I've had some Hope 20five wheels for a year, may be less, and I've never been able to tape the damn things well due to the shape (relatively narrow at 20mm internal, and with a deep centre channel)
I must have retaped them just about every time the tyres have come off, and it's always taken me forever and left my thumbs bruised, and the result has still been shoddy
I tried some of the Effetto Caffelatex rim strips, which worked a treat for a few months, but not so much recently
So I'm on the brink of replacing them for this reason alone, but it seems a stupid reason to abandon an overwise nice set of wheel... What else can I try? A more mallable tape? Another type of rims strip?
My Hope 20five's were fine to tape
I used CRC's Prime tubeless tape, make sure you using a tape that is 3-5mm wider than the rim, do two wraps if possible, making sure the tape is right up against the rim's edge
Also make sure the rim is super clean, use isopro alcohol to clean the rim with a lint free cloth
Totally not my experience, I have the right width tape (the first tape I used was the stuff Hope provided with the rims) and cleaned with alcohol, plus double wrapped
I just can't get it to stick in the rim channel; it catches the edges first then I'm left with loads of air bubbles in the centre. I don't have this problem on any of the other tubeless rims I've had over the years, but those have mostly been 23-30mm internal with a shallower or at least less steep centre channel
Have you tried throwing a tube in for 24 hours after re-taping to get it properly fixed and shaped?
Have you tried throwing a tube in for 24 hours after re-taping to get it properly fixed and shaped?
I think I tried that one time, but can't remember tbh. I've never had to do that with another rim, but perhaps worth trying that before buying new wheels
Surly Rabbits Holes!
Nothing like a single wall rim with massive cutouts to make you miss stans rims.
rim tape how quaint 😉
Use electrical tape to tape just the spoke holes first then add the correct width tape, should be fine for multiple tyre changes. I review lots of tyres and use Hope rims and they've been grand using the above method.
I use a combo of electrical tape and gorilla tape. Fits into any crevice and doesn't budge because it's vastly stickier than any rim tape.
I sanded the rim bed first and then ipa to clean it. Mucoff tape stuck well after that.
I'm known for getting to the far end of a fart with prep but I do the following.
Sand the rim to take the shine off the anodised surface.
Clean with IPA.
Warm the Tessa tape
Wear gardening gloves to pull tape and wiggle side to side to sit it in the well.
Soapy water in a spray bottle sprayed onto tape to lubricate it while I run my thumb around the tape to press it down and expel the air.
Then a tyre and tube overnight.
Width of tape is also a consideration. When tubeless was new and rims were narrow, wall to wall was the way to do it.
These days, on wider rims with a good bead shelf, it might be worth considering a narrower tape that sits fully in the well of the rim if it sufficiently covers the holes.
These days I just use Light Bicycle carbon rims with a UST rim bed.
In my experience of doing race support and having had to do quite a bit of taping rims in a hurry my top tips are.
Degrease the rim properly.
Warm the tape up, I've resorted to tucking it up inside my shirt in the past but leaving it on a warm radiator or using a hairdryer will do the trick and won't endanger your armpit hair.
Put plenty of tension on the tape when applying it, this will remove wrinkles. This is much easier to do if the wheel is locked into a truing stand, freeing a hand to hold the starting section of the tape in place as you go round the rim.
Have the valve to hand so you can install it ASAP to pin everything in place as the glue gets to work.
+1 for warm Tessa tape
+1 for putting a tube in at least overnight (go for a ride even).
It needs a lot of tension, the glue is a natural rubber/latex based one IIRC and activated by pressure so the more tension you get on it the better it sticks.
And having said all that, if it's only for MTB then just use PVC electrical tape, a few layers is more than enough to withstand 30psi. I only use tubeless tape on gravel/road wheels.
I think I taped my 20fives just fine. Never succeeded with the huge valve hole though
I think pulling the tape really hard is key. By the time you’ve gone right round the tape at the bottom of the valley is a few cm shorter than the tape at the edges. This is only possible if you have stretched the tape at the edge a few cm s over the whole rim.
Done it, and looks properly neat for the first time
Put down one layer of 17mm mucoff tape in the channel, which just about covers the spoke holes, then two layers of Tesa-something Stans equivalent on top
The trick was pulling tighter than I've ever had to pull rim tape in the past, which meant making it a two-person job with my partner. My thumbs are still sore as **** today though
Yeah, for a lovely smooth 'pro' finish, tension is your friend.
It gets much easier with practice.
I "accidentally" did a pair really well a couple of years ago after a few beers.
Decided to do them after i'd left them leaning on the corner of the coffee table for an hour or so with the fire going. Rim was warm to the touch (and i'd already scrubbed it) and the tape was stretchy and oh so sticky...
I'll do that next time as well.
Ha!, I only clicked on this thread to see if they were Hope 20fives and they were. Mine have been a nightmare. I must have had to retape them every year I've had them. I've sanded the rims, cleaned them down etc. The Tessa tape just wouldn't hold on the rim sides which would then leak through the valve hole. Seem to have done a better job of it this time around but I expect when I come back to the bike after winter the tyres will have lost all pressure again.
