Such a relief to hear I've been wasting my time pressing the tape into the channel as I go around the first time, while stressing about getting all the bubbles out. This looks way easier, definitely doing it this way with the heat gun next time. Thanks for the tips!
use TESA 4289 tape, which is basically Stan's No Tubes rim tape, but for 15-20$ you get about 216 feet worth in almost any width instead of the 30' from Stan's.
My favorite method takes some time but what I'll do after I lay the tape down without any big wrinkles. I'll then mount the tire and throw a tube in there. The tube will make sure that the tape is perfectly seated to the rim because it'll push up against the tape. I usually pump it up high to like 40 psi too. You then wait a morning or afternoon and let it sit for a couple hours. You take out the tube, put in your tubeless valve and then you got perfectly laid down tape.
As an extra bit of info: - some tubeless tapes are really thin and elastic and need a couple of passes on the rim for extra safety, as one pass is not enough, because the tape punctures over the nipple holes ... especially if you do gravel or road tires, as the pressure is higher than normal large volume mtb tires. or if the rim is of lower quality and has burrs on the edges of the holes ... pressure from the tire forces the tape in the nipple holes, and the burrs and sharp edges cut the tape with time. seen this quite a lot in the shop ... - sometimes it helps to add a patch of duck tape (or the provided stickers if available - zefal and muc-off are 2 that i know provide with tape such stickers) where the tubeless tape ends and overlaps the previous layer, as tubeless solution can creep between the layers ... this is especially problematic if the overlap is really short, as it creeps all the way to the valve and past, and it gets in the rim and trashes aluminum nipples ... or air can leak slowly and you have no clue why this is happening. this happened to me a few years back when i started doing tubeless ... slime went though the tape layers and ended up in the rim, causing 3 nipples to completely corrode and break after only 4 months ... the rest were better, but i ended up relacing the wheel and changing all the nipples to brass 😆 Small tip: spraying the nipples on the inside of the rim with wd40 (very light application), and wiping the rim with brake cleaner or iso alcohol so the tape sticks to it, can prolong the life of the alloy nipples and prevent corrosion in case tubeless solution/water gets into the rim. If you wanna dew it like a pro, get some car body panel anti corrosion/rust solution from a gas station or hardware store, and with a small brush apply it on the head of every alloy nipple. that stuff hardens and forms a layer on the nipples that never washes away. some are actually ready to spray over after 24 hours ... and you can true the wheel no issues what so ever if the need may arise. you will never have an issue with corroded/stuck nipples 👍
One thing I found is that putting a tube in can help press the tape down nice and flush. I'm not sure if it's 100% necessary as you talked about how the air pressure will help. But if you have slightly leaky tape I think it can resolve that
That’s also a great tip! There a a lot of good ways to get it done and we really just wanted to make a video that helped people feel a little less scared haha
I use the heat gun while I am wrapping the tape around the rim, it sits in the channel nicely. Regardless of the approach, I think the heat gun is the real secret to a good installation
Using a rag or towel makes taping much easier, just run it over the tape as you tape it, tun thumb at the rim channel with the towel, I use a microfiber towel or a old t shirt both will work. Using bare finger won't work smoothly. But using osethibg from fabric will allow smooth and easy work. I also do it to the edges too to make sure whole tpae sits. I used this method on the same tape used here. No heat gun needed. I think Stan's video showed that method. The tape seems to be strong, but first time trying it I had a roll that had uneven cut gape at the start, it tore too. But it's tear resistant, so I think the tears were due to uneven cut from a machine at factory. Not tried second roll. Buy using a towel is needed to install it easily. Adhisive seems good. Strength seems good, but if bubbles it will burst and tear. I had a second hand wheelset come with it ran it to test bubbles burst. So it's important to use the towel or rag on the tape.
Thanks for the video. Any tricks to setting the bead of the tire on the wheel? I have issues with a certain brand of tire sometimes. I think it’s a brand you’re familiar with. 🤔
Hey Jeff! This is the Feedback sports truing stand. Its a single armed truing stand that works pretty well for wheel touchups and even tire installs! jenson.sjv.io/Or1GeW
I've read you should use tape a few mm wider than your internal rim diameter, but looking at yours the finished job looks perfect so now I'm confused haha
The Stans tape I have sucks. It doesn't stick, and it cracks. It stays loose, has air bubbles regardless of how hard I try to stretch it. It's quite frustrating. I'm about to try duct tape. If Gorilla tape works why wouldn't Duct tape.
Theres not much about working on bikes I dislike but re-taping a tubeless wheel is near the top. Every time you mess it up you get rewarded with crawling across the garage on your knees wiping up expensive sealant fluid and then throwing out the bulk of your shop rags.
I bought a 10yrd roll of rim tape at the TREK store yesterday and they charged me $25. Then I saw it on Amazon for under $13. Any wonder bike shops are struggling. I wish I would have saw it first on Amazon. I'm done buying anything in a bike shop.
It’s worth supporting your local bike shops mate, if they aren’t there, and you need warranty work or repairs you don’t want to do yourself, can’t exactly order those services from Amazon. Plus you are keeping money in your local community, not in the hands of a multinational corporation.
@@rsoul7282 It's a TREK Store, how's that profit staying in my local community? Those people that work in that store aren't even really that accommodating. I wanted Stan's rim tape. They should sell it since it's one of the more popular brands that I know and trust. My bikes are from custom builders in the US so I have warranty coverage if I ever need it.
Sorry. But this is all wrong! The easiest way that do this is simply don't remove the wheels as it's totally unnecessary. Just do this on a bike repair stand and once the types are pulled over the far side of the rims, cut the inner tubes off with scissors. Install the valves and air test the tyres. Once done, the pins from the valve cores can be removed and tubeless sealant inserted through the valves. That's the easiest mess free way
@@VQ30TLJ Most tyre rims have tape already applied. But to answer your question. You can apply rim tape without removing the wheel from the bike. Place the bike upside down and use a tyre lever and place the tyre over the rim. Most bikes have plenty of clearance to allow this. Removing the wheel completely is unnecessary
@@user-qo5nz3qb6j It sounds like you are talking about the traditional rim strips or tape used to protect tubes from spoke holes. That is entirely different from tape designed to create an airtight seal. It requires a lot more care to apply properly.
