Question about rim tape glue

I have some cotton velox rim tape but it's not very sticky and so I'm struggling to apply it to my rims.

Can I just use a few dots of superglue here and there to stick it down?

6 comments

You could. Personally, I would wrap the Velox strip all the way around the rim and stick it to itself with a piece of adhesive tape. Once a tube is installed and inflated the Velox won't go anywhere. And it will be easy to replace in the future without leaving a mess behind.
- Great, thanks! Sounds like as long as the tape is stuck to itself I should be OK. Sweet!
  
  Alternatively you could also use something else such as gorilla tape. Works with tubeless tires so should work with tubes as well.
I wouldn't use superglue. I would worry about it rubbing on the tube over time. Keep in mind, everything in there moves around a lot more than it seems at first. That was the selling point for old latex tubes; they cause less friction inside as the tire deforms at the rolling surface, (in addition to weight savings over butyl rubber tubes). The purpose in rim tape is to prevent the tube from contacting the inner edges of the spoke nipple holes as it flexes. Once the tube and tire are mounted and pressurized, it will hold everything in place, so long as the tape is the right width. Most factory wheels come with a plastic band and no adhesive because anything that collects junk in the rim is bad. I use these bands and a bit of talcum powder between the tube/tire/rim. This reduces the chance for pinch flats. Some tubes actually come in a talcum powder pouch for this reason as well. Generally, the cloth rim tape will stick to itself better than the rim.

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