. When riding the tape would push ever so slightly into the nipple hole when pressure spikes up from hitting bumps and landing jumps. This stretching motion of the tape into the hole eventually wears through the tape in a circle pattern around the hole. Is this what happens? Thankfully I double wrapped mine.
Yeah that's what has happened .
 

Art Vanderlay

Hourly daily
I have been using Gorilla tape for a while now. Wanted to replace the tape as it looking a bit ratty.....what a bitch to get off! The only way I found to get the residue off the rim is using kerosene.
What tape are peeps using these days? Don't really want to go through the process of having to remove gorilla tape again...
 

Jpez

Down on the left!
I have been using Gorilla tape for a while now. Wanted to replace the tape as it looking a bit ratty.....what a bitch to get off! The only way I found to get the residue off the rim is using kerosene.
What tape are peeps using these days? Don't really want to go through the process of having to remove gorilla tape again...
Don't laugh, dunno if it's right or wrong but all I had on hand was Nitto Electrical tape when I first set up tubeless. Worked like a charm so I've just kept using it. It was on thinner I'd rims though.

Now I'm running wider rims I might have to think about a wider tape if the time comes I need to change it or add more for a sloppy tire.
 

Boom King

downloaded a pic of moorey's bruised arse
I have been using Gorilla tape for a while now. Wanted to replace the tape as it looking a bit ratty.....what a bitch to get off! The only way I found to get the residue off the rim is using kerosene.
What tape are peeps using these days? Don't really want to go through the process of having to remove gorilla tape again...
Norton 'Bear' brand outdoor masking tape.
 

silentbutdeadly

has some good things to say
If you want to make something that's just about bullet proof, use one wrap of the thin bears filament tape over the spoke holes then a second wrap with the bears blue that's the same width of your rim so that it reaches up the sides of the rim. When you stop the wraps of tape, overlap them by about an inch and oppose the overlaped joints on the circumference of the rim.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/bear-24mm-x-50m-filament-tape_p1662452
Just got the 19 mm version to try. Been using Scotch 8898 24 mm tape for a bit but found it doesn't always get on well with complex shaped Spank rims or narrow xc rims and their tyres due to the width. Comes off clean though. The Nitto sparkies tape is great but not always resistant to latex or sharp spoke hole edges!
 

Flow-Rider

Burner
Just got the 19 mm version to try. Been using Scotch 8898 24 mm tape for a bit but found it doesn't always get on well with complex shaped Spank rims or narrow xc rims and their tyres due to the width. Comes off clean though. The Nitto sparkies tape is great but not always resistant to latex or sharp spoke hole edges!
I used it for support because of the large spoke holes in the e-thirteen rims I have.
 

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
Don't laugh, dunno if it's right or wrong but all I had on hand was Nitto Electrical tape when I first set up tubeless. Worked like a charm so I've just kept using it. It was on thinner I'd rims though.

Now I'm running wider rims I might have to think about a wider tape if the time comes I need to change it or add more for a sloppy tire.
Nitto leckie tape is good for most things, but not tubeless; it's too stretchy and will blow into the spoke holes & tear. I had problems with the stuff after only a few months, and that's on untrendily narrow 23mm rims. However said rims are particularly tight on the tolerance, so I only single-wrap any tape I use just to not make fitting tyres any harder than it has to be. after experimenting and failing with leckie tape I went to the blue Bear stuff, and it's been brilliant; single-layer wrap and not had a failure in close to two years. I changed tyres recently and redid the tape while they were off as a precaution, because it had crept a little bit, but no leaks anywhere.
 

stirk

Burner
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Flow-Rider

Burner
Just a small update on the filament tape wrap followed by 2 wraps of blue bear, I went 2 wraps of blue bear on these rims because the tape width wasn't wide enough for the rim width but I've done one of each on another set of rims that's working fine. This is roughly 11 months old and is still looking pretty good. Wheels have copped a bit of a hiding and luckily I like running 30 psi minimum on the rear.


View attachment 341505
 

Warp

Likes Dirt
Just a small update on the filament tape wrap followed by 2 wraps of blue bear, I went 2 wraps of blue bear on these rims because the tape width wasn't wide enough for the rim width but I've done one of each on another set of rims that's working fine. This is roughly 11 months old and is still looking pretty good. Wheels have copped a bit of a hiding and luckily I like running 30 psi minimum on the rear.
My ROAD wheels are still going strong after 1yr tubeless on blue tape. The tape over one of the spokes holes has "inflated inwards" so to speak, but holding up 60-70psi no worries.

Actually, don't let the bike industry know or they are going to rebrand it and sell it for 25AUD a roll.
 
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