I’ve used all types of rim tape on my wheels at this point. From the cheap $1.00 rubber band strips that fail, to the bike shop standard Velox, to my favorite, the hard plastic rim tape from Schwalbe. Rim tape is one of those things that you don’t think about much. When you get a new wheel from scratch, and when the stock tape that came on your wheel fails.
As a former bike shop mechanic, I have used Velox for years. Usually of the bulk variety, as it was always available. My current favorite is the hard plastic tape mentioned above. I haven’t yet made the switch to tubeless (though it is coming soon, parts are on the way) and I have yet to have a failure with this setup. It is funny how such a little thing goes a long way.
Most the time it isn’t an issue, but if you run a rim with an offset drilling pattern like the Bontrager wheels, care must be taken when installing the rim strip, as it can move inside the wheel resulting in a bad day. Its one of many reasons to always carry a roll of duct tape with you on the trail; it can fix a lot of stuff.
I recently had a rim strip failure on a ride that resulted in a flat. And then another one, when the tape wouldn’t stay in place. My fix?
Electricians tape and duct tape. It looks a bit ghetto, but it does the job. I started with two layers of electric tape, followed by two layers of duct tape.
Whatever works- I’ve run this on bmx bikes for years. Although make sure you do enough layers; four maybe a bit light.
