For 21mm wide inner rim, Giant XCR 1 carbon rims which are tubeless ready ?

As the supplied Giant stuff didn’t go on well, newbie error likely….

Leave the rims and tape indoors overnight, it (like most adhesives) doesn’t like condensation. And stretch it quite tight when applying too.

Aye, the Giant tape had been in the garage and was brittle, so I need new tape….. do I buy Stans 21 or 25 or something else ?

I’ve used TESA tape from a seller called rulla bearings on ebay

Looks “remarkably” like stans but cheap

I keep the wheel in the house for a day to warm up and then I tape (pulling tight) and then put an old tyre on with an inner tube in, just to press down the tape. Leave overnight if I can, then off we go tubelessing

– oh, and clean the rim with a drop of IPA before taping

Thanks, good tips. Am thinking that for 21mm wide rim a 25mm wide tape would be best to fill the concave shape ?

Just fitted my first tyres with TESA and its great – same as Stans – but you get a huge roll for £10

Am thinking that for 21mm wide rim a 25mm wide tape would be best to fill the concave shape ?

No you want 19mm probably – complete PITA having tape too wide.

Thanks, 19mm stuff should sit nicely in the channel and as they are tubeless ready wheels there should be no need for any overlap onto the bead AFAIK ?

Had some DT factory wheels that didn’t come with tape. Didn’t want to wait ordering some fancy tubeless tape so just did the usual ghetto. Heavy duty tape from B&Q (much the same as Gorilla branded) and Pinkbike’s method.

Done it many times now and perfect each time.

That said, got several wheels with Stans tape and they’re perfect, though they came pre fitted.

American Classic’s own tape I wasn’t impressed by. They get damaged easily with tyre levers.

Just looking on CRC, the narrowest they do is 21mm so will go for that methinks…

19mm

Gorilla tape from b&q

Thanks all

So, the crappy Giant stuff that came with the wheels is 25mm wide, but I will be better off with 19mm stuff ?

Christ. All this indecision and we haven’t even got to the sweary bit yet! 😆

Nobeer, if it wisnae a windy night you’d be hearing me from there ! What darned width do I need ! Online says 25mm….

I’d go 19, slightly overlap the 2nd run to cover the 21.

Thanks

Electrical tape works just fine, cheap as – just give it a few wraps round.

No! Don’t use electrical tape. It will hold temporarily, but it will fail at the spoke holes eventually.

I would use 21mm stans or the same 3m stuff. The lower spoke channel means it will pull in a little and fit fine. 25mm will end up on the beads and not sit right. The tape is quite stiff.

One wrap is fine, but overlap the valve area.

Edit – interesting that the supplied is 25mm. Is the spoke channel very deep then?

^^^ yes, it is deep, which is partly why I messed up the first attempt with the thin supplied Giant tape. Have ordered some different widths of Stans to see what sits best, cheers

You can buy 25mm wide gorilla tape from B&Q. It’s sold as a ‘handy’ pack or something along those lines. I’ve done a couple of rims with it and all good.

We have a tape made for us that is like stans (TESA 4289) only thinner so you can get a better fit on more rims. Its sold as TESA 4287 IIRC – you use 2 or three wraps per rim but each wrap goes on much easier as it comforms to the rim shape better. Ideally you’d normally want a 23mm tape for a 21mm rim but sounds like your rim will work ok with 25mm.

I’d use 25mm tape in a 21mm internal rim, going up the side walls a bit seems to help stop the tyre catching the edge of the tape (peeling it from the rim) when you remove it. Start wrapping 4 holes away from the valve hole make sure you pull it tight and overlap 4 spoke holes after the valve. As for the tape itself, Gorilla works and is cheap but eventually absorbs the sealant and goes manky, leaves a sticky residue, that’s not nice to remove, Stan’s is absolutely fine, but quite stiff so may not like sticking down. I like the DT/Specialized (or Bontrager if they fit) style rim strips, tight fitting, can be reused and work well.

£9 for 19mm x 100m of Tesa – same as stans tape. Make sure the tape roll is warm when you put it on

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tesa-Tape-4289-no-tubes-rim-tape-complete-roll-19mm-wide-x-66-metres-long/162273493378?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D41398%26meid%3D2c30cd89b1ca4a88bc020759a3d6aee7%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D3%26sd%3D161050849454

or 25mm

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tesa-Tape-4289-no-tubes-rim-tape-complete-roll-25mm-wide-x-66-metres-long/162354590164?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D41398%26meid%3D2c30cd89b1ca4a88bc020759a3d6aee7%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D3%26sd%3D161050849454

cheers all, ordered some of that ebay Tesa 25mm stuff now also

Hoes the great weegie tubeless experiment going?

gorilla tape ftw

I’d overlap the rim joint twice too if DT and not welded. Mine (DT1900) leaked at this point, I’m told its not common, not a warrenty but can occur.

Well that was pretty simple. Used the 25mm Tesa tape, which had been in kitchen warm for a few days. Wheels in from garage to warm a little, tape on, valve in, soapy water on Nobby nics and on they went, sealant in. Had bought a schwalbe tire booster which worked a treat and all up and sealed straight away. Thanks folks 😀

So, the hardtail has XM719’s and Purgatorys, what do I need for that one ?

Cheers

The purgatorys will work a treat, spesh tyres are ace tubeless, probably best to buy a stans kit for the rims, as they’re no tubeless. Or a ghetto kit, but your OCD won’t like that.

Tbh I didn’t like the ghetto set up either, seemed a bit daft spending all that money on bikes to **** about with a bodge.

Cheers, Stans kit it will be !

For the TESA tape users – I can only find 19mm or 25mm on ebay – has anyone found a 21mm roll? Needs to fill Alex Volar 23mm internal rims.

Thanks

The advice I got above was tape width should be wider than rims. I used the 25mm TESA stuff on my 21mm rims and it worked just fine

Thanks Ian – I guess some of the width is suck into the groove at the centre of the wheel.

^^^^^ yeah, deeper rims moreso, though your rims are wider than mine and 25 worked with mine.

Cool. Just ordered 66M of TESA tape for a tenner. 😀

I used 28mm WTB TCS tape on my 23mm internal WTB rims, not nice stuff to work with, had to refit a tube and leave overnight to stick the tape down properly, but went up piece of cake.

£8 for 11 meters from CRC.

iainc – did you buy the bike from a shop or online? if it was a shop i’m surprised they didnt just do the tubeless conversion before selling the bike. my reign got set up by the shop before i bought it.

thanks for the tip about the TESA tape…i’ll have to get some for a set of 26″ rims that refuse to go tubeless

gonzy – yes, from LBS. I’m sure they would have set it up if I asked, but I was keen to learn how to do it !

The TESA tape appears identical to Stans, for a load less cash 🙂