FLO Cycling - How to Install a Rim Strip

How to install a rim strip on your FLO wheel

[@charlieroberts9739]

My left ear really enjoyed this

[@tonydmm26y0]

well the video is 6 years old bonehead, lol.

[@xtrailz]

Yeah dude! Elon Musk hadn't even invented stereo when this video was made - duh!

[@mg9261]

Tony D oh true

[@JohnSmith-fh5du]

go to the ear nose and throat dept. get your hearing checked

[@magnumllama400]

@@JohnSmith-fh5du bahahaha

[@JohnG-cw6zm]

Excellent video - the only problem is I spent an 30 min troubleshooting my laptop and airpods trying to figure out why I was only getting sound out of the left channel. Finally my wife took over and explained that your video was done in Mono and there is nothing wrong with my sound 😂

[@flo_cycling]

Haha. That’s pretty funny. I’m happy you found it helpful.

[@jacquesdemolay5171]

Eight years later and this is still a very useful and helpful video. Thank you! (Also, I cannot believe how petty and whiny some of the comments here are. Good lord.) Edit: Having just completed this process on two new wheels that came without the rim strips installed, I found a very useful tip from "Tailwind Cyclists" in a video titled "How to fix a bad rim strip." They recommend sliding a narrow, flathead screwdriver underneath the strip before the final installation, which you can then easily slide around the circumference of the wheel rim, thereby allowing the strip to fall into place more accurately and to be more centered. I needed to readjust my strip after installation, and found that gently prying the screwdriver (with the help of a tire lever) underneath the strip, and circling the rim as described, not only realigned the strip correctly, but also allowed me to perfectly center the valve hole on the strip with the valve hole on the rim. Also: I came to realize just how much force I needed to apply when pre-stretching the rim strip as described in this Flo Cycling video (mine were quite tight!). I was simply being too gentle the first time around. After being more aggressive on stretching my second strip, installation was infinitely easier. Thanks again for this video. Just thought I'd offer a bit info for anyone else who might find themselves in the same predicament as myself. Cheers!

[@flo_cycling]

Thanks for the kind words. Happy you found the video helpful.

[@user-zc9hn2wv5x]

Thanks I had a hard time finding someone who covered this topic.

[@flo_cycling]

You're welcome.

[@sohoyankee66]

If I can add, make sure the rim tape is covering the around edges of the valve hole. I went through two tubes in 8 miles because a small part of the valve hole was exposed which was enough to puncture the tubes.

[@homerovl21]

Soho Yankee that happen to me, but i want to move my rim tape but i cant its the original that came with my fulcrum wheels

[@BananaCueCrew]

Thank you so much, you answered all of my questions. I was really wondering where to put the rough side. Google didn't provide any answers.

[@kevinroireyes6742]

I think the rough side shoud be facing the rim right?

[@BananaCueCrew]

@@kevinroireyes6742 smooth side to the rim, rough side to the inner tube. In my case the side with some writings is the rough one and faces the inner tube. I used schwalbe Probably it's true for some other rim strips.

[@zidnyknight3611]

Thank you for the clear, concise instructions. And extra points for brevity !

[@qatzelok]

Thanks for making the process easy. And great narration!

[@flo_cycling]

You're welcome.

[@erichhudson2090]

Great video. Definitely helped. And it was to the point without all the nonsense. Good job

[@flo_cycling]

Thanks Erich! Happy to hear you enjoyed the video. Take care, Chris

[@kevinroireyes6742]

I think the smooth part should face the tubes while the rough part faces the rim.

[@tonydmm26y0]

great video, i wouldn't have known the slick side goes down, or to stick something thru the hole to keep the tape from moving, thx!

[@KrugerVideos]

What to do when i stretched it too much? Is there way to shrink the rim strip?

[@wm2548]

Jakub Búgel hair dryer or heat gun works

[@CARBDOPING]

Great video! You made that super simple!

[@cjt1981]

Happy to hear the video helped. Have a great day! Chris

[@adrn20]

Thank you for this, really helpful 🙏

[@flo_cycling]

You're welcome!

[@smozaf]

I heard tape and thought that it had an adhesive side damn didn't think it was a one piece type of thing. Thnx!

[@jimbo1858]

Mine just got delivered and I have only been trying to peel it, expecting a sticky side 🙈 looks straightforward enough

[@AstrogeoJay]

Wish i had watched this before I put mine in, didn't know about the rough and smooth side, is ot really important to put the right side up, as mine is in now and i just gopt the tyre on, i on really want to take it off again if its not that important.

[@flo_cycling]

You are fine with the tape either way. There will be no need to change the tapes direction.

[@THX11380]

Thanks. Is that all there is too it

[@oplkfdhgk]

tried to use something like this but i keep getting punctures near valve hole. i tried to file the valve hole to make sure it is not sharp but still i keep having this issue so i am convinced that rim strips are just kinda trash so i bought normal rim tape and put couple layers of it on to the rim. hope this will finally fix my issue.

[@flo_cycling]

It sounds like a pinch flat. If you’re still using original FLO rim tape it would be many years old and likely a good idea to replace it.

[@oplkfdhgk]

@@flo_cycling nah i was using Continental easy tape. It was brand new but now I installed normal rim tape cus it should soften the edges of valve hole a bit so I think it should fix this issue.

[@oplkfdhgk]

​@@flo_cyclingyeah that seemed to fix it.

[@ideacre8r]

You guys are awesome...great product and great service.

[@cjt1981]

Glad we were able to help John! Have a great day! Chris

[@TheStan80]

Thanks i will attempt this now and probably balls it up

[@paulionel7704]

Why needs the smooth side to be down and the rough side up and in contact with the tube ? Should't be vice versa ? In my opinion the smooth side is the one which needs to be in contact with the tube which we all know is sensitive.. but maybe I think wrong..

[@flo_cycling]

Paul Ionel Rough is a relative term. It's not very rough at all... only slightly rougher than the smooth side. It won't hurt the tube. Chris

[@underourrock]

Paul Ionel The reason the rougher side touches the tube is to keep the tube from slipping as you ride and eventually ripping off the valve stem (which is what I'm facing now.)

[@paulionel7704]

+underourrock yes, that can be a reason, indeed. Thanks.

[@GaborL]

Where does this stretching idea come from? The rim tape is elastic.

[@flo_cycling]

Gabor, The rim tape is not elastic. It's fairly rigid. The rim tape is stretched to help get it over the rim. Chris

[@PabloCerezo]

Hi I'm looking for buying a new rim tape for my wheels . I got a question, I saw a lot of kind of rim tape (elastics or adhesive) and also quite different widths (15/18/19/20/22 mm) For a 20 inches wheel (folding bike), which one do you thinks could fit better? Thanks in advance Great job! Cheers

[@flo_cycling]

Pablo, Thanks for writing. That all depends on the width of your rims. Since I don't manufacture your wheel, it's kind of hard for me to say. You might want to take them to your local bike shop so they can help you get the proper fit. I hope that helps, Chris

[@BeardFjord]

Sometimes making things look simple makes a tutorial less useful. How much should it be stretched? How difficult should it be to get around the rim? What happens when it end up going on wrong? Is the only step left cut it off and buy a new one? How do you avoid the Tape folding so it goes on without protecting the tube? Is there a way to fix when this happens?

[@flo_cycling]

Bradford, You'll want to stretch the rim strip enough to make the installation a little easier but not enough so that it's loose on the rim. Sorry, I don't have a more exact answer than that. It's better to be too tight than too loose. If you install it incorrectly you can just pull it off of the rim. You will not have to cut it off. You'll have to be careful when installing the rim tape so that it doesn't fold. If it does, just lift up the rim tape with your fingers and straighten it out. If you find this step really challenging, you will likely benefit from stretching the rim tape a little more. I hope that helps, Chris

[@renaissancefam5465]

@@flo_cycling im here to find out what you do when its not centered properly on the last bit. Seems too tight to move around

[@flo_cycling]

@@renaissancefam5465 You should be able to move it. It will be tight but if its a strip like the one above it should move.

[@renaissancefam5465]

@@flo_cycling Thanks. I was scared, but I eventually finessed it with a butterknife. Thanks!

[@KylePolansky]

What's the best way to remove the rim tape if you need to true an internally spoked wheel? Do you have to buy new rim tape each time you remove it, or it is reusable? Thanks!

[@flo_cycling]

You should be able to just get one of the edges up with your fingernail, and pull the rim tape off. As long as it's not damaged in anyway you can reuse it. Take care, Chris

[@KylePolansky]

FloCycling Thank You!

[@SiriHakuoh]

Thanks bro! 💙

[@PrzeoryszaCelina]

THX I thought I'd have to advertise : ]

[@sarangparmar9785]

You can use a tube and cut make it easy

[@helio_afonso]

Thanks a lot!

[@underourrock]

Is there an easy way to tell what width rim tape you need?

[@RaceboyYT]

underourrock it goes by how wide your rim is

[@martinj9647]

I know this is way old, but for anyone in the future; the easiest way is to measure the existing rim strip with a pair of calipers or ruler. If you're doing a new wheel and not replacing the rim strip it'd be a little harder since the flat tape usually goes onto a curved surface so you can't simply measure the width of the inside of the wheel and go with that. Personally I'd measure the width of the bit the tape should cover, then measure how deep it is compared to the flat sides of the wheel that will be under the bead of the tire then do depth * .75 * 2 + width and go with the closest size(don't always round up). For example, a wheel I'm working on now has a ~12mm track width where the tape should cover, and the depth is 3mm so 3 * .75 *2 is 4.5, then plus the 12mm width gives 16.5 so I'd go with 16-18, 16 obviously being optimal. Granted this might not work for every wheel since the angle of the curves will undoubtedly be different, but should work as a rough estimated

[@jamespage7883]

well done. thank you.

[@flo_cycling]

You're welcome! Thanks for the kind words. Chris

[@christiankawaii8417]

is rim tape for making the tire tubeless?

[@flo_cycling]

Rim tape is for covering the spoke holes. If you don't cover the spoke holes, the tube will be forced into them during inflation and as a result pop. A tubeless set up needs a special tubeless kit like a Stan's Kit, or the kit by Silca. Take care, Chris

[@slogun937]

No

[@ValFolarin]

next vid is how to select the right rim tape

[@phaturoti2457]

Why not just complete the installation. I feel we are missing some steps.

[@quaverflava3639]

I keep getting punctures around my innertube valves? Any tips.

[@flo_cycling]

I would check your rim tape to make sure you have a good seal in that area. That would be my guess. Replacing your rim tape is likely a good idea. Chris

[@quaverflava3639]

FloCycling Thanks. Is velox any good?

[@flo_cycling]

@@quaverflava3639 Velox is great! I've used their rim tape many times in the past. Chris

[@quaverflava3639]

FloCycling Thanks Chris 👍🏻.

[@cs1992]

Would gorilla tape work?

[@flo_cycling]

I would not recommend Gorilla Tape. While it will work, getting it off is hateful since the adhesive breaks down over time. Tubeless rim tape is a great option for both tube and tubeless installations.

[@M3di3valG]

Audio on this is completely borked!

[@MaximumEfficiency]

how about using and old tube instead of rim tape?

[@cjt1981]

I definitely do not recommend that. Chris

[@art.mfi.3603]

Chris Thornham Can you explain ? Thanks

[@cjt1981]

A tube is not designed for that purpose and you risk a flat or worse. Please only use products designed for sealing the rim holes. Chris

[@MaximumEfficiency]

tnx, but I don't care about performance and prefer primitive technology :)

[@cjt1981]

If you do not use rim tape, your bicycle tube will be forced into the spokes holes of your rim when you inflate your tires. When this happens, your tube pops. You use rim tape to prevent the pressurized tube from going into the spoke holes and popping. You need to use rim tape for this because it is designed to be strong enough to prevent the tube from going into the spoke holes. If you use another tube, it will not be strong enough and your tube will pop.

[@krissifadwa]

00:52

[@carlbrovsky7500]

head room! eek

[@flo_cycling]

+Carl Brovsky I don't understand what you mean? Chris

[@carlbrovsky7500]

+FloCycling It's just how you filmed it, there is too much space above his head which makes the shot look a bit off. - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headroom_(photographic_framing) Hope this helps!

[@flo_cycling]

+Carl Brovsky This is an instructional video. We are trying to make sure everything fits in the frame to properly show how to install the rim strip. At times the wheel goes above the "proper head space" that you prefer. I'm sorry if this bothers you, but we wanted to focus on the installation of the rim strip. Chris

[@witchdoktor69]

Just use a screwdriver

[@jakubmatta3068]

bad mic

[@flo_cycling]

I'm sorry the sound didn't work out for you. Chris

[@hardywillis7495]

Please fix your lavalier microphone on your chest, it's super distracting everytime you move or brush against it. If you didn't hire a professional sound person to help you make this please do so in the future. If you did hire one consider hiring a different one next time. Cheers!

[@johnLjelks]

Thank you for the clear, concise instructions. And extra points for brevity !