 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Which works best?
I found Stans cracks after a few tyre changes and is expensive, whilst Gorilla tape ends up sticking to the tyre and pulling into the centre of the rim after a few tyre changes. Anything almost permanent out there? Or is there a specific technique I'm missing?
Using 25mm tape on 25mm rims, cleaning with IPA before application, 2 wraps done slowly and carefully, pushing into centre channel.
Rims are DT EX471 which do have a rather rough surface finish
Not sure on alternatives as such but a cheaper alternative to Stan's is thought to be TESA 4289 available on Ebay amongst other places. Wuold let you change it more often.
electrical tape works just fine.
a cheaper alternative to Stan's is thought to be TESA 4289 available on Ebay amongst other place
+1
60m for under a tenner.
Clear gorilla's supposed to be good- not as horrible as coloured gorilla- but I think only comes in 50mm.
What sort of rim is it? If it's a wide one, there's a trick you can use- taping it narrow pulls all of the tape into the well on teh rim so protects it from being folded up in a tyre change. I'm using narrow tesa (18mm I think) on my LB carbons and i35s and it's perfect. Most folks would use wider tape but that has drawbacks (especially if it's not quite wide enough- so the tyre pushes over the top of it when it's at its tightest)
We (bird) do a tape that's the same type as stans only much thinner. In the interest of not just advertising my products it's what's sold as Tesa 4287 IIRC which we have made to specific widths. Stans is tesa 4289 (again iirc). The 4287 is much thinner so you can do a few wraps. Yes it's more fragile if you do just once round, but it's like laminated glass, with the layering adding to the strength. You get a little tear in one layer but the others will still hang together. It also makes it a little easier to get a good fit to then rim as each layer molds better to the shape of the rim - the free floating not stuck to anything tape being the issue. It did need more careful application though as layering up makes air bubbles if you don't do it right, which is a pita.
As with Bird, I've also used Tesa 4287 and 4288 for rims with an awkward shape as it moulds itself better to the shape of the rim. Multiple wraps do the job, but for fat rims under low pressure, so long as they can hold the initial inflation, a single wrap is usually enough.
Thanks all, will have a look at your tape Ben