Rim Tape

I remember the cloth tape and metal closures on the bikes of my childhood when drop handlebars and five gears were uber-cool, or groovy as no one used to say.

Elasticated rubber rim tape seems to be the ubiquitous choice today but in France, I found hard, yellow, plastic rim tape on a Michelin rack. I was unaware of this in the UK but I thought it could be worth an investment of a few euros.

It was a fairly tight fit as it had very little stretch but it seemed to grip better than rubber and hold itself in position firmly. It also seemed a slightly neater fit around the fat Schrader valve of a slime-filled tube, which might prevent water seepage.

Dry tubes seem to move easier in the tyre giving a supple feeling to the ride and if there is any water ingress the talcum sticks losing the benefit.

Occasional removal of the tyre and cleaning of the rim and the tube is needed to keep everything dry so anything that helps reduce maintenance is worth a try.

If anyone else has tried this type of rim tape it would be helpful to receive their use feedback.