How To Fit Tubeless Rim Tape | GCN Tech Monday Maintenance

[@gcntech]

Do you use tubeless tyres? Let us know 👇

[@marekholub8668]

Yup. And the setup was absolute faf. Also the tyre is extremely difficult to get on/off the rim.

[@AJFixie]

Yes. I love them. My only criticism is the need to check pressure every day. I lose about 20 psi daily. Is this normal?

[@marekholub8668]

@Buster Brown That happened to my setup. Problem was bad tape.

[@glennoc8585]

MTB yes road bike no way.

[@scottf3456]

No

[@khairunsyazwin]

He is very lucky today! Luckily everything is in place 😄

[@PhilAndersonOutside]

3:30 - he makes it look easy. Often inexperienced people won’t get the strip just right and end up with issues. It takes some practice to get it perfect.

[@JMcLeodKC711]

Nice job Alex. Despite the fact that you had a truing stand right there, you showed us how the rest of the world has to do this chore

[@manoz6194]

Put it on your bike upside down, sit on a chair

[@jbarner13]

The first time I fitted tubeless tires I used a name brand tape and had very poor results. I later removed it and installed inexpensive kapton tape, which is available in a variety of widths. I found it best to go with a roll that was a bit narrower than the rim bed and go around twice, the first layer against one side, the second on the other. The stuff is quite tough and very thin. It won't split when it passes over large spoke holes, can be pressed down into the well of the rim as applied, and doesn't need to be refreshed. It is also far less expensive than any tape marketed for this use. I've even used the stuff on tube setups, with both double and single-wall rims.

[@leslietennant1]

Great video. 2 full layers. Surely one would do?

[@billfrigo7602]

Yes I was thinking the exactly same thing, the added 3 grams per wheel is an atrocious waste.

[@Digi20]

Having never broken a spoke, nowadays i only use rims without holes (f.e. from farsports or lightbicycle), thus eliminating the need for rim tape. its such a joy not having to worry for the stupid tape getting damaged or coming loose, vomiting sealant into the rim and ending your ride (yes, i had some really frustrating episodes). tires also seal much easier and better the first time.

[@whatwelearned]

F.E? Haha E.G, old chap

[@aeroarrowsmith]

Pro Tip: After applying the tape mount the tire with an inner tube. Let it rest for a few hours and your tape will be perfectly seated.

[@aaronhuie7013]

Added bonus: using the tube will help seat stubborn tubeless tires as well, leave one side's bead seated and use the other side to remove the tube.... having half the tire properly seated makes it SO much easier to seat the whole tire.

[@richardh7774]

In winter if your bike lives in a cold shed or basement bring the tape and wheels into the house and let them sit overnight before taping, rim tape is much stickier at 20 than 10c.

[@martynstokes9289]

spot on

[@RikHelsen]

I wish i had known this multiple attempts ago...

[@raulp202]

tysm for this comment, I wasted an entire roll of tape trying to get it to seal correctly with no luck, and your tip worked perfectly

[@francescochiappella4473]

Hi, very nice video, useful to understand better how to mount rim tape and valve. I have a question, how can I choice the right rim tape? I mean the right wide of it or better one. For example, for internal wide 20mm wheel which is the right wide of the tape? 23mm 25mm? or others size?. I've tried to replace by myself but I had some trouble, loosing pressure due to not perfect rim assembly. Thanks for the tips.

[@TheLoamMountaineer]

GCN forgot about you…..

[@mirandaadrian78]

Word of the day luckily. Awesome video

[@Fiona-zd5vj]

On my 4yr old bike, which had never had the factory fitted tubeless tyres removed, the glue cleaning was more a 2+ hrs of scraping, spraying and wiping (repeated over and over) of the rubbery textured glue from the original tape. Lesson learned, do it at 6months in even if not needed. I used all the recommended products and methods. Over 3hrs. Edit: for one rim.

[@ralvis22]

Ugh. I was wondering how often the previous tape comes off nice and clean. We'll see in about 15 minutes for my wheel. 🤞

[@ESHANABROOK]

I am on my second year with tubeless and there has been a bit of a learning curve, they ride really great. One thing I have seen taping a wheel, is to start the tape opposite the valve, I think I got some leakage from the tape end and the valve. Just rambling, but I might just try it that way.

[@rudyandersen6805]

Great vid gcn this really helps

[@richycoles]

Luckily I found this video very informative! 😉

[@neilcampion5265]

It’s a good job you did a better job of your excellent garage build. That tape looked a bit sloppy at the end. 😂😂😂

[@48Nugget]

Thanks for this vid. Is there a difference between tubeless rim tape and rim tape for clinchers? Thanks

[@BrentonChan]

Removing glue residues takes much longer..... Magic of KZbin

[@MECH1TECH1]

Nice video bro

[@guidospanoghe8896]

Why would you use 2 layers of that rim tape? Make sure the tape and rim are at roomtemperature in wintertime, it will adhere better. I put some pressure on the sides of the tape with a plastic tyre lever for maximal adhesion.

[@Bikey_McBeardface]

Depends on the tape, the muc-off stuff is quite thin.

[@candrychuk7728]

I actually use a heat gun to warmup the 30cm or so ahead of where I will be applying tape. Seals perfectly everytime!

[@MrTwosugars]

Hey GCN, I've bought tubless tyres wanting to convert from clinchers only to notice that whilst removing the existent rim tape that there is no central well. Does this mean that my wheels are not tubeless compatible? The rims obviously have sidewalls and are hookless. Basically can you go tubeless with any clincher wheel?

[@roadiedvm]

Very helpful video but I wonder if two layers of tape are necessary. Recent incidents of tubeless tires separating from hookless rims have emphasized the importance of using the correct width tires and pressures appropriate to your setup to prevent such incidents. Could the addition of add a second layer of tape on a hookless rim increase the risk of a tire-rim separation?

[@Themilkmanskid.]

How far up the side toward the bead can you get away with, because I notice some places are up the side of the rim just a tiny bit? Can the tape go into the bead grove somewhat at least, because I've heard no, and I've heard yes it is good for the bead of the tire to rest at least a tiny bit on the tape?

[@bubbachua]

If i have 19mm internal width rims, what size tubeless rim tape should i use? Running mavic cosmic sl pro ust rims

[@hamilton237]

A tip that worked for me is to use tape 2-3 mm wider than the measured internal width if your rim is hooked. This ensures the tape will fit down in the center groove and still cover the seats under the hook. If hookless, use tape with the same width as the internal rim width measurement. Im interested if other people do the same or have different ideas.

[@Bikey_McBeardface]

@@hamilton237 Same really, basically the width of the rim bed, slightly wider is fine too I wouldn't go out and buy 20mm tape if I already had some 22. Usually as long as there is enough tape to be under the bead of the tyre to push it down against the rim bed it's fine. With new modern rims it is really just about sealing the spoke holes. Some awkward rims/tyre combos that just won't seal can benefit from using wider tape to "creep" up the sides to just under the hook like you would with "ghetto tubeless", it gives them a better chance to seal as the tape is pressed against the bed and the walls of the rim.

[@matthewpeet1]

@gcn: I think this measurement trick should be included in the video as I bought the wrong rim tape and it was only when I started to apply it, I realised it wasn't working out in the same way as this video.

[@martinmalioat9236]

Question: If I do have 31.5mm inner width of my rims, what width of tape do I need to use, 30mm or 33mm? Thanks

[@whatwelearned]

It's recommended to get it 2-4mm larger, so you might want 35mm

[@ytkb8401]

Well you made that look easy, mine looked like Stevie wonder had fitted it..bubbles😂

[@mattszrejter6785]

Take a shot every time Alex is lucky 🍀

[@geoffwoods3653]

Luckily you had lots of luck today! 😁

[@nigelbradley613]

Is it possible to fix/patch a hole in the rim tape without replacing or taping over the whole tape?

[@MarcMillerCareerPivot]

I have Bontrager Affinity TLR rims and they are 17 mm wide. Bontrager/Trek support says I need 17.5 mm tape but this tape is almost impossible to find. Do I really need 17.5 mm tape or will 17 mm tape suffice.

[@alfkh]

I have a 28mm tire. Rim tapes come in various widths, there is 27mm & 29mm but no 28mm! Should i use a little narrower or wider?

[@mikkelmortensen8943]

Do you need to do all that work, when you buy a bike, that already have tubeless tires? Asking from Dennark🇩🇰🚴‍♂️

[@Bikey_McBeardface]

Every bike I have ever bought online with TR rim and tyre combo came with tubes fitted but already had rim tape installed. A smaller "brick and mortar" LBS will usually do the full setup for free if you are buying the bike from them, you may have to ask though, not all will do it automatically.

[@gregorymandel979]

How often should the tape be replaced??

[@bikndave68]

Literally the biggest pain in the a$$ of any bike maintenance issue...

[@MauricioPaiz]

Does applying the tape on the direction of rotation matter? Would the tape end hold longer if tape was installed opposite of tire rotation?

[@jojokimbo]

In my opinion, I can't see the reason why it should make any difference

[@TengoHambre]

I have these same wheels, 19c internal width, currently my standart tape seems over worn/ badly installed, i use latex tubes , is it possible amd saftey to use this combination with tubeless tape. And which width do i need for 19c ? Greetings

[@glennoc8585]

Paaaarrrkkkrktoooolllll....ok we get it😉

[@supernoodles908]

But like you said on another comment they've got to pay their bills ;)

[@glennoc8585]

@@supernoodles908 Exactly, that reinforces my comment to show how important those revenue dollars are and the expectations of sponsors. I understand business operation costing and eventually KZbin content providers succumb to $$$ and merch. Let's be honest, if youtr not getting sponsored You're not good enough or You're undesirable.

[@hlobend2111]

Is the tape you used does it have a max air pressure rating? Thanks.

[@therealSIRBOOM]

How do you do this when the valley is very deep? This is an easy rim.

[@randorecumbent]

Good video. One thing - This is all about rim tape but no words regarding sizing of the tape with respect to rim width? A D.I.Y. video should cover this.

[@hodgo1981]

great point. there is q fair few different reccomendation. and something like a "Tech" channel is the perfect forum to discus the different schools of thought.

[@Funky_Geek]

Good video, but it doesn’t advise on the appropriate size of tape to use for the width of rim 😞

[@jimjamesi1598]

How do you know how wide of tape you need??

[@Bikey_McBeardface]

Don't buy Muc-off or any other bike branded rim tape, just go to ebay and type in "tesa 4289" and get a near lifetime supply for a tenner.

[@miathemalinoisgsdx1320]

use an hair drier to warm the tape up when removing and it will come off easy peasy.

[@adhitiap6918]

How much ml of tire sealant do you recommend?

[@glennoc8585]

Depends on tyre size and tyre porosity.

[@adhitiap6918]

@@glennoc8585 does the tire/sealant manual provide this information?

[@MrPunkassfuck]

@@adhitiap6918 20-40 ml per tire should last at least 6 months. You should replace the sealant about that time. No point in purchasing the smaller bottles in other words. Get a litre. This is on a roadbike. I ran tubeless for a couple of years.

[@adhitiap6918]

@@MrPunkassfuck whoa, very nice information sir, didn't know that have to change it regularly 👍

[@matthewlewis2072]

Right - off to turn the Gravel-CS mashup tubeless

[@hatzefugsingah]

I use Tesa 4289 Tape for doing the tape job, 8 euros for whopping 66 meters of tape ;-)

[@alex_smallet]

Isn't this tape too wide for that rim?

[@JulianAllen13]

We often hear about the weight of the tubeless valve slightly unbalancing the wheel. Wouldn't it be better to start and end the tape on the opposite side of the wheel, rather than add even more extra weight to the valve side?

[@runrideski6003]

maybe so, but the advantage of overlapping at the valve is that the valve will hold the tape in place if sealant gets under the end of the tape

[@JulianAllen13]

@@runrideski6003 That would have been good information for Alex to impart. Thank you.

[@Alex-kr7zr]

Wouldn't that be also the case when you use a tube? I mean it's not like you are adding a valve where none is supposed to be.

[@wimjilson9867]

What about punctures? Do you have to put an inner tube in to get you home? I know the slime will prevent some punctures

[@hannes6114]

yes, if the tubeless milk doesnt work.

[@JayLato]

I once made the mistake of applying blue loctite the the stem lock ring 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@TheRealTypeC]

😂😂

[@Barrygee]

First thing is to buy good quality rim tape....my first experience with tubeless was a stressful disaster because I bought cheap tape and it was useless

[@josephphillips865]

Or in my case the provided tape on a high dollar wheelset was garbage and ending up experimenting with different tapes until I found something that worked perfectly.

[@SesameBuns]

@@josephphillips865 Same here, think the manufacturer of my new wheel rim used what seems like narrow electrical tape that barely covers just the center of the rim. Now I have to remove it and try retaping it on my own. It's all good, I don't mind learning.

[@josephphillips865]

@@SesameBuns You could try wrapping the narrow tape starting from one side and then do a second layer starting from the opposite side. I've never tried this but I heard this trick somewhere.

[@adgfoto]

But how do you know what size rimtape to use , if i have a 21mm inside ,do you use 21mm tape ??

[@supernoodles908]

23mm I think. You want an extra couple mill

[@adgfoto]

@@supernoodles908 thanks ..

[@stuartfreedman6854]

You could also just measure the old tape.

[@awesomexistence]

Add 2 to 3 mm for the radius of the rim bed.

[@13ig13oots]

Alex the "Like so" man, sounds like an old Blue Peter episode.

[@bjorncampos5882]

Yey im here

[@richardpreston9894]

Why would you remove a valve at the side of the road if you have a puncture ?

[@ady38]

If the tyre doesn't seal you'll need to put in a tube..which has its own stem..

[@codythomas5913]

the still that was chosen for this was clearly done as payback for Alex getting his dream pain cave

[@imagines9688]

WHAT! THERE'S SEALANT REMOVER SPRAY? OMG i sat there for like 3 hours rubbing it off the tire with my hand recently lol

[@sarangparmar9785]

You can use a old tube cut it and use it easy

[@alan.mroczek]

If you don't care that much about extra few grams, you can ensure really air tight seal by applying extra layer of electrical tape on top of the tubeless tape 🙂 it's slightly easier to place it evenly, but it won't to the trick by itself

[@aaronhuie7013]

This rim looks like it's probably a tubeless-specific rim... but what I wonder is how you properly deal with non-tubeless or even 'tubeless-ready' rims that aren't optimally configured for the typical rim tape. Granted my experience isn't extensive, but some tubeless-ready rims have a very deep, sharp-shouldered center channel, and, at least in the case of Stan's product, tubeless rim tape isn't stretchy or flexible enough to get properly seated in the channel while also ensuring it provides a good seal on the bead shoulders. I ended up dealing with this by basically allowing the tape to basically bridge the gap over the rim channel and doubling up the tape to provide added reinforcement. As you can imagine, this was a bit of a challenge around the valve stem, but was best dealt with by just finding the right style of stem to adequately seal the opening of the tape against the rim without tearing it. I also really had the most trouble getting the tape itself to properly seal against the rim without any air bubbles. Since then I've just crossed my fingers and hoped it wouldn't subsequently fail... and it hasn't, yet. But I wonder if that's really the only way to accomplish the task with a rim like that. I know there are far too many rims out there to account for every possible circumstance, but I wonder if it might be possible to do an instructional on some of the most common difficult configurations for those of us DIYers who want tubeless, but don't have the budget to invest in tubeless rims. That could also include some typical examples of rim configurations that will decidedly NOT support tubeless under any circumstance.

[@petermadach]

I got around the problem a different way, and just pressing down really hard on the inner channel while applying the tape, leaving no air bubbles in the middle whatsoever. For the sides, I didn't care much. Even halfway through the rim, I thought my thumbs will fall off, but it got the job done.

[@meneldil7604]

@@petermadach monut the tyre with a tube for an hour pushes the tape down

[@jamesmcallister4644]

Is it me or was there something oddly satasifying about the sound the tape was making when it was being placed between the rims?

[@benwolf8011]

Luckily, oh my. I miss the brick.

[@otakarsindler6117]

Am I alone who think that GCN tech videos are more and more rubbish? Alex way how to end up the tape is crap (time 4:40-4:50). Hole for valve never do with knife, blade or screwdriver because these tool would not make nice circle hole in the tape but straight cut which can tear more. Always use rounded tool with sharp tip to make nice circle hole.

[@stuartfreedman6854]

Scalpel or XActo knife is good for making a perfect round hole.

[@josephphillips865]

I start with and XActo knife but use a soldering iron to melt the tape to get a nicely rounded hole. This method doesn't work with every type of tape though.

[@3dr1ch]

Totally agree - I know they need to plug their sponsors, but the videos recently are just awful. You can plug your sponsors and still make an informative video...

[@runrideski6003]

Proper insertion of the valve is one of the most critical parts of the process. I use an awl that tapers from a point up to the diameter of a presta valve hole. I heat it with a propane torch (used for soldering copper pipe) and poke it through. It makes perfect holes every time with no residue or cut edges that could tear and cause a leak at the valve/tape interface - which is super frustrating.

[@rikkiola]

Why would you want to remove the old tubeless tape?

[@ianjones9307]

That was standard rim tape for use with tubes, you need to take it off to ensure a good seal with the new tubeless tape.

[@scottf3456]

@@ianjones9307 actually it wasn't. If it were he wouldn't have to remove the valve as it would have been attached to the tube.

[@itarry4]

Yhea that was perfectly fine tubeless tape. Basically just shown us how to waste cash and do an unnecessary job.

[@ianjones9307]

Either way the sentiment is the same, if you're applying new tubeless rim tape you should always take the old off first. If he hadn't taken it off he wouldn't have been able to show the whole process from start to finish.

[@itarry4]

@@ianjones9307 oh I know just seems one of those, we've got nothing to do so.... Videos. I mean it's not great using a screwdriver to create the hole for the valve a punch would be better.

[@TheVbchaos]

You could at least mention how to choose the right tape width. I wasted a whole role of tape before I finally managed to apply the tape correctly. I think it is less easy than it looks like in this clip. Not to mention fitting them damn tubeless tyres on the rim

[@thomashardbattle4287]

I over tightend a lockring and couldn't get It off so I used my teeth. It hurt

[@Rover200Power]

Pliers are cheaper than a trip to the dentist.

[@Csapi007]

Only real information would have been what size tape to use. But that's not mentioned...

[@supernoodles908]

Couple mm over the tyre width I think. Also use and inner tube once the tape is in place and inflate it. Really presses the tape into place

[@johngretton8543]

No mucky old sealant to clean off then

[@__some_guy__]

centered

[@bambicyclejerk952]

""""LUCKILY"""

[@ebikescrapper3925]

Wear gloves when doing this.

[@josephphillips865]

Latex tubes for road. Tubeless for gravel.

[@isaiahmaricodilla8621]

First!

[@aniruddhshivankar3835]

Not first

[@scottf3456]

So?

[@isaiahmaricodilla8621]

sorry guys

[@scottf3456]

@@isaiahmaricodilla8621 sorry for what?

[@itarry4]

How to remove some tape and put some new tape back again! Really?

[@supernoodles908]

They sound should how to select tape, alternative brands etc

[@chocolate_squiggle]

Yes, really. There's those of us only just learning what rim tape is and how tubeless tyres work. It's helpful to see how it's used to go with other information we're reading or watching about it. Or were you one of those people born with an innate knowledge of all things bicycling and mechanical related?

[@aitorbleda8267]

I use tubeless: simply the way to go. I suggest using wheels that do not require tape(no holes).

[@jegerm6752]

Completely agree. Tubeless tape is the most frequent culprit of all tubeless problems. And sticking tubeless tape in real life (without bubbles) is not as easy as shown in this video lol.

[@glennoc8585]

Great until you need to replace a spoke

[@jegerm6752]

@@glennoc8585 true 😂😂 Well I dont have a tension meter anyway

[@aitorbleda8267]

@@glennoc8585 I can still replace the spoke.. it takes me a bit more to pass the nipple using a magnet, but it is fine. The holes are mostly there for the factory..

[@glennoc8585]

@@aitorbleda8267 trouble is you can't go internal nipple and I like the cleaner look of just the spoke showing.

[@3dr1ch]

Come on GCN, you’re better than this. Read the comments and start making videos that are actually informative, instead of this 7 minute advert....

[@kevvjj2629]

The most important thing wasn't mentioned - use the correct width tape! Pointless and amateurish. Not what GCN used to be about.

[@Mersuharrastaja]

I usually like tech tips what came from GCN and GMBN, but this is quite poor tip video. Biggest mistake is make valve hole with flat head screwdriver, it can rip later and start to leak. Second, there is no tip how you can make sure that how you can seat tape well, so that there is no ear between rim and tape. I got always proglem that edge of tape take contact first to rim and there middle is caught air.

[@itarry4]

Yhea use a very sharp point to make the hole at least.

[@beerspeaks]

muc off leaves a nasty amount of glue on the rim. never buying again no matter how much they pay you to sell their shit

[@oldguyonabike36]

...Continuing to "normalize" the faff of tubeless tires.

[@panzerveps]

Tubeless is bliss. Tried it out last season. Got 2 punctures I didn't notice until I got home.

[@oldguyonabike36]

@@panzerveps “Run flat”, now?

[@panzerveps]

@@oldguyonabike36 the sealant stopped the leak, obviously... Only had minor loss of pressure.

[@abedfo88]

Gorrila tape is the best rim tape. It's only £1

[@iancollins6104]

It is, just it’s a tad heavier and the adhesive can melt in hot weather.

[@albullit]

Nah. Couple of reasons. 1, if you need to remove it leaves glue behind which is a paint to remove. But primarily the issue is that it will stretch into the valve holes at pressure, so the second time you fit a tyre it won’t seal well due to the dimples and it’ll be a pain to get it to inflate. It’s less of an issue on lower pressure tyres (MTBs for example) but on road bikes with pressures over 60psi or so, it’s a bugger.

[@abedfo88]

@@albullit yeah I'm talking wtb riddlers 37mm on cross bike

[@albullit]

@@abedfo88 I’m talking 42mm Resolutes on a gravel bike. I pondered using strapping tape under the gorilla but realised proper tubeless tape is just as cheap really, so I just did it properly (and indeed redid a gorilla’d rim just yesterday with proper tape. I think I’ve redone 6 wheels properly now cos the gorilla just wasn’t worth it.

[@abedfo88]

@@albullit how do you find the resolutes ? I ditched a set last year after getting a back wheel puncture literally every other ride. I had to patch it far too many times.

[@galenkehler]

Interesting that people are still using tubeless tape. Theres no way to maintain dimensional tolerances well enough for proper tubeless setup. No wonder people still complain about difficulty setting up tubeless tires.