Just trying to get my rear tyre back up, old tape goosed and I couldn’t find my ape tape, spotted half a roll of Stan’s, that’ll do thinks I. Half an hour of crinkling and rustling later start to put air in, air pissed out of every spoke hole! Gahhhh! Another hour of pumping, adding sealant shaking, rolling later still no good so give up and start searching for a tube. Tara, generic simian adhesive tape found at the bottom of the toolbox. Two minutes to tape up, seals first time. Sweet baby Jesus and the orphans Stan, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?

I use the specialized tape. On, done.
Stan’s drove me mad.

needs a warm rim & tape, good tension and (for me anyway) a couple of hours with a tube in to fully stick it down. Then it’s bulletproof IME

… and at least you can get it off easily (unlike gorilla duct tape – the clear non-fabric stuff’s much better though)

Stans is the same as Tesa and WTB I think – can’t say I’ve had any issues with it. Other than with a tight specialised tyre where I managed to rip / scag the tape. So maybe it’s a bit more fragile than DT Swiss tape which I quite like.

A couple of layers of electrical tape and then a run of 1 inch Gorilla tape. Sealed for life.

It’s ok, a cup of tea and cherry Bakewell later and I’m back in control.

Glad you’re ok hun

Clean rims, leave rims & Tesa tape indoors for 24hrs, tape up rims and mount tyre, insert inner tube blow up and leave for 24 hours, then deflate inner tube and remove careful to unseat only 1 side of the tyre bead only when doing so.  Add sealant / reseat bead in whichever order you like and reinflate.

Practically foolproof.

A folk were having a go at me for getting solid rims….

Clean rims, leave rims & Tesa tape indoors for 24hrs, tape up rims and mount tyre, insert inner tube blow up and leave for 24 hours, then deflate inner tube and remove careful to unseat only 1 side of the tyre bead only when doing so. Add sealant / reseat bead in whichever order you like and reinflate.

Practically foolproof.

Or tape, inflate, ride. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Also I didn’t want to go for a ride on Tuesday. I want to go now…and now I can

TBH there’s really only 3 things you have to do to make it work.

1) Get the rim really super clean with isopropyl and give it a scuff with a scotchbrite pad to help tape stick.
2) Make sure the tape’s warm- room temp is fine, november garage temp makes it harder
3) Stretch it on as hard as you can- the looser it goes on, the more it crinkles, if you’re pulling it on with lots of pressure at an angle then it’ll conform best to the rim. For me, that means pulling out about 6-9 inches of tape so it goes on at probably something like 10 degrees.
(4) optional, stick a tube in to really smash it onto the rim
(5) optional, but with wider and welded rims, use narrower tape. If you only tape the rim well where teh holes are, and not the sides where the tyre goes, you’ll usually get a more reliable taping as the tyre can’t push it off when changing tyres. Doesn’t work on all rims though

These apply for all tapes but it’s more important for Stan’s own ime.

Northwind has it, other than the two yhings in his first point being wrong way around, scuff first, then clean it.

Funnily enough, those are the steps Stan recommends too.

Well, actually clean first, then scuff, then reclean. Otherwise you’re just rubbing glue and crap into the rim.

True, although I was thinking new rim. Pretty rare they need retaping if done right once.

Obviously if you’ve usrd Gorilla tape and/or Orange Seal beforehand you’ll have a horrible mess to clean off first.

The muc-off tape worked much better for me than stans/tesa tape.

Northwind for the win, (basically he can read the instructions 😉 )

But I add one thing I do that I think works really well,
I use a clean rag with my left hand that I put pressure down to hold the tape when stretch/keeping the tape tight, then as you put the tape down onto the rim, slide your LH hand with the rag up to roll of tape, adding pressure, this helps get air out and help it stick. then rub the rag up and down a bit, then start again, do it in small sections

As per a view bits above, things i wouldn’t do that are on northwinds list is stretching the tape, it’s the channel adhesion that matters, and getting the bubbles out of that, if you stretch over the outers then the channel gets too many bubbles. Yes you do have to hold it up, but focus on the channel when putting it on, the outer parts will be flattened the second the bead pops onto it, i’d always stick an inner tube in as well overnight then take that out and dry inflate for a day, if it’s holding air, or losing just a few psi, then you can stick sealant in as any leaks are small enough to be fixable by sealant.

The big danger with stans and others is when putting the hole in for the valve, use a knife and the cut can open up wider than the valve, meaning air can get out, use some punch that leaves debris and the valve can’t seat properly.

Obviously if you’ve usrd Gorilla tape and/or Orange Seal beforehand you’ll have a horrible mess to clean off first.

That’s why you put electrical tape underneath it. Then you get the strength of the Gorilla tape but it comes off easily with no mess.

I disagree Agree, you are meant to stretch the hell out of it which I imagine helps it shrink into the channel without bubbles. Just imagine it’s 2 inches to too short when applying it! If the rim has spoke holes then you can just push the tape down any any trapped air will escape.

I cut a small cross in the valve hole and then use a round file to gently take off the flaps, never fails.

Tesa tape is the same, garbage. I want to tape up and ride when I decide to, not undertake a 48hr exercise to make a clearly deficient product half acceptable.

Gorilla tape and screw the aftermath, mine’s lasted years anyway.

Jeez this really makes me glad I never changed to tubeless.  Insert tube, inflate, ride.  Super easy!

all my wheels have tesa/stans tape i got off ebay in a big roll, some have been on there for 4 years and various tyres without needing to refresh the tape. it’s all in the prep and pulling the tape tight so it fits in the spoke hole well properly and getting rid of any trapped air bubble which can lift the tape

Jeez this really makes me glad I never changed to tubeless.  Insert tube, inflate, ride.  Super easy!

until you get a thorn in the tyre and it’s covered in mud and your pump takes ages to inflate the new tube and then you find there were two thorns and you have to start again, meantime it’s started raining.

whereas with tubeless you notice a thorn or maybe a blob of sealant and just leave it and ride on without stopping and enjoy the ride, super easy! 😉

insert tube, inflate, ride, tyre goes flat, stop, hunt for hole, fix, refit tyre, yeah, brilliant old system that was.

it’s all in the

Blind f-in luck with Tesla/Stan’s.

Used to swear by it. Till I realised although id only had a few issues they were all down to the tape. Since I switched to clear gorilla tape….no issue it’s just better.

@trailrat, was it yourself that recommended raptor tape as being the same as clear gorilla but narrower?

argee
Full Member

As per a view bits above, things i wouldn’t do that are on northwinds list is stretching the tape, it’s the channel adhesion that matters, and getting the bubbles out of that, if you stretch over the outers then the channel gets too many bubbles.

Stretching it on pulls it down into the channel though.

keithb
Full Member

Jeez this really makes me glad I never changed to tubeless. Insert tube, inflate, ride. Super easy!

You know how some people are rubbish at fitting tubes, and keep pinching them with levers, or getting them stuck under the tyre bead, and always seem to think it’s just inevitable and how it is with tubes? Basically, this is that.

But also, while yes tubeless can be a faff, it’s a faff in the kitchen or the garage or outside in the sun, at a time that suits you. Whereas when tubes are a faff, it’s always a faff up a mountain in a rainstorm, or in the middle of a race, or when you’re running late. Over a long enough period the actual amount of faff is probably pretty similiar but tbf I’d accept 2 or 3 times more tubeless faff, as long as it happened on my terms.

All 8 have to do from Northwinds list is stretch it. Pulling it tight gets a great fit to the beads and the channel.

The tape must be about2-4mm winder the the ID of the rim, then stretch it round and wrap it twice. My tyres lose about 8-10% a week with 40mm of sealant in them.

@northwind No I am intregued linky ?

Jeez this really makes me glad I never changed to tubeless.  Insert tube, inflate, ride.  Super easy!

This ^

insert tube, inflate, ride, tyre goes flat, stop, hunt for hole, fix, refit tyre, yeah, brilliant old system that was.

**** around with rim tape, seating tyres, renewing sealant every year. Get a puncture that’s too big for sealant, insert spare tube that you have to carry anyway, get hands covered in sealant again. Buy special inserts to protect your rims, which tubes used to do anyway. Yeah, brilliant new system this is. 😉

Get a puncture that’s too big for sealant, insert spare tube that you have to carry anyway, get hands covered in sealant again

Errr, no, stab a worm in there, if you catch the puncture straight away and get your mate to put his finger on the hole, you might even get away without using your pump!

(I had to use the pump as I lost loads of air whilst messing with the phone camera and balancing it on my saddle)

Stans/tesa works well, but it’s apply carefully at home in the warm stuff. If you are in a cold wet field with 5mins before a race then you might as well bodge some electrical tape on the rim and it will be fine for a short time.

stab a worm in there and get your mate to put his finger on the hole, you might even get away without using your pump!

Kyuk.

trail_rat
Free Member

@northwind No I am intregued linky ?

You don’t want a link, I was asking if it was you that recommended it so’s I could tell you it’s shit 🙂

But, it’s still a good question, can you get clear gorilla in narrower widths? I’m not a massive fan of it overall but, if it came in skinnier sizes I’d maybe give it another go.

EBay Tesa here too, never had problems. Definitely need to do it in warm room though and just take your time. I definitely stretch the tape tight as I put it one.

I melt a hole in the tape for the valve with a hot bradle (anything round I can heat over the gas really) as there are no splits to potentially develop. Doubt it’s really necessary though.

Bird Tubeless tape for the win, Stans is overpriced and shite.

Tried it once, sacked it off for electrical tape. Quicker, easier and better in my opinion.

3) Stretch it on as hard as you can- the looser it goes on, the more it crinkles, if you’re pulling it on with lots of pressure at an angle then it’ll conform best to the rim. For me, that means pulling out about 6-9 inches of tape so it goes on at probably something like 10 degrees.

You make it sound so easy. Just make it stretch. Just let it conform to the rim.

BUT STANS DOESNT **** STRETCH OR **** CONFORM TO THE **** RIM GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Was how I experienced it.

(5) optional, but with wider and welded rims, use narrower tape. If you only tape the rim well where teh holes are, and not the sides where the tyre goes, you’ll usually get a more reliable taping as the tyre can’t push it off when changing tyres. Doesn’t work on all rims though

I’d always run it the full width of the rim. You don’t have to worry about how well the tape is stuck to the rim because the only exposed edge is where the tape overlaps itself. It’s very hard to screw up the taping if the tape is wide enough. Even if there’s bubbles and wrinkling of the tape in the channel it doesn’t matter because the seal is formed entirely between the tyre and the tape.

The only problem I’ve had with tyres pushing the tape off when removing them is when the tape is too narrow and the beads can catch the edge of the tape.

Stan’s doesn’t stretch or confirm to the rim?

You’re doing it wrong. It absolutely does.

You’re doing it wrong. It absolutely does.

It was the worst job when I built my bike up. Trying to hold the wheel still with one hand, while trying to stretch the Stans tape so it would conform to the valley in the rim with the other, and stay central without it wandering into the tyre seat area. It literally took me hours. They were shit wheels too. So glad the replacement set came with tubeless tape already. Thanks Spank!