tub tape

[ayceejay]

I have never used tub tape before but I thought I would try it in an attempt to make my life easier.
I bought some Jantex tape and looked on the 'net to see how it is done,
The tape went on to the rim good enough and I pulled some of the backing loose near the valve installed the tyre and then went to pull off the backing under the tyre. I tried this three times and each time the backing paper tore before I could pull it out. I there a secret to this process?

 

[Rob3rt]

Jantex backing tape is well known to rip this way.

Get a pencil/dowel/biro/whatever and lift part of the tyre away from the rim and shove it through, now slide it round bit by bit while removing the backing from the tape inch by inch as you go.

 

[ayceejay]

Magic Rob - thanks- I will give that a go before I go back to gluing. Is the Tufo variety any better?

 

[VamP]

I remove the backing tape before mounting the tub. Probably less hassle this way in the long run. Although I have now given up on tape altogether, in preference of the better performance of a proper glue job. The only instance I use tape is for CX tubs, in a glue/tape/glue combo known as the Belgian Method.

TUFO tape is worse than Jantex in every way IMHO.

 

[Rob3rt]

Magic Rob - thanks- I will give that a go before I go back to gluing. Is the Tufo variety any better?

Don't know, I have only ever taped tubs (never glued) and only done so using Jantex.

 

[Dusty Bin]

Pencil method - as Robert suggests. No longer an issue for me as I sold my tub wheels last year....

 

[Herzog]

The backing on the Tufo is plastic rather than the paper stuff on the Jantex and tends not to break as much. Using the pencil method, you should have no problems with either (providing you don't try to do too much in one go).

I've glued and taped many tubs over the years and besides the faffing on (and time requirements) necessary with glue, I can see no difference in performance (wet rides, Alpine rides, crits etc).

 

[VamP]

Glued tubs exhibit lower Crr values than taped ones. It's marginal but still...

Tape in isolation is also probably not quite secure enough for crits, it's certainly not secure enough for cyclocross.

 

[ayceejay]

So I tried the Biro method and failed and while hanging my head in shame I have gone back to a tried and tested method i.e. gluing, so my resolution for 2014 is:
no more adventures into the unknown, as I don't want to come unstuck.