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Hi All,
My Whyte and I have been trying to install tubeless rim tape. on and off for about a year, the rims are Whyte's own brand carbon, very nice but I really think their surface would be better marketed to the tekkies at Tefal non-stick. the issue is that no matter how much rubbing down with wire wool, scotch paper and 1200 grit wet&dry and then cleaning with alcohol the surface of the carbon refuses to allow tubeless tape to stick. I tried café latex tape, (I'm sure they got a job lot of old vhs tape and wound it onto little rolls), the stuff has next to no adhesion to the touch so I was immediately sceptical about it sticking under the stresses of my stretching it to make a non conforming tape conform to my rim profile... it didn't. at all! I also tried Stans yellow tape, apparently more sticky, but not against carbon. same end result. - its in the bin.
Any tips? Anyone succeeded?
thanks in advance!
Impact adhesive?
good thought, but impact adhesive (contact adhesive) needs to be applied to both materials to be mated, so would be a evil job sticking it to a 29er's worth f rim tape without dropping it on the floor and getting it dusty.
Meditate on this I will.
Duct/gaffer tape.
What about specilized 2bliss tape, the stretchy stuff that doesn't stick, it's elastic so it holds on that way?
http://www.bike24.com/p298963.html
+1 duct tape, super sticky
Gorilla tape
Gorilla tape. If it's any help, I have gorilla tape on my Enve fork protecting it from cable rub, and it sticks perfectly.
I've done two sets of carbon rims with gorrila/duct/gaffer tape. Works a treat, right up until you want to take it off.
Stans tape, hold it really tight as you pull the first layer around, but don't let go of the first bit. You need three hands. Overlap by half or a full wrap depending on your tyre tightness, the tape sticks to itself and the first layer is tight, so works a treat. Easier to remove than a bit of gorrilla tape, but that also works great
Uselesshippy +1, Gorilla tape is excellent, but a bitch to remove.
+1 gorilla tape
Just removed some SS tubeless tape as the tyre was going down and I damaged it removing the tyre to have a look. Gorilla tape went on very easy and sealed straight away.
Rimstrip?
thanks everyone, Gorilla tape is on todays shopping list to try.
Stans tape was tried last night, I agree it will stick to itself, but you have to get the first layer to remain conformed without holding on to it in order to do a wrap.
additional issue is that since it isn't actually stuck, where you cut the valve hole, you get a weak point where the tape is about 1mm wide either side of the cut, the tension seems to snap the tape at this point and creates a potential leak to the nearest spoke holes.
fingers crossed for some Friday evening gorilla action!
I use reinforced glass fibre packaging tape from Ebay.
Mine came with a Whyte branded rim strip fitted, get you dealer to give ATB a shout for a set.
I just use 3 wraps of insulation tape. Never had a problem.
If you just need to cover the spoke holes it's great.
Why not just use a rim strip?
I used some wtb tubeless tape from crc on my light bicycle rims, 1 layer and its been fine for 18months
I found the SS tape very sticky - unusually so for rim tape. Did my LB rims fine, but I suppose not all rims are the same inside.
If you can get it to stick try a layer of insulation tape then stars tape on top.
Why bother with tape if it's such a problem ➡
http://www.justridingalong.com/veloplugs.html
Stan's with about a foot of overlap. You don't have to worry about the air leaking under the valve if you don't cut a full hole. Just get a scalpel or craft knife and make a cross shape once the tape is fitted, shove the valve through that and do it up tight.
Do those veloplugs work fine in a tubeless setup? Could be interesting if they do.
I had a problem like this with some powder coated rims. Cleaning with IPA and keying the surface both did nothing to help tape stick adequately over the whole rim bed. What worked for me was a layer of electrical tape pulled tight over the spoke holes, then duct tape over the top of that.
You don't want to hear this, but I've just taken delivery on my shiny new 29-CS.
Got a slow puncture so decided to have a crack at tubelessing it.
Stock tyre (Ikon) came off with fingers only, and back on fingers only and it inflated without sealant and with a track pump. I re fitted with sealant and a blob of glue around the valve seat and it's been golden ever since.
Maybe you could try getting the new rimstrip it ships with? Think the advertising changed to the wheels being tubeless ready this year.
My ENVE m60 come with gorilla tape, works a treat.