Cyclists: who does rim tape?

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amandaeve
amandaeve Posts: 723 Member
edited August 2022 in Fitness and Exercise
So I bought a new bike and after a week of riding it into work I got a slow leak. The hole was on the inner part of the tube- facing the hub. First time I ever had a hole in that place, and it matched up with this part of the wheel where the rim tape is off center. Did the bike shop or the bike manufacturer put this tape on?

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  • 15822
    15822 Posts: 269 Member
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    Could be a minor production defect - is there anything uneven/bumpy on the rim that may have skewed it when it was put on? It's unlikely that the tape itself caused a leak unless it's freakishly thick.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Unless you've had your wheel rebuilt it's most likely installed by the manufacturer.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    Usually but not always it's whoever built the wheel that installed the rim tape. You can add more to that spot.
  • allaboutthecake
    allaboutthecake Posts: 1,531 Member
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    I have gator skin tires on my roadbike and the bike shop also installed the liner on the inside of the rim. Also, just because I really can't stand flats, they add the flat-stop goop. I'd have em put in more tape if I was you or just replace the setup. its not worth flats. fwiw, I don't change my own tires they pop like a trucker.
  • kcjchang
    kcjchang Posts: 709 Member
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    Whoever assemble the wheelset, typically the wheel builder but not necessarily always. Back in the days, the first thing I normally do after a new bike/wheelset is to replace the rim tape with Velox and dump the oem tire. After a ~20 year hiatus, I skipped the rim tape for the next 5 applications. The cover on oem stuff now is night and day compared to when I was wrenching during college back in the late 80s/early 90s especially those tubeless ready. I would check with the shop to see if you were unlucky and get it replaced.

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