Op is talking about CARBON rims. For posterity, DO NOT use abrasives on carbon rims!
You don't need the tape to stick to the rim extremely well, you need the tape to stick to the tape well where it overlaps, which most purposeful rim tape sucks at especially when disturbed by tire beads and levers pushing it around. Keep your thumb on the tape end to hold it still as you work your way around the rim with good tension, then overlap by at least 4".
Unless you have a habit of popping your tires off to show other riders your sick rim channel layup, leaving ugly adhesive behind, assuming you even need to ever retape is GOOD as that will help your next roll get purchase and stick even better (think tubs). Most of us set it and forget it for years/the life of the rim and never have to worry about this of course.
Incorrect. Lightly scuffing up We Are One 's gloss coat is essential. Varies brand to brand. No scuffing into the carbon, only the exterior resin coat/clear coat. Worst comes to worst, you can use a 1/4"x4" strip of gorilla tape heated up to tac down the initial tape placement.
Op is talking about CARBON rims. For posterity, DO NOT use abrasives on carbon rims!
You don't need the tape to stick to the rim extremely well, you need the tape to stick to the tape well where it overlaps, which most purposeful rim tape sucks at especially when disturbed by tire beads and levers pushing it around. Keep your thumb on the tape end to hold it still as you work your way around the rim with good tension, then overlap by at least 4".
Unless you have a habit of popping your tires off to show other riders your sick rim channel layup, leaving ugly adhesive behind, assuming you even need to ever retape is GOOD as that will help your next roll get purchase and stick even better (think tubs). Most of us set it and forget it for years/the life of the rim and never have to worry about this of course.
Incorrect. Lightly scuffing up We Are One 's gloss coat is essential. Varies brand to brand. No scuffing into the carbon, only the exterior resin coat/clear coat. Worst comes to worst, you can use a 1/4"x4" strip of gorilla tape heated up to tac down the initial tape placement.
If it were essential, hundreds of rims I've taped with all the discussed products would be having issues. They aren't. This ain't rocket science.
Warm up the tape in an oven, it will stick much better and gets that factory quality form without air bubbles. Cold carbon and cold tape simply wont stick to each other, I couldnt get tape to stick to WAO rims until heating it up, then it went on easy.
You also have to stretch the tape a lot when applying, I find it easier to stretch with a long strand rather than doing a few inches at a time.
Gorilla tape is permanent, never use that on good rims, eventually the spoke holes get sunken in too much and you have to retape but you cant get it off so you have to just keep taping over the old tape.
Warm up the tape in an oven, it will stick much better and gets that factory quality form without air bubbles. Cold carbon and cold tape simply wont stick to each other, I couldnt get tape to stick to WAO rims until heating it up, then it went on easy.
You also have to stretch the tape a lot when applying, I find it easier to stretch with a long strand rather than doing a few inches at a time.
Gorilla tape is permanent, never use that on good rims, eventually the spoke holes get sunken in too much and you have to retape but you cant get it off so you have to just keep taping over the old tape.
you shouldnt have to put it in the oven. It’s shite
I don't care about the aesthetics (ugliness) of it, but I do care about how it can interfere with the next taping job. Chunks of adhesive can make air gaps or make the new tape stick unevenly.
If you're having chunks of adhesive leftover you probably aren't using any of the products being discussed here. Most of us who use Gorilla tape do so because its pretty much guaranteed to be one and done, which should make this a moot point either way...
...so with that being said, If re-taping is needed with such frequency that its even a topic of discussion, maybe consider outsourcing the work to an LBS!
I'm coming at this from the perspective of, I am your LBS mechanic, and I hate having to clean up a rim that's been duct-taped (to fix a failed tubeless setup, replace a broken spoke, or what have you).
And for what it's worth, here's a thread where I advised OP not to use Gorilla Tape, and he did it anyway, then said he wished he hadn't:
Just pull it tight, I don't see why anyone is having a problem taping a rim. You're wanting it under tension, not wrapping a f*cking birthday present
no it’s not that the stans adehisive just doesn’t stick
Stan's is just Tesa tape, which is what I'm using and never had a problem with it. Pull it tight, overlap it, done. Its not meant to be sticky like sticky tape.