Duct tape = Rim tape

[L7]

I have a Mavic cosmic elite wheelset on my bike. Love the wheels, they've been solid and strong and they're fast as hell.

When they were new I got a few flats and eventually figured the plastic liner they use instead of rim tape was a little misplaced in spots. This left some sharp bits both on the metal rim and the edge of the plastic liner.

A friend told me the plastic rim liners suck and to loose them but I stopped having trouble.

Today I was swapping around the tires and saw the tape getting displaced again. Didn't have any rim tape and didn't feel like running around town on the off chance I'd find some. I always forget was it Frank Zappa of nescessity that is the Mother of invention.

At any rate I tried duct tape. Just rode and no problems with the pressure about 110psi. Anyone else tried this and got any long term advise for me? Let me know.

[mntlion]

cleaning the rims of the duct tape goo afterwards is a bitch, and when it gets sticky installing tubes will be hard, and might cause more flats if they have twists and then inflated hard.

Its a good temp measure, but not good long term. Also cloth hockey tape is a bit better for the not as sticky factor

Look around for wider real rim tape

[snow_slider]

Duct tape will work as a temporary solution, but you just can't beat Velox:
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product.aspx?i=RI707Y00

That said, I used a few patches of duct tape on my Vector Comps around the presta valve hole. They edges just seemed a bit sharp - although I never got a flat (ounce of prevention mentality). I've had them for over 8000 miles and no flats so far and I run about 120 psi in my tires.

I great cure for mntlion's delimma is to splash a little baby powder inside the tire casing and on the tube. That stuff is amazing!

[L7]

I guess I'll run it for awhile until I run into any problems. I can see the goo being hard to get off but I'm not sure it will degrade that much, no sun exposure and little to no moisture. I'll keep you posted on the experiment and I'll try to remember the talc as a goo solution.

[flowtron]

Originally posted by L7
I guess I'll run it for awhile until I run into any problems. I can see the goo being hard to get off but I'm not sure it will degrade that much, no sun exposure and little to no moisture. I'll keep you posted on the experiment and I'll try to remember the talc as a goo solution.

Your wheels will heat up though, especially under long braking, thats gonna make it gooey. I used duct tape on my DH bike wheels last summer, but with disk brakes the rims don't heat up.

I'd pick up some velox when I got the chance if I were you....blowing up tubes/tires on a moving roadbike gives me the willies.

[L7]

Originally posted by flowtron
Your wheels will heat up though, especially under long braking, thats gonna make it gooey. I used duct tape on my DH bike wheels last summer, but with disk brakes the rims don't heat up.

I'd pick up some velox when I got the chance if I were you....blowing up tubes/tires on a moving roadbike gives me the willies.

Hmm heating, I try to avoid braking altogether and I'm not sure of the connection between gooey tape and blowing tire. Either way I saw some rim tape today and picked it up. Now it's just a matter of getting the motivation to screw with it again. Won't happen this week.