Hockey tape: Hockey tape is widely available, made of cloth and comes in two sizes. What are some good alternatives to bicycle rim tape? With this in mind, rim tape is one of those “ prevention is better than the cure” pieces of kit. There is certainly nothing to prevent you from riding your bike with no rim tape fitted to your wheels, but it is also not good practice to do so.Īs soon as you inflate your inner tubes, they will start expanding into the spoke holes, and as previously explained, the expansion of the rubber tubes makes them susceptible to friction against sharp metal edges inside your rim, and accordingly more puncture-prone. Many household use tapes are not, in fact, great substitutes for rim tape because the dimensions can be either too narrow, too wide or otherwise have other properties that would make them not well suited for use on bicycle rims.īefore we have a look at some good (and not so good alternatives) to bicycle rim tape, let’s answer a more fundamental question… Can I ride my bike without rim tape? Some non-bicycle specific tapes make good substitutes, some don’t (we discuss this in more detail further on in this article). Tubeless tape is also resistant to some chemicals present in tubeless sealants. Like regular rim tape, tubeless tape comes in various widths, but it is made using materials that ensure better adhesion to the rim bed to prevent air loss. Tubeless setups have a special type of rim tape, simply known as tubeless tape. Modern rims are double-walled, that is they have a recess where the spokes are inserted and the spoke holes have these sharp edges that need to be covered with the appropriate width of rim tape, while still being thin enough to prevent interference with the tire bead and rim bead hook interface. In the days of single-wall rims, when the spokes where directly inserted into the inside of the rim, common practice was to use thick rubber rim tape, given that the tape goes directly over the nipples and needed to be thick enough to protect the inner tubes. It can come in a single circular piece of tape that is stretched around the rim, known as “looped tape”, or a roll of tape that can be cut to the required length. Some tapes have an adhesive side to secure it to the rim bed surface. Rim tape is made using various materials, including cloth or fabric as well as vinyl and rubber. What exactly is rim tape, and what does it do?īicycle rim tape is a strip of flexible material that is placed in the rim bed around the circumference of the rim prior to installing inner tubes and mounting tires.Īs simple as rim tape is, it actually performs the important function of protecting your inner tubes, which expand in size and have thinner walls once inflated, from abrasion or punctures due spokes protruding through the inside of the rim or holes or any sharp edges around the inner spoke holes or rim joints. This post might contain affiliate links for which we may make a small commission at no extra cost to you should you make a purchase.
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